When We Met

Spring 2005

"I love the rains. They are so beautiful." This was what she thought every time it rained. As she watched the water falling incessantly, she gave a happy smile and sipped at her hot chocolate. "This is the best life ever! Drinking hot chocolate, reading your favourite Pride and Prejudice and watching the water, fall in droplets, while sitting at the window.

Just as her eyes turned back to her book, Faith heard her mother calling out," Fifi! Have you set the table and finished the preparations? The guests will be here any minute!"

With a huff, Faith placed her book on the side and picked up her chocolate mug before going down the stairs. "Mama! Who are they and why do they have to stay with us?"

Faith actually loved having guests staying over but not when they ruined the perfect weather for reading! And especially not when they were almost strangers!

"Hey! It's my best friend you are talking about! I have never stopped from having Grace stay over, have I?" Faith's mother replied with her hands on her hips.

Frowning, Faith stared," Well, Grace coming over does not need us to take out our best crockery, Mama! Anyways, you said her son is going to move to this place for his graduate studies. So does that mean he will be moving here?"

"No, silly! Adi has not really decided if he wants to move here. It is why Aunt Tori and he are coming. They want to check out the campus and other things. Of course, the boy is so brilliant, that he has already received offers from all over the country. Tori said that he does not want to go abroad but she does not want him to stay there. Too many distractions! So, young lady, you better be on your best behaviour when they come over!"

"When have you seen me behaving any less than that mama?"

Faith sipped at her hot chocolate and frowned. What bad behaviour? At sixteen, she was pretty sure, she was the only well-behaved girl in school! She studied well. She did not party, drink or do drugs. She was not dating anyone. And she was immersed in her books all day! She was the epitome of a good girl! For her, being bad meant maybe pulling an all-nighter to read some interesting novel! Probably a murder mystery or fantasy or a good old romance.

Soon, the bell rang and the most awaited guests arrived. Shaking her head, Faith watched her mother wipe her hands quickly before taking off her apron and rushing out of the kitchen. Well, she was not going to get into a welcome party. Guests and all were fine, but her mother was actually expecting her to show the guy around campus!

Well, her mother was the professor, not her! So why should she show the guy around the campus! Heck, she was not even a student. It was because her parents were both professors here so they had this small house to themselves! But no, her mother had decided to take a leave to spend some time 'catching up with her friend' while she was stuck with... whoever the 'so smart' guy was.

Rinsing her cup, she mumbled under her breath before quickly placing the mug on the rack to dry. Time to paste on a smile. 

As soon as she turned, her breath stopped and the smile seemed to stick on her face. Woah! Too handsome dude alert. And he was smiling at her. Had a young Mr Darcy come to life? Or was it Mr Bingley? This was dangerous. She was comparing a real person to characters from a book. And she had a feeling that those two handsome characters would not match up to this reality. Pushing up her spectacles up her nose, Faith knew one thing, she needed to escape...

But the escape route was cut off as the boy was almost pushed aside and Faith was developed in a perfumed hug.

"My, my! Fifi, you have grown so big! You were a little baby when I last saw you! Adi, do you remember, you and Faith used to make up stories together whenever we came over for vacations and met them!"

"Yes, mom. I do remember! She used to talk about a white flying elephant and then we'd sleep together and think of flying away on the elephant."

The words 'sleep together' went around in her head like a gong! Did she use to sleep with such a handsome guy? Woah. Woah Woah. And that too when she was only three. Well, she was cute thirteen years ago so maybe that was fine.

While she was lost in thought, Aunt Tori and her mother had moved away, chattering like magpies while Adi walked to her with a smile and extended his hand," Hi Fifi. How are you doing?"

Faith looked down at the hand and frowned. She had a feeling that she might not be able to talk properly so she decided to speak as little as she could and touched her hand to his, before saying," My name is Faith. Welcome." Not giving him a chance to say more, Faith then left the open kitchen and raced up the stairs.

While Adi, who had been snubbed for no reason, looked down at his hand and wondered if his hand was dirty and that is why she had not even shook it.

Present Time:

With Grace sleeping next to her, Faith turned her head slowly and murmured, "Fifi" in a small voice as tears slipped down her cheeks. Fifi... the name she had not heard in so many years... The name she had once resented was now something that she would give the world to hear from his mouth.