Of Kites and Clouds

  

“Look at that one right there! It’s in the shape of a bunny!” David pointed at the pink kite floating in the sky. “And look, there’s a duck flying next to it! Do you see it?”

He turned his head to look at the younger woman who stood next to him. Sarah was not looking up at the kites that his boyfriend was pointing at. Instead, her eyes were on David the whole time.

“Sarah, what’s wrong?” David inquired.

“Nothing, I just prefer to look at you,” Sarah replied with a small smile.

David chuckled. “I prefer to look at you too. You’ve got beautiful eyes that shine brighter than the sun up there.”

A sudden breeze caused rustling of leaves and the dozens of children who were flying their kites in the park on this Sunday morning were shouting in excitement.

The breeze messed up David’s hair and Sarah automatically ran her hands through the black locks. David smiled at the gesture. He turned his head to look up at the sky so that Sarah’s hand would slowly slide down to tickle his nape.

“Those kids better be careful or the strings are going to snap and their kites will fly away,” David chuckled. “Do you want to fly a kite? I’ll go buy one for you. Dolphin shaped, ok?”

David started to walk off, but Sarah’s hand on his arm stopped him. The older man could sense that something wasn’t right.

“Sarah? What’s wrong?”

Sarah’s lips parted slightly to speak, but then closed again in silence.

“Sarah, I’ve noticed that you’ve been different lately. You’re…not your cheerful self. Please tell me, I’m really worried. I don’t even like kites, but I’ve even woken up early on a Sunday morning to take you here. I want to see you happy. Come on, you can tell me anything. I’m your boyfriend,” David urged, taking Sarah’s hands in his own.

Sarah slowly raised her head to look into David’s eyes. The emotions in her eyes created a tumor of fear in David’s throat.

“That’s the problem. You’re my boyfriend,” Sarah murmured.

“I don’t understand. What are you trying to say?”

Sarah pulled her hands away from David’s hold, taking a step back to create distance between them. “I like kites.”

David was taken aback by the random statement. “I know; that’s why I brought you here to see these children fly their kites. But you’re not smiling. You’re not happy. Why?”

“You don’t like kites,” Sarah spoke in the same monotone.

“That’s not news to either of us. What do kites have to do with me being your boyfriend?” David demanded. He tried to reach for Sarah’s hands again, but the younger woman pulled away.

“We’ve been dating for six years. I’m not getting any younger, David. I want to settle down. I want to get married. I want to have a batch of children and create a family.”

David was silent. He didn’t tell Sarah that he’ll settle down with Sarah, that he’ll marry Sarah, that he’ll have a batch of children and create a family with Sarah. He didn’t. 

He wouldn’t.

“Sarah, we’ve talked about this...”

“I know,” Sarah cut him off. “And it caused our first fight. We’ve ignored it since then, but it can’t be ignored forever, David.”

David ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “What are you trying to say?”

Sarah looked up at David’s tresses and automatically felt the need to fix it again, but she restrained this time.

“I like kites, David. But you don’t. You don’t like kites because you don’t like that kites are attached to strings; you don’t like that kites can never truly fly free in the sky.”

“Sarah…” David frowned.

“You’re like a cloud; no strings attached. You don’t want to be tied down. You just want to live life without responsibility and attachments, without having to settle down.”

“What are you trying to say?” David repeated, with more frustration in his voice. He knew perfectly well what Sarah was saying, but he didn’t want to admit it.

“You’re not one to settle down with a family. I’ve always wanted to settle down with a family. I was hoping you’d change with time…”

“I was hoping you would change with time,” David countered.

Sarah shook her head and sighed. “But it’s been eight years and neither of us has changed. I’m a kite. You’re a cloud. We can meet on a windy day, but it’ll only be a short encounter. There is no forever.”

“There can be a forever if we continue to date like we’ve been doing for the last eight years,” David retorted.

“No,” Sarah whispered, looking down so that she would not meet David’s eyes. “Forever ends here.”

PS: Hadiah pernikahan teruntuk @pradana_sandi. Maaf malah nulis soal mantan, bukan calon suami :p