Writers
Almost is Never Enough by @Iam_Ada (Fiction)
Why the hell the season is called summer if it’s rainy and cloudy this often is beyond me, I mussed as I walked to Sainsbury’s. At least my siblings would have a better holiday when they came in August.
June in London is sourly disappointing but considering this is the only free time I have this year, it was this or Anambra and well, hell would freeze over before I ever showed senseless patriotism. The walk was taking longer than I thought, that I almost thought I had lost my way. It was embarrassing that I was desperately acting like a tourist when I was almost certain I was lost.
I didn’t want to have to walk up to one of these surly teenagers littered everywhere and go ‘hello, I’ve suddenly lost all sense of direction and can’t find the biggest supermarket in Southend, would you mind pointing me to its bright shiny brick walls?’ Not happening. Come on nitwit, you’ve passed this way twice already, albeit with Aunty Sheila, you can do this.
My encouragement to myself miraculously helped me take the 10 steps left to round the corner and face the supermarket, which wasn’t even where I wanted to go. It was merely a landmark in my head to find High street and eventually the seaside in my part of Westcliff, to one of those seaside restaurants that sold fish and chips. Yep! My great adventure to the seaside was to eat fish and chips. I gave a new meaning to pathetic. I would let my self-degradation get to me one day but today was not the day. Once I got to High street my excitement vamped up. I entered Foot Locker just to torture myself with the sight of all those Nike’s. When I finally convinced myself to let go of that which I cannot have , I turned around to flee and promptly collided with a moving wall, moving because I’m sure one wasn’t behind me when I decided to check the aisle, and almost fell to the ground but strong hands held me up. As I tried to steady myself, I looked up to see brown eyes staring intently at me. “Are you ok?” Wall asked. Who knew my brain would dessert me on a rainy Tuesday morning, thereby, preventing me from forming a coherent thought but thinking how incredibly handsome he was, how much he smelled like musk and whatever else it was but I loved it and also have my foot lodged firmly in my mouth. Therefore it was time have the most embarrassing moment of my life.
“You are soooo handsome.” I said before I could clamp my mouth shot. He let my arms go and chuckled and gifted me with the most beautiful sound in the world. “I’m sorry, I would never say that out usually because I would rather keep it to myself but I have no idea what got into me, you only asked if I was fine and I thought I ran into a wall but I apparently didn’t but-” I clamped my mouth with both hands and groaned because, of course, this is when my brain had to drown herself in female hormones, I’ll definitely look back to this moment as my most embarrassing and simply not let myself live it down. Through all my ramblings he just stared at me like he was trying to figure me out. And at that moment my brain decided not to drown. I took a step back, lifted my chin, looked him in the eyes and said “I’m fine, I’m sorry to have run into you like that, I hope I didn’t hurt you?” Atta girl! “I should be the one asking if I hurt you” he said “I’m Ethan. So you like sneakers?” “I do when I find drool worthy ones…. You are African yes?” aaand the brain has gone back into the pool of female hormones, he’s very dark skinned, idiot.
I have no hope today. “I’m Sarah” I hurriedly added. “I’m Nigerian, I school in Wales but my uncle stays here, so I come here for the holidays. What about you?” I could hardly contain my elation. A kindred spirit in the midst of …well uhm… anyway, I replied before I had the chance to trip over my tongue. “I’m Nigerian, I school in Nigeria, I came here for the holidays and my uncle stays here with his family”
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