She got up from the table and walked to the washbasin on the left. As she rinsed off the lather from her hands, she looked into the mirror above and noticed that her skin had an exceptional glow to it. "Last week's facial seems to be working its magic now," she thought, as she noticed her favourite lipstick still lingering on her lips after a heavy meal.
She walked back to the table and grabbed her handbag and phone and walked straight out of the restaurant into the pouring rain. The narrow street was chaotic and messy, but she didn't care. She walked for a few metres until a taxi halted by her side. She thought it was unusual because in times like this, public transport always failed her and she had to resort to begging for a ride. The glass of the left window at the back of the car was rolled down and a voice beckoned, "Get inside quickly before you get completely drenched."
"Who...." she had barely begun to ask her question when the door swung open and she was suddenly faced with 6 feet of her past. There he stood before her.. 23 fucking years later... in the pouring rain in the middle of a city they had never been to together... She stood frozen to the spot and all she could see was his mouth moving and hands waving. Her ears went numb and she couldn't even hear the rain or street sounds anymore. She definitely couldn't hear him. He grabbed her arm and pushed her into the cab.
As the vehicle started moving, he turned toward her and said, "Didn't you recognise me? I haven't changed that much, have I?" She just stared at him blankly. He finally shook her and said, "Say something Mona Lisa! You can't be that freaked out at seeing me."
Mona Lisa... the name that she had always associated with him... He used to call her that because he said her smile reminded him of the famous painting. When they first met, that is how she used to smile... barely a hint, mysterious, ambivalent... But no one who knew her now would believe it. Because the day things were altered between them, her smile changed too. Now you could always tell she was smiling... her teeth showed and her face lit up, perpetuating the illusion of happiness and contentment. Most people stop smiling when their hearts are broken, but her smile had become wider. Then again, she wasn't like most people.
She finally broke out of her trance. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
"Believe it or not, I have been following you," he grinned.
"Shut up! Tell me the truth... this is so unreal!"
"I know, right! Well, I was in the city for a visa interview. I got done this morning and have some time before my flight out... So I thought would check out this part of town before leaving. It suddenly started pouring and the driver slowed down because people were running for shelter and then I see you! Of all the people and in all the cities... You! Here!"
"How did you recognise me?"
"Well, it's not that tough Mona Lisa. You're still the lady with the mystic smile..." he smiled as he quoted the lyrics of the Nat King Cole song.
She could feel herself blushing. He gazed at her for a few seconds and then asked, "Oops sorry... Where do you need to be? I will ask the driver to head in that direction."
"Have you eaten?" She asked him.
"Not yet, I was hoping to try some of the delicacies here but then the rain... What about you? Have you eaten?"
"Yes, just now, actually. But we can go somewhere..."
"Don't you need to be somewhere?" he asked.
"No, I have the afternoon to myself," she said and then proceeded to speak to the driver, telling him where to take them.
She turned to him and smiled.
He held her hand and squeezed it. "I can't believe it's you. After all these years!"
"Me neither."
He put his arms around her and she leaned back, snuggling up to him. It should have been awkward, it should have felt weird, but it was the most natural reaction at that moment.
They stayed that way... silent for what seemed like an eternity... It continued to rain outside and as the driver navigated through the narrow streets, all the years between them seemed to melt away. He held her hand and interlocked his fingers with hers. She traced patterns along the back of his hands.
"Would it be too wrong if I kissed you now?" he finally broke the silence.
"Yes it would!" she replied.
"Yeah... I guess you are with someone now. I am sorry..." he sighed.
"Yes I am with someone now and that someone is you," she smiled.
"You mean you're single?"
"No."
"Oh... then why did you.."
"Never mind..."
"I am confused but also want to kiss you... I have been dreaming of this day for the longest time... So tell me, Mona Lisa... Would it be wrong?"
"Yes it would be wrong, you fool... Cos you should have kissed me out in the pouring rain. Don't you remember?"
He smiled as he recalled the memory of another rainy day from way back in the past.
He looked out of the window and noticed that they were passing by a quiet lane shaded by trees. He asked the driver to stop and grabbed her hand as he got out of the cab. He guided her to a safe spot a few feet away and softly asked, "Does this work?"
