Read Blind to the unasked :: Nine

Days pass, and flowers bloom, much like emotions blossom with their fragrant nectar. It's as if they are lotus flowers whose souls pulsate away from the noise. As for Hana, she can be likened to a flower that grows and blooms under the shade of forgotten trees and in forests covered with the pulses of dreams, solitary and unique with no equal. She sways gently every time the breeze caresses her edges.

It's as if life always begins when we realize our awareness that we hadn't noticed before, as if the bitterness of realization is always the amount of emotions that overwhelm us, like fierce winds always forcing us to close our eyes for fear of being hurt by the amount of gravel the winds throw at us, without fearing losing our face in the process. It's as if the eyes are what matters, while we fail to realize that if our features disappear one day, we will also disappear even if our eyes remain in their place. Those eyes have often erred due to the suffocation of negative emotions standing in the throat, for nothing, simply because we couldn't keep up with something we didn't understand, or perhaps we couldn't understand something.

Days pass by, as Nadir falls more and more in love with Hana, who doesn't seem to understand the meaning of attachment or love yet. After all, she's still a child and still has to learn, or she might discover just by experiencing something. Words always permeate the air whenever Nadir and Hana sit in front of their computers to chat. They both go to sleep at the same time, but Hana's account doesn't log off when she leaves, as it begins her rendezvous with Maram to talk to Jihad after her departure.

It was finally Saturday, the end of the week when Nadir decided that his path would intersect with Hana's as they both returned home from school. It was noon; all students only had classes in the morning on Saturdays and then enjoyed the weekend break from Saturday afternoon until Monday. As usual, Hana always parted from her friends at the edge of a curved street, wearing a light black coat with her long black hair flowing down her back, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings. She carried her purple bag on her back, with her hands in her coat pockets, cautiously moving forward, always afraid of encountering an accident. She had been hit by a bicycle before, so she feared a repeat, even worse this time.

As she took her right side, a long shadow intercepted her path after she glimpsed it rapidly advancing from the left side. It was a tall figure, and the first thing she noticed was his sparkling black eyes, captivating and unlike any she had seen before. Then, a muffled sound caught her attention, causing her eyes to shift toward his lips, where she noticed a gentle smile. Hana took a step back, then lifted her head, saying, "Sorry," almost ready to continue, thinking she had bumped into someone, until he spoke, saying, "Sorry for what, Hana?" Then he smiled, adding, "It's me, Nadir."

Hana was surprised, asking, "Nadir?" Nadir laughed, saying, "Nouza Al," as if the encounter was very unexpected for Hana. Her cheeks blushed slightly after what he said, maybe she overlooked it, but her heartbeat also increased. She smiled delicately, saying, "Oh, I didn't expect to meet you like this." Nadir smiled back, repeating, "Well, you know me now. Nice to meet you." Then Hana replied, "Nice to see you too."

Nadir gazed at Hana for a while, then said after running his hand through his black hair strands, "Um, we'll talk later, okay? I'll go." Then he left, leaving a nice smile on Hana's face, who looked surprised after bidding him farewell. She muttered, "What's this now? Staying? Coincidence?" Then she smiled and continued her way home, which was only a few steps away.

As for Nadir, he was embarrassed to the point where he just wanted to disappear from her sight. His embarrassment made him flee without saying anything else. Once he had distanced himself a bit, he stopped, then placed his hands on his flushed cheeks, feeling the warmth enveloping his body. He turned to find Hana gently continuing her steps. He smiled and turned back, continuing his way.

The first meeting was perhaps the fastest, just for Nadir to introduce himself. Maybe he should have made it quicker, but he enjoyed staring at Hana while she looked into his eyes, oblivious to everything. He enjoyed seeing her eyes pass over his face innocently, and as she stepped back, his being shook, and he almost grabbed her hand, saying, "Don't run away." Perhaps he was overwhelmed by feelings of fear and a desire for possession at the same time as he flipped with joy at seeing her. Unable to understand it, he fled, so she wouldn't see his face's colors changing due to things he didn't even know about. In his view, he left a beautiful image of himself in her eyes, but because she never gazed at his features, she didn't know what he looked like. All she remembered were his shining eyes.

"I can recognize you many times as long as I see your shining eyes each time. I can find you every time as long as your eyes haven't dimmed. What about you? Have you ever caught a glimpse of me from afar because of my smile? Or do you always notice me because of a scar left on you?"