It was a hot afternoon just like any other. I lay on the long couch in my apartment sitting room with my shirt open, trying to catch as much blowing air from my ceiling fan as I possibly could. My eyes were closed but I was far from being asleep.
My eyes came open when I heard a knock on my door. I wasn't expecting any visit from anybody on that day – it was merely one of those days when I preferred being alone with myself and my thoughts. I got up and went and opened the door.
"Hi there, Jimmy," Anita said. She lived down the road from me. She was a definitely pretty sight around the neighbourhood, and on that day she was looking like something that had just stepped out of a modelling line up, the way her long legs stuck out of her denim skirt. The way her pert-looking breasts nearly seemed like missile cones as they pushed themselves outward of her sleeveless blouse, the sparking smile on her lips ... it was enough to make any man's tongue slip out of his mouth like that of a salivating wolf. A good thing that at that moment I wasn't in any mood to be moved by such.
"Hey there, Ani," I said. She always liked it when I called her such; it was our own personal secret. "What's up with you?"
She shrugged and said, "Nothing much. Just thought I should stop by and see how you're doing. It's been a while. Mind if I come in?"
My left eyebrow went up an inch. Though Anita and I were friends, she'd never before made any attempt to step into my domain. God knows I've tried so many times in the past to make her accept my offer till I finally gave up on it, figuring it wasn't worth the trouble anymore. If she was aware of it, it didn't register on her face. I made way for her to step in before closing back the door.
"I didn't see you at soccer practise out by the sand field today," she said, spotting the pillow lying on the far end of the couch on which my head had earlier resting on before she came and went over to sit beside it before continuing. "Your friend Danny told me you were sick, so I thought I'd come by to see how ill you were."
"I wasn't ill. I was tired from school and thought I should rest it out, that's all. Can I get you something to drink?"
"Any soft drink will be nice," she said with that smile back on her lips.
I left her and went into the little room bedside my bedroom which served as my kitchen. I opened the fridge and took out two can Cokes and returned to the sitting room, handing one of the over to her. She thanked me before popping the tab; we clicked our cans and muttered 'cheers' to each other before taking a sip. An awkward silence suddenly appeared in the room; she soon broke it.
"So, what were you up to before I knocked?"
"Nothing serious," I said. "Just lying here thinking about something."
"Oh yeah, what was it?"
I shrugged. "Can't really put my finger to it – just something beautiful."
She sipped her Coke; her eyes stared into mine. "Something beautiful you say," her hand then came up and rested on my thigh. "Can you describe it to me – what beautiful thing it was that you were busy thinking about?"
My hand fell on top of hers; her fingers played with each other. "I wish I could, but can't remember it anymore."
"Perhaps you need a little something to help you remember then."