Foreign love

Foreign Love
         
         He loved tract, being able to run to free, the wind blowing in his face.  You felt as if no one could catch you, as if you were more than human, as if you were flying.  He took calming breath as he stretched out his arm, his legs, he knew how important it was to exercises before practice.  Get the muscles used to being used, rolling his neck back he looked ahead at the wide track field and felt the fresh air hit his face.  He loved it, he was one of the fastest people in his school, he’d won many medals.  He’d ran in tournaments, marathons, so many things, running was his life.   
         “Ey yo, what’s up man” his friend Matt called to him, running towards him in his practice clothes.  He looked tired and worn, Matt wasn’t exactly fast, after running 10 laps around the field he was tired. 
         “What’s up?” he nodded back
         “Am wiped out” he dropped down and sat on the ground, Anil frowned as he looked at the girl’s track team, they looked to be racing.  He squinted his eyes as he looked at the first four girls.  They were set to run and waiting for their coaches command, then BAM!  They were speeding.  One person who caught his attention was a dark skinned girl, she was moving ahead of all the other girls, she was fast!  His eyes widened…
         “Who is that…?” he asked in awe
         “Who? Oh, That’s that African girl, she just came to school like a couple of days ago, she’s fast huh?”
         “Damn” Anil whistled, the girl looked to be almost as fast as him! In a flash she passed by them, muscles pounding, breathing heavy.  She turned her head as if confused, her eyes caught his,.  They were unusual, a golden brown, in fact they were a shade he’d never seen before, almost colorless. She frowned at him, then swished her head and continued running, her long nappy brown hair was held in a ponytail.  She was skinny, all legs and bones, but you could tell she also had muscles, strong muscles. 
         “I’ll be back” he said without waiting for Matt’s reply, he jogged over to where the girl was, she had won the race and was now doing little jogs and stretching.
         “Hey, you're pretty fast” he said, she looked up, her face was sweaty, her brows furrowed.
         “I know” she had an unusual accent for an African girl, she licked her dry lips and stretched her arms          
         “You ever ran the 600 yard?” the girl’s track team sucked, everyone knew it, most of them never made the required speed for a 600 yard
         “2 minutes, 9 seconds” she said without looking at him, he was impressed, the girls required speed for a 600 yard was 2’ 49”
         “Cool, I did a minute and 52 seconds” he shrugged, it was then that she looked at him, she was an inch taller than him, she folded her arms and frowned
         “Really?” she looked at if she didn’t believe a word he said
         “Yeah, and this is my last year, when I get into high school am running again, you?”               
                   “Am in the 7th, but yeah am thinking of running in high school too, what’s your name?”
         “Anil?”
         “Anil, that’s a weird name” she shrugged looking as if she could deal with it, “mines Halima” she looked embarrassed when she said it
         “So you’re from Africa?”
         “Don’t I sound it like it?” she asked sarcastically, he just shrugged deciding not to answer her.
         “How old are you anyways?”
         “12” she did some knee jumps barely paying attention to him
         “12? You’re tall, how tall are you?’
         “5’4 and why are you asking me all these questions?” she frowned at him hands on hips
         “I dunno, hey wanna race?”
         “Am on practice” she rolled her eyes at him
         “So, you not doing nothing now, come one I'll talk to the coach or you scared am goanna beat you or something?”
         “Not in this lifetime, but you’re on, and remember, am from Africa, we’re known for our speed.
         “No, you’re known for hunting around wearing no clothes, am from Indian, I bet you I can beat you any time, any where”
         “What? In your past lifetime?” she looked like she was about to laugh, her eyes had turned mischievous, “But even that may have been in his imagination…


