One Sided Love

I was watching outside, The sky was blue and the sun was hiding, People was walking on the sand, children was playing, they were laughing so loud that I could heard them till my room. Suddenly I heard mum shouted

"Miss Diana come here, your new teacher will be here in 15min, be ready and I hope you're done with you work''

''Yes, already done mom'' I shouted back.

I was struggling to improve my French pronunciation. I've learns that all words have definite sound but not all people can produce the sound accurately or pronounce correctly.

My tutor was an handsome young adult, his hobby was teaching and his wish was to teach in the biggest college in Europe, his name is Adrien. Words have magical effect and sound so good when Adrien speaks and his voice is so soft just like a child.

Adrien said to me ''Get the sound proper then go for the words just like a child learns a new language. You need to strengthen your basic Miss Diana'' At Sixteen, my tongue doesn't perform the magic it's supposed to do. My own mother tongue sounds different but I wanted to list all important words first. But which words are important?

Adrien shakes his neatly cropped head and looks out. Outside, the wind roars picking up litters. Mom comes with two identical mugs of hot coffee and a quarter plate full of cake upon a tray and sets them down on the table. Adrien looks at his coffee mug. It has the picture of a seaside view outside like the portrait on the wall in front of the main door. But the portrait is beautiful on the wall.

''Hey let's go for a walk on the sand and talk'' Adrien said to me

Outside in the backyard the distant receding sea dazzles the eyes. The mangroves look dangerous and deadly for miles and miles. The salty sea breeze sticks to the skin. I walks by Adrien's side on the sand, along the shore. We walk slowly leaving footprints on the sand that weighs on our feet.

"The only way you can improve your French is by listening. Tell me how did you learn your mother tongue ?"

" Humm... by listening."

" Yes, you learnt to speak your mother tongue only by listening to people all around you and it was not taught to you. Similarly now you can learn the sound system of French only by listening to it day in and day out. Then make concerted efforts to pronounce the words as they should be pronounced. Language always starts with the ears. The problem with you is you have learnt French as a second language and the habits of your mother tongue are so strong that they are difficult to break. So what you do now is build a new set of sound units of French and slowly break down the old habits of your own language sound system. You need to unlearn or at least neutralize the strong native accent. You can do this by constructing or creating new ways of learning, new ways of using your speech organs, new speech habits. Do you understand what I mean? ''

I smiles. ''Indeed Adrien is a good teacher'' I thinks.

"Tomorrow I'll come with a proper syllabus so be ready Miss" he says.

There's overcast in the sky. The sun is in hiding. The wind howls and the sea begins to rise. A crow swoops down and sits on the sand. We look at the crow. It searches for something, caws and flies off. A ghostly mist of cloud like pollution covers the sea. This increases the humidity.

Two years ago on a cloudy day my father had died in an accident. My world ended then. But no, life continued and even with so many difficulties I'm still learning to cope with dad absence. Now with loads of bank balance my mother has decided to settle down in Mauritius, where there is plenty of sea and quietness, and carry on with her business whereas my elder bro, David has decided that he will stay back to continued with his works and later he will come back to help mom with her business. I was lonely so I've decided to continued my further studies and now I have only three months at hand to build a good working knowledge of French to be able to join the French academy for tertiary studies.

"When I present my daughter to an elite crowd she should speak a very good French" That what mom had told Adrien last week in the club when he came down from the dais in the midst of his announcements as an emcee of a program. The club was packed with elite people, men, women, boys and girls. There was life in the crowd. Music was flowing like sweet honey. Circles of smoke escalated from cigarettes. Adrien did not smoke. He agreed when mom asked him to tutor me. The pay packet was enticing and he could pursue his hobby too that of teaching. The twin purpose was served.

The next morning at nine Adrien comes and I says, "Good Morning"

He smiles and replies, ''Well, A very good morning to you my dear.'' He shows me the syllabus. It is elaborate. I've likes it. On Monday, Wednesday, Friday I have to work on spoken French and on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday I have to work on written French.

