Twisted

                  Rose pov 

  “ gotcha’ asher said, passing a cocky wink at me, 

  “ well congratulation ma’am, for your third attempt you get a rattle” he said unhanging some traditional rattles from the set hung meticulously on the gift board.

      “ there you go”

   “ well, I would have loved you getting some other instrument before we go , but it would  be incomplete, if we don't visit the store first,” Asher said smiling widely as he takes my hands, taking me off guard, he ran towards the stores, “ hey hold on!” .

     For a moment, it felt like we were five again, running in a market square hand in hand, laughing at the top of our voice, as we surfed through the busy crowd.

    “ come see the weavers ” he said, we come to a halt when i start seeing different color of scarfs, hung in different stores, “ here's the weaver lane, back home, mom always got one of this anytime she visited anna and i” he said running his hands on a weaved fabric.

  “ This used to be my favorite style__here try it out” he said unhooking it as he swung it round my neck, my hands brush on the warm fabric, haven't seen a mixture of color so perfect, “ i love it” i said , he smiles warmly at me, “ i bet you do, who wouldn't love a peruvian hand woven fabric”.

    He hold my hand taking me deeper into the market square, all illuminating with light bulbs, haven't seen a market this busy at night time, as people stopped by, all partnered up, picking things from different stores, 

“ how about this?” picking up a figurine’

   “Having this would make a great decore”, looking, further i see a rack of finger puppets, picking  my interest, i dug my fingers in it, “ hey, i am  doctor larma” i said making a funny voice, he smile back at me, “ hey doctor larma i think i have bruises on my toe” he said picking up a sheep puppet.

   His weird creaky voice set both of us, holding our belly , laughing at the top of our voice, such silly action coming from two grown up couples, ‘ hey lovely, i have bracelets ” an old woman comes smiling at us, she beams warmly  at me, then at asher, , “ i can feel the love in the air” she said in a not so fluent english.

     “we are not couples” i mutter gently, making my cheek burn,  “ silly she holds my nose, playfully, ‘ i have lived long enough to know when love happens” she said smiling, my eye meets asher, he had a more poker face now, it wasn't funny and pinkish as i felt it would be,Causing a sudden uneasiness.

   It would be weird thinking of dating my boss, besides i don't think this perfect gently man would ever like a girl like me, the moment our time here in peru expires, i wouldn't see him again, just like in the news, he's totally oblivious to everyone, and I would be to him as well .

     “ here’’ she said unhooking a bracelet, it had half heart on each side that would be completed it they were together , she slides one in my hands, “ hey pedro” pulling his hands close to mine, as she slides a second bracelet on, “they look so perfect, may  Pachamama keep you too forever in perfect harmony” her eyes gently squinted as she beams at me.

   Looking at asher, his aura was different this time, giving a glum look, did I piss him off, he was happy not quite long, my legs quiver as a familiar feeling creep up my body, his eyes burning with fury, as his clenched his jaw, 

 , “we have one more place to see, it's getting late” he said, this time in a calm tone, slowly waking me  up, from the dilemma , lookin back at the old lady, she beams back at me, nodding gently, their something about her certainty, I just can’t put my finger on it, “bye” i muttered a voiceless word.

    Asher had his hands in his pocket, his familiar aura was back, calm and silent, not saying a word, the jovial face i saw earlier  was dead gone, replaced with Mr white, the environment suddenly feel uncomfortably choking as i held unto the scarf, why is he so pissed all of a sudden, was it because what she said?.

    “ she’s just an old woman, believing she knows what she is saying” i whispered, if that's the reason he had decided to go all numb, and Mr white on me , then maybe i should make it clear now.

   “ i don't fancy workplace romance” I added , he halts, squeezing my palm gently, hope I didn’t cross any boundaries I am not supposed to, maybe I should just leave after this, than being an enigma in his life.

      “ here”

    I see people lining up before a small store, all waiting for a greasy delicacy, “I hope you like it” asher  said in a hoarse tone, squeezing my palm uncomfortable hard, till I yank it out.

 “ sorry” 

   His hands fork his hair for the third time now as he exhale deeply, “ we would just grab it, and leave, it late” he said, cutting through the line, as we go to the top.

   “ you are killing  the traditional spirit “ ones again in a not so fluent English, as he narrows his brow at asher, who had his eyes glued at the man smirking at him, my eyes travel back to asher, the man sighs, “ two burger coming up”  

   Taking the burger in a hurry he tucks one Between my palm, “ you can eat it when you get home”

    “ why the hurry, there’s still more to_”

   “ go home rose” he hushed, putting a packed burger in my free hands, “ go_”

    “ rose move!”

  Something hard comes crashing on my head, followed by a sudden push as everything, becomes blur, and dark, for a moment the sounds were shallow, as the sound of my heart beat overshadowed.

   “ rose”

  “Rose”

  I hear my name, wave through my eyes, and gently smack on my cheek, “rose”

   My eyes Bart continuously as I try waving through the dust hovering around my eyes, and oddly my nose, looking at Asher he had a dreaded look, as he held my face to meet him.

     

      There’s a red smear on his face, blood? “  there’s blood on your head” I said attempting to clean his head, but he holds my wrist just mid way, there I see the blood pooling down his fist

  “ go home”

   “Asher you are_ ”

“ go home rose!” he said pulling away as he walked into the crowd till he completely fades away