Chapter Four

 

It was 5:30pm on a Sunday evening and Ara was out shopping with his parents at a mall. VC his best friend and he were both at a table inside a cafeteria in the mall helping themselves to some burgers and soft drinks. Their parents were also seated at another table in the cafeteria deep in conversation.

Victor’s dad was also a medical doctor and a close friend of Ara’s dad. Just like Ara’s mom, Victor’s mother was also a nurse and a close friend of his mom. It was funny how people could keep the same company as the ones they spent time with at work. He would die of boredom because whenever both VC and his self were in the joint company of their parents, the topic was always health related.

VC was a student of the commercial class at school and had dreams of becoming a chartered accountant in future while Ara was a student of the science class and had a dream of becoming a scientist. VC was a smallish guy in size with big eyes that were always occupied by the lens of his medicated specs. He had the image of a nerd. Victor’s intelligence was the reason his teachers and classmates called him “The Pen” because he was small but mighty. The secret behind Ara’s dream of becoming a scientist was his love for philosophers who were mostly scientists.

Ara loved his parents endlessly because they respected his choices and never denied him a request as long as it had no negative impact on his life, his future and the people around him. When he had informed his parents he had chosen to become a scientist in future rather than a doctor or health practitioner like both of them, his father had wished him the best of luck and his mother had embraced him and planted a kiss on his forehead.

Now sitting in the cafeteria opposite his best friend, he found himself admiring his friend who has made up his mind to become nothing but a chartered accountant since his first day at senior high.

Ara already told VC about his escapade with Claudine Douglas and they had both laughed throughout his narration of the whole event. “Please hook me up with one of her friends,” VC begged. “Are you kidding me dude? I am currently under probation being supervised by Claudine’s heart,” he said to VC and they both laughed.

“VC do you believe someone can be blessed with the power to foresee the future or do you believe there is a way someone could find a path to the future?” Ara asked VC who looked at him curiously like he was insane. The look on Ara’s face told VC the question was of importance to his crony. “Ara some people believe in fortune tellers and science fiction movies that can’t just stop feeding us bullshits about futuristic possibilities and time travel,” VC said with a smile taking a bite from his burger before he continued: “Hope last night you didn’t stay up late watching that movie ‘Back to the Future’?” Smiling Ara nudged his friend with his leg before chuckling.

Ara wanted to find out his friend view regarding the issue of time travel before telling him about his recent experience but VC’s reply had alerted him that his friend was never going to believe him if he revealed his secret to him because VC was a tough bargain due to his reputation of being an idealist. Convincing VC to believe what he had experienced on the football field wasn’t going to be an easy task. He had thought of telling his parents but the fact was he wasn’t planning on spending the next few months of his life in the company of a psychiatrist. His parents were very religious people but they could sometimes be scientific in their analysis and decisions. This was obviously one of the consequences of being a doctor or health practitioner.

Ara had thought about approaching Claudine with the matter and confiding in her but the problem was that beyond the fact that she was beautiful, intelligent and sweet, he knew little about her on a personal level. He could not risk losing her by approaching her with something complicated at the early stages of their relationship and end up giving her the impression that he was nothing but a psychological demented boy.

Ara sipped his drink but his attention was far from what his friend was currently saying to him. The only thing on his mind was what he was going to do next. There were voices in his head whispering to his mind. One was telling him to follow his instincts and curiosity to find out what was truly behind what he had experienced on the football field and the other was telling him to let go of what he had experienced and consider it nothing but a blip in his life.

Before they all left the shopping mall, Ara had made up his mind and reached a decision on what he was going to do next regarding the whole issue. Ara prayed he was making the right choice.