Shimmers & Shrouds (Abstruse) (2 page)

The box had a bea
utiful blue dress, of my size. I was filled with immediate regret. This stranger was so kind to me and I had nothing to offer him or her.
"I can’t take this!" No wonder this surprise was really a surprise.
"Wow." Maria was astounded in the same second. I heard loads of wows behind my back. "This is beautiful!" She seemed to be lost at admiring it, her eyes were bright.
I looked at the dress again.

"It is.... but I can’t keep it."
"I won’t take it back.” I heard a posh voice behind me. I whirled around to look at the speaker. My breath was caught up in my lungs. My body was terribly shaking. This was the very last person I was expecting to be the kids' friend. It was practically impossible. How could THEY be FRIENDS with MY STAR?

I can’t be dreaming all this up. How can he be real? Did he jut materialize out of nowhere? Is this god’s way of surprising me? Jeez! I am dead.
"Hi!" He smiled at me, and I stood there like a giraffe.
"You weren’t hoping for me right? I did surprise you didn't I?" he blushed.

I saw a different person than what I used to see in television and newspapers. Witnessing him in real was something extraordinary for me. His height was nearly six feet three inches, fair skin, red hair
, sharp features, and blue eyes; eyes that blue were something rare; they were warm. A camera cannot capture this warmth, only the other eyes could see it. He was real and I couldn't believe it. I was still hoping for someone to pinch me so I could wake up from this OMG dream. How was I going to take all of this? A guy who had link ups with the most beautiful girls of the world and made headlines of the newspapers wasn’t supposed to be at an orphanage celebrating a stranger’s birthday with the kids. This was absolutely UNREAL.

OKAY, EVEN IF ALL OF THIS WAS TRUE, how was I supposed to REACT? The
most preferred bachelor and my dream come true was standing right in front of me. And I... well, of course, I was acting like the dumbest person alive.
"No." I spoke when Maria giggled.

He
smiled simply. I couldn't let him think he has got me already (though the truth was that he did have me served in a silver plate ready to be swallowed. Who could resist a man who looked like a Greek god?).
"Sad! I don't have anything to give you back." I smiled smugly.
He was obviously stunned by my response.
 "It’s okay. I can ask for it later."

Like he
would ask for the Ferrari and I am going to give it. Impossible.
 He came up close enough to have a social interaction; close enough to make me squirm.
"Hi Oceana." He smiled. Wow, a perfect breathtaking smile. Shit he knew my name. “The kids talk a lot about you. I am pleased to meet you." he lifted his hand and we shook them. “I am―" he continued.
"You are Orpheus Albert." I cut in, trying hard not to look blown away. “Everyone knows you!" I dropped my hand. His touch was softer than satin. Softer than my hand. This was getting crazy.
"The kids, they seem to love you a lot." He picked up the youngest kid who was standing right behind him. Young Jack.
"Isn't it Jack Sparrow?" He tickled him and both of them laughed. All of us joined in.
"She looks like snow white and you look like prince!" Maria giggled when all of us were done laughing. I felt numb and my face grew pale, which inescapably gave another reason for others to laugh. I gulped.
"But I wanna marry you, oh beautiful." He knelt down and pleaded Maria; All we could hear for the next few minutes was no no no, and this continued until Maria thought he was serious and started crying.
We were all in the playground after lunch. I had got to hold the six month baby girl for the first time after she had arrived here. I sat on the bench which faced away from the main building. I didn’t want to remember anything about that rich celebrity who was in there with me all this while. God! I had lunch with him sitting next to me. I still couldn’t believe he was here. Why did he come here? And why didn’t the media follow him? How can they not follow a guy who makes headlines on page 3? And the strangest of all was, why did he bring me the gift when he didn’t know anything about me?
"She is gorgeous, isn’t it?" Okay now a voice this posh couldn’t be anybody else's. And the worst part was that it was coming from right next to me. Was he sitting this close? Weird weird weird..
"Yes she is." I looked at him. No he was a foot away. Thank god.
"What is her name?" He patted her cheek gently, and to my surprise she smiled at him. She was pleased with it. Well, every girl would be pleased if it is him who is patting. And I was definitely not an exception. Lucky her.
"I haven’t thought of it yet." I confessed. There was no name I could come across. Actually there was one, but that was for my future baby girl if in case I would have one.
"Oceana."

I
looked at him when I heard him calling me. My name sounded so different when he said it. He smiled apologetically. "I mean how about the name ‘Oceana’?"

M
y mind became neutral. What in the heaven was he talking about?
"What?" Well that just randomly came out of my mouth.
"Oceana is a rare name. And she looks like you. ― beautiful."
I was startled to death. Everything was so unclear. I couldn’t get all of it in the first place. It was so... very... dreamlike.
World's hottest guy was sitting with me telling me how rare my name was and how beautiful I am. I wanted to wake up but it kept happening. Can this thing be true? A guy who could date almost any girl in the world would admire someone like me?
“But that is my name. And it’s a bad choice anyway." I let the subject drop. I wanted this dream to end. It was too good to be true. I looked at his face. This adonis was getting me crazy, he was messing with my mind and logic. The expressions on his face were changed, signaling me that I shouldn't have said it.
"Oh, you seem a bit disappointed with me." He looked away at the kids." That's fine! I am used to this ignorance from good people. They think I am not worth their company." He was working really hard to keep the smile in its place. "I am the bad guy you see? Dating girls, changing girlfriends, etc, etc. That is what the media guys have to say about me right?" He didn’t look at me even once. I felt like hitting myself hard, but I couldn’t move. The baby in my lap was asleep.
"I know. I read the newspaper every day. 'Orpheus seen with the model hugging.’ 'Orpheus wins the title of the sexiest guy on the earth.’, 'Orpheus this― Orpheus that'." He looked directly into my eyes; his eyes had an edge of frustration. "And I'm pissed off with this. I long to be a normal guy. I come here when I find no way to escape. When I feel like dying, because there is no room for a messed up mind like mine in that big castle like home." He sighed.