5 yrs later
         “Oh my God! He is so hot” Ada signed as she sank into her chair, Halima rolled her eyes, her short cut whitish hair fell into her eyes.
         “Who you talking bout? Anil? Cause girl I know what you talking bout, that boy got that ouh, I could just eat him up” Demetra said twirling her ‘red’ hair as she bit her lips in her idea of sexy.
         “Ya’ll know he got a girl right? and he faithful as shit to her” Olga giving both girls glaring looks
         “Didn’t nobody ask you noting Old-ga” Demetra sniveled waiving a finger in Olga’s face
         “If anybody know anything about Anil it’s gotta be Halima” they all turned to her, she rolled her eyes and tuned them out, or at least tried out, Anil came and sat down at their table.  He barely even looked at the other girls.
         “You coming to the tournament? we’re competing against the kids of Intermediate High School, I know your ankle is…”
         “It’s fine” she snapped, Anil however ignored her snappish retort
         “You’re wearing a casket, but whateva, you coming or what?” he frowned
         “I don’t know…”
         “Well she ain’t running, her ankle is swollen she needs to…”. Olga started until ada snapped at her.
         “Am sorry, are you Halima?” Ada glared at her friend, Halima rubbed her tired eyes. Her head was pounding, and her leg was in a freaking casket.  Most of the time when she was frustrated, she always ran, but now…

He threw his bag down and slumped down in a sofa, without taking his shoes off he dropped it on the table, taking the remote and turning the TV on.
         “Anil? Anil is that you?” His mother called in her thick accent
         “Yea ma” he screamed running a hand through his long, curly, black hair.
         “I have fou...what is your feet doing on my clean table?” she yelled, his mom was rather heavy set.  She was ‘big boned’ as she liked to call it, her skin was pale with a hint of being sun kissed, her long jet black hair fell in cascades over her back.  She was wearing her sari, which was an Indian clothe that Indian women wore.
         “Oh mom, am so tired, I just came from track prac…”
         “I don’t care where you just came from, get your feet off my table you…you ugh”
         “Calm down yea ma, Lord Vishnu please help me” he looked up, palms up
         “Don’t you talk to me like that…”
         “Ma? Maaf kijiyeh” ‘sorry’ he gave her his puppy dog look, which she always fell for, her face softened and her arms relaxed
         “Bahut achha” ‘very well’, “Aap kahan the?” ‘where have you been?’, she suddenly broke out in a wide shy smile, he didn’t trust that look.  “Do you remember Sumati?”
         “Oh ma, not that again, am only 18”
         “People marry younger than that, your cousin Gopal got married at 17!”
         “Yeah and if I remember right, it wasn’t an arranged marriage, he got her pregnant” he said rolling his eyes
         “He fell in love” she was in such denial, the baby got born 4 months after the wedding.
         “Whateva ma…”
         “It’s that, that African girl right?”
         “Don’t ma, really don’t! I don’t know why you don’t like Halima, she’s really nice and has always been respectful of you” he glared at her, picked up his bag and walked away.  He stood at the top of the stairs, palms together, he looked at his mom, “please ma, kripaya, for the love of Vishnu, live me alone, ha?”
         “Chup Raho!” ‘shut up’ she said petulantly
         “Shukriya” ‘thanks’ he walked away to his bedroom.

