The Ghost of You - challenge #4:opposites
At first, the mop of dark brown hair made her think to herself that that shade of color looks familiar. And then, he stopped to buy a pack of cigarettes and she caught a flash of green eyes. Her heart missed a beat.
She nearly tripped on the uneven pavement as she fastened her pace. He was walking leisurely, looking left and right at building signs, spectacles glinting in the harsh afternoon light. She almost caught up to him when she collided with a lady carrying grocery bags. She apologized profusely to her and helped to collect the scattered contents.
By the time she looked up, he was disappearing around a corner.
In fear of losing him, she began to run. She took the turn and neatly bumped into a figure leaning against the wall.
“Can I help you?”
She blinked up against questioning emerald eyes. It’s not him. A heady mixture of relief and disappointment made her knees wobbled. A hand shot out to steady her. She leaned against it. How she had missed his hands. But it’s not him. Her mind reminded her.
“I want to buy you a drink,” she blurted out.
“What?” the man was clearly surprised. She laughed at that. At his suspicious gaze. More even, at herself.
“If you’re Hakkai, you’ll say something like ‘I beg your pardon’,” she giggled again. “Please, have a drink with me.”
He looked intently at her. She could see his thoughts racing whether to agree or decline. She made her best pleading face and she could see him caving in.
“How can I say no to a pretty lady,” he offered his arm. Her heart squeezed painfully at the gesture. Hakkai would do that. Her dear, proper Hakkai.
She took his arm and reminded herself again. He’s not him.
-----
They sat opposite each other outside a small café. She toyed with her straw, looking at everywhere but the man in front of her. She could feel his gaze on her, appraising. He took out a pack of cigarettes and paused.
“Do you mind?” she met his eyes. He was waiting for her permission to smoke. She smiled and shook her head. He lit a stick, and she watched as his lips wrapped around it. Those lips. She had almost forgotten how sensuous a man’s lips could be. Memories begin to surface and she pushed it away.
“So, this Hakkai you mentioned. Who is he?”
“He’s someone dear.”
“Do I really look like him?”
“Yes. If I haven’t known better, I would think you’re his twin.”
“Maybe I am. Maybe we’re separated at birth,” he sipped his coffee. He raised an eyebrow when she shook her head vigorously. “There’s a possibility of that. Things happened. Maybe our mom gave me, or him, away because she’s too poor to support the both of us. Or maybe she’s an addict or maybe murdered by her own husband, and welfare took both of us away.”
She looked at him closely. His bitter tone pierced her heart. “You’ve seen a lot.” It was a statement. Their gaze locked for a moment and an understanding passed between them. He tilted his head back and exhaled smoke.
“It comes with the job,” he grinded his cigarette into the ashtray. “I work in the city hospital.”
“You’re a doctor.” He nodded. She noticed the dark circles under his eyes and suddenly he looked so tired as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. She made up her mind then. “Can I hold your hand?”
He was startled but he could see that she was serious. Shrugging, he held out a hand. She clasped it with both of hers.
“You have long fingers. Like Hakkai. Your eyes are so green. Like Hakkai. Your face, your voice…everything. Like Hakkai.” He started to open his mouth. Maybe to disagree, but she cut him off.
“However, I know you’re not him. Hakkai hates cigarettes. He prefers tea over coffee. His clothes were always ridiculously neat because he irons them before wearing them to work.” He made a face and looked down at his wrinkled shirt. She laughed.
“Now, you’re insulting my sense of fashion. I am offended.”
She reached over and gently touched his cheek. He flinched a bit but allowed the touch.
“If you’re Hakkai, you would never let life wear you down. You would try to see the best in every bad thing that happens. I can see you’re a realist, but Hakkai, he’s such an optimist that he annoys the hell out of everybody that knows him. And he’s so cheerful…,” she stopped and shuddered. It pleased her to see him grin.
“So, he’s a neat freak and I’m a slob.” She laughed out loud.
“And he’s a health nut and I’m a chimney.” She smiled and nodded.
“Can he cook?” She nodded again but she can feel the smile slipping from her face. “Then, he’s a chef extraordinaire and I can’t boil water to save my life.”
A pause and she knew that he knew.
“Why aren’t you with him?”
She froze at his words. She didn’t realize she had dropped her hands until he gathered them back in his. She looked down at his pretty, long fingers. Just like Hakkai.
“You left him.”
“We can not be together.”
“Why? From your description of him, he’s a wonderful guy. And you love him very much.”
“We just can’t.”
“Money problem?”
“No.”
“He has a wife and five kids?”
“No.”
“Your family doesn’t approve of him.”
She snapped at that and shouted at him.
“Because he’s my brother, damn it!”
She could feel his clasp on her hands slackened a bit but then it tightened again.
“Do you think less of me?”
“I guess...some people go for that,” he cleared his throat. “At least, he knows that you love him,” she looked into his eyes and saw that he sincerely meant it.
“Knew,” she corrected. He looked questioningly at her. “He’s dead.”
“I’m sorry.” she could see that he wanted to say more but his pager interrupted him. He frowned at the message.
“You’re needed.”
“Yes,” he took out his wallet and pressed a card in her hands. “Call me if you need someone to talk to.”
“I will,” she glanced at the name on the card. “Dr. Tenpou.” She extended a hand. “I’m Kanan.”
