(A short story)
A soft girl’s hand caressed the man’s chest up and down to fasten the knot of the necktie. The man was standing engrossed in thoughts. The girl was hungry of attention. But his eyes were engaged elsewhere as can be witnessed from his face. Eleni and Samson had spent five years in marriage.
She fixed probing eyes on that of his. But he could not reciprocate. She was of the opinion that a man who is in love with you is capable to look back into your eyes for a while. The opposite could not be love but the beginning of an end.
Finishing fastening his red necktie she was rubbing his shoulders. He kissed her on her forehead and tried to turn back, but she tightly held his hips to draw him back. A black suit over a snow-white T-shirt in red necktie made him to stand out like diplomats.
He once more a kissed her forehead and said “I love you” she released her hold on his hips. The words coming out from his lips proved lighter as the wind and tasteless as waters for Eleni.
The former “I love you” from his lips were heavier than earths, farther than skies, and deeper than oceans. However this time the descriptions turned out to be lighter than winds, not deeper than a cup of waters and not farther than the roofs.
“How much do you love me” posed Eleni after a while, while he was struggling with the door knob to open it to go to work.
“What is so new today,” he said fastening his belts.
“It matters to me!” she frowned,
He smiled and said “from this to that” pointing from the floor to the roof.
“Only from floor to roof?” she became irritated!
“No, from earth to sky” he smiled and once more twisted the doorknob to going out.
“Haven’t you forgotten using these words yet?” she crossed her hands over her pink pajamas waiting the challenging words.
He came in and closed the door, and then he put his suitcase on the tables. He stood close to her and crossed his hands like her.
“Why do I forget the words? It is real and actual to our love?” he put his hands on her shoulder.
“ ‘How much do you love me is an easy question’ and needs no rethinking to respond to” she looked into his eyes, he shifted the direction of his eyes looking towards the other side.,
She looked him and blurted out “I need an answer?” Piercing his ears. He moistened his lower lips, and held both of her hips tightly, “I love you from earth to sky”
“That is a geographical expressions not love,” she confusedly smiled.
“My love is deeper than the ocean,” he reassured her his stance.
“Love does not dwell in the ocean floors, it revolves around in the beach for those who are there for one another in deep emotions not in the oceans” said Eleni gazing into his eyes to find a clue.
“So?’’ he became confused looking clearly into her eyes. He can look straight into her eyes when vexed. But lately when it came to love, he diverted his eyes from her .This created distrust in her hearts.
“So come close to the reality!” she looked stiffly into his eyes, he tried many times to flee from her gaze. She distrusted him as he wronged her. Eleni believed in her ability as she had a quality of telling the sheep from the goat or the truth from false statements. Men are vulnerable to this kind of trap.
“Look my love…” Samson began closing her pajama that laid bare the rift between her breasts, and he gently caressing her said, “I am here for you, and you are all that I have in these worlds,” his eyes assured her of love after many months. She gave him a hug tightly. He did as her too. Her lost smiles resurfaced. Putting up a smile on one’s face in the morning is more beneficial than breakfasts.
A life began again in the heart of her heart. A word have been killing and curing many lives. She escorted him to the veranda to see him off with greedy eyes. Not even before he departed she began pining for him.
A short ping under his suit’s pocket made him to stop in the middle of the compound.
“Darling are you coming?” he read SMS message. A secretive love overwhelmed him.
“I am coming for you! You are all that I have in this world” Samson sent a text without fear, regret and doubt.
BY DESALEGN DAGNEW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 17 SEPTEMBER 2023