''Do you have a tape recorder? '' Adrien asks

"hmm Yes, I have''

''Then make use of the tape-recorder. You will be able to hear what you sound like to others when you play back what you have recorded and this is very useful. You can record a sentence or a long passage with which you are familiar by way of hearing it spoken by a good speaker of French. Keep practicing until you get them right." he says. "But speaking good French is not enough. You need to write and express yourself clearly."

''But....but the tape recorder and cassettes are very old. They may not work that well,'' I says haltingly.

''Well then, can you use your Laptop''

''Yes, I can''

''All right then I shall install a very good software called 'Learning French Silver Tide' in your laptop. This program will enable you to speak into the mike and you can play it back from the version of MP3. We will create your voice recording files date wise. And you can hear for yourself the improvement you make in due course."

I was so motivated to learn. Adrien installs the program. He wears the headphone and speaks into the mike. He reads out a whole short story from a book, and then plays it back for me. I listens to his faultless French. I am intrigued. Adrien 's voice is clear and so perfect. It works like magic. I was able to pick the sound and speak well.

Mom comes with two mugs of coffee. It is refreshing and relaxing.

"If you learn this way you will be able to build up a stockpile of sound memory which will form a firm base for your accomplishment." he tells me. He sips the coffee and looks out of the window, the sea is inviting.'' Let's go out and walk on the sand'' he says

We walk on the sand, the sun shines on the horizon and the breeze is a bit strong. I walks on by his side and turns back to see our footsteps, two pairs, one heavy and the other light. A wave comes up from the sea and wipes them. The water is cold and inviting.

Adrien is asking me aloud, "What did you have for your breakfast?"

''Bread and butter.''

''Well, say you had bread and butter''

''What did you have for your breakfast?'' I surprises him

Adrien laughs and says, ''I had bread and jam, omelets and a can of orange juice and now coffee with you.''

He keeps talking and I keeps listening. I was mesmerized by his voice, his French, his impersonal ways, and his personality. He is so detached and yet so concerned. Isn't that the sign of a good teacher?

I am enchanted. French language is enchanting. I've turns to French News channels and keenly listens to them. I thinks 'French is a language of manners and etiquettes. Words seem to flow out of them like a clear stream in the bright sun.

Adrien teaches me speech production and description of each sound. He tells me how bilabial plosives are articulated by both lips, what are voiced and voiceless plosives, how dental plosives are used in words like thank and then. I've learns how speech organs work in French and how each organ like the lips, nasal cavity, hard palate, larynx, and tongue, etc. co-ordinate to produce good and clear speech.

''But the thoughts are all yours to express'' he says

''How do you know so much of French?" I asks him

"Well, I learnt French as my first language, that apart I have bought a book on Spoken French and have done my homework before teaching you. It's not at all difficult, you know."

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, On these days he speaks a lot on various topics and makes me speak as well. We record the speeches and listen. We take long walks on the sea shore and the sea breeze my inspiration.

On the other days I writes brief notes, diary entries, and various other communications. I've maintains a file and files all the written communication date-wise with Adrien's corrections.

I was now conscious of my ill-fitting dress and oil plastered hair. I wants to look like the news readers. "How charming they look," I was telling mom one evening. My mother immediately makes arrangements for a seamstress. She designs my dresses, varieties of tops, skirts, jeans and parallels, tank tops etc. I was transformed. My hair is washed and cut in steps and dried with a drier as if all set for a function. I, now has three pairs of footwear to match my dresses.

My beautician suggests a good perfume that I could wear on all days.

But Adrien does not notice the changes in me. He merely tells,

''All external changes are manifestations of internal changes.''

One day we take a detour of the place and come across an old abandoned crumbling fort. I was so excited and asks him,

''Why did the kings need forts?''

Glad to share his knowledge with me, he tells me that the political, social and economic reasons to hold a fort. We walk towards the fort. The tide is low and the sea is far away. It is hot and humid. We walk on the sea bed and reach the fort. It is an abandoned fort, dark and smelling of mildew and rot. Adrien tells me how there was a time when forts thrived. He goes on telling me many historical facts. I was totally mesmerized. We pass from one stone room to another. A bat flutters and a pigeon is ruffled. The sea has deposited sand, dirt and sludge in the fort.