She grabbed his face with her hands and pulled his lips to hers.
It continued to rain for the rest of that day.
She walked back to the table and grabbed her handbag and phone and walked straight out of the restaurant into the pouring rain. The narrow street was chaotic and messy, but she didn't care. She walked for a few metres until a taxi halted by her side. She thought it was unusual because in times like this, public transport always failed her and she had to resort to begging for a ride. The glass of the left window at the back of the car was rolled down and a voice beckoned, "Get inside quickly before you get completely drenched."
"Who...." she had barely begun to ask her question when the door swung open and she was suddenly faced with 6 feet of her past. There he stood before her.. 23 fucking years later... in the pouring rain in the middle of a city they had never been to together... She stood frozen to the spot and all she could see was his mouth moving and hands waving. Her ears went numb and she couldn't even hear the rain or street sounds anymore. She definitely couldn't hear him. He grabbed her arm and pushed her into the cab.
As the vehicle started moving, he turned toward her and said, "Didn't you recognise me? I haven't changed that much, have I?" She just stared at him blankly. He finally shook her and said, "Say something Mona Lisa! You can't be that freaked out at seeing me."
Mona Lisa... the name that she had always associated with him... He used to call her that because he said her smile reminded him of the famous painting. When they first met, that is how she used to smile... barely a hint, mysterious, ambivalent... But no one who knew her now would believe it. Because the day things were altered between them, her smile changed too. Now you could always tell she was smiling... her teeth showed and her face lit up, perpetuating the illusion of happiness and contentment. Most people stop smiling when their hearts are broken, but her smile had become wider. Then again, she wasn't like most people.
She finally broke out of her trance. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
"Believe it or not, I have been following you," he grinned.
"Shut up! Tell me the truth... this is so unreal!"
"I know, right! Well, I was in the city for a visa interview. I got done this morning and have some time before my flight out... So I thought would check out this part of town before leaving. It suddenly started pouring and the driver slowed down because people were running for shelter and then I see you! Of all the people and in all the cities... You! Here!"
"How did you recognise me?"
"Well, it's not that tough Mona Lisa. You're still the lady with the mystic smile..." he smiled as he quoted the lyrics of the Nat King Cole song.
She could feel herself blushing. He gazed at her for a few seconds and then asked, "Oops sorry... Where do you need to be? I will ask the driver to head in that direction."
"Have you eaten?" She asked him.
"Not yet, I was hoping to try some of the delicacies here but then the rain... What about you? Have you eaten?"
"Yes, just now, actually. But we can go somewhere..."
"Don't you need to be somewhere?" he asked.
"No, I have the afternoon to myself," she said and then proceeded to speak to the driver, telling him where to take them.
She turned to him and smiled.
He held her hand and squeezed it. "I can't believe it's you. After all these years!"
"Me neither."
He put his arms around her and she leaned back, snuggling up to him. It should have been awkward, it should have felt weird, but it was the most natural reaction at that moment.
They stayed that way... silent for what seemed like an eternity... It continued to rain outside and as the driver navigated through the narrow streets, all the years between them seemed to melt away. He held her hand and interlocked his fingers with hers. She traced patterns along the back of his hands.
"Would it be too wrong if I kissed you now?" he finally broke the silence.
"Yes it would!" she replied.
"Yeah... I guess you are with someone now. I am sorry..." he sighed.
"Yes I am with someone now and that someone is you," she smiled.
"You mean you're single?"
"No."
"Oh... then why did you.."
"Never mind..."
"I am confused but also want to kiss you... I have been dreaming of this day for the longest time... So tell me, Mona Lisa... Would it be wrong?"
"Yes it would be wrong, you fool... Cos you should have kissed me out in the pouring rain. Don't you remember?"
He smiled as he recalled the memory of another rainy day from way back in the past.
He looked out of the window and noticed that they were passing by a quiet lane shaded by trees. He asked the driver to stop and grabbed her hand as he got out of the cab. He guided her to a safe spot a few feet away and softly asked, "Does this work?"
She grabbed his face with her hands and pulled his lips to hers.
It continued to rain for the rest of that day.
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