Over the Mountain

CHAPTER 4: SMILE

CHAPTER 4: SMILE

“You know my name,” I repeated which makes his smile grow wider. “You smile!” I spit out excitedly.

“What’s surprising about me smiling?” he asks as he pulled me to sit down.

I oblige to sit down but the exaggeration inside me is still present. I couldn’t believe that he is smiling right now. And I couldn’t believe that he had that beautiful smile. All I thought is that he’s a snob. He’s been restraining himself to smile since I met him in the mountain. From that, I know that he doesn’t want to show his smile or that he doesn’t want me to see him smiling. But now…he immediately smiles because I snap him that he knows my name.

I was like a baby who was played by his father, fascinated by what I am witnessing just right now. I have seen a lot of smiles. A guy smiles to be exact. But his smile is so manly…it’s so bright.

I was staring at the curve in his lips when he looks in my direction. His smile grew wider as he pokes me on the forehead. I frown but the fascinating reaction in my face is still visible.

“Of course, I know your name,” he finally said. “Your grandma has been telling me a lot of stories about you because you are the most brat in the grandchildren line,”

I pouted. How could grandma tell him that! I’m not a brat! At least not the most brat among her children. I remained silent at my sit as Leo enumerated my grandma’s stories about me. Every time he mentions the word ‘little’, ‘kid’, and brat, I always end up frowning. How could they call me little if I am not! Well, if I stand next to Leo, I will probably look small but…I’m not a little anymore! I’m a grown-up now.

Leo continues talking while I keep on frowning and side comments. Usually, I don’t like hearing the stories about me but there is something about him that made me let him continue telling me everything, even the embarrassing stories of mine. I’m mad at grandma for telling him all these stories but as he goes on talking, I felt special, knowing that he remembers clearly all the stories.

I wanted to spill that conclusion of mine, but I restrain myself. I don’t want to ruin the moment, so I just let him talk, and laugh at the same until the storytelling turns into teasing. Just like that, we became comfortable with each other.

“Have you been in a city?” I curiously ask.

He nodded. “Twice,”

“Hmm, then why I didn’t bump at you there?”

He glances at me his brows in a straight line. “It’s because. The city is wide and big so it’s impossible to bump with you,”

I pouted, thinking of the deepest of the ocean. “This place is also wide and big, but we still bump at each other,”

I don’t what he hears in my words but his straight-line brows suddenly relaxed and a curve crept in his lips. He was smiling again while looking at me. I raise my left brow to send him a question but he just ends up chuckling at me. It looks like he finds something amusable on what I said. I shook my head and just push my swing using my feet. At first, it was a slow back and forth pace of the swing then later, I push it harder than my swing flies a bit higher. It’s been my toy every time I wait for Dad to fetch me in school. I was enjoying the swing, hands off the handle and shouting like a bird.

As my swing goes higher, the view of the mountain becomes clearer and beautiful. The clouds kissing the peak of it are picture-perfect. The soulful atmosphere that the mountain is sending from above is felt even in a distance. There is no tall buildings, bright light, and amusement parks but the mountain and the cloud itself are already enough. Dad is blessed to grow up in this beautiful place.

I enjoys the views so much that I forgot that I am still sitting on a swing. I let go of my right hand on the swing handle and raise it on the horizon as if I am touching the mountain and that made me almost fall from my swing. But before I could even meet the ground; someone had already saved me.

“Are you okay?” he asks but I remained silent, just staring at him. “Sierra,”

“Yeah!” I answer, almost shouting so I know that it hurts his eardrum because he shuts his eyes firmly. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to hurt your ears.”

“It’s okay,” he said and helps me secure my stand.

“Thank you,” I said as I sit down on my swing again.

Silence fell between us. I can’t talk. I just can’t. I don’t why but I could still feel his warm hands on my stomach. I swallowed hard and tilted my head. Am I still a kid? I guess not. I remained silent and he does the same. We both enjoyed the silence as we stare at the mountain. Something is running on my mind, but I couldn’t puzzle what it is. I sigh heavily and from my peripheral vision, I saw how his head turns to my side. I didn’t move any muscle. I remained in my position, not letting my eyes glance at him. Just now, I feel shy.