We pass by a pillar, when suddenly I trips and was about to fall on the slippery floor. In a flash Adrien steadies me by encircling his arm around my waist and pulling me up. I've leans on his shoulders and we lean against the pillar for support for a moment. Adrien pushes me aside and continues with the story. But I was unsettled. I feels like crying but doesn't know why. I've smiles as quickly as a bird running before the waves, light-footedly.

''What happened? Shall we go back to the shores?''

"Yes, yes. I says

We walk back to the shores but Adrien still goes on with his stories of the fort. I was not listening. I was feeling awkward. I had liked his aftershave lotion and his manliness, his tall slim fair figure, his casual T-shirt and jeans. How handsome he looked!

But no, I should not notice anything personal about him. He is a good teacher and that's all.

We walk slowly and as we reach near the rocks, he suggests that we should sit on the dry sand. We sit on the sand leaning against a dry rock. We listen to the sea. Many birds circle above their heads.

Adrien says. ''Tell me five sentences of what you see now. I would love to hear.''

My spirits slowly begin to soar. He said the word 'love'

I reply ''We are sitting in the sand. The sea is far away. There are birds flying in the sky. I am speaking and you are listening.''

Adrien laughs. "Good, but we are sitting on the sand not in the sand."

'' When you are not teaching what do you do? '' I asks him.

'' I take a stroll by the sea on the sand when the sun is not high, I love to walk on the sand. I feel a strong bonding with the sea. At other times I write e-mails, chat with friends abroad on Facebook, surf the net, read books, and listen to music etc.''

''What is 'etc.'?''

''Well, I cook, clean, wash, put out the clothes for drying, iron them etc. No, no that's all I do.''

''So you stay alone?''

''Yes.''

''Where do you stay?''

''In Borders Road, east side.''

That night I had a dream. I've dreams that I was standing on the high cliff and the wind is blowing. I loses balance and falls. But Adrien was standing below and holds me in his arms. He kisses me and I wakes up in cold sweat. I recalls my awkwardness in the fort and feels ashamed. I cries into the pillow. I do not understand what was happening to me.

The next day Adrien was standing in front of me with his hands in his pocket. He pulls out a small stone and gives it to me. I looks at it, surprised. I turns it in my hand and smiles to him.

''Do you know at one time this pebble was a rock?''

He tells me how weathering takes place. Then we listen to the file-recordings and I speaks into the mike. I don't feel self-conscious anymore. I wanted him to compliment me. My speech is now improved. But Adrien doesn't compliment me at all. He only encourages me to perform better than the previous attempt. "Every new speech should be better than your previous one." he says

Today the tide is quite high and the waves gush forth with a natural glee as if each wave is competing with the next one. The foamy spray chills me. We walk down the cliffs in shade. The wind blows a siren and it turns into a musical melody with the sound of the waves. Adrien pushes his hair back with his thin long fair fingers.

''What made you smile with the pebble in hand?'' Adrien asks me.

''I remembered an egg. It was odd shaped like the stone. We used to get such eggs often back in our home town and the omelets also would turn out odd shaped.''

Adrien is suddenly taken unawares. He clears his throat and tells, ''French language is funny. There is no consistency maintained between written form and spoken form.''

I was feeling great. I smiles to myself for having taken him off guard though not intentional.

''Hey by the way yesterday when I was checking your note book, I saw a beautiful design in it'' Adrien smiles and asks, ''Who drew it?''

''Oh, me. Drawing is one of my hobby''

''Nice drawing dear, you're talented''

I smile at him and he smile back to me, looking please.

We walk in silence staring into space. A bird screeches and lands on a cliff.

"Do you know any sea birds? Look there's one perched on the cliff." he says pointing to the cliff.

"OH yeah but I know only seagulls.''

''But there are varieties of gulls like King Gull, Ivory Gull, Relict Gull, silver Gull etc.''

''Can you tell me the difference between stork and crane?'' I asks.

''Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills, belonging to the family called Ciconiidae. Egrets are the ones you generally see wherever there is water and marsh. Actually you can find a number of these types of birds that look comparatively similar. Herons, egrets, cranes, and storks, all these birds are hard to tell apart. But surely cranes have long necks. There are also other sea birds like Indian Skimmer also called as scissorbills," he tells me. ''To tell you the truth, I cannot make out the birds in one look. By the time I take in details and try to make out which is which, they fly off.''

