First Love Phobia - Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Fred reached home after walking for almost half an hour. As he opened the gate, a quick flashback took him. He wondered what came over him to handle the previous day’s drama. Things had happened so fast. He went further into his memory lane and remembered that the two families had once lived side by side in the neighborhood. But that was almost a decade ago. They had maintained a distance between them. By then he only knew Susan as some young girl next door. But a lot of water had passed under the bridge. She had grown into a cute woman worth any man’s attention! He had once managed to talk to her about some family matter. The conversation had been brief and only made him see the features that made her stunningly attractive. From then, he had changed his mind about her. He had tried to find a way of talking to her – just once more. But to no avail.

The reminiscing process had taken longer than he might have anticipated. He had been standing on the gate with one foot stepping on the partially opened gate, and the right shoulder leaning against it. Like awakening from deep sleep he revived, and entered the yard. This is where he had lived from childhood. The house had a simple arrangement. The backyard had an abandoned swimming pool. While a constantly managed flowerbed had been made around the house. Interestingly, almost each spot had some memory attached. His father had retired some two years back. The old man rarely talked to Fred about girls. When he mentioned them, he always cautioned Fred to be patient and careful, “no naughty behavior before pushing a ring on her finger!” He would say.

Fred had finished college and had been seeking employment. He woke up the following morning, and realized that he had some interviews to attend with an upcoming Engineering firm. After being fully prepared, he started off. It could have only taken ten minutes if he had jumped on a taxi. But he decided to walk. This option was to take almost an hour. The streets were normally too busy, with the chocking odor of the smock from the mad traffic filling the air. As he continued walking along the pavement, the memories of the previous day came back. He started walking mechanically - like a plane on auto-pilot.

“Hey, what is wrong with you?” A man’s voice screamed from a car which almost knocked him as he carelessly stepped off the pavement into the road.

“Sorry!” He apologized while raising his hand with a degree of shock and shame.

The car drove off, and he remained standing on the pavement. A small group of people that had witnessed the incident looked on as he tried to contain his shock. He ignored them. Just before he turned to start walking away, a familiar voice cautioned from behind, “you can’t afford to walk in these streets like you are the only road user.”

He looked around and saw the face he had been thinking about. It was Susan! The man failed to believe his eyes. The minor accident had put his nerves to the full test. Susan was just one matter he was now ready to face squarely.

“Susan?” Fred blurted while grinning approvingly.

“Yes? Do you need some road-crossing training?” She retorted.

“I don’t think so,” he responded while feeling a bit offended.

“By the way, what brought you to our place yesterday?”

Fred remembered the trouble he had gone through, and how matters had turned out. Now another grand opportunity was staring at him. He felt a little shiver around the knees as he tried to start answering. The heart started thumping, but he stood up and tried his best to compose himself.

“Well, I came to see you…” ouch, that was some heck of a question he was not ready to answer just like that.

“Why?”

He hesitated for a while; pursed his lips while looking down as she stared angrily at his forehead. Then he looked up with a childish – but brave – sneer, “I told you that I came to see you.”

“And I heard that clearly. But you’re damn sure that isn’t the answer I am looking for!”

“Suzzy, you are now screaming. Calm down. Then I will explain,” Fred spoke confidently while looking straight in her stiffened face, and partly tapping her upper arm with two fingers.

“What did you just call me?” she threw away his arm while staring at him, and took a wide leap back – with the cute wrinkle forming on the left cheek. What annoyed her most was that, only her father called her by that name as a little girl. Fred still loved seeing her pretty features forming up. But he might have forgotten the consequences.

“Okay, then,” he spoke while chuckling with a wide smile. “Madam Susan”

“Don’t call me those titles!” She was enraged and trembled as she spoke.

“Listen Susan…”

“Listen to what? Haaa!” she rudely interrupted him; twisted herself around vigorously; pulled her long dress up and matched away. The man remained standing in the same place, watching her as she violently cat-walked out of sight. The passersby looked at Fred like a drenched man walking into a presidential lounge with dripping puddle. Being a gentleman he was, the man rolled his eyes around his onlookers, and continued with his trip.