He shook her hand and grinned. “See you around, Kanan.”
She tucked the card in her purse and watched as he disappeared among the crowd.
She nearly tripped on the uneven pavement as she fastened her pace. He was walking leisurely, looking left and right at building signs, spectacles glinting in the harsh afternoon light. She almost caught up to him when she collided with a lady carrying grocery bags. She apologized profusely to her and helped to collect the scattered contents.
By the time she looked up, he was disappearing around a corner.
In fear of losing him, she began to run. She took the turn and neatly bumped into a figure leaning against the wall.
“Can I help you?”
She blinked up against questioning emerald eyes. It’s not him. A heady mixture of relief and disappointment made her knees wobbled. A hand shot out to steady her. She leaned against it. How she had missed his hands. But it’s not him. Her mind reminded her.
“I want to buy you a drink,” she blurted out.
“What?” the man was clearly surprised. She laughed at that. At his suspicious gaze. More even, at herself.
“If you’re Hakkai, you’ll say something like ‘I beg your pardon’,” she giggled again. “Please, have a drink with me.”
He looked intently at her. She could see his thoughts racing whether to agree or decline. She made her best pleading face and she could see him caving in.
“How can I say no to a pretty lady,” he offered his arm. Her heart squeezed painfully at the gesture. Hakkai would do that. Her dear, proper Hakkai.
She took his arm and reminded herself again. He’s not him.
-----
They sat opposite each other outside a small café. She toyed with her straw, looking at everywhere but the man in front of her. She could feel his gaze on her, appraising. He took out a pack of cigarettes and paused.
“Do you mind?” she met his eyes. He was waiting for her permission to smoke. She smiled and shook her head. He lit a stick, and she watched as his lips wrapped around it. Those lips. She had almost forgotten how sensuous a man’s lips could be. Memories begin to surface and she pushed it away.
“So, this Hakkai you mentioned. Who is he?”
“He’s someone dear.”
“Do I really look like him?”
“Yes. If I haven’t known better, I would think you’re his twin.”
“Maybe I am. Maybe we’re separated at birth,” he sipped his coffee. He raised an eyebrow when she shook her head vigorously. “There’s a possibility of that. Things happened. Maybe our mom gave me, or him, away because she’s too poor to support the both of us. Or maybe she’s an addict or maybe murdered by her own husband, and welfare took both of us away.”
She looked at him closely. His bitter tone pierced her heart. “You’ve seen a lot.” It was a statement. Their gaze locked for a moment and an understanding passed between them. He tilted his head back and exhaled smoke.
“It comes with the job,” he grinded his cigarette into the ashtray. “I work in the city hospital.”
“You’re a doctor.” He nodded. She noticed the dark circles under his eyes and suddenly he looked so tired as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. She made up her mind then. “Can I hold your hand?”
He was startled but he could see that she was serious. Shrugging, he held out a hand. She clasped it with both of hers.
“You have long fingers. Like Hakkai. Your eyes are so green. Like Hakkai. Your face, your voice…everything. Like Hakkai.” He started to open his mouth. Maybe to disagree, but she cut him off.
“However, I know you’re not him. Hakkai hates cigarettes. He prefers tea over coffee. His clothes were always ridiculously neat because he irons them before wearing them to work.” He made a face and looked down at his wrinkled shirt. She laughed.
“Now, you’re insulting my sense of fashion. I am offended.”
She reached over and gently touched his cheek. He flinched a bit but allowed the touch.
“If you’re Hakkai, you would never let life wear you down. You would try to see the best in every bad thing that happens. I can see you’re a realist, but Hakkai, he’s such an optimist that he annoys the hell out of everybody that knows him. And he’s so cheerful…,” she stopped and shuddered. It pleased her to see him grin.
“So, he’s a neat freak and I’m a slob.” She laughed out loud.
“And he’s a health nut and I’m a chimney.” She smiled and nodded.
“Can he cook?” She nodded again but she can feel the smile slipping from her face. “Then, he’s a chef extraordinaire and I can’t boil water to save my life.”
A pause and she knew that he knew.
“Why aren’t you with him?”
She froze at his words. She didn’t realize she had dropped her hands until he gathered them back in his. She looked down at his pretty, long fingers. Just like Hakkai.
“You left him.”
“We can not be together.”
“Why? From your description of him, he’s a wonderful guy. And you love him very much.”
“We just can’t.”
“Money problem?”
“No.”
“He has a wife and five kids?”
“No.”
“Your family doesn’t approve of him.”
She snapped at that and shouted at him.
“Because he’s my brother, damn it!”
She could feel his clasp on her hands slackened a bit but then it tightened again.
“Do you think less of me?”
“I guess...some people go for that,” he cleared his throat. “At least, he knows that you love him,” she looked into his eyes and saw that he sincerely meant it.
“Knew,” she corrected. He looked questioningly at her. “He’s dead.”
“I’m sorry.” she could see that he wanted to say more but his pager interrupted him. He frowned at the message.
“You’re needed.”
“Yes,” he took out his wallet and pressed a card in her hands. “Call me if you need someone to talk to.”
“I will,” she glanced at the name on the card. “Dr. Tenpou.” She extended a hand. “I’m Kanan.”
He shook her hand and grinned. “See you around, Kanan.”
She tucked the card in her purse and watched as he disappeared among the crowd.