         2 weeks later
         “Oh my God, Halima, you took the casket off” Samantha giggled, “Are you competing with us then” her big brown eyes were huge and childish with all the guiles of a child
         “Noh, my doctor don’t want me forcing it or the swelling will just come back, he said exercising it is goof but not to go overboard” she shrugged
         “Oh, that sucks, we sure could use your help” her shoulders slumped                    
         “Is it that bad?”
         “That bad? We suck, everyone’s talking bout something hurting them, period, ankles and what not, ouh where’d you get that shirt?”
         “Ugly Betty?” she looked down at the picture
         “Yeah, you watch that show” her voice said ‘eww‘, her expression said ‘cool’, obviously she didn’t wan to admit to watching it
         “Yeah…”
         “So um, where’d you get that shirt?”
         “Wal-Mart”
         “You look like you got boobs, I have got to get me that shirt” she said looking down at her own flat ones
         “Right” she had some idiots for friends
         “Hey!” someone hit her on the shoulder, hard, the only person stupid enough to do that was Matt
         “Hey Matt” Sam said looking at him dreamily, Matt looked weirded out and backed away from their table
         “Why does he always look at me like that?”
         “Because you’re scary?”
         “Do I have a zit on my face? I looked today and there wasn’t nothing, what if I have a zit?” she gasped and got up leaving in a hurry
         “What’s with her?” Anil said out of nowhere as he dropped in the seat next to hers
         “Matt” no explanation needed
         “Ah…so uh how you been?”
         “Good” she grinned, “You got the race tomorrow, I bet you goanna win”
         “I hope so, Matt isn’t so sure he wants to go, that team has won every race they’ve been in”
         “I heard, but I think you’re just as good, half of the girl’s have chickened out, we’re goanna look like a bunch pf pussies with the way things are going, everybody’s acting like this team is goanna chew them out or something”
         “Yeah, you should see practice, the coaches are pissed…”
         “I would be pissed if I trained someone to the best of my ability and suddenly when a big competition like this come they all chicken out, it’s pissing me off already”
         “Ah I see Sam told you about the girls?”
         “PMS’ing my ass”
         “You coming to my pool party?”
         “So I get invited last right?”
         “What, I told your weirdo friends to tell you”
         “They didn't tell me shit…maybe you don’t want me there” she raised a haughty brow at him
         “Yeah that’s about it, then you’ll go knocking at my door or calling the popo talking bout we too loud”
         “The idea hadn’t occurred to me, but thanks” she said smugly
         “You remember my cousin Paavan?”
         “Yeah?”
         “He’s coming”
         “Really, does he still make movies?”
         “Yep, he even sent some to some big time producers, he hasn’t gotten an answer to none of them yet, but he’s determined” he shrugged
         “Yeah…” she took a drink of her chocolate milk
         “He’s coming with my fiancée” Halima spit the milk out in shock, he gave her a tissue looking at her with disgust
         “Your fiancée?” she finally managed to say
         “That whole arranged marriage thing”
         “So you’re about to get married?” she wiped her mouth eyes wide
         “Noh, I ain’t goanna marry her, am only 18 shit, my mom wants me to see if I can like her…”
         “And if you do?” he shrugged
         “I hadn’t really thought about it, but I decided to throw a pool party today because they’re coming…”
         “Don’t must people just throw a welcome home party?”
         “Yeah but I want a pool party, it’s as much for me as for them” she understood, Anil was a sportsy person, he found comfort doing what he loved, swimming was one the sport he took part in, he said it put him at ease, made him feel relaxed and part of something, she had found that weird, coming from him.  Anil was one of those guys that girls followed around, she hated to admit it but even she thought he was cute.  The overly long curly jet black hair that fell in his face, the thick eyebrows that naturally arched up, the big brown eyes, full rouge bottom lips, square jaw and this totally bad boy aura that he gave off.  Anil wasn’t a bad boy or anything, he was actually sweet and rather nice, but when your first saw him with his right ear pierced, the pursed lips and the roughened look he had, you couldn’t help but to just assume.
         “K, I’ll be there” she gave him a crooked smile, he lightly hit her arm as he got off, he turned to her about to say something.
         “I know, where a bathing suit, a real for real bathing suit” he smiled as he walked away.  She was left sitting by herself, she thought over her and Anil’s relationship, it was sort of weird.  He didn’t treat her as one of the boys but neither did he treat her like the other girls.  He seemed to not know what to do around her, and the fact that she wasn’t a complete tomboy probably didn’t help.  She had her times, sometimes dressing totally careless and other times actually looking like a girl.  Her Friend Jen had said there was no way she could be confused for a boy, no matter what she wore.  She had a delicate face, heart shaped, tilted, wide light brown cat eyes, small nose, wide full lips.  Even though she was constantly active, she had a feminine body but you could tell just by looking at her that she worked out.
She signed and wondered what she was going to wear, she did have a bathing suit, but they were shorts!

Halima decided to look in her older sisters clothes, her sister was so feminine that even her bathing suit looked stylish.  She loved looking good and showing it off.
         “So what you looking for?”
         “A bathing suit”
         “For what?”
         “Anil is throwing a pool party for his friends” she decided not to go through the fiancée bit, Uzuri would want to know all the details and she just didn’t feel like talking bout that.
         “A pool party, and I ain’t invited?”
         “What happened to you not hanging around high school kids?” Uzuri was 2 yrs older than her and had nothing in common with her. 
         “Girl please, I could invite some of my friends and chill over there”
         “I don’t remember saying you could invite people…”
         “He won’t mind…” true, Anil had had a major crush on Uzuri.  Uzuri with her beautiful long brown hair, the exotic dark eyes, full lips, tall and looked like a model.  She had even done some modeling but said it wasn’t for her, that that life was just too hard for her.
         “Anyways, I know what you should wear, I got this bathing suit and it’ll look great on you, especially since it’ll match your eyes…


