SILENT STRUGGLES

CHAPTER FIVE

Latty pov:

As I bid Ewla a farewell, an impulse overtook me and before I knew it, I had enveloped her in an embrace. She was the epitome of cuteness; with her chocolate skin tone smooth and radiant, a rich canvas that celebrated her heritage. Her soft facial features being harmoniously balanced, with a fitting lower pink lip inviting and her eyes small but oozing innocence. She seemed really surprised, but either way hugged back despite the hesitation.

She fit perfectly between my arms I mean it. Her 5’2 petite frame fit to perfection. How could she be so perfect? It was a moment I had unconsciously longed for since witnessing her audition, where her melodious voice had captivated me and her gentle speaking tone being a perfect complement to her youthful visage despite the innocence in her face.

The realization of our closeness only dawned on me when she gently tapped, signaling for release. Her politeness was as endearing as it was painful, her submissiveness striking a chord within me. She was a true angel. As I left, I couldn’t help but think about her. Her shy demeanor and how she smiled softly as she sipped her lemonade; how her tinny eyes shinned brightly and turned into crescent moons whenever she sipped her drink. The desire to bring her such joy was overwhelming. f**k, I was whipped! In a whimsical decision, I resolved to send her strawberries daily, a small gesture to brighten her days.

As I lay in bed that evening, I couldn’t help but wonder what had been causing her that pain. It became my silent vow to alleviate her suffering, to share and dissolve her sorrows. I mean she deserved all the happiness in the world. I’d heal her, we’d share the pain she’s feeling and neutralize it until it was in existed. As the thought of her might being bullied for her solitude or heritage crossed my mind, it ignited a protective fury in me. On the spur of the moment, I contemplated on talking to dad to transfer her to our group. That way I’d be able to intervene directly but the promise to my dad of making my lineage known would remain a secret held me back.

The next day, I initiated my plan with a simple strawberry lemonade delivery, along with a note of encouragement. Our difference in schedule made it impossible to deliver it by myself. As the days passed, I did the same at times and observed her reaction from a distance, noting the small smile that tagged her lips whenever she received it. She was still a loner though. With little interaction with her colleagues. It was all worth it seeing that smile. Was I creepy though for watching her? I was just a whipped b***h caring for her crush.

Meanwhile, I had begun discreetly inquiring about her well-being among the juniors with whom she slightly interacted with during practice, determined to unearth the cause of her distress. Many seemed to have no idea about her, only that she was the cute African girl with a heavenly voice who received strawberry lemonade every morning and always on headphones. Others even called her a loner which wasn’t far from the truth, though it made my blood boil. I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous though whenever they described her with dreamy eyes. It seemed Ewla was an enigma even to those she shared her days with.

Determined to delve deeper, I began to go sit with her whenever we had lunch breaks together. She was always quiet, but I was determined to break that to make her open up. Offering her casual greetings, which she responded faintly but being keen on her id always hear her response and small talk. I was really going out of character. I mean: I didn’t interact with juniors before her and was known for giving smart remarks to everyone besides those that were close friends. After practice, she always went to Nami’s café for her part. This limited the time I really wanted to spend with her.

On one of the evenings, I asked Nami to allow her not to work. I had wanted to take her to a park for star gazing. It was the least I could do. She seemed displeased but didn’t express it, which really pissed me off, but I couldn’t show it to her regardless. I didn’t want to scare her off. I needed her to communicate and tell her opinions proudly. How was she to survive in the music industry if she didn’t know how to express herself or was easily intimidated by everyone? People would take advantage of her. I wouldn’t allow that though. I'd risk it all to protect her.

Picking her up from her dorm room to my car, I really wanted to devour her. She was in nothing out of the ordinary, but she looked breathtaking in those short black shorts, the knee-length stockings and boots and the long sleeve turtleneck she was wearing. She was cute. She seemed shy as we walked past the corridor to the car because everyone seemed to stare at her. The drive to the park was a quiet one. Ewla seemed so fascinated by the city view at night, which made me wonder had she not seen the city at night. I wouldn’t be surprised though.

As we sat under the canopy of stars in the serene park on a cozy blanket, I couldn’t help but feel happy. A smile was tagging across Ewla lips. Dare I say she had a breathtaking smile which had her eyes disappear into tiny crescent moons as her eyes were fixed on the constellations. The gentle rustling of leaves and the distant hum of the city created a peaceful backdrop. “You know the sky is my favorite thing in the world,” she said as she turned to look at me. “The moon is one thing I always find comfort in. It’s as lonely as I am so making us two. It always gave me hope whenever I always found my solitude a bit too much. It always survives, it sometimes disappears when everything is too much but always finds its way back.”

Her words were like music to me. At least I learned another thing about her. Noticing the dreamy and serene look in her eyes, I decided why not show her a little bit of what I was good at. Getting my guitar from the car I decided to play ‘Rewrite the stars by Zac Efron and Zendaya’. As I began to play, she sang along. I was blown away by her beautiful voice. It always did whenever I heard her sing, so I decided why not record her. She was beautiful. I felt lost by looking at her closed eyes as she sang.

As the song ended, we lay there in comfortable silence. Deciding the silence was too much, she decided to play some music along with bringing out uno cards for us to play. She was pretty good at it, making me wonder when she had learned how to play but i was still better. She seemed really happy and comfortable. I wanted to keep seeing this side of her. After sometime, I noticed Ewla had started shivering, making me concerned and deciding to end the night. Ewla seemed to agree too, as she was cold.

Heading back to the car I gave her my spare hoodie which she agreed to and wore it. It was large on her petite frame. She looked cute, though I needed her to wear my clothes more. She looked better in them. I noticed her inhaling the sweater, which got me jittery and, after a while, falling asleep. Maybe she liked it. As we arrived, I woke her up and took her back to her dorm room. Before I left, she hugged me. I couldn’t have been happier. She had initiated the hug. “Good night,” she said. I couldn’t reply. I was still stuck in the hug. f**k! Why was she so adorable?