I laughs aloud. It sounds funny to me.

We fall silent for a long time then I asks him, ''How do you know so many things?''

''Well, I am a lover of birds. I am fond of Ornithology-the study of birds. Also, I am a keen observer of nature and birds, I read a lot of books and do you know what? I also write.''

''Really ? What do you write?''

''My observations, poems on nature, travelogues, and now I am writing a novel.''

I feels so happy that a warm gush of blood flows through my veins as if I have found my lost soul. I looks up at him with a warm smile and instantly he looks at me too and smiles. The sky looks like a blue carpet and the white clouds form patterns after patterns tossed by the winds. Some children are flying kites on the shores. The kite flies high tugged by the wind and comes nose-diving into the sea. The waves pull the kite along and dump it on the shore again. It is now wet and broken. The children abandon it with its string and run off. They belong to the sea and wetness.

I was at the dining table. Mom and I were drinking coffee. My mother asks me how it's all going. Whether I have made any headway in learning to speak and write French. I was so happy and tells mom that I have made progress in leaps and bounds and when I was speaking, I runs my fingers through my hair just like Adrien. My mother notices the change in me but she didn't says anything, she was just watching me and smiles. I picks up a steel glass tumbler and looks at my reflection. My face was out of form in the concave image. But I likes my image and myself.

My heart was like a song. Outside the sea is calm and the night is pleasant. The stars has come out. And in the starry light the mangroves look like cultured pearls, the trees look like pebbles, and the sea, ink blue.

The next morning I decided to for a walk alone on the shores even before dawn. The pre dawn wind cuts like a knife. I wraps my stole around me and walks. '' Oh, I loves to walk on the sand''. A wooden stump wet and putrid lies on the sand. I thinks of the children who might have played with it. I leans against the cliff and watches the sunrise. All around the place tiny rock splinters and dicey sandstones are strewn. Bright pebbles glimmer in the golden light. There are many sea-shells lying rounded, withered, shriveled, sharp and broken by time and tide. They line up the shores. The shoreline stretches as far as the eye could see and further too. The reddened Eastern sky and the blazing horizon, the otherwise blue benign sky exhilarate and enliven the place. At this moment I feels that life is so beautiful. When I've returned back home, to my surprise, Adrien was talking with my mother. He is standing awkwardly in the backyard holding the grill with one hand, talking and after a while, my mother shakes hand with him. And suddenly Adrien sees me and walks towards me.

''Hello, what are you doing out there in the cold?''

''Hey hi, I've gone for a morning walk on the sand and enjoying the beauty of sunrise.''

''Isn't it wonderful to walk on the sand?''

''It would be more wonderful with you'' I wanted to say but I merely says, ''Yes, it's really wonderful''

''So did you see the sun rise?''

''Oh Yes Yes, it was so beautiful.''

Now he ambles up closer to me. He waves a packet at me and gives me the packet, which was a CD and he tells me, ''This is for you. It is called 'Voluble translator version voice' in other words Text to Speech. There are at least a dozen voices. You can write any matter on the space provided or import any passage from Word document and click on the voice of your choice.'' Then he adds, ''It's a gift from me to you. I ordered it especially for you from Paris.''

''Oh that really nice from you, Thank you so much,'' I replied, tell him while pressing the packet to my heart.

He goes on to tell me on about how to use it, how to install it in my laptop. We walk with the wind on our hair. The smell of sea is mixed with the warm sunlight and dawn. Everything spelt of peace around me, the peace of daylight, the peace of triumph, the peace of relationships and the peace of being. I cannot imagine how thoughtful Adrien is. He is the best ever teacher who inspired me to speak and write in French. We walk back to the house. My shoes were covered with sand. I leaves them out on the steps, washes my feet and walks in. Adrien follows me.

