...on time
when you're nervous, you become clumsy and you lose track of time.
gura was distracted, scrolling on her phone as she walked through a heavily polluted area with skyscrapers and loads of civilian traffic. contrary to the crowd, she was nonetheless alone, surrounded by people she didn't know.
her movements were suspicious, as if looking for something important in close proximity. all the while, she gazed back at her phone, a beacon of hope outlining her destination. when something finally caught her eyes, her walk turned into a sprint—a hurry.
each foot advanced in front of the other as she skillfully avoided colliding with groups of people. they looked baffled by the haste of the individual. her expression was every bit complicated, and other times, simplistic. but her gaze was the latter.
your gaze becomes careful. sometimes, guilty.
she cast her eyes downwards, avoiding reality, whether it be a tangible reality, that her destination was within reach but unable to take the final step, or an emotional reality, that her feelings of the moment weren't in line with its prediction. whatever it may be, she was avoiding it, and her face seemed discontent with it.
and you look at me like you saw someone died.
she caught up to something. or, in this case, someone. me. flanked by civilians on either side, gura’s expression was dismal. she gazed silently into my eyes with a certain distance between us. we had a meeting plan, and gura was running late—an unfortunate circumstance. time wasn’t on her side, and it didn’t have to be…
so i'll make sure, for as long as i can, that it's the world that's always late. never you.
i walked up to gura and slowly cushioned her in my embrace. i told her all she needed to know without a single word. we had a bond that’s inseparable, going further than mere love. a type of communication was reserved for the emotionally bonded. and we were such people.
11:33 a.m.
gura was never late.