A Life Through Letters, chapter 5
ALIX
"Jaslina?" I asked quietly.
She wiped the tears off her face with the sleeve of her wrinkled sweater.
"Are you okay?"
Jaslina turned around and ran towards the stairs.
"Where the hell are you going?"
Wow. I was asking quite a few questions.
Running, I tried to follow her. However, when it was 'really' needed, I tripped on my shoelace, and I fell onto the in-need-of-vacuuming carpet.
I found a loonie beside my face, so I just grabbed it, and continued running after her.
My head hurt a lot, and so I rubbed it as I was going down the stairs, skipping a few steps, every so often.
"Jaslina," I tried to shout out, but it ended up being a whisper.
If anyone knows Jas, they'd know that when she wants to get away from something, she could run. Except, she doesn't really run. She just walks really fast, a bit like speed walking.
I sat on a chair, trying to catch my breath.
Breathe in, breathe out.
I could finally breathe at a normal rate, so I got up, and ran to the door I saw Jas running out of.
I pushed the metal door, and of course, it was raining. Yes, it sounds cheesy, but it really was raining.
Should I go left, or right?
Right, no left. Okay right.
I turned right and ran as quickly as I could, running around a puddle, a bench, and the occasional large patch of bubble gum where many different coloured spots joined together.
I saw the only other person outside, a bit further down, on the next bench. I was glad she didn't run down the middle of a street, the opposite direction the traffic was going.
I sat down next to her on the wobbly bench, put my arm around her, letting her head lean on my shoulder.
It was just like one of those other sad moments we've had over the years. However it was always the other was around. My head would be leaning on her shoulder.
She was always the stronger one.
So, just to know she had weakened, made me feel weaker too.
"Come Jas. Let's go back inside. Maybe some bowling will help."
"I'm not going in there."
"It'll be okay," I said, standing up.
Jaslina stood up, her legs shaking a bit.
She gave me a hug, and rubbed her eyes.
BILLIE JOE
"Hey, I think Jaslina just ran out that door," I said.
"Who's Jaslina?" Mike asked looking confused.
"The girl that was with us."
"Oh, I have no idea."
"Why do I always lose balls?" Tre asked laughing, and picking up the bowling ball behind his foot.
I looked back, towards the door, when I saw Jaslina's friend also go out the door.
"Yes! Two pins!" I heard Tre cheering.
"It's just one pin, Tre," Mike said picking up his bowling ball.
"I'm going to check if there's any games free, in the arcade," I said.
"Okay."
JASLINA
I decided to go back inside, even though I knew Gareth would still be there.
It was something about Alix that always seemed to comfort me in times like these, that convinced me it would be okay to go back in.
We sat near one of the bowling alleys where Billie Joe's friends were.
"Hey," I said, watching five bowling pins fall down, in another alley.
"Want to play?" the tall one asked us.
"Sure."
"Jaslina?" I asked quietly.
She wiped the tears off her face with the sleeve of her wrinkled sweater.
"Are you okay?"
Jaslina turned around and ran towards the stairs.
"Where the hell are you going?"
Wow. I was asking quite a few questions.
Running, I tried to follow her. However, when it was 'really' needed, I tripped on my shoelace, and I fell onto the in-need-of-vacuuming carpet.
I found a loonie beside my face, so I just grabbed it, and continued running after her.
My head hurt a lot, and so I rubbed it as I was going down the stairs, skipping a few steps, every so often.
"Jaslina," I tried to shout out, but it ended up being a whisper.
If anyone knows Jas, they'd know that when she wants to get away from something, she could run. Except, she doesn't really run. She just walks really fast, a bit like speed walking.
I sat on a chair, trying to catch my breath.
Breathe in, breathe out.
I could finally breathe at a normal rate, so I got up, and ran to the door I saw Jas running out of.
I pushed the metal door, and of course, it was raining. Yes, it sounds cheesy, but it really was raining.
Should I go left, or right?
Right, no left. Okay right.
I turned right and ran as quickly as I could, running around a puddle, a bench, and the occasional large patch of bubble gum where many different coloured spots joined together.
I saw the only other person outside, a bit further down, on the next bench. I was glad she didn't run down the middle of a street, the opposite direction the traffic was going.
I sat down next to her on the wobbly bench, put my arm around her, letting her head lean on my shoulder.
It was just like one of those other sad moments we've had over the years. However it was always the other was around. My head would be leaning on her shoulder.
She was always the stronger one.
So, just to know she had weakened, made me feel weaker too.
"Come Jas. Let's go back inside. Maybe some bowling will help."
"I'm not going in there."
"It'll be okay," I said, standing up.
Jaslina stood up, her legs shaking a bit.
She gave me a hug, and rubbed her eyes.
BILLIE JOE
"Hey, I think Jaslina just ran out that door," I said.
"Who's Jaslina?" Mike asked looking confused.
"The girl that was with us."
"Oh, I have no idea."
"Why do I always lose balls?" Tre asked laughing, and picking up the bowling ball behind his foot.
I looked back, towards the door, when I saw Jaslina's friend also go out the door.
"Yes! Two pins!" I heard Tre cheering.
"It's just one pin, Tre," Mike said picking up his bowling ball.
"I'm going to check if there's any games free, in the arcade," I said.
"Okay."
JASLINA
I decided to go back inside, even though I knew Gareth would still be there.
It was something about Alix that always seemed to comfort me in times like these, that convinced me it would be okay to go back in.
We sat near one of the bowling alleys where Billie Joe's friends were.
"Hey," I said, watching five bowling pins fall down, in another alley.
"Want to play?" the tall one asked us.
"Sure."