He installs the CD and explains to me how it works. I was so excited. I have copied and pasted a paragraph from word document on the space provided and clicks on a male voice. The voice reads out the passage in perfect French. I shows my notebook for corrections. He reads the contents and closes the book with an air of finality, like never before. For the first time I was so happy, there was a big smile on my face. These three month had passed very rapidly and I didn't even realized that I was able to write and speak a good French. I was so exited to sit for my exams for the next day.

The next morning, I woke up early so that I could reach the French academy on time and be able to sit for my French exam. The exams goes out for about 3 hours and 45 minutes with 2 wholes reading aloud passage and 1 writing passage but I was proud, my exam goes off very well. At the end of the test I was thinking of Adrien's visiting time. ''He shouldn't wait long for me, and if not finding me he shouldn't go away''

However, after exam when I arrived back home Adrien has not come yet.

Mom tells me that Adrien did not come, I was so restless. This is the first time he hasn't come in three months. I have completed all my works and listens to his soft voice in the files. His voice was so warm and musical. I feels so excited and loves his voice. I fashions my speech after his style, a unique one. I have recorded my speech and plays it back. Doubtlessly I have improved my spoken French. I feels confident.

The next day too he doesn't come. I writes my diary. I writes about my walk on the sand and all that I saw. I writes about the sand dunes formed by the wind, the apparent dunes on the horizon. My thoughts were full by Adrien's poetry. I should have told him to show some of his poems to me. '' Why didn't I tell him, puff so stupid I am ?

When Adrien doesn't come on the third day I feels something was wrong. He may not be well or he may have some problems. I was restive, edgy. I wanted to meet him. I didn't even know where he stays. Suddenly I remember that he had said he lives at Borders road, east side so I went there but the endless roads on all the four directions scared me, so I takes a road to my left and walks. A cyclist comes whistling and winks at me, far away a group of men was staring at me like some celebrities are passing by. I turns back and goes home. Suddenly everything appears dull and meaningless. I cannot read, write and even speak. There is no life in my activities. I picks up the phone and dials my mom's number.

''What happened to Adrien ? He hasn't come for the past three days. I hope he is fine and nothing wrong happened to him''

''Oh no no he is absolutely alright, You don't know? He has gone back to Paris. He has got a job that suits his profile. He wants to marry Sarah-Jane, his ladylove and set up his home in Paris. They are getting married next spring. I thought you know. Anyways, he told me you are a good student and you have learnt to speak the French language well and You don't need any more coaching. He is confident that you will passed your exam. Now you keep learning. See you in the evening.''

I was stung. The suddenness of the news numbs me. I was speechless. My lower lip drops and I stares into space. Unable to contain myself I went to the window. Slowly the impact of the news sinks in and I feels a constriction in my throat. It grows dismally and I bursts into tears not knowing why. I cries as if my heart would break and I didn't know why the tears fell in torrents. Time drags and I was lonely. 'Why didn't he tell me? At least he could have said that the tuition is over. I would not have waited. This is raw deal indeed.''

Some time later Mom places a plate of cheese fritters and apple cakes on the table. Mom was in her evening dress. She watches business news and picks an apple cake from the plate. I was unable to eat. I picks up a copy of 50 shade of grey and tries to read. Mom was calm and at peace and she was enjoying the snacks.

'He has done his duties. It was just a contract-this tuition and it is all over. Adrien has done his duties and gone away with the fat pay packet with a clean conscience, to his love. When all are doing their duties so why am I sad?'

I still have to learn so many lesson of life and time will teach me eventually.

''Why don't you eat?'' says mom

I tries to eat the cake. After all it tastes good and the fritters too. I drinks the coffee and listening to Adrien's voice on laptop, the one he recorded. Time passed, the evening drags and mom cooks for the night. The supper is served but unfortunately I was not hungry I stares at the food with a heaviness in my heart and pushes the food here and there in the plate.

At night I went to my room. My bed is made. The pillowcases are embroidered with flowers and leaves and colorful butterflies. This was done by mom, this is mom's hobby, She is so fond of embroidery. All bed sheets are cross-stitched with embroidery. I have no heart to change it. I sleeps with great difficulty. My dreams are hazy and disturbed. The past, present and future are all mixed up, light, water, earth, sky and Adrien's memories are mixed up too. The sea and sand come to my doors...