The pool party got out of control, people invited people, things started happening.  Halima did not get in the pool after she saw Demetra and John doing it right in the pool.  She was glued to him and you could even hear her screaming in esctacy, that was a complete turn off to Halima, there was no way she was getting in that pool.
         “Hey!” Paavan said sneaking behind her, she turned and smiled at him, “You look nice”
         “Thanks, so how you enjoying your welcome party?”
         “I think it stopped being a welcome party the minute we stepped feet in here”
         “Yeah, they’re acting totally ridiculous”
         “Yeah I hate to think so but is that shit in the pool?” Paavan didn’t have much of an accent, having grown up in New York, he had the New yorkie accent.
         “Oh gross, Anil, Anil” she yelled, she excused herself and went to look for him.  She found him making out with his fiancée
         “Excuse me…” she stopped for a minute, the girl was beautiful and looked like a complete tramp!  Her dark hair was in tangles to her back, her eyes was big, arched brow, hawk nose and full red lips that was smeared on her face.  She didn’t even look embarrassed having been caught, she wiped her mouth with a sultry come hither smile.
         “Somebody took a shit in your pool” and with that she walked away, or was about to.

Surprise, surprise, he was in shock! He had a girlfriend and a fiancée, his fiancée had turned out to be a well...
         “Right well, uh hey Halima, you seen Mercedes anywhere?”
         “How am i supposed to know? She's your girlfriend” she looked him up and down, then she looked at Sumali giving her a disgusted look.  He gave a chagrined smile to Sumali who cocked an angry brow at him, she crossed her arm over her chest which was now heaven.
         "You have a girlfriend?"
         "Um yea..."
         "And you decided not to tell me..."
         "How could I, you had your tongue down my throat" he said indignantly, shacking his head he walked away from her, she stamped her feet and pursed her lips.
He didn't know where Mercedes was, but he sure hoped she hadn't seen him, how could he explain it to her.  He entered the house, walking fast but abrutly stopped when he heard laughter.  It was husky and tinkling, nothing coy about it, it was alaughter from deep inside and only one girl laughed like that.  He slowly walked towards the sound and sure enough, there was Halima, with Paavan.
         "No way" she laughed again
         "Come on, as beautiful as you are?"
         "That's doesn't work on me, sorry, there is no way am goanna be shacking my ass in no video!" she got up and he noticed how she was still wearing her bathing suit, a small yellow sash was wrapped around her waist, she didn't see him but he saw her.  And just then, he agreed with Paavan, she was beautiful.  Her white wheat colored hair fell in her eyes, her eyes shinned with mirth, her lips were on edge to smile.  Over the years, he hadn't really paid attention to her, at least not like that, they had both changed but he had not wanted to think of her in any other way.  Maybe he was in denial, she wasn't that tall, skinny, 12 years old girl he had met a long time back.  This girl here had breast (small ones, but still breast) she had a tiny waist, flaring hips, long, endlessly strong legs, she was all women.
He saw Paavan get up too and go to her, while Halima was tall at 5'8, Paavan toward over her at 6 ft, Paavan was rather like a reed.  Tall and skinny, hair cut low and spiky, when one saw Paavan he looked like a geekish version of Anil.  Same eyes but more innocent, his nose was small, his lips wider and his jaw not as square, he looked carefree and that he was.  He was quick to smile, flirt, tempt...
         "I can't change your mind?" he said huskily as he held her arm, Anil saw red, his eyes flashed to that of Halima, though he couldn't see her well, the way Paavan was holding her hand pissed him off..
         "Hey what's going on..." he came in, he put a light tone to his voice though he was rather from it "Lover's reuiniting?"

