SCARS OF THE PAST I

Kaye came back with a tray full of food and the most eye catching one was the two set of BFF fries. Appetite of a glutton. She arranged everything on the table before calling one of the service guy to take back the tray. She sat opposite him just like a graceful lady would, but people have yet to know the monster she'd become when she eats.

"I can smell fries, bacon and egg, burger, orange juice..." Ivan was still sniffing the aroma when Kaye cut him in.

"You can take your time smelling the food. I will start eating." she interrupted him before unwrapping her burger and took a big bite, eating half of the burger already. People looked at her with disbelief as to how much she could eat in a bite. Ivan, on the other hand, just smiled faintly at her and took his burger to eat as well.

"What a heartless girlfriend." he murmured before taking a bite and chewed his food. Kaye heard him say something but she didn't understand him, not even bothering herself to ask him.

They ate their food silently while Kaye watched the people outside the restaurant walked to and fro. Some people were walking alone, some in groups, some were couple and some were young children. She sighed in her heart as she saw the little girl being teased with her little boy friend. She once had that kind of little friend as well.

"You know what, I have sweet memories with fries." Ivan pulled her back to reality before she could dwell on her past. She looked at him with interest before speaking to him.

"Really? Would you like to share?" she encouraged him to tell her more, but even if Ivan wouldn't say anything, she didn't mind it all.

"Well, it's not really about fries but more like on the potato side. When I was young, I met a girl. Remember the girl I told you that I like since I was young? It was the same girl. One time, she really wanted to eat fries but my auntie didn't buy one from the supermarket." Ivan started telling her the story of his sweet memory towards fries, or what he meant was the potato.

"So what did you do?" Kaye asked him with a face full of curiosity. It didn't matter to her even if it's a story with the person he likes. She was just happy to have the same kind of event happened to both of them.

"My auntie has a small garden at the back of her house and there was an area where she planted potatoes during her free time. We dug her potatoes to make fries and potato chips. I wasn't strong back then, when I tried to pull out one of the potatoes from the field, I fell down and got a small cut on my forehead. It left me a scar, but this scar remind me of my happy past. Everytime I smell potatoes, fries or potato chips, it reminded me of her." Ivan looked really happy while telling her story, but Kaye's expression couldn't be describe.

"Impossible. There couldn't be this coincidence." Kaye exclaimed in surprise. "This happened to me, too. But I was the one who wanted to eat fries and it was my friend who got a cut on his forehead." her laughter was music to his ears while Kaye tried to recall the past to him. "Can I see your scar?" she asked with obvious enthusiasm. "It's not that I'm doubting you to be him, but just curious." Kaye explained before Ivan could reject her.

"I'll show it to you once we get home." Ivan answered her. He didn't want her to freak out in public once everything will be revealed. He's been waiting for the day to come, the day for him to confess everything. He wanted it to be a moment just for the both of them.

Kaye agreed and started eating the fries with gusto. She looked at him one more time before looking at the crowd outside once again. The sun rose up already and the crowd were getting lesser as well.

"Let's go back before it gets too hot for us." Kaye stood up first, but before she could walk past him, Ivan held her hands firmly.

"You promised I can hold your hands. Don't tell me you're going back on your words?" Ivan asked her with a raised brow, as if telling her she's a liar.

"Stop raising your brow. You're not intimidating at all. It's useless." she didn't remove his hands from her and just left the place with their hands linked together. Internally, she was overjoyed but her face was showing indifference. However, Ivan was really smiling at her like a fool while walking beside her.

"I'm really happy that we met," Ivan wanted to add 'again' but he stopped himself before he could utter the word.

"Likewise, I didn't know having a roommate will turn my world upside down." Kaye said before laughing heartily.

Ivan didn't know whether to laugh or cry to her statement. It didn't sound positive to him as well.

"Am I causing you that much trouble?" Ivan asked her but Kaye shook his head. Realizing he couldn't see her reaction, Kaye slowed down her pace and answered.

"It's not that you are causing trouble. My world had been quiet for some years already. I don't accept roommates since a 'thing' happened in university, but you came out of nowhere and since then, my quiet life started having some little noise." she explained to him as they continued to walk, heading back to the apartment complex.

The turned to their left when people around them started running from all directions. Kaye held Ivan's hand tightly.

"There's a commotion. What's going on?" Ivan asked her when she stopped walking, but he didn't get any response from her.

"Stop! Leave this place. This area is dangerous. Go away!" people were shouting to the crowd in the area.

"Heavens! What am I suppose to do? My grandson is still inside." cried one of the older ladies who were standing on the road, trembling while looking at the building.

"Give way, give way!" a three guys were walking briskly away from the building, carrying a big paralyzed man on the open area.

"Did someone call for an ambulance and the fire department?" one of the men asked. The crowd nodded their heads to him indicating that they did.

"Fire." Kaye whispered. Her hands were shaking and her body was trembling. Cold sweat started to form on her back and her forehead.

"Kaye, are you alright? I heard there's a fire." Ivan asked her when he felt something's off. Her palm were getting colder.

"Oh my gosh!" shouted one of the ladies in fright seeing Kaye who collapsed suddenly.