ACT 1: THE ESPECIAL GIRL

Somehow in the dark of the night, the most insanely beautiful girl I had ever seen was able to outshine the stars. The sky was littered with hundreds of stars, probably thousands of stars, and yet somehow she managed to outshine them all. Perhaps she had mastered an enigmatic ability of absorbing shimmering light and giving it back in incandescence. Or maybe it was a gift, hidden in her genes that was passed on from antecedents. We shall never know. But all I know is her glowing beauty was the envy of all celestial objects; and the smile she wore on her face was bright and warm as heaven. I stood about ten feet away from her, melting.

My heart had begun racing rapidly as it bubbled up with both excitement and fear. My legs were trembling for they couldn’t support the weight above them. And despite the freezing temperatures out there, I was perspiring. For a moment, my soul left my body but I was still alive. I had never been that alive. I was standing ten feet from an Earth angel.

It was a chilly Sunday night. The sky was littered with stars from distant galaxies. I call the stars the fireflies of the sky. The moon was present and crescent. The moon controlled the sea waves. A small gust of wind carried the heavenly sound of the sea waves to the shores of the enchanting moonlit beach. And the perfect stage was set to stand in front of a girl who was beyond beautiful.

I cycled and cycled through my mind, looking for the perfect words to say to her, for you see she was a beautiful girl who could only be swooned with the perfect words. For seconds, many seconds, and many more microseconds, I brainstormed. And finally there was light, and there was a rainbow. And there was peace in my mind. And it was all crystal clear.

“Hey. I love your toes. They are lovely.” I said with a smile on my face.

She smiled back at me and I almost grew wings and flew away.

“Thank you.” She said. Her eyes firmly fixed on me.

“What next?” A voice in my mind asked and I didn’t have an answer. I just stood there paralyzed not knowing what to say or do. It felt as if I was swimming in murky waters; the clarity had been lost. And that’s when it dawned on me that my antisocial behaviour had turned me into a boring human being.

I am a very boring human being. A human being that spends a lot of time watching television and especially the National Geographic documentaries. In one documentary I remember learning of how peacocks attract their mates by flaunting their colourful feathers. But we don’t have feathers and that means I’m no peacock and she’s no peahen.

“Why are you out here alone instead of being in the party?” I asked.

“I needed to get away from the noise and stare at the stars.” She replied. She had a voice as sweet as honey, and heavenly as the sound of the waves.

“Argh! Humans… am I right?” Yours truly asked. She giggled.

“So you’re out here for the same reason?”

“Yes. And the fact that the DJ wasn’t playing sick jams. I’m more into punk rock and avant garde. Not that overrated trap music he was playing.” I went on a rant.

“Your music taste is pretty cool.” She said.

“Thanks.” I said with a bright smile on my face, “And do you want to see something even cooler?”

“Yes. I guess so.” She replied.

“Then may I have your hand?” I asked as I laughed nervously for I was scared of being shut down.

“Does it involve using my hand?” She asked.

“Yes. It does.” Then I went on, “I want to feel your palm and give you a reading.”

“Alright. Let’s see how good you are.” Said the girl in the night as she stretched her right hand to me. She had painted all her nails turquoise blue polish, except for the ones on her ring fingers which were red. And for some reason, I thought of stigmata as I tenderly felt the lines on her palm.

ACT 2: NIVEAU DE DIEU

On the night, the especial girl wore a red-hot crop top, blue ‘jorts’, and black gladiator sandals to “protect” her lovely toes which she had painted red polish.

All my life until that point, I had always felt complete. I was never the type to be really interested in a relationship. I never really cared about having a “significant other”, a “better half”, or whatever it is you choose to call your girlfriend or boyfriend. But there was something about this girl and the effect she had on me. And when I realized she wasn’t in my world, I felt like a house with no furniture – empty.

“I’m getting a reading.” I said. “I can see a… a girl whose beauty surpasses that of Cleopatra. She’s tenacious, she’s full of life, harmonious and sensitive. And her name is… Sharon.”

“Wow! How did you know almost everything about me?” She asked with an expression on her face that clearly suggested she was impressed.

I was stunned. I didn’t see that coming. I quite hadn’t pictured her buying my little act for I thought it was as good as trying to sell eggs to a hen.

“I’m psychic. And I’m also a clairvoyant. So it was easy.” I said.

Ah, yes! It was easy alright. As easy as breathing in air. But unbeknownst to her, I had overheard someone whisper her name at the party. And I was only using ‘colour psychology’ and not some supernatural powers to describe her personality. I can’t read palms… heck, I can’t even read my own handwriting. Ok, that’s a white lie. I have the neatest handwriting in the world.

ACT 3: CHASING A BUTTERFLY

If I have learned anything from watching too much television, it is that — the fear of butterflies is known as ‘lepidopterophobia’. The world is full of different species of butterflies, and I mean that both literally and metaphorically. I don’t have the fear of butterflies, but I’m scared of chasing butterflies. I came to this realization when Sharon decided to head home, after receiving a text from her boyfriend.

“I have to go meet my boyfriend.” Those were the seven words a light-skinned Sharon said that ultimately blew up my heart into smithereens.

The numeral 7! This is a very powerful number that God has a strong affinity for. God created the universe in six days, and rested on the seventh day, let me ‘mind you. When Joseph was vizier of Egypt, God blessed the land with seven years of plentiful harvest, before cursing the land with severe famine for another seven years. Elisha (a prophet) asked Naaman to take a dip seven times in River Jordan, and be healed of leprosy. The Israelites were asked by God to march round the walls of Jericho seven times for seven days, and what happened? The walls of the city fell down, just like the walls of my heart.

Sharon stood up – she was about four and a half feet tall – dusted off her denim shorts, waved me goodbye and walked away, but not before saying, “See you later.”

“See you later?” What is that? How were we supposed to see each other later without me having her phone number? Was I supposed to use a smoke signal like it was 250 AD? Please someone help me understand why girls are so cold blooded.

And I am only kidding. I was the one at fault. I should have followed her, and given her just 3 reasons for why I ought to have her number. I should have gone through my mind searching for a set of words that would have helped me unlock the safe which is her heart. I should have been creative and honest, but instead I just sat on the shore saying nothing but an “OK!”

Remember when I said all my life I felt complete, yada yada yada… I was only lying. The truth is I am only a fainthearted, introverted, nerd, who has been rejected by girls less pretty than Sharon. So I pose this question to you: “What would have been different?” And we all know the answer to that is “Nothing!” In caps. NOTHING would be different. I would just have to go through Heartbreak again. Heartbreak 501. I have gone through Heartbreak so many times I’ve graduated to the Masters level. And to shield my heart from further damage, I saw it wise not to chase this colourful butterfly that was named Sharon.

I sat on the shore alone, as I was born, watching her leave. “I will only admire from afar.” I said to myself, as I collected the pieces of my broken heart.