Date in God's House(cont'd)

The Passover

No. She wasn't the most ravishing of beauties. No eulogies of her beauty was ever given. But she was stunning. She was undoubtedly different. Exuding elegance,style and new maturity, she was unlike how he ever saw her, evolving from that outgoing,infectious girl. Indeed, that astonishing change almost made him unable to recognise her.

Then again, it was close to 2 years since they met. And she initially could not recognise him as well. After exchanging formalities, they entered church where mass had already began together.

She walked to a side and stood.

His liking for her of yesteryears overwhelmed him. The mixture of nostalgia, gratefulness, trepidation and indecision submitted him to paralysis. There he wavered, whether to whimper to her side or put on a charade of nonchalance.

Like a well-admonished child, he scampered to her side, trying at every venture to ingratiate himself with her and clutching any minuscule opportunity to glance at her. Though her singing left much to be desired, he felt it was the most beautiful sound he ever heard. They stood at the back, surrounded by many. But, to him, they stood alone. All the proceedings around him did not matter. Even if a fire raged around him, it would not have mattered. And he was sure the fire wouldn't touch her.

It was as if by some otherworldly design the mass was made for both of them; an intersection of destinies enabling them to meet. He had to freeze this epochal occasion and sear the gamut of emotions into his memory; he wanted to hold her hand.

But the few times when the chance was presented, he shirked away. His cowardice embarrassed himself but he knew it was not meant to be. He knew it was not made to be.

She had only come to his church for convenience and for her studies. She was not going to come back. She was not trapped like he was. It was as if Fate was twisting him to her fantasies, tantalizing and wringing him dry of emotions.

In the end, he just shook her hand and wished her well for her studies,knowing he would never forget this incident. He watched her walk out of church and, perhaps, out of his life forever. But he still held out this hope.

The hope that she didn't walk out in order to leave him but so that she can someday walk back in again again.