Unhinged Love

Chapter Four

The northern side of the village paid host to ridges. From the villages, only the front ridge was visible. It was called the mountain of God. They were sacred places.

However, on the invisible side of the mountains lay a range of ridges and moats. The whole place was covered with green trees and grass of various types. It formed a forest that created a home for various animals. The ridges always received heavy downpours. Sometimes even during the summer.

Oliver enjoyed fishing by a fishing line. Other times, he did it for money. When he left Haran's place, he looked for his uncle, Lyon, a typical Karani village member. Their situation forced them to fish quite a lot for sales occasionally.

He also liked visiting the Sauna Center to swim and play several other games in the company of his friends. But above all, Oliver had one place where he found solitude. There he went alone.

It was the ridges. People said the ridges were dangerous, but he saw it as a home to other living beings who needed companionship. To him, it was a mountain of God. There was a theory that Le Dieu stayed on the rides and that if anybody sent their prayers earnestly, he would answer. After going back to live in Karani, he was a frequent visitor.

Oliver believed in God quite a lot. He was a staunch believer who would pray without ceasing. On Saturday morning, he was not there when Hellen had gone to look for him.

He had gone to the mountains to pray. Sometimes, he would go in the morning, other times in the evening. Hellen should have texted him prior, but she did not do that. She did not know what to say; moreover, she wanted to catch him unprepared with a response.

But when she did not find Oliver, she sent a text message saying she'd like to see him. Oliver rarely went to the ridges with a phone.

When he came back, at around 10 am, he quickly replied.

"Hi Hellen, we can meet at the Sauna Center."

Hellen did not hold any long. She quickly dashed to the center. On her way, her heart was beating faster. She knew she wanted Oliver, but how would she open up? How was she going to start talking? It was unnatural for girls to express their feelings towards a man first. Moreover, the relationship was different; it was her brother.

After taking a shower, Oliver left for the place as well. Hellen was the first to spot the other. Her heart leaped. She felt something weird stirring in her bowels, sending cold shivers across her body as if some spirit possessed her.

She glanced at him but turned her face towards the ground. Maintaining eye contact with Oliver was hard. She was shy. Even bigger girls could not do it. Oliver's eyes appeared like they emitted rays of light piercing through the other person's eyes and the soul to lay open everything hidden in the heart.

Even fellow men could not stand his eyes. Whenever someone looked at them, they seemed to burn bright. Nobody understood the language the eyes spoke. They were half commanding and half imploring. Perhaps that's why everyone always obeyed him, even older ones.

Hellen was stealing glances one at a time as Oliver walked in from a distance. In her imagination, she would prefer to run towards him, hop into his muscled arms, squeeze every bit of her strength into his chest with her breasts, and still feel all the ounce that comes out of it. But that was not possible. She could not tell how he would react.

Soon, Oliver was there. Cheery smiles were all over. She stood up to hug Oliver as he went round the table to hug him. He kissed her on the cheek, but that was normal since they were raised together.

"How have you been?"

"I'm okay."

"And mum?"

Hellen did not respond to the inquiry about her mother. She thought it would complicate their moment. She smiled and changed the topic. Even though she was never talkative, she needed something to discuss with Oliver.

They ordered milkshakes one after another. Time went by. Their stories seemed to be going on and on. Topics ranged from school drama to things that happened in the villages. Amidst nonstop laughter, they remembered a situation when they were younger.

She would run to hide amongst the horses whenever she made a mistake, and her mother wanted to discipline her. Once she ran there, her mother left her alone, and she thought that her mother never knew her hiding place. She would brag about it every day.

One day, Oliver tried running there. But Hellen did not like it. She thought Oliver would reveal the place. She, therefore, disclosed it to the mother, expecting a compliment. Shockingly, her mother admonished her with a slap that sent her to the floor.

It was three, and Oliver started worrying about why Hellen wanted a meeting. He wanted to ask earlier but swayed the thought, imagining they would blend into the topic seamlessly without breaking the cheerful moment. However, it could have been more forthcoming. He also assumed it did not matter too much. Their moment was divine.

Later, it was evening, and friends were thronging the place. Even John was there. He got irked when he saw Oliver and Hellen together. Usually, there was not much about it. But that day, they seemed closer. He came to where they were sitting to interrupt. When he reached two, they were already up to play with others.