Blue clear sky promptly altered into an aggressive atmosphere with pitch-black clouds swirling. The wind was gusting through the branches of the trees and everything that was on the ground – papers and plastics. The cold breeze accompanied by the roar of lightning was persistent. In a heartbeat rainfall brimmed the entire city.
The streets were now flooded with rainwater. Prior to the rain, it was another hot summer day. Across the street by the bus stop stood a tall dark gentleman. The man was hopeless and helpless, his clothes soaked with rainwater.
Next to him was a young lady in her early twenties, wearing a floral blue short dress. The lady had offered the guy an umbrella.
“Thank you!” He smiled timidly. He was lost for words, her beauty made his knees weak.
“I’m Portia and you are?” She turned to look at him finally breaking the silence.
“I’m Lucas” He looked down.
“Where are you going?” Portia asked concerned
“Witbank and you?” He asked this time looking at her. Stealing a glance was not doing justice to the beauty that was in front of him. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. He just couldn’t.
“Pretoria” She said with a smirk.
“You came alone?” Lucas eventually gained courage to keep the conversation going
“Yes. Why” She asked.
“Are you not scared? Johannesburg is a vicious place.
“I’m a big girl plus I stay here in Johannesburg. Today I’m going to visit my parents. It has been months since I saw them”
“Oh, I thought it is your first time here”
“It’s your first time?” Portia asked quite concerned.
“Yes, I came here for a job interview”
“How did it go?” She asked cheerfully
“Uhm. It’s hard to tell. I had good and bad moments. I guess I will hear from them on Monday. This weekend I want to relax and hope for the best”
“Oh, good luck” She said sincerely. Lucas smiled reaching Portia’s hand. Instantly Portia felt butterflies in her stomach. She has never felt like this before. Lucas once again turned to look at Portia still holding her hand.
“Can I please get your numbers? So I can keep you updated regarding the interview” He begged.
Without hesitation Portia dialled her numbers in Lucas’s phone. It felt okay to give him her numbers. She wanted more! Holding hands was not enough. Should she make a first move? She thought looking for any signs that Lucas might make the first move but there was none.
She knew she had to make the first move. To make the first move now! Portia Leaned over and both their lips pressed against each other. He moved his lips in sync with Portia’s. Soon the distance between them was no longer visible as their bodies pressed together heatedly.
Portia placed her hands around Lucas’s back letting go of the umbrella that she was holding. The rain was still pouring hard. It didn’t matter to them, they were in their own world both soaking wet.
The 4 pm bus was stationed right before them. Out of nowhere a large number of people rushed to embark into the bus. It was surprising where these people came from because at the bus stop it was only them and majority of the passengers embarking were dry.
Now everyone inside the bus was seated and the female bus driver started the engine.
The sound of the bus made Lucas face his fears; to let go of the kiss and get into the bus as soon as possible. He ran to the bus.
“I will call you!” He shouted still looking back at Portia.
“Wait! I’m coming with you” She shouted running to the door of the bus
Both standing by the doorway, “No you can’t come with me your parents are waiting for you” He held Portia’s face with both hands convincing her to stay behind.
“We don’t have the whole day!” The bus driver complained.
Portia hopped in the moving bus. In shock Lucas followed and bus door closed behind him. The pair found a seat at the back of the bus after they have paid the bus fare.
The bus was packed and by good fortune they found two empty seats. Portia rested her head on his chest. She felt safe and at home.
“Are you sure about this?” Lucas asked kissing her bald head
“I’m sure. I will take the first bus to Pretoria tomorrow from Witbank” She smiled raising her head to meet his eyes. He smiled back in disbelief. The girl he just met is going home with him. Lucas was very shy around girls. Yes, he was good looking but has never made a move to approach girls. Fortunately or unfortunately for Lucas, girls threw themselves to him.
That made him sick, he hated it when girls made a first move but this time it was different. Portia made a first move and he loved that.
He cleared his throat “I need to tell you something”
“Mhmm I’m listening” She said holding him tightly.
“I think I love you!” He finally got his voice after he had lost his tongue.
“I felt something different when we were kissing” She declared sitting up straight holding Lucas’s hand
“Me too” He agreed squeezing her hand tightly.
“I never believed in love at first sight but now I do” Portia smiled
“It’s like you read my mind. Yeah it’s love at first sight” He chuckled
Portia smiled resting her head to his chest again. She felt complete. She has finally found what she had been searching for all these years.
The bus moved in high speed. It climbed to the steep curvy rough road. Strange sounds persisted, clearly it was not taking the burden. The bus driver tried to control the speed and the bus itself.
Everything was back to normal. Soon after that the bus driver overtook a slow moving car on a barrier line. Two bright lights headed towards the bus and there was a loud truck hooter
BANG!!!
Bodies were scattered all over and there was blood everywhere. Sirens of emergency vehicles brimmed the mountainous area. Lucas tried to move his torso but the pain that followed was unbearable. All he could do in that moment was to open his eyes.
The atmosphere was strange, everything was confusing. His red, sleepy eyes longed to see more but the blue and red lights in the dark distracted his sight. He rotated his heavy head to look around - his eyes travelled to meet bodies. Not just bodies! Dead bodies! He gasped.
“PORTIA! PORTIA!” He screamed at the top of his voice.
“He is alive!” a voice of a man pierced his ears. In split seconds he was surrounded by paramedics.
“Bring a stretcher!” Another female voice shouted. He screamed as they lift him up to the stretcher. The pain brought flash backs. Flash backs of a beautiful lady he was him minutes ago perhaps hours ago.
“Where is Portia? He remembered her name “Where is she?”
“Sir, you were involved in an accident. You are lucky that you are still alive. Now we have to rush you to the nearest hospital” A female paramedic announced.
He was confused. Where was Portia? The paramedic had not answered his question. He knew he had to find the truth before he was pushed to an ambulance. His eyes began to travel and the sight was not pleasant. He was looking for one particular person- the love of his life.
His eyes widened following the capture of the blue floral dress. He chased the sight of the bloodied blue floral dress. He gasped at the sight of Portia carried to a mortuary van.
He sobbed uncontrollably. It was her! Portia was dead and there was nothing he could do. Guilt consumed him. How could he allow a stranger to come with him? Portia would have been alive with her parents but she is here with him dead! A few hours ago he was the happiest man on earth, now the saddest.
He remembered how he had declared love for her. How she had fallen asleep in his chest and how they kissed in the rain never wanting to let go.
His weep shook the mountains. His weep was loud enough to wake Portia but it didn’t. The paramedic closed the ambulance door and he knew right there that it was time to close the chapter with Portia to their no happy ending tale.
THE END