I
couldn't even mumble. I could just stare at him. I didn't want to stop him. He got up wearily and started to walk away. He turned back to me slowly.

"
You know, life for us is easy when there are no newspapers to read, no means of communications to talk with anyone, and no television to tell us what we did and how we acted etc. When I'm just me and not the bad guy they show me like." He smiled, but it didn't even touch his eyes, and started walking away. There was so much pain he carried inside his heart, so much frustration and annoyance. I wanted him to stay, because deep inside I knew that if he left today I won't be face myself in the mirror ever.
"Won't you take Oceana in your arms?" I called for him, but couldn't get up from the seat. My body was waiting for his response, perhaps. He turned to look at me with astonishment. Seemed fair enough. I giggled. "Not me, her!" I got up from the bench to place her in his arms. He just smiled as he took her.
"But the next baby guy will be named Orpheus. You have no right to object!"
I snapped.
"Yes ma'am." he chuckled, and we played with the kids until dusk.

My heart felt heavy as I left the place. After bidding everyone goodnight
, I started walking back to the bus― stop. My mind was occupied with his thoughts. How can a person, so pure at heart, was so exploited. He did not deserve any of it. I remember I had shuddered when he said he felt like dying. He needed more than assurance to live his life.
I heard a screeching sound behind my back. Why was it that people tend to surprise from my behind? I turned to look at it. A black Rolls Royce was right at the back of me. It was the first time I had seen this car. It was stunningly beautiful.

The backdoor opened and out came
Orpheus, stunning as the car itself.
"Want a ride?" He smiled. Whoa. I was breathless.
"You are certainly not planning to put an end to my career even before it has started, are you?" I looked at him with sincere eyes.
"I might not do it if you accept the invitation snow white." I think he giggled.
"I would surely not sit next to you, thank you very much."

I stomped of
f till the passenger seat, pushed him aside and jumped in. No wonder this was the most expensive car ever. The interiors of the thing were better than my house.
"Where do I have to leave you?" He raised his eyebrow and a smile flashed across his face.
"Headington. My house is nearly ten miles from here. Are you still going to drop me home?" I looked him in the eyes.
"Any doubt?" He winkled. Of course not. Why on earth will he to care about the high gas rates? He was the richest guy in the entire United Kingdom. I looked away into the dark suburbs.

"
What are your hobbies?" He tried to start a conversation hoping that it wouldn’t really end awkwardly. I don't think that would be successful. I doubted it for sure.
"Chasing boys!" I tried to sound smug."That's something I can't keep off the list." I was boiling with rage. This man who I’d considered to be my brightest star was so stupid that he couldn’t even shut up his own mouth when it was the very reason why he got into trouble with other celebs and now….me.
"And?"

T
his was the last thing to be happening, he was interested to know more, darnn me! I shouldn’t have just answered.
"You've been with me for like an entire day. You're elder to me and I hope you're observant, you know, like the other elders are supposed to be. Okay any guesses what my hobbies could be." My voice sounded like an open challenge. It seemed to get personal at some terms. He wore a grave expression, composed yet, as he studied my face.
"You don't like chasing guys, right?"

I was surprised.
I opened my mouth to speak something that saved my lie but he silenced me anyway.
"Don't say another word. I know you're a good liar. You will cook up some story as always." His face had an expression of unfathomable satisfaction.
"Don’t you think you’ve already given me a lot of surprises today? And anyway, tricking information out of kids would certainly prove bad for your health someday.” I couldn’t believe I said that to THE Orpheus Albert. It was wonderful how I managed to stay calm and act sane around him despite of his ridiculous attempts to get cozy with me… er.. the kids and me. But I was really not done yet. He knew it was a white lie and a celebrity with over a million fan following, tricking information about an ordinary college going girl who was much much younger to him, was certainly the ODDEST stuff I could imagine. So that was pretty clear then. I was not going to disclose this to anyone and ask for more trouble. ‘What am I talking? He is waiting for me to finish my sentence, right?’ I reminded myself.

“I w
ould rather take that as a piece of insult. Thank you."
"Oh. You don't talk much, do you?" He used his hands to make some weird signs."You're so… quiet."
"No, I’m actually the opposite. I am hell lot of a talkative person." I faked a smile.

Neither of us spoke after that. He must have misunderstood my silence to be an excuse of not keeping up the conversation perhaps. That
made me sad, really really sad, after all, no matter how stupid he was acting since morning, he was still the only guy I had the biggest crush on. The guy whose thoughts were never far off from my mind (even when I didn’t get a lot of time to think because of the busy schedule that I had.)
The car stopped near my apartment. I knew I had to get down. The journey had come to an end. A thousand things were filled up in my mind, and I had a million things to say to him. My mouth wasn’t uttering a word. The weirdest things happen with me, just in time!
He came with me, it was accompanying me till my home sort of, but I didn't mind it until he was being all nice. I took the key out from under the eaves and unlocked the door.