After some day I decided to go for a walk on the sand alone. I thinks, 'sometimes a moment can change your course of life.' The wind hisses. I identifies this rain bearing wind, blowing across from the southwest. The dark clouds too scud across the sky threatening rain. 'The rains have arrived' I shouted. The sea has risen and is full of life. The angry waves spew saline foam mixed with froth, mordant and sallow. I sees pyramid like sand dunes on the horizon. It is just an illusion. Slowly the patterns change and now the horizon is like a ribbon. I yells so loud and the wind caries my voice away. I feels much better. The sea is my rescuer. I can do anything to the sea like shout, yell, abuse, cry and seek comfort too.

After some time I sits on a big rock staring at the sea, there was a big boat. Some boys were yelling at the boat as if the captain can heard them but just seeing this boat these boy are showing show much of happiness, they were so happy just by seeing this boat. Wow its amazing how can people grab so many happiness in just little things. Whereas, I was just sitting here, on a rock, with a sad face thinking of Adrien '' Wondering what he is doing, at least he could tell me that he was going back but he didn't even say anything.'' Just hoping he come back again..

It's already 5p.m, time to go home, walking slowly on the sand, going back home. Arriving home mom is preparing diner when she sees me she says softly

''Darling, there's a surprise for you, guess what ?

''What!''

''Someone come to see you, he is in your room. replied mom's with a big smiles''

Suddenly I thought of Adrien, I rushed to my room without looking around me, with a smiled on my face I quickly opened the door and my smile is gone. It's just my brother who was back home.

''hey how's my princess'' he says and he comes toward me and hugged me tight.

''That's you, I thought...''

''Aren't you happy of seeing your brother back home, you have thought of whom ?''

''Yes of course, Oh no one special'' I replied with a long sadden face.

''Hey sis your room is nice, by the way how was your French exams?''

'' Nice''

Mom called us down and she says to me ''so how was your surprise baby ?''

I simply replied ''Greats''

Mom says back ''Ok dinner is ready, I will served in minutes, be ready.'' After five minutes bro and I were already in our placed, mom's was serving diner, she has prepared bro favorite food, special white noodle. David was happy and he was staring at me, I was staring at him back with a weird expression when suddenly he burst laughing. Mom and bro was talking about business meanwhile I was eating and thinking of Adrien. Rapidly David sees the change in me but he didn't says anything, After diner I went back to my room, listening to Adrien's again, I listen to his voice again and again, again and again and didn't even realized when I felt asleep.

On the next day, Mom was out the town for business work. I was alone with brother at home. He was listening to music while I was listening to Adrien's voice in the headphone. When suddenly bro arrives and remove the headphone from my head and grab me outside just to say ''My princess, let's go for a walk on the sand'' and I simply accepted. After some time he ask me what is happening to me and why I was behaving like a heart broken person, I was shocked while listening to the word 'heart-broken' And he suddenly says ''Are you in love'' I was silent for a while and replied ''Oh no, everything is alright'' in this time, my heart was beating really fast, Wondering what is happening to me. We continued to walk and I watched back our foot path on the sand and remembering of mine and Adrien footpath.

At night, I was reading in my room when bro suddenly come and closed the door, he says ''Diana I need to talk with you, can you please closed your book, he grab a chair and sit in front of me, he hold my hand and begin to talk, he says '' From the day I have come back home, I've seen a change in you, you're behaving differently and I can clearly see that you're not eating well, now tell me what is happening to you'' After listening to David my tear suddenly fall down, my eye was red and I couldn't even talk properly with him. I was blank. He hugged me and I hugged him back. I simply replied ''I missed Adrien'' And I begin to narrate him about Adrien, how he was helping me in French, our long walks on the sand etc.. David end up by saying ''My dear little sister you're just in love with him'' and he quietly leaved my room without saying anything else. I was talking to myself saying ' how I can be in love with some one who has gone to meet his love to get married in another country.'' David didn't know about this.

One whole week passed, just by loosing myself in Adrien's recorded voice and long walk on the sand...