Halima wondered if he knew how true that statement really was, When Paavan had come, he had payed her the attention that Anil hadn't.  she could still remember, at 14, she ad just started developing and Anil treated her like a boy.  Paavan on the other hand, payed her attention, he was taller than her and skinny but nice.  He had started flirting with her and he reminded her soo of Anil, except he was missing Anil's boyish smile and dimples, he wasn't as tall either (Anil had sprouted over the years) or as strong, his hair was too short for Halima, but he liked her.  On his last day he had said he wanted to talk to her, after pursuing her for so long Halima decided to go.  There he had told her how he felt and kissed her, her first kiss ever, he had looked into her eyes and whispered pretty little words to her and she'd let herself go...
         "Am trying to convince Halima to do one dance in my movie, she loves Hindi movies so much, tell her Anil, one dance!"
         "You're doing a new movie?" he cocked a brow at his cousin
         "The best one so far, I know it, i can feel it, Bollywood here i come" he had an excited look in his eyes, hopeful and full of dreams, "hey you know what would be even better, You should sing in my movie Anil..."
         "Anil can't sing..."
         "Can't sing, this guy here has the best voice ever, when we were kids Anil and my sister used to take us to her hindie class, this guy here would belt it out, am telling you, his good" You could see the excitement on Paavan's face
         "And here i thought i knew everything about you" when Anil just shrugged, Halima cocked a brow, "so what else have you been hiding from me?" a cocky grin took hold of Anil's face.
         

Later on...
         "So what's up with you and Paavan?" Anil asked as he walked Halima to her house, he hadn't seen mercedes anywhere, his fiance was busy flirting with anything walking, talking, and breathing.
         "What do you mean what's up with me and Paavan, you know what's up with me and Paavan"
         "Look am not stupid, i could see it, you two...come one, i thought we don't keep secrets from one another" he stopped looking at her, she signed and rolled her eyes, then continued walking, he followed her.
         "We hooked up, once" she muttered, Anil's heart dropped, his best friend with his cousin?
         "You what?" he chocked up
         "I said we hooked up once, when i was 14, it was like forever ago..."
         "Why didn't you tell me..." he wasn’t sure he could breath right at that moment
         "You don't tell me about all the girls you..."
         "His my cousin!"
         "So what, am not good enough for him?" she wanted a fight, she wanted it out, he had no idea how she felt and she needed to get angry about that.
         "No! i mean..."
         "You just said what that fuck you meant, am not good enough for you people right?" her heart actually broke, "Am not good enough for your hindi family? You mom up till now still doesn't like me, cause am African.."
         "Halima, it's not like that..." he grabbed her arm as she tried walking away, she snagged it back with force
         "Don't tell me what it's like, i know what it's like..." she was really angry now, tears stung her eyes, she willed herself not to cry, not to look like fool, not in front of Anil...
         "Halima..." he signed
         "Am so happy to finally realise what i am to you, thanks Anil, you won't mind me telling you to never talk to me again, and then along the way, you can shove you and your perfect family..." he kissed her! he actually kissed her, his roughened hands softly held her face, his soft lips were firmly planted on her, her arms lay by her side.
She lifted them up to hold on to him, he opened his mouth to hers, his tongue slowly sliding in, this was the best kiss she'd ever had, this kiss, this kiss with Anil...she knew it was going to be this good...she moaned and suddenly he stopped.  His forehead was on hers, their breathing was heavy.
         " 'you're' too good for Paavan" he whispered in a chocked up voice, she searched his eyes.
         "Then who am i good for?" she whispered back, she didn't know why she was whispering, maybe it was the moment, the isolation of the place, whatever it was, she didn't know, but she liked it...
         "i want to say me..." he started, she waited for him to finish, knowing she wouldn't like the answer, "But i can't..." she pushed him away, he grabbed her hand once more
         "Don't fucking touch me, right now Anil, right now, i hate you, so just lay off, please" and she cried, just like a girl, "you have no idea how am feeling right now, you've never known, you've never wanted to know, just not good enough right? it's okay to marry a smut, as long as she's indian right? it's okay to have an american girlfriend, as long as she's not black, it's okay to like an african, as long as she's not me!" Halima raged, "So don't fucking touch me, don't talk to me, at least not now, please Anil, jsut don't call..." devasted she walked home by herself, her best friend, the one guy she had trully loved had just rejected her. Foreign