CHAPTER 2
"Mom, I'm home." Christian dropped his work bag and sat down on the comfy sofa in the living room.
Stressed out and tired from the day's work, he was also famished.
A high school dropout, and labourer for a big construction firm in the city, Christian was frustrated.
After his father's untimely death late last year, and not being able to finish high school due to lack of sufficient funds, he was already the bread winner of the house.
His mom owned a provision store at the market just by the roadside, but the meagre earnings she made daily could not take care of him and his siblings, so he had decided to man up, drop schooling and assume the fatherly role at home.
Closing his eyes, he quickly remembered the pretty but quirky little girl he had met today on his way to work, and he smiled at the thought fondly.
"Eh, son what's the source of your smile late this night." his mom inquired suggestively, winking at her son and raising her eyebrows in a funny way.
Looking up to see his mom, he smiled and waved her off with his hands.
"No Mom, it's nothing important okay."
"Nothing important! But it has you smiling like a love sick puppy, if you don't tell me if you have met a girl or not, and satisfy my curiosity, you are not getting a damn meal from me this night."
Christian knew he had no choice but to open up and spill up everything to his mother who was very inquisitive, even when his dad was alive, she always had her way.
A beautiful young woman in her late forties, Christian was the absolute carbon copy of his mom, the bluish eyes, the straight nose, even some of her attitudes he had also inherited.
The only trait from his Father's side was his height, muscular build and hairy skin.
"Ok fine, mom you totally got me on this one, yeah I actually met a beautiful girl today." he replied grinning.
Clasping a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming, Mrs Smith, laughed so hard she nearly toppled over from where she was sitting.
"What's funny mom?" he asked.
"Nothing, you just look so much like your dad when saying something serious, and I couldn't stop myself from bursting into fits, but anyways tell me more about this girl, you know this beautiful girl, who has given my son this lovey-dovey look."
"Mom I just came back from work, and I am so stressed out, I could pass out sitting on this sofa right now, can you please serve me my food and then we will continue this conversation later." he replied as he stood up to go take his shower.
"My son is in love, Hallelujah." Mrs Smith smiled at his back as he walked away.
"Mom, just stop it already please." Christian replied while hissing.
"Mmmmmmmhhhhhh" Mrs Smith bellowed as she went to get her son's dinner.
**********
Laying down on her bed at the shelter, Sara couldn't stop thinking about the gorgeous guy she met today, she knew she had been somewhat rude and sassy to him before she left, but she kept thinking of ways to see him again.
Having never had this kind of feeling before, Sara was so bothered as to what it meant, she couldn't explain it all.
She had never felt this way before, her heart beating rapidly, all the frequent smiles, closing her eyes and picturing someone she had never met before, imagining him so many times, she was so lost.
Even though today had been somewhat bad for her, (she missed her class test cause of her late morning, and her job search today had been uneventful), Sara did not even put it in mind, as she kept the goofy grin all over her face.
"And what is wrong with this one now ehhh?"
Looking up Sara saw her best and only friend at the shelter Ariel, staring down at her, from her bed above.
Bunk and agemates, Ariel was like the sister she never had, a lively personality, full of love, so caring and like the sibling she never had, Sara was grateful for the day she had met Ariel at the shelter.
"I am still waiting for my answer?" Ariel said once again snapping impatiently.
"Oh please, Ariel,can you just stop disturbing me."
Sara pleaded with her best friend as she turned to face the other side of her bunk.
"Is this about the mysterious boy whose name I don't know about yet, the one you met on your way to school, that made you miss that important test?" She asked while raising her eyebrows questioningly.
"Don't disturb me please, I beg you!"
Sara replied and rolled her eyes out of frustration.
"I'm right, aren't I?" Ariel laughed at her friend.
"Ok fine, you're right, you are." Sara replied and burst out laughing too.
"Like I don't know what's wrong with me now, I just can't get thoughts of him out of my head, when I close my eyes all I see is his handsome face, how he smiled when we met, someone I don't even know, is slowly and suddenly becoming a distraction, ugggghhhh I just don't understand."
She said, while placing one of her hands on her forehead in frustration.
"Huh?" Ariel sat up on the bed, crossed her elbows and mimicked a suggestive posture as she looked at her friend.
"What's with the look now?" Sara asked.
"Can't you see it babe, it's very obvious, you're in love, damn my best friend is in love, hot damn!" Ariel exclaimed laughing.
"Love, you are not serious, nah I can't just possibly be in love." replied Sara.
"I, fall in love with someone I just met once, is this how it feels like? 'She thought to herself.'
"Hey!" Ariel shouted waving her hands over her friend's face.
"Snap out of your love trance immediately, and let's sleep, tommorow we have exams and I don't want Mr-I-Dont-Know-His-Name distracting my girl."
Sara smiled at her friend as a shy look crossed her face.
"Goodnight Ariel, and his name is Christian, Christian yeah that's his name."
She said slowly before dosing off.
Ariel smiled at her friend, and lay on her bed too.