in which past meets future in an alternate reality; how they existed not as immortal beings but as mere mortals with an all-seeing eye, and where they meet to create everlasting time
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ACT I, SCENE VIII
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. It therefore means that every action has a consequence. Consequences come in all sorts of sizes and shapes. Consequences can appear to be invisible, having little to no impact. Other consequences can be explosive and can cause considerable damage. The consequence Carlyle has to face is unpredictable. If handled well, it can be the first scenario, but if handled poorly, it would be the second scenario. Facing the consequences is a part of life that everyone has to face, just like how meeting obstacles is an integral part of life.
...
He remembers when it all started. It was late into the night and a single twinkling star was out to greet him. He was beside himself that day and his mind was a whirlpool. No matter how hard he tried, the gears in his brain refused to turn. Every thought, every excuse he came up with, all came to a dead end and there was no way he was able to rationalise through. Comprehension was well beyond him. It felt like a knife through the back, a poison in the drink; it felt like fresh betrayal on a Monday morning. It made his toes curl, his tongue tingle in the least pleasurable way possible. It was a bittersweet chocolate sent by a lover on Valentine's day, a poison dart to a heart, a straight ten-pin throw.
He went around the streets, looking like a homeless man; his shoulders droopy and his hair unkempt. He had not known it then, but that night marked the start of the chase, of the spin, the storm in the cup before limbo could set in. The reality of his relationship, the truth of his lover had set him about a rollercoaster, one that only went in circles. He had sent her home after their date. He remembered standing on her porch with a dizzy feeling. He donned a goofy smile and held a childish crave for adoration. He leaned in to leave the gentlest peck on her lips. Delirious with a falsified sense of love, he withheld a bare strand of restrain. He held no control, not with her. Without warning, he fell into her. He became her and all he could see was her life story, flashing scene before scene, revealing secret after secret. By the time he righted his footing and drew himself back, it was too late, what he had seen could not remain unseen. To her, nothing extraordinary conspired, only a foolish man on her doorstep, kissing her goodbye. To him, it was a whole new story, it was an absolute nightmare. For, he had finally seen the truth, or shall he say, the falsity of Rosine.
It was a matter of chance that he chanced upon Gideon. Of course, he had not known then the blond-haired boy with sharp grey eyes went by the name of Gideon Hallmark. Then, he was simply a passer-by, someone Carlyle happened to notice. He should have known then that nothing was ever a coincidence but was a matter of calculated sequence of events. As he waited at the traffic light for his turn to cross the street, he noticed two men kissing. Their hands ran over the other's body like the other were their life support. He knew it was only polite for him to avert his gaze. It did not matter if they were of the same sex. They demanded the same respect. He saw them again at the public carpark. Leaned against a blue Range Rover were the same two men and this time they had less clothes and more action. He decided it would be wise to walk away but who knew there would a stone laying in his path and that he would kick it by accident. Pong! The stone hit the bonnet of another car and deafening silence ensued. He wished with all his might that they did not notice him but as soon as he turned around, he knew his prayers went unheard. They saw him, he saw them and everything else became history.
...
He knew it was a matter of time before he would meet Gideon again. After all, they did stay in the same dormitory block, and were even staying on the same level. The chances of seeing each other again were high and Carlyle was simply waiting for that opportunity to come. A few days have passed since that day and Carlyle has been patient. Achieving great things demands time. If he wanted to reconcile with Gideon or repair the bridge that was never there, he had to keep his eyes wide open for every opportunity thrown to him. It would be easy to wait, for the opportunity, for resolution, for Gideon, but life was not about the wait, it was about the chase. Sometimes opportunity is not given, it is created. If chance is not handed to you on a silver platter, it does not mean fate demands it not to happen. It simply implies that you have to stand up, march towards fate and weave a chance for yourself. He knew that was what he was meant to do. Hence, he found his way to Gideon's dormitory room on a Wednesday night. He stood right before the door, his hand paused mid-air before the knock. His nerves were bundled tight in anticipation of a fight he knew would happen. Life was not filled with rainbows, sparkles or glitter. He knew things were about to get ugly. Just when he was about to knock on the door, the door to Gideon's room flung open and Gideon's body slammed into his.
"What the hell! Why the heck are you standing in front of the door like an idiot?" cursed Gideon, his face swollen with anger. Carlyle took a quick step backwards. He gave Gideon an awkward smile and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Sorry?" he squeaked out. Gideon let out a long breath and leaned against the side of the door. "What do you want? Say it quickly or I'm leaving." Carlyle cleared his throat and ran through the words in his head once again. He needed to phrase what he wanted to say carefully or else tonight would not go the way he planned. "I'm sorry I brought up that incident in the car that day. That was insensitive of me. I sincerely apologise." Gideon looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. "Oh, I have already forgotten about that, uh... If that's all, please move aside. Thanks." The time Carlyle had given him over the past few days seemed to give little solace. The hot, red anger Gideon expressed that day might have simmered and the confrontational nature that floated to the surface might have sank, but beneath that, he still was not able to get over the matter. "The issue doesn't disappear when you pretend it is gone, Gideon. What are you running away from?" Gideon looked over his shoulder at his roommate in the room and signalled Carlyle to follow him.
Carlyle found himself in the stairwell. He watched as Gideon sat on the steps, looking so comfortable and at ease that it surprised him. "You are right. I am in denial, I can't come to terms with myself. I can't accept that I am bisexual, I can't accept that I'm not normal. Is that bad? You are right. My dad doesn't know, and I don't want him to know. You know it as well as I do that I can't tell him. I don't hate you so I'm sorry if you took it the wrong way. I just hate the fact that you are caught in this thing I don't want to accept." Carlyle bent down and grabbed Gideon's shoulders. "I'm not someone who is great at consoling people and I'm not good at assuring people either. But if you want someone to hang out with, I'm available. I'm not going to pressurise you to come to accept your sexuality or tell anyone about it. You can trust me, alright?" Gideon looked up at Carlyle and gave him a sharp nod. Dusting off the dirt on his pants, Gideon stood up and placed an arm around Carlyle's shoulders. "Hey. I said I can hang out with you. I didn't say you can date me. Get your arms off me." Carlyle said, attempting to brush Gideon's arms away. Gideon let out a laugh and his laugh echoed through the stairwell.
That night may have held no stars in the sky, but Carlyle's and Gideon's newfound friendship shined like a star in the midnight blue sky.
