If love is a crime

Chapter 4- AFTER THE BEACH

BRENDA

After his game he came to me fully clothed and appeared decent. He has a demeanour that is quite charming. He talks calmly like someone with zero life problems. I noticed all these within the three minutes we got talking. “Do you mind if I help you pack up? I think your cousin is eager to leave.” I said “he’s fine, he just gets a little overwhelmed whenever we’re outside in a gathering like this one” and not until I said that did I realise the large number of people at the beach today, it’s a whole lot!. This summer really is going to be something. I didn’t pay attention to my immediate environment as time passed because when I and my cousin got here, there were just few people at the beach with us. Seeing this number of people in less than two hours is thrilling.

That’s one of the best things about summer, you see a lot of lovely people in different colours of summer clothes. “I take it you wouldn’t be staying for the party tonight then” THERE’S A PARTY??!. I’ve always wanted to attend one but I had to put Ramsey into consideration. “I won’t be here for the party” I replied reluctantly because that’s not what I wanted. “I’ve not gotten your name” the new boy asked as he uprooted the umbrella from the sand. “You tell me yours’ and i tell you mine. Isn’t that how it works?” I replied with a raised eyebrow and hands gesturing. “Oh my bad, I’m Hugh but you can call me ‘H’ like my friends do” he answered with a smug look on his face. “What makes you think I would want to call you that” I said with an intention to troll. He kept staring at me for a few seconds before answering “it’s a choice,you don’t have to if you don’t want to. What’s your name?” I noticed something new again in this stranger; his eyes. They’re so brown and beautiful I could get lost in them. I kept staring at them until I heard him say something again that jolted me back to reality. “What’s your name” I said “oh sorry my name’s Brenda,Brenda Bucknor”. He got startled a little at the mention of my full name. “Bucknor?” He asked while taking a deep stare at me like he was trying to bore holes into my skin. I answered cautiously “y-y-yes I am Brenda Bucknor” he said “oh cool I thought I heard wrong”

I looked at him more closely and his figure began to seem more familiar. I started thinking of where I had seen him again,this time staring deeper while he was infront of me. I didn’t know when I blurted it out but I said it: “Have we met?” He immediately replied no with a nervous smile on his face. I got more interested in trying to know where I’ve seen him before. “Asides the beach, what else do you love to do for fun” his question brought me back to reality and just like that,the nervous smile on his face was gone and replaced with a grin on his face. “I enjoy walks,bicycle rides, horse riding, reading and art.” “Wow that’s a choice” he said nodding his head. I asked “ and you, what do you enjoy doing apart from disrupting people’s leisure time” he said while laughing: “I thought we moved past that” he continued laughing and said in a much more calmer voice “what can I do to make it up to you?” From our new conversations,I’ve noticed there are layers to this individual that needs to be peeled and I would like to do that. “How about we hangout tonight here on the beach?” He answered “that’s boring. Meeting twice a day at the same spot” I thought of it and asked “so what do you have in mind?” He said “it’s a surprise. Let’s meet at the entrance here by 8?”

An unexplainable excitement filled my tummy. Why am I feeling this way. This is a total stranger I’m meeting for the first time. “That sounds fun and exciting. Don’t keep me waiting” he said “I would never keep a beautiful lady like yourself waiting. Infact I’ll be here before 8 tonight to make sure I don’t keep you waiting.” I blushed and smiled,corner of both sides of my mouth almost touching the base of my ears. He looked at me and smiled “we have to get going so we can meet here on time. Nice meeting you Brenda. See you soon” he said waving to me as he left. I waved back and smiled with more excitement and enthusiasm than usual. On the drive home I kept smiling and fantasising about how I wanted tonight to be. Would he take me out on a date, go for a walk holding each other’s hands, star gaze? Romantic activities ran through my mind all through the ride home and it was almost as if I wasn’t in the car with my cousin. “I’m seeing him tonight” I told Ramsey as we waited for the gates of the mansion to be open before driving in. He said “oh really? You’ll have to tell uncle and aunty then” I said “that’s the problem. I don’t know how to tell them also,that’s if they’re going to let me see him and I really want to see him. I feel like I’ve met him before” I didn’t realize I was smiling like I was earlier until he said “look at you smiling like a fool” I burst into laughter and he was shocked. “You like him already?” He asked with a shock on his face. “There’s no way Brenda” he said. We were almost at the door and I said “don’t speak of this infront of mum and dad,I’ll sneak out tonight and be back before 11. Please stay up till I’m back,ok?” I said, trying to do the puppy eyes so he would willingly do my bidding. He only shook his head in surprise and I excitedly screamed a thank you while hugging him as tight as I could. We got in and went to our various rooms to shower and relax before dinner.

While showering, I sang with so much excitement and happiness. Then I paused for a short while,what if he doesn’t feel the same way I’m feeling. But he asked to make it up to me and meet tonight. Am I overthinking this? A series of questions ran through my head. I decided I was going to be calm and just let whatever happens, happen. I got out of the shower and searched through my unlimited number of clothes and dresses to pick for tonight. Ramsey can’t help me. He doesn’t know about things like this and I can’t ask mum for obvious reasons. I had to follow my guts and hope he likes what I’m wearing. Why do I care whether or not he like it. After many minute of searching I finally narrow it down to two dresses but it was already time for dinner and I had to be there.

Breakfast and dinner are two meals we don’t miss in my home. You’re either not home or you’re sick. Whether you were angry,sad,happy,tired, you had to come down for dinner and one of the emotions mentioned is what I’m feeling right now. I placed the dresses on my bed,one seperate from the other and headed downstairs for dinner. I greeted my mum with a big hug, smiled at Ramsey who smiled back and looked at my dad’s seat and he wasn’t there. Just as I was about to ask where he was, we hear a very deep voice coming from the higher end of the stairs. A voice my mum and I so love to hear. Yes you guessed right,it’s my dad. My sweet father that spoils me so dearly,loves and protects me and my mother. My parents over the years have showed me what love should feel and be like so the idea of love in my head is quite healthy and firm. As his huge figure descended the stairs his sweet,strong perfume scent filled the room and the aroma of the food about to be eaten faded away. He finally got down the stairs and smile covered his face as he saw my mum and I seated at the table waiting together with Ramsey.

He was finally at the table with us and we had quite a long chitchat about our day before we dug into the delicious dinner mum made. It’s mouth watering and this sure is one of the many things I’ll miss after leaving my parents’ house to be independent or when I’m finally travelling the world and exploring. It’s a few minutes past 7 and I’m thinking of ways to leave the dinner table and sneak of out of the house to see the charming stranger I met earlier today. As I quietly stand up to leave the table and tell them good night when I get to the stairs so they won’t have to come check me in my room to find out I had snuck out, dad says “leaving already my Angel?” I said “yes dad I’m really tired I have to go to bed now” he said “good night and sweet dreams” I sure will have sweet dreams tonight daddy. I got to my room to pick one of the dresses I laid carefully on my bed before going downstairs for dinner and wear it. I looked so lovely in it I didn’t bother trying the other one and I just grabbed my heels, turned off the lights and snuck out the house through the window.