From a bit far from us, I could still hear the oldies who are enjoying their conversation while we, remain lip zipped. I bite my lower lip when I finally puzzle out what is running through my mind. I bite my lower lip so I can restrain myself from asking. Well, I really wanted to know his answer but I’m still ashamed to even talk to him. So as long as I can, I will zip my lip.

But my lip is a traitor.

“Do you really live there? On the mountain? Inside the mountain? On the peak? Or in the middle?” I ask a series of questions.

He glances at me, so I instantly diverted my gaze back to the mountain. “What do you think?”

“Ha?” I blankly blurted.

He was so quick to turn his head on my side, so I was caught off guard. To not look like an idiot, I just stop myself from diverting my gaze and just look at him. I waited for him to speak but he just remains looking back at me. We stare at each other, and I just find myself admiring how manly he is. He’s very far from the guys in my schools who still look like kids. Leo is way far. He may be tanned skin but he’s so manly.

“Eyes up, Sierra,” he said, almost whispering.

I blink twice when after hearing him speak. That’s when I realized that my eyes were staring at his beautiful lips. I purse my lips and slowly turn my head to look at the mountain. “Yeah.”

He chuckles and swings slowly. “I ask you, what do you think is the answer to your question?”

I pouted. Why does he have to ask me when I am asking him first? “Yes?”

“You’re not sure about your answer,”

“Of course, I’m not. How could I be sure if I only meet you now? I don’t even know your surname so how I would know if you were living there or not?”

“Are you already mad?” he asks, mocking.

I roll my eyes at him. “What do you think?” I ask back his words earlier that made him chuckle.

I don’t get it. He is a weirdo. There is a moment where he seldom laughs, to smile even. But there is also a moment where he just suddenly laughs and smiles. I wince at my thought. Back in the city, all I am thinking is just how barbie suddenly turns to mermaid form from being a princess. But now, I am thinking about this guy next to me. Am I a grown-up lady now?

I slowly swing my swing again, but I remain at a slow pace only. I don’t want to over swings again and then be saved by Leo for the second time in a day. I don’t want to look like a kid who needs to be watched twenty-four-seven! Just by thinking that I’ll be watching twenty-four-seven suffocate me already. But since the city is way far from than province, I think they will let me be alone now.

“I live there,” Leo said after a long silence.

I stop the swing using my feet and slowly turn to his side. “Seriously? How? I mean, isn’t a mountain is dangerous? Aren’t you afraid that bear might attack your house?”

Chuckling, he glances at me. “No. The mountain is not dangerous. But people are.”

“So, you really live there. Grandma said that you also have neighbors there?”

He nodded. “We have a village located on the mountain. If I’m not mistaken, around fifty people live there.”

“That’s huge already. Does your village look like this village?”

“No,” he swiftly answers.

“What does it look like?” I curiously ask.

Instead of answering my question, he just glance at me and smiled mysteriously. I didn’t push the conversation anymore. I wanted to know what their village looks like but I don’t want to push him to talk more. We both remained silent, enjoying the mountain until I slowly open my mouth to tell a story of my experience back in city life.

I have a lot of friends back in the city and we talk a lot about our dolls, shoes, and other kinds of stuff but I can’t talk about those kinds of things with Leo because he’s a guy. So, I just told him my experience in winning different contests until it’s time for them to go.

“Bye Sierra. It’s really nice to meet you,” Leo’s mother said.

“Thank you, Auntie Lina. I’m pleased to meet you too,” I replied and smiled widely.

“Such a cutie,” she commented. “Well then, we’ll go ahead, grandma.”

“Sure, sure. Take care and please greet me to your mom,” grandma said.

Auntie Lina and grandma continues to talk, and I was just there, listening to them. Not until someone caught my attention. I glance at Leo’s side, and he is already looking at me. I smile at him cheerfully with my eyes almost closed, and it made him smile. I almost burst out laughing when he suddenly stops smiling after I stick out my tongue at him.

My attention was back on grandma when she once again mentions that I’m curious about Leo the first time I saw him. My eyes widen and I felt my cheeks burned especially when Leo’s parents both chuckle at me. I made face to grandma who just stick out her tongue at me. They continue talking again and then Leo comes near me.

“If you want to see what our village looks like, you have to train with me,” he whispers, almost smirking.