GYPSY KISS

 – By Temi

“Hey, you.”
“Hello?”
“It’s me, Gypsy. The years fly by quickly don’t they?”

They certainly do. I was 17, home on holidays from college. Four had filled out, he was more somber … Brooding … Sexy … Manly. He was also my best friend so it was weird seeing him and feeling this way. He’d always been a person, never a guy. Nine months changed a lot.

“Happy Valentine’s, Gyp”
“Valentine’s is overrated, man?”
“Aren’t we sour?”
“You say sour. I say jaded.”.
He laughed. “Still a smartie pants, ehn? Well, happy Valentine’s day for every one of the eleven I have missed.”

Eleven years. I was excited but bothered. I feel the same way now. Looking back, I guess I felt a sense of loss. It would be a long time before we would see each other again. He, off to college in Europe. I, a Law undergraduate, close to home. I missed my best friend already. He seemed so different. There was a lot of catching up to do. We talked a lot, cuddled, laughed. I tried to memorize the crinkle of his laughing eyes and steady rumble of his voice. I must have intuitively sensed something or maybe I had a crush on Four. His lips grazed my forehead. He was very affectionate, very protective of me. It was no secret he was fond of me. Babs, his older brother knew. His parents knew. So did mine. All our friends found us annoying once we were together. Of course, I was completely oblivious to the beginnings of young love. Until now. He must have kissed my forehead twenty times. My head lay cradled on his thighs as we murmured to each other. In our own world, we practically ignored everyone else at his house. His brothers knew the drill by now and didn’t bother us too much.

I made to get up.

“Stay with me,” he said

I pulled him nodding towards the balcony. The strains of excited talk came from downstairs. The boys were probably up to some mischief. His brothers and mine with a couple of the neighbours. I peered over the railings watching them, absently memorizing every detail of their yard. The gravel driveway that ran a semicircle around the courtyard. The trees scattered in the courtyard, the sparse grass and the fallen log we used as a bench. It was the dry season, just after harmattan. Everything had a hazy, sepia tone to it. The January harmattan hadn’t completely worn off yet. I turned to Four. He was sitting just behind me and motioned to come sit down. He would usually spend more time with me than the boys. I smiled and went to nestle myself next to him. We sat there. His arm around me, my head resting on this shoulder, comfortably silent. I wished we could stay here forever. I didn’t want him to go back to his new life.

“Stay with me,” I said.

What I meant was, “I missed you.” I knew he understood.

It’s funny how it’s so easy to grow apart for some people, even within close proximity. For others though, time and distance are nothing. Every time together was just picking up where you left off. Talking to Four felt like the latter. We had talked often initially, but less frequently as the years went by. I hadn’t seen him since that day. Still, there was an intimacy that felt like we had talked just the day before.

“I’m still in shock, Four. I can’t believe it’s you. It doesn’t even feel like it’s been forever.”
“Yeah, Neema. It seems like just yesterday.”
“I miss you.”
“You should.”
“I do.”
“I’m moving back home, Gyp.”

I felt hope bubble up in me. Cynical as I claimed to be, I was a romantic at heart. I mean he called on Valentine’s Day! It must be a sign. He’s coming home. To me.

The silence was comfortable. We sat there just being together. Stay with me, I willed, silently. He moved a bit, as if he heard my thought, and looked at me. He looked at me in a way he had never looked at me before.
Then he kissed me.
The boys had come back in. I didn’t even hear them sneak up on us.

“That was weird.”
“Took you long enough.”
He laughed and jumped up. He had a beautiful laugh.
“Let’s take a walk.”

We walked around a bit till we came back to the Courtyard. We sat on the dead log. Then, I turned to lay on it, my head resting on his lap. He picked a flowering weed and out in my hair.
“You are such a Gypsy.”
Then he bent over and kissed me again.
I can’t remember anything else that happened that day.

“It’s weird, right? Coming back there. I mean, I have a life here now but I just …”
“You just …”
“I just want to come home.”
“Took you long enough.”
“I missed you too, Gyp. I still do.”

It’s eleven years since I have been to their home. Since Four moved away, I stopped visiting. His mum ribbed me, of course. We had kept in touch over the years and I knew she didn’t take it personally. I looked around. Everything had changed. She had changed.

The house had changed too. The courtyard had been converted into a garden. I watched this strange but familiar space through the balcony as I watched a sedan drive in and pull up. I watched Four step out of the car and look around. He too looked different. I smiled and rushed downstairs. He was walking towards the stairwell when he saw me. He grinned and walked faster.

“I’m home, Gyp.”
Eleven years.
“Took you long enough.”