A World of Misfits

Cepa's first encounter

           

The sound of my heart pounding in my ears is making my head hurts. I don't really know where I am or what's going on.

-Samuel?

Her voice is so far.

-Samuel?

Each letter is so far apart from the other when she says my name. Why is time ticking so slowly? I can see bright flashes in front of my eyes. It's almost over, I know it. I get this familiar feeling of complete exhaustion as the sound of my own breathing inside my ears reduces.

-Samuel? Can you hear me?

-Murphy? I ask as I feel myself returning from wherever I was inside my own head and back to reality.

-Samuel! Thank god! Are you ok?

I can finally see her. She's right there in front of me, holding both my shoulders, on the ground next to me. Her eyes are wide with fear, but that hazel color shines so brightly even though she's scared I can't help but smile.

-I'm ok. I guess my pressure dropped or something.

She sighs in relief and stands up. She pulls me up slowly and wraps me in her arms.

-You scared the crap out of me, she says.

-I'm sorry. But I'm fine, I promise.

Her arms around me are so warm and strong, I feel I could just fall asleep right there. I'm so tired, I just want to sleep. My head is still turning and little white lights are dancing in front of my eyes, but she's holding me and I know I'm not going to fall again.

-I'll take you home, she says.

-But we were going to do something crazy!

-That was crazy enough for me. Come.

She pulls me slowly towards the nearest subway entrance and helps me down the stairs.

-Does this happen often? She asks me, halfway down the stairs.

-Not often, but sometimes. My blood pressure is very low.

-And there's nothing nobody can do to help?

-No, your body does everything. That's actually why you faint. Your body is like "hold up, that's too much for me! Let me just turn the power down for a second and get my shit together and then we can keep on living!".

She laughs at my interpretation as we reach the platform and she stands close to me while we wait for the train.

-What makes your pressure drop so much that you faint though? She asks, her eyes locked with mine.

-A lot of things. Not enough sugar in your body, when you have a cold, when you're tired, a great stress too.

-Were you stressed? She asks, taking a step back away from me like she's afraid of being the stressful factor.

-No, I answer with a smile, taking her hand in mine and pulling her to me.

She smiles and I lean in to kiss her. The train comes barreling down the tunnel at that moment, the strong wind sending her hair and mine flying in every direction. I pull away from her lips only when I hear the doors open and we take a seat on the train. She lays her head against my shoulder and laces her fingers with mine. I smile to myself, looking at our hands together. The door closes and the train leaves the station.

***

I turn the key in my apartment door and push it open. I turn the light on and kick my shoes off. She's standing in the doorway, not daring coming in. She looks around my place, her eyes landing on several specific objects that make her smile : my collection of cactus by the kitchen window, my Harry Potter cushion on the couch, the "get naked" frame on the bathroom door.

-Are you waiting for me to invite you in? I ask her, placing a hand on my hip and looking at her.

She chuckles and steps in. She takes her time taking her shoes off and placing them neatly next to the door like she's trying not to invade my place with her presence. She walks quietly around, her fingers sliding on my kitchen table, on the magnets holding some pictures to the refrigerator, on the back of the couch. I let her explore and walk in my bedroom, turning on the light. Allium Cepa wakes up and stares at me, blinking in the sudden light. He stands up and stretches his legs, then jumps down and head for the noise in the other room. I take my jacket off and search for a more comfortable shirt in my wardrobe.

-Hello you! I hear her say from the living room. What's your name?

Cepa meows at her, introducing himself.

-Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Murphy.

I laugh alone in my room. That girl! I take my shirt off and put on a sweater. I walk out of my room to find Murphy sitting on the couch and Cepa on his back, letting her pet his tummy while purring.

-He's friendly, she says.

-He's a whore for people!

Her laugh fills my apartment like the warmth of a fireplace. She's like this force, this magnet, that attracts all things bright, warm and good from this world. She's so beautiful!

-Do you drink tea?

-Do you have coffee? She asks, her face turning into that question mark expression I like so much.

-Of course!

I make my way to the kitchen and start making our drinks. I look at her while waiting for the water to boil, she's absorbed with Cepa on the couch. When he finally get's tired of all the cuddles he leaves her and she looks around for a moment, unsure of what to do. She stands up, looks at me over her shoulder, smiles, and start exploring my place again. She picks up the scarf my mom gave me for my birthday that I left of the armchair next to the window, but puts it back just as fast. She searches my library, touching some books and not some other. She pulls away the curtain to look down on the street.

-I like your place, she says like she was unsure all this time but just made her decision about her general feeling of my apartment.

-Thanks, I say, pouring her coffee in a cup and my hot water in another.

-You live here alone? She asks. No roommates?

-No, just me.

-That's got to be nice, having all this space just for yourself!

Is that melancholy I hear in her voice?

-How many roommates do you have?

-Two, my sister and one of our friend. And our apartment is tiny!

I walk with our drinks to the living room and sit on the couch. She comes to sit next to me and I hand her the mug. We drink in silence for a little while, sharing gazes once in a while. Then her eyes lock with mine, she's not letting go of my gaze anymore. She puts her mug down, slowly takes mine out of my hands and places it next to hers on the coffee table. She slides closer to me, resting her whole body on top of mine, and kisses me slowly. Her lips, so warm and soft against mine, taste like coffee and something sweet. I don't know where that sweetness comes from, maybe because she's a baker there's always sugar on her lips. Her skin is warm like she's been laying in the sun all day. Maybe it comes from that caramel color her skin has. Maybe it's the Puerto Rican blood running in her veins. Her hand pressed against my cheek, I feel my heart racing inside my chest. She pulls away from her kiss, her eyes finding mine. She crosses her arms on my chest, resting her chin in the crease of the elbow.

-Samuel, she says, her voice soft like the flutter of a butterfly's wing. I like you a lot.

-I like you too. A lot.

-I haven't felt like this for anyone in a long time. It's nice.

I smile and give her a small kiss on the nose. She giggles and I wrap my arms around her. She lays her head on my shoulder, sliding her arms around me. Her hair smells nice, like citrus. I close my eyes, enjoying her warmth, the weight of her body over mine, the softness of her hair that tickles my nose when I move a little. I grab the blanket that's folded on the top of the couch and try my best to cover her with her. She sits up to help me but quickly lays back on my chest, scared to let the warmth and this feeling of utterly perfect comfort escape.