Theory Of The Constant Melody

CHAPTER 10

Getting up at the c***k of dawn, time is a valuable commodity. There were times that I see the world with the same day over and over that it moves from the anticipation to welcome it to just have a remainder of sleep like the sun wouldn’t rise. But all in the case, I feel that something better to come like the scent of morning dew and simply too light to begin much at all.

Sometimes, if I were left to explore in the empty void of emotions, I’ve begun analyzing them all, make me feel it and eventually are gone leaving no trace.

I sighed. The aroma of black coffee lingers my nose while stirring it.

After absorbing minutes, I mooched about the window and looked through it. Unlike before as early as half past five, the sky lightened into palette; orange, yellow, bronze. Whereas, the haze currently obscures the lucidity of the atmosphere.

Hitting the hay while losing sleep over Acherous’ condition last night, I got off to sleep difficulty. To simmer me down, Acherous had just pretty acted being fine. Several minutes after puking, he plastered a vivid smile in his wan face with bleary-eyed. He really had no idea what he looked like. Hopeless, hurt, desperate, and he knew deep down that it was nothing between them anymore.

Last night, I cooked rice porridge with broccoli and collard greens to fight off infection. Then, I sprinkled the meal with ginger purees to resist colds which eventually made him snuffle less frequently. Fortunately, it made him soothe even at least and so he was shaken back into reality that there’s no longer between them.

Picking up the vibe from outside, I turned around when I heard a yawn and deep-throated sound. Staring at me with his sallow eyes, he lifted his arms up right his head and moved those slowly.

I pranced toward his bed and posed a foot forward. “Bro, how are you feeling?” I asked briefly and came closer to him then motioned my forehand against his side neck.

“Better than fine,” he answered with a grin.

“Dusty doughnuts! Bro, you still have a mild fever…” I uttered and held out my hand. “Wait, I’m going to prepare a hot—”

“Lucky to have you, bro,” he whispered which I clearly heard. Gaining forward momentum with just the right blend of serenity, shuddering, and dazzling, I stood on my foot, gaining my normal pulses.

To be as thick as thieves like we are being joined at the hip; that’s not really the definition of friendship. In other words, time is actually the dependent variable of camaraderie. The love and the purest heart do belong to the philanthropic—helping each other in times of struggle.

“Bro, so gay,” I commented to conceal the rapid beating of my heart, as well as the flushing my face red. I turned my back from him and walked like as if nothing could be really paid attention to.

This feeling may have a profounder factor than the ostensible purpose of feeling this way. I’m not just in love with him—head over heels to be specific.

Lord, I apologize for this mistake, but I can’t help—or even control myself—have the hots for my best friend.

SITTING ACROSS EACH OTHER, I took in the sight of Acherous who stuck his spoon in the pomegranate ceramic bowl to take a quick taste of the chicken soup I cooked a few moments ago.

“Ache, how’s it?” I inquired with a small smile while tapping my index finger on the table repeatedly; arms rested on it.

We stared at each other. It took us a couple of seconds after our eyes separated through the air.

Next, he scooped a large amount.

“You’ve never failed to fill me with savory,” he responded and scooped once more.

“Well, ready to get married,” I stated, beaming and clasping my hands against my chin; elbows contacted on the table as a support.

His mouth quirked up and he grinned mischievously. “I should be sick again, bro.”

I have no idea what runs on my mind, but hearing those words is a sign of possessive—or even close to demanding total attention. Or was it just me to assume all of the fragments of thoughts?

I gave him a smothered laugh and quietly sat four-figured. “Bro, you’re delirious,” I joked and held my spoon.

“You said you’re ready to get married, bro. Everything merely means that you’ll leave me—”

I cut him off, “You really are sick. What—”

He barely laughed as his eyes slid to the side. “C’mon, bro. You promise you’ll not abandon me ‘til our friendship—”

“Bro, I can’t tolerate this conversation,” I commented and took a few morsels, averting my gaze.

As if something could’ve been surely done having me left him. For goodness sake, that’s what I’ve never thought doing in my life. We could be at the ends of this Earth–the distance between us won’t never be the cause of our separation. I could make certain in this that I pulled toward him all over again unless he would tell me to stop.

Indeed, allowing this occurrence of talk with him is not my predilection of topic. I’m not comfortable—hard to deal—with it.

To divert the topic, I chewed over any happening for the previous days. Then, I came up with him yesterday.

“Bro, would you mind if I ask some private questions?” I asked.

I observed that he was taken aback for a second or two, but he quickly gained his posture. “Question like, what? Is my d**k huger than yours? I guess—”

“Dusty doughnuts! Bro, I’m serious.”

It’s him. He ever wins to make a curve slip across my lips.

Damping down ridiculousness, his face straightaway normalized. “S—sure, but you shall provide multiple choices if needed,” he larked then shortly snickered.

I shook my head due to his jocosity and let out a sigh. “What happened yesterday?” I questioned straightforwardly, making certain it wouldn’t be such like interrogation. Letting me know is my privilege as his… best friend.

“That’s vain to talk about, bro. I’m neither naïve nor apathetical, I don’t give a f*****g damn care—”

 “Bro, put your mind at ease. Probably, you haven’t gotten over Shandria yet,” I inserted. “But before you answer, let us finish our meal first. It’s unethical to eat while talking awful,” I added.

LYING DOWN PRONE BESIDE ME, Acherous is playing a mobile online game, cursing so many times.