In the next morning, mom's comes to wake me up and she take my laptop back and tell me ''You better turn off the laptop before going to bed, see the battery is down now.'' David was standing in front of the my room's door, staring and listening to mom scolding me and laughing to himself.

''Get up and get ready, you need to go and fetched your result slip'' says mom.

I have completely forget that result was out, I quickly get off the bed and run toward the bathroom. Some time later I rushed toward the kitchen and take a piece of bread with jam, just like Adrien like it, and run outside the house so that I be able to catch the bus. Before leaving home, David whispered in my ear ''You didn't tell me that Adrien have gone to Paris to get married'' I stared to him for about 1 minute and leaves. After 1 hours of travelling, I've finally arrive to the French academy, there was many people out there, I wished Adrien could be with me at this time.

After seeing all these people, I suddenly feel weird, I was afraid and stressed, my heart was beating so fast, my mind was blank, I was anxious, I couldn't even stay in one place, I was walking all around. Meanwhile other people out there was laughing loud, chatting with their friends whereas I was completely alone.. After some time a black car entered the yard and a man wearing a black suit with a big envelop in his hand get out of it and everyone around was completely silent. 'Result was finally here' The principal of the academy comes forward and says loudly ''Every student here expecting result slip please come forward for the distribution of slip'' From now my heart beat increases, a group of student was coming forward and some of them was happy while others was looking anxious. I walk slowly toward the principal table, my hand were trembling, arriving near the principle's table, he give me a large white envelop and I simply place it in my bag and go away. I didn't even open it or meet other student' I've just gone home silently.

I come back home, it's was about 3 P.M. No one was at home, Mom was at her 'important Meeting' and bro, he just don't say anything when he need to go out. ''I was not in a good mood to see my result slip. I guess if Adrien was here it's would be kind of different.. ''I simply place the envelop on the table, drink a long glass of orange juice and go to freshened. Two hours later, mom and bro was not at home yet, I was so bored that I decided to go and see the sun set.

I was alone, there was no one on the beach, for the first time I was completely alone on the beach and no one else around me.

''I'm at the beach, watching the constant ebb of the waves. It's only me on the seaside, allowing me to enjoy the sunset and undisturbed. The sun, a fiery orb, look like it's gradually receding into the water below. The sky consist of an assortment of shaded, a blend of reds, orange and yellow. The waves are tinted vermillion, with underlying streaks of blue that clash with it. The sand below my feet is the same color, making me feel like a firewalker - daring. The contrast created between the dark water and the luminous sky make the horizon looks like a meeting of two worlds - The known and The unknown. It's breathtakingly beautiful, and I'm speechless as I stand before the magnificent sight. Nothing disturbs as I slowly sit down on the sand. All I can hear is the sound of the waves as they crash against the chore, and seagulls, which I cannot see, squawked in the distance . The wind whispers in my ear as it's plays with my hair as if it is telling me it's deepest, darkest secrets. It is all so pure and cleansing, so much so that I feel intrusive when I scratch my foot. The sound seems loud and resounding. The fishy smell is oddly comforting, it's smell warm and salty, as I breathe in the cold, salty. The smell is chaste and unpolluted, a welcome change for the smog that envelops me in the city. It is the smell of freedom and it's makes me want to get up and run along the shore, which is exactly what I do. As I run, the wind whips my face, blowing my hair back. The salty air makes my eye watered and my feet tingle. The sand is soft beneath my feet, as I run closed to the ocean, dodging the waves that try to push me over. I almost fall - the water make me slip and I stumble clumsily. My arms are thrown apart, gasping the empty air. I stop, breathless and feel the stickiness settling on my skin, as I walk towards the ocean to wash my feet. I soak my feet and wash my face - which is a big mistakes. the saline water strings my eyes, making them burn, and goes into my mouth. It taste salty and dirty - quit different from how it looks - and I spit it out. I raise my jacket to wipe my mouth and get sand in my mouth. My act annoys me as I spit out the rough and grainy sand. It tastes of nothing at all - it's not salty or sweet, just dry. I wipe my mouth and sit back down, feeling stupid and end of laughing. All of that is forgotten when I look all into the horizon again, without noticing, the sun has almost set. The sky is more purple than red now, highlighting the transition from day to night. I lean back and stare at the sky, noticing the different hues, I breath in deeply and wake up and walk back home without seeing back.

