The Summer Bucket List

Chapter 2

Before Jella and I said goodbye, she actually invited me to visit her at her house and have dinner with her little family, and also to meet Chris and her eldest, Christina. Certainly, time is so fast. It’s like we’re just kids playing sand castles at the beach. Now she already has kids of her own. And I’m happy reuniting with Jella. Sixteen years with a lost connection but our closeness stayed. It’s like I never left this town. Oh, I wish I never did.

I instantly organized the groceries I bought when I got home. After everything was settled, I went in the garage and found Dad’s old bicycle. I rode the bike towards Mrs. Gaddisson’s house, which is only five blocks away from old grandma’s house. As I got there and walked towards the gate, I couldn’t help but reminisce about the old memories I had in this house. The house is filled with Marie’s favorite flower, Hydrangea. August and I actually helped her plant these. They were just baby plants back then. Now they could almost occupy the front porch with its purple flowers. It actually made the house look more alive.

“Marie! Farah’s here.” Slowly someone opened the door. It was Marie.

“Oh, you’re here. You’re just in time. I cooked your favorite Mac-n-Cheese,” she said excitedly as she wrapped her arms on my back and pulled me inside. “I’m sure you’ll love it dear.”

“I’m sure it is.” I giggled. She prepared the food in front of me. “Oh, this looks appetizing. Thank you, Marie.”

“Welcome dear. Come on dig in.”

As I took my first bite, the sensational taste of the food dragged me to my childhood. It tastes exactly the same. “This is so good. I miss this!” My mouth uttered. Marie stared expressively at me.“I know you did, dear.” A hint of avidity showered in her eyes. I could barely ignore it.

“By the way, where’s August?”

“He’ll be here. He still has things to do in his yacht with his father. “

Oh yeah, their family owned a small yacht. I remember when we were kids, August actually told me that he'd own a yacht when he became an adult. I envy him, because I wanted to have one too. That’s why I told him that I'd buy two of them to make him jealous and stuff. It actually worked because, after I told him that we argued for a whole day. He wanted to have a yacht; nobody else could. He told me he'd owned the ocean, so no one could place their yachts there. It’s funny remembering how selfish he was back then.

He’s one of the selfish kids I know, but only for those things he really liked.

“And maybe after, he’ll pass by at his house before he heads here.” Marie followed.

“I thought he’s living with you?”

“He has a house in town. But he usually spends his summer at my house.” I nod. Suddenly a voice flew outside. “August!” I muttered, full of excitement.

I thought it was August, so I immediately ran towards the door, but after it opened, it instantly took my excitement away. It wasn’t the person I was hoping for, but rather his father, Gabriel Gaddisson.

“Hi, Gabriel.” I said. His eyes narrowed, gazing hardly at me. “Farah?” he uttered. I smiled. He opened his arms in front of me while his smile was drawn across his face. I hugged him.

“How are you? And how long have you been here?”

“I’m good, and I just came today, actually.”

“That’s good to hear.” He just stared at me, still couldn’t believe that I was the little girl they used to feed before.

“You know, let’s have a chat in the kitchen. I’m starving because of the work on the yacht.”

We laughed. As we were walking back into the kitchen, I couldn’t help but ask.

“I, I thought you’re with August?”

“Oh, right, I left him. Guess he’s still there.”

“Oh,” I said in despair. I looked back at the door for seconds, hoping for him to suddenly show up. “Come on dear. You can go to him after your meal,” Marie said. I just smiled.

They asked me a lot of questions. How am I? How’s my life after I left town? What happened to me? I answered them, but not completely honest. Answering their questions feels like a tightrope in my neck. Though I already expected I'd be questioned with tons of questions, it still feels suffocating. How could I answer those questions I didn’t even know how to answer? Nor how to begin with when I knew how it'd affect them, and how much it'd make me look vulnerable and a pitiful person.

Yes, I answered them, yet with lies. Because living a lie is much easier.

…

I rode my bike towards the pier where yachts were located. It was already four in the afternoon, so the sunlight never spared any corner of my skin. As I got there, I instantly wandered my sights. There’s no one here, except this one man in his white shirt wet in his own sweat, dark curled hair and with pumping biceps. I don’t know if he’s the person I’m looking for. I don’t know what he looks like now. How mature he has grown. How tall he became. But he’s the only man here. Maybe he is my best friend. Maybe he is August.

I shouted his name as if I was a kilometer away, when in fact our distance is just ten steps away if he’s not on the edge of his yacht. My voice was loud, filled with excitement and longing. How could I not? When I waited sixteen years to finally shout his name. I instantly stole his attention. I waved at him. His eyes narrowed, as if he was thinking about who I could possibly be. Perhaps because of the sunlight that made my features like a shadow underneath.

I shouted his name for the second time. “August! It’s me, Farah!”. The moment he heard it, his expression became rigidly cold. Never a hint of excitement was painted on his face. Nevertheless, I remained enthusiastic. Perhaps he was just confused, or he just couldn’t really see me.

I jumped out of my bicycle, and ran towards his yacht. He was just standing there watching me, in haze. I was feeling a surge of excitement, all I could think of was that I could finally reunite with him. Unsteady on my feet, I slipped and fell on the side of the bridge and fell in the water.

I know how to swim, but my jeans are making it hard for me to move my legs and swim up. Yet beneath the surface of the water, I could vividly see him as he removed his shirt and dived above me. His face shining from the sunlight that peeks under the water. He swam towards, in that few seconds, it hit me, how time moves so fast. He looks different now, far different from what I can remember—the chubby kid with glasses on. He held my waist and pulled me up to the surface. When we got onto the surface, we stole heavy breathes as we stared at each other. As I felt his tight palms around my waist, I could feel my veins gravitating inevitably. I was feeling so many emotions, but most of all,

I miss him.

Our eyes still locked up on each other as if they were communicating through gazes. His alluring ocean eyes made me uncontrollably whisper his name. “August.”

His voice suddenly dropped, “Farah.”

My eyes widened, and a smile stretched across my face.

He remembered me. He knew it was me. Without other thoughts, I hugged him.