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Chapter 6

Rewrite the stars- James Arthur

It was almost a month before I went to the market with Rahma again. I have completely forgotten about the sales guy and the weird feeling he made me feel at that time. I've even forgotten about the cinnamon he gave us for free.

Not until we stopped by his shop and our eyes met again. Something familiar, something known, something strange and unpredictable passed. And I quickly looked away.

I didn't understand what was it with his eyes. What was the feeling, this understanding feeling I get whenever our eyes met.

"Thank you for the cinnamon sticks. That was unnecessary" Rahma said as I turned to glare at her.

She could be rude sometimes too.

"It was for her" He said turning to look at me as Rahma cut her gaze to me as well.

Our eyes met for a brief moment again before I looked away muttering a short "thank you"

"Well thank you. We would like ginger, garlic and cardamom please"

He nodded and proceeded to package them while we waited. After that, Rahma paid him and we walked away while I make sure to not look back again.

By the time we were almost done, Rahma has forgotten to get clove. She hissed and face palmed herself. It is getting late and we need to leave.

"Maybe we should split" I said to her as she kept looking around for clove

She turned to me with a glare "Split? You want me to leave you? No way"

I rolled my eyes "Incase you haven't noticed, I'm not a kid anymore. So please stop treating me as such"

"Mummy won't allow this"

"Good she won't know then"

Rahma sighed "Where are you getting it?

"I saw a shop behind. I'll grab it and come to you"

She nodded dejectedly and handed me the money "Meet me at the shoe store. Please hurry and be safe"

I nodded and uttered "I will" while literally sprinting down the lane.

I knew I lied to myself and Rahma when I said I wasn't going back or letting my thoughts roam there. Because here I was, standing right in front of his shop as I watch him pray. He finished, tuck back his praying mat and turned to me.

"What happened princess?

I furrowed my brows "I'm not a princess"

"Well you're now"

I rolled my eyes and half smiled "I want clove"

He nodded and turned to get it when I spotted something. Right beside his praying mat was a paper. It looked like a painting of something brown and orange.

"Is that a painting? I asked pointing to the paper. He followed my finger and lingered his eyes there for some seconds before looking up and nodding.

"I made it" He said slowly, as if not really wanting to admit it

"Wow! I breathe out "can I see it?

He contemplated a bit before reluctantly taking it out and handing it over to me.

I looked at the hard and cracked painting of the soil, the way the crack went in a wavy pattern exposing the hungry fire that swirls from the inside.

"This is different and beautiful" I said as I admired the art

"Thank you" He replied looking away

"Instead of the sky and trees and stars, you made soil and fire? That's impressive"

He laughed. A joyful heartwarming laugh and said "I like to be different"

"It almost looks like...

"Hell" He finished off and I nodded

"Instead of wanting to be in Jannah (heaven), we should try to avoid being in Jahannam (hell). Jahannam is way easier to fall into"

I glanced up from the paper and looked into his eyes. There was that familiarity again, that understanding, that feeling. But above all, now I see an ocean of knowledge that waves and roars and threatens to break. The current of his knowledge was so strong I took a step back to admire their flows.

"Here" He said snapping me out of the hold his eyes had on me

I handed him the money and gingerly collected the clove.

"I'll see you soon...perhaps?

I didn't know what came over me but I nodded with affirmation as I smiled a little and turned to walk away.

It wasn't later in the night, in my bed alone as I stare at the dark ceiling did I pause to marvel at what happened. A sales guy whom I practically don't know turning out to be a genius with paint and words.

It's not everyday you'd see that

Or perhaps it's not everyday you'd care to pay attention to that.

There are two different things.

^^^^^^^^^

It didn't take me a month to remember about the sales guy, although it did take me days. He was on my mind after I came back home from the market but only for some hours. As soon as I logged into Instagram and saw the lavish and expensive weddings others are having, the thought of anything with a sales guy vanished.

At that point, I was appalled

However days later, my friends and I visited an art studio and as we walked around admiring the art, the painting of the sales guy came up.

I glanced at most of the paintings and realized now they're of person, sky, trees or things. I understood at that moment just how much talent that sales guy has.

"I know someone who painted fire erupting from the soil" I said to Erica as we watch a painting

"Like a volcano? She asked turning to look at me

I shook my head "Like hell"

"Wow" She breathed out "must be different"

I nodded "And beautiful"

"Who's the artist?

I shrugged "A random guy I met"

Erica grinned and bumped my shoulder "Guy humm"

To which I roll my eyes "Yes a guy. An absolute random guy that is no way something"

"And can never be" I added for emphasis

Erica shrugged "Well if you say so. Where did you meet"

I was quiet for some minutes and then said "The market"

She turned to me "The market? Wow. Again different"

I nodded "I don't know if I'll continue seeing him though"

She furrowed her brows "Why not?

This made me fidget on my feet as I try to come up with an answer.

"He sells spices in the market. I don't know, I feel..." I paused "I feel like he's-

"Below your league? She asked with a smile

I nodded chagrined "Yes, and I hate that I do even when he looks totally different from a sales guy. He dress differently, act differently, speaks differently"

Erica placed a hand on my shoulder "Its okay to feel that. But it is not worth sacrificing a friendship with this talent. Don't you want to be painted?

We both laughed.

"Try to live with no restrictions set in by yourself. Get to know him and maybe be friends"

When she saw the slight hesitation in my expression, she laughed "Relax! You're going to know him or befriend him not get married.

She laughed again and I laughed. She found it funny. She was laughing because she found it funny while I was laughing because its funny how I'm not finding it funny.

The thought of becoming friends did entice me. To be completely honest, not just friends but maybe something more.

Maybe a connection an artist has with his muse.

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