“Bro, shut your gob. Minimize your voice. Can’t you see I’m studying?” I complained, resting my back on the headboard; head slightly bowed down. I flicked through him then my eyes fixed on the textbook I’m reading.

He hissed and let out an exasperating sigh. “What the f**k! Poor signal.”

In my range of vision, he slumped his shoulders and rested his cheek on the bed.

“Bro, don’t overstress yourself. Your heat index remains 38.1 since this morning,” I reminded and took a quick glance at him.

Pursing his lips, his eyes darted on mine and therewith, he gave me a lopsided grin.

I put down my book on my lap and took my hipster reading glass off. Looking him in the eye, I arched my brows with perplexity because of his expression.

“I doubt behind the reason of your concern, bro…” he spoke and sat up without interrupting our eyes holding together. 

Catching off guard, my heart suddenly throbbed so fast. His voice is evident of having this awareness that made me apprehend in no time. Does he feel that… I cherish him more than friendship he knows?

“Bro, accountability,” I lied relatively to what’s my intention. Moreover, I am obliged to fend for him. We promised that we would be looking after each other.

“I see.” His expression dulled, and he adjusted his position then followed with relaxing his back on the headrest.

I heaved a deep sigh in relief.

“The f**k!” he cursed inconceivably.

“What?” I asked, balled up what to tell him correctly.

“We have our class today. I just… remembered it by now.”

“Bro, nothing to worry about. Besides, you have a headache.”

“And you?”

“Your nurse for today,” I replied and sniggered.

He hit me in the head and frowned. “What did you excuse for… yourself?”

“Bro, I just excused that I’d be watching you. They may not think about that purpose of absence as mendacity,” I responded and put on my reading glass. Afterwards, I flipped pages where my bookmark was inserted and settled my eyes on it.

“I’m sorry, bro. I believe that being absent is not your habit, but you did it for me. Otherwise, you could get away from me since colds is infectious.”

“Bro, so dramatic…” I commented and had a gander at him. “Leave everything all to me. Further, it’s not necessary to say that I would be leaving you here all alone. I must have had a guilty conscience if forsaken you.”

“Thanks, bro,” he just said sincerely.

I’ve sworn that what happened to me a long time ago would serve as just a memory of the past that something worse than that won’t ever happen again. Being grateful is actually close to getting another chance of living. It was then my life had an empty soul after my former friend named Jack reported me of cheating way back primary school. Yes, I cheated. I let Jack copy all my answers, and he even thanked me for that. I knew it was a form of cheating, but what could I do? He was my friend. Then the next day, I ran into an unexpected problem. Jack told my teacher that I cheated during the exam which I admitted at once, but what I would never expect was I copied his answers, something our papers were quite identical because the similarity was quite noticeable. I was penalized but not that severe since it was the time our school heads were doing accreditation of the academy.

After all, it never looked like happening this to me once more.

“Bro, no problem.” I ran my hands through my hair and nibbled on my bottom lip. “By the way, bringing up the topic a little while, is there any confrontation between Shandria and you… that time, it’s personal?”

He heaved a dismal breath before twisting his lips. “I had seen her with Marco, one of her co-dancers. Having had the courage to talk to her, I went closer to them in the waiting area down the avenue. She looked surprised. Not to blame her, she shouldn’t have acted unwitting…” Doing precise movements made him talk to a halt, and he titled his head sideward to face right me.

“I greeted her, as well as Marco, of course. And with having the crass cognizance, I offered them my umbrella since… I just lived here on Sunset Boulevard,” he narrated.

I nodded my head. “Bro, did you two talk about your relationship?”

Disappointment etched on his face, and no more than anything she showed right now could explain it. “No. Like I had forfeited rights to talk to her, bro. If only she were not with Marco…”

“You were going to talk to her?”

“I would make a closure with her. I am still in a state of moving on… then letting go… and I’ll entertain some…” he wisecracked amidst his situation while shrugging his shoulder; hands moving in the air.

I laughed shortly and jabbed his right bicep. “Stupid.”

We burst out laughing and gave ourselves a high-five.

After a minute or two, we stopped.

I licked my lips then folded my legs.

Meanwhile, he crossed his legs and looked heavenward.

“Bro, let me ask you this…” I said.

“What?” he asked.

“Do you still love her?” I asked that made him throw into confusion.

“What kind of question is that?” he inquired, forehead puckering and eyes narrowing with skeptical.

“Just… answer it.”

Subsequently, he stretched his right arm up and tousled my hair. “I’m contented with you, bro. I realize that having a girlfriend ever ends, but friendship stays longer… we are close-knit.”

Good stuff begins with trust and misery. When somebody comes to us with feet that bleed, we tend to build nestle for them, and be of their safe harbor. It is not a transaction or trade that anyone of you gives must receive as well because of some favor.

“Son, you’ll find someone who makes you feel more than enough,” my mother told me this after I got bullied at school. I didn’t know then why I was always bullied. What I just believed was that they wanted a constant help from me. If ever I wouldn’t do so, then it was a trouble for me.

“When and who, Mom? I don’t like to befriend with anybody whose intention is to hurt me all the time.”

That time, my mother complained to the guidance office reporting what had just happened, but since we got no power against those kids whose their parents are stakeholders of that school, we hadn’t done something.

“Someday, you’ll meet that person. It may be someone who will teach you a great lesson, that he never gets you gone held too many cards of how friendship works, the friendship that never expects any help by favor.”

And now, I realize who that person is my mom was talking about.

Acherous.