Pink Spades: PT3

Without leaving a note to say where she was going, Ahsaela left home. She could hear the sounds from their neighbor’s apartments, as she made her way to the exit of the building. Small family’s laughing together at the television, the smells and sounds of food cooking on the stoves, couples arguing with one another, and house pets barking and meowing. The door creaked as it slid open, adding more noise to the scene. After the door closed, all was quiet. Not a soul could be seen tonight. The only sign of life was the moon shining above her.

Ahsaela sighed and shoved a hand into her jean pocket to fish out her cigarettes. She lit one after she put it to her lips and inhaled deeply. The sting in her throat she felt from the smoke made her feel alive; made her feel dangerous. The very thought of putting her own life in jeopardy by smoking everyday was a thrill for her. Especially since nothing really excited her these days. The cool air felt nice against her face, calming her as her many thoughts passed through her mind.

Could I actually audition for this band? She wondered. Would mom just make us move again when I get settled in here? Should I just go for it anyway and see what happens? What if this could be an excuse for us to stay in Japan? Or better yet, what if mom finds an excuse to stay here as well? What if Japan isn’t the right place for us? Ahsaela could only hope that she and her mother would find a true home together. She pushed the smoke out through her nostrils as she thought. She leaned forward to prop her elbows on the black, iron fence that surrounded the building. She stared out into the night, still pondering these questions in her mind.

Suddenly, a dark figure stepped into the light. A man with shoulder length, jet black hair stood on the sidewalk. He was just a foot away from her, standing near the fence. He barely noticed her staring at him. He wore all black clothing, like the man from her dream. Ahsaela’s body stiffened and she backed away from the fence a little. Having heard her movement, the man turned to face her direction. Ahsaela’s lips parted a little when she saw his face. He was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. His face was so gorgeous; he could almost pass for a woman. His dark almond shaped eyes studied her from head to toe, while she studied him. His nose was long and thin, his lips were pink and full, and his cheeks were a bit rosy. His eyebrows were thick and dark like his hair. Not a scar or blemish was to be found anywhere from what she could see. He looked like a porcelain doll.

“Ee too,” he started to say. “Raita? Kan ai puriisu Habu?” He held out his hand as if asking for something. Ahsaela realized he was asking for her lighter with his thick Japanese accent and broken English.

“Oh! Yeah, here!” She exclaimed nervously and tossed her lighter at him. He caught it easily and whipped out a cigarette from the front pocket on his shirt. With graceful movement he lit his cigarette and tossed the lighter back at her. “Mind if I join you?” he asked.

“Not at all.” Ahsaela said smiling politely. She couldn’t believe this beautiful man wanted to smoke with her. He stepped cautiously through the gate of the front yard, while his penetrating eyes stared into Ahsaela’s. Her heart raced as he did so and her palms began to sweat. Her fingers shook a little when she put her cigarette to her lips again and she blew out the smoke nervously.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” The man wondered, while brushing his feathery bangs away from the left side of his face. He gave a sexy smile, bearing his perfect white teeth. Ahsaela wanted to shout, “Yes, you are! Stop it!” but that would be rude so she just gave a fake laugh and shook her head no. He was standing so close to her that she could feel his body heat. Their shoulders touched gently, as they smoked; staring up at the moon.

“How are you liking Japan so far?” He began.

“It’s a learning experience, that’s for sure.” Ahsaela answered chuckling.

“You don’t know any Japanese, do you?” He guessed, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Hey…how’d you know?” She laughed.

“Lucky guess.” He said with a toothy grin.

“What are you doing out here so late at night?” She asked him.

“What are you doing out here so late at night?” He repeated.

“Hey! No answering questions with a question!” She yelled at him playfully. His head tilted back as he let out his sexy laugh. He wrapped his pretty lips around his cigarette again and inhaled very slowly. He exhaled the same way, elongating the silence between them.

“I needed some fresh air. And I had a feeling I would meet a pretty girl tonight…I was right.” Ahsaela’s eyes bulged at his last words and her face blushed like crazy. She smiled the biggest smile in ages, after that.

“Wow, and you have the most gorgeous dimples I’ve ever seen!” He added.

“Thank you. I’m flattered.”

“No need to thank, just speaking the truth,” Ahsaela was pretty amazed at how the conversation was going considering the fact that she was a foreigner. His speech seemed so hard to understand at first, but the more he spoke, the more she understood what he was saying through his thick accent. He studied her face for a moment longer then continued. “ Oh, are you Harold Geraldi's daughter? The baseball player for the New York Yankees? You look like her”

Ahsaela shuffled her feet and sighed. “ Yeah...that's me.”

“ I'm sorry for your loss,” he said bowing politely to her. “ He was a great athlete, and from what the media tells, a great father and husband as well.”

“ I'm still healing but, he passed away when I was really small so I'll be okay.”

Suddenly, a searing pain shot through her brain. She cried out in agony while her trembling hands clutched the sides of her head. Her knees gave out and she landed onto the cold grass with them. Tears spilled down her face while the man knelt next to her trying to figure out what was wrong. Ahsaela could hear the worry in his voice and she wanted to respond to him, but the pain was too strong for her to allow this.

Pictures began swimming through her mind at a very quick speed. First, of a field of the greenest grass she’s ever laid eyes on; second, of a dark wooden fence on the horizon. She felt the grass under her feet as she walked toward it. She could hear a horse galloping in the distance. When she came closer to the fence she could see a man riding the horse along the field. The mare was quite large and well fit. Its dark fur glistened brightly in the sunlight and its large muscles flexing with every stride.

The man that rode the brilliant horse was a white male with long dark flowing locks of hair behind him. He wore a loose white cotton shirt that men wore in earlier times. He wore black riding slacks along with dirty, worn, mud colored boots. Ahsaela stood near the fence, her soft hands gliding against its wood while watching him. His face was stern and focused on his ride. His eyebrows were dark and thick, his eyes black and determined, his nose pointed and strong, his lips thin and lovely.

Ahsaela’s heart pounded excitedly as she watched him. She never longed to be with someone as much as she did at this moment. The stranger finally noticed her watching and slowed his horse. Ahsaela beamed brightly when he started to stride over to her to talk. Sadly, that’s when the vision ended.

The pain in her had ceased and she could open her eyes without a problem. She was still kneeling in the grass in her front yard. Her breath was heavy and beads of sweat dripped off of her face. Looking around, she saw that the Japanese man she had been smoking with had gone. Confused, Ahsaela called out to the darkness.

“Hey where are you?” She yelled, while she searched for him. Once again she was alone, and no one walked the dark streets of Tokyo. She grumbled angrily to herself when she found her cigarette all burnt out and no trace of her new friend. Perplexed once again by recent events, she stood on her feet cautiously and went back into the apartment building.