As the wind shifts and shifts again...

It was a cold valentine's day. Iris woke up that morning feeling excited. She wondered what she was going to wear, and how she was going to make herself look pretty. In my opinion, she didn't need to make much effort. She had a few classes scheduled for that day so she had to balance out looking casual, yet smart.

It was 2pm when Iris received the call she was waiting for most of the day. She was nervous and was trying to figure out how she was going to chase away the butterflies in her stomach. They agreed to meet at one of London's underground stations. Iris couldn't wait.

Standing at the entrance of the station, Iris's eyes were shifting left and right, trying to see if she's going to be able to spot him. There were a sea of people walking past her and she tried to distract herself by admiring them. Just when she was about to change the spot she was standing, and perhaps grab a newspaper to read, she saw him... or she thought she did. He was pushing his away into the crowd of people all trying to simultaneously swipe their oyster cards and leave the polluted station. She was frozen in her spot, not knowing how she should react, or whether she should just turn around and pretend she didn't recognize him.

He must've recognized her too because as soon as their eyes met, he smiled at her. She was surprised at the way he looked. He was tall, a little on the chubby side, and pale. She thought he had the most gorgeous hazel eyes and long eyelashes. He had a sweet smile, and Iris could not help but wrap her arms around him giving him a warm hug. At the time, it sounded unusual to me to hug somebody you hardly knew, but hearing Iris relieve the memories of that day, I could finally understand where she was coming from.

They decided, at Iris's request, to walk down a nearby cafe. She can tell he was just as nervous as her, and in a twisted way, it made her feel better. At least she wasn't the only one.
When they got to the cafe, they each took their seats and tried to distract themselves by admiring the decor of the place. It had these interesting North African paintings on the wall that Iris couldn't stop staring at. Not that it was exceptional, but she is an art lover and appreciates all form of art.

When they finally turned their faces towards each other, they began to talk. There were moments of giggles, sweet talk, smiles, and stolen glances at each other. He told her how he thought she was beautiful and that he could see why men would be attracted to her. Although she blushed, deep down she didn't care about other men being attracted to her, secretly she wanted him to find her gorgeous. I reckon it was around that time that Iris made up her mind, but I doubt she would admit to that.

When they felt they've been in the cafe for too long, Iris thought they would go their separate ways. However, she was surprised when he suggested that they go somewhere else. She couldn't think of anywhere to go and just when she was about to say something, his face lit up and he quickly reached out to grab her hand. Except for that initial hug, Iris wasn't prepared to feel his skin on hers yet, and the sudden feeling of his hand on hers sent rivers and rivers of chills down her spine. However, she tried to suppress the sudden shock of pleasure and carried on trying to catch up with his pace.

Iris looked up at a tall historical building. It was almost getting dark and they have just arrived only to find out that the place was closing in 15 minutes or so. She couldn't understand why he had brought her here, but as long as she was with him, she didn't mind. His grip on her hand tightened as he pulled her along into the entrance of the building.

As she walked along besides him, she couldn't stop staring at him, and she couldn't deny the sense of excitement she was in. Is this really it? Has she found what she was looking for? Would the search finally end? Up to now, he was sweet and attentive, and when he sat on the edge of the world map display, he pulled out a hand-made valentine's card that he made for her, it became so clear to her. No one has done this before, let alone show their interest in such a sweet way. She held the card between her hands and she could feel the tears welling up. He looked at her with a worried expression, trying at the same time to study her facial expression and asked, 'Did you not like the card?' What was she supposed to tell him? That she thinks she's already in love with him? That she was so love-deprived and lonely that the smallest display of affection lured her into what will turn out to be a trap later on?

She quickly tried to regain her composure, and nodded confirming that she liked the card. With a look of relief on his face, and a smile, what took place after that would remain something that Iris would like for it to remain buried deep into her past. Even today, as we both sat staring at each other on a cold morning, she couldn't understand how a person can change overnight. I stared back at her with a blank expression on my face. What would I tell her? I had nothing to say, and no experience to fall back on. I could see the unanswered questions all over her face, but something told her that it's best she never let them slip out of her mouth. She will never hear what she always wanted to hear.

In my opinion, he was the devil dressed up as a man. He may also have been a devil reincarnated into a human being. Either that, or a human being with a devilish soul. Only people like him can turn your life upside down and your mind inside out. Only men like him can strip you out of your skin and make you forget who you really are. He blinded her completely. He deprived her of any form of happiness. He stopped the rays of sunshine from coming through into her world.

What baffles me is the fact that he still contacts her. What baffles me even more is the fact that she answers to him. If it was legal, I would shoot that girl in the head. She does admit that her love for him has turned into immense hate. I looked at her, and with a raised eyebrow, I asked if that is even possible. She smiled faintly and said, 'well sometimes.' She hates him sometimes. At least it's better than nothing.

The good news is that she realizes that no matter what he does now, it will never be enough. I personally think that even if he spends the rest of his life trying to make up for the fact that he fucked her up royally, it still wouldn't be anywhere near enough. But then that's just my opinion.

Why are people like him still free to roam the world?

"...And maybe you can keep me from ever being happy, but you're not going to stop me from having fun." - Ani Difranco