Arriving home, every light was on except the light of my room. I entered - there was a good smell, but no one notice me, bro was watching TV whereas Mom was in the kitchen preparing dinner - preparing my favorite dinner I supposed. I was walking toward the living room to see David, suddenly mom say loudly

''Diana, dinner is ready, and I will served in exactly 10min, do tell David also''

Wondering how can she know that I've come back home, maybe she see me. Anyway... After telling bro, we both go toward the kitchen and help mom to prepare the table.

Surprising, neither mom or bro asked me about my result, and, even the envelop was not on the table, Maybe one of them remove it. While eating , Mom was talking to us.

''Diana, how was your day ? And what about yours David''

''Oh really nice, was out with some friends all day, and what about your meeting Mom?'' says David.

''Nice, but a little bit long, some major problems has been solves.'' replied mom

''Why are you so silent today Diana'' says mom

''hmmm...'' I simply replied

''So how was your day today Diana?'' says David

''Not bad, but little bit tired'' I replied with a long tired face

Mom and Bro burst laughing seeing my face. And they were talking about work which didn't interest me, while I was eating slowly and silently.

After Dinner, mom clean the table and bro says to me,

''Hey Diana, don't wake up, just sit here for some time''

''hmm ok, but what happened?''

''Just sit here'' he says

After some time, Mom comes with my result slip but I didn't react about it and David come forward and place a big chocolate cake in front of me with one lighting candle on it and with a word '' Congratulation Diana'' on it. At this time, I've realized that I've passed my French exam. Mom and David was so happy that they start clapping for me but I was silent and I was staring at them.

''I know you didn't see your result, do see it once now'' says mom

''Oh you're right mom, the way the result was place in the table, it's seem that the envelop was sealed'' says David

Even hearing mom and bro I stand silently, staring my result slip, written a,

''A Very Good in French Language and French writing''

I was shocked but also very happy, I could not believe that I got a excellent result. ''Cut the cake and make us eat'' says bro

''oh yeah'' I replied with a big smiled

After some time, I rushed toward my room and listened to Adrien voice. I lean down on my bed with headphone in my ears and listen to his voice.

''I was wearing a long black dress with black short heel and untie hair and I was standing on the sand, near a big red heart with many of rose around. A boy coming toward me with a bouquet of rose and give it to me, the boy was Adrien. He hold my hand and say lets Dance, my favorite music was playing.. And we dance for about 20 minute. We eats cheeseburger followed by fried chicken and chips. After eating, he leaned down and kissed me, full-mouthed and everything I dreamed of and more. I was so shocked and inexperienced that I kept my eyes open at first, not sure what to do or where to put my hands. All I knew was that Adrien's lips were on mine, and it felt good, like eating ice cream on a summer night..... ''

Dring.. Dring.. I suddenly wake up and realized that I was just dreaming, and my alarm wake me up. I lay down on my bed and think of my dream, I was completely in love with him. I wish this could be real, unfortunately...

After my bath, I went directly to the kitchen to take my breakfast, as always brother was not here. Mom was taking her breakfast alone and I simply accompany her.

''Diana, can you go to one of my friend place to bring some files for me, David will not be home today'' says mom

''Ohh yes, which one'' I replied

''The one who lived near the station'' says mom

''Ok, done''

After some hours , I decided to go, As the Station was near my house, I prefer to walk rather than going by bus. After 30min of walking, I arrived and my mom's friend was waiting for me, he gave me the files and talk with me for about 25min. And go back home walking and listen to some good music. Arriving at home, I see the post man slipping some envelop in the letter box. As he go, I collect all the envelop and get in the house. All letter was on my mom name apart from one which was on my name 'Miss Diana Marie and Family' weird how can I received letter, rapidly I opened it

''Dear Diana, it's me Adrien, I hope you're fine and hope you have already received result for your French Exams. Me, I'm in French, I'm working as a Lecturer in one of the biggest university in Paris. I'm writing to you just to inform you that in next month I will get married and you know what I'm coming to Mauritius to get married, I hope