The River Rhythm

Chapter seven

The Macal River is one of this town's prized possessions. It runs through the Cayo District in western Belize, which is where we live. My mother only agreed to come live here in hope of siting the Belize Botanic Gardens. The Macal River discharges to the Belize River. To the town the river is a source of clean water and some place where you get fish and somewhere to go canoeing. The area of the river where I found though, no one has ever been. As far as I'm concerned no one even knows it exists, except members of Carlos' family. No one is ever here to swimming or fishing in the waters. Even the fishing is done in a designated place and no one is allowed to fish elsewhere. When Carlos said that his family used to fish at the place near their house I was quite shocked. Then again I got to thinking, the only reason I felt comfortable enough to go spend my time around such an environment was because I thought no one else was there. I haven't even seen where Carlos' house is let alone how far it is from my spot. However it mustn't be that far since obviously Carlos could see me from there. That's another thing I've been thinking about. Why had he been watching me? Sure, when someone intrudes in your family's space you will watch them the first time but after a couple weeks of recurring events, you confront them. Until yesterday, no one had come up to me for the whole Easter holiday. Maybe they hadn't noticed me until now.

He told me about his father and how he used to dance here. I suppose I could possibly make a connection. He misses his dad and I reminded him of something that had left. He also told me how it affected his mother. How she always works and hardly ever talks to him, also why I should always call him junior.

"My dad used to dance there too you know." He had said to me. He looked past me to what I guess are the people walking around in the mall behind me. "He wasn't shy about it either. He could dance all night by himself while all of us crept away to our comfy warm bed in the middle of winter, my dad no. When he felt the rhythm as he called it, he felt it forever. My mother would get so frustrated with him at times especially when he'd get sick. 'You never listen to me Carlos!' she always used to say."

He looked for a reaction in my eyes but I wouldn't let him see it. I didn't want to tell him how I knew exactly what he was talking about. The sensation that dancing brought forth. The intense feeling that came when the river controlled you. I didn't want him to think I felt close to him in any way. I don't. Well, I think I don't.

After our little trip to the mall yesterday I actually started thinking of him as a friend. Funny, that a word I haven't used in forever. He seemed nice enough to me this past week at school and he didn't freak out when I kidnapped him yesterday, he actually got in the car himself, out of his own will. Besides, he's kind of cute too.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEP

The loud noise wakes me up from my daydream. It's the sound of a car hooter that has obviously been abused. Kind of like the sound of a sick singer just after a cold. I look out the window to find my aunt's Nissan Levina parked outside the gate. She brought my mother and little sister home from church. Sadi has been forcing her to go ever since we moved into this neighbourhood. The church is called Good News Tabernacle of Christ. For me the last thing I've ever received from church was good news.

When I open the gate Sadi is already opening our door while Aunt Blare is still rolling the car into the drive way.

"Hey, how was it?" waving as she runs in for a hug.

"Would've been better if you came." She says to me then shows me the toothless grin.

Aunt Blare has brunch at our place and helps mum cook and clean up too. She tells us of her new job in central town. She's an accountant and has worked for almost everyone in this town according to her. She's my mother's cousin from her father's side. A curvy woman with red coloured hair about the only colourful thing about her. She blames it on her job. And I accept that excuse for having a life without colour. I just say that my eyes are attracted to black and nothing else but no she feels like she needs something valid to lay the blame it on otherwise people will think she's Goth. ( and the problem with that is?)

The thing is I've never fully like aunt Blare. I never fully hated her either. She was just a relative I knew existed. She was nice enough to my sister and I but she never liked my father and that did not sit well with me. Stories say she didn't even show up to their wedding so we can come to the conclusion that she might've been the only relative to support mum with the divorce.

"Why didn't you join us at church Cel?" says Aunt Blare.

Maybe it because I hate the idea of being seated in a room with a man in a tie telling me that everything I do in life in wrong and one man who died but didn't, can clear my bad record. That's absolute madness, seriously.

"Oh she came in late yesterday, suppose she was tired Blare." My mother answers for me. She gives me a soft glare. The kind that mothers give you when they don't want to be embarrassed. Still Aunt Blare looks to me for an answer.

"I'll come next time Aunt Blare, I promise." I lie. Their Jesus will forgive me for that, right?

Later on in the afternoon, aunt Blare tells me that she'd like to have me visit sometime. I politely smile and nod my head in agreement though deep inside I know that is not even going to be considered. Soon she makes an announcement about how her kids would have a fits if she didn't get home early and leaves. I couldn't be happier.

When she does I turn up my radio and slowly start removing my shoes from my feet as I'm about to sit on my bed a familiar song starts playing on the radio. It has me sitting in mid-air. It's the song from the mall. A smile appears on my face and I start swaying in a similar way that I did with Carlos at the mall.

"I see you still dance." A cheerful voice says behind me. I turn around abruptly. It's Willow. What is she doing here? I suppose the look on my face says is all because she soon comes at me and says sarcastically "yeah, I missed you too."

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Guyyys so, im sure you figured out by now that, unless i say other wise always assume that the previous pov is being continued.

So that was chapters six and seven. INTRODUCING WILLOW. How are you guys feeling. Are you excited to know more about this willow?
Any guesses on who she is?

Vote and comment below⬇⬇

I love you for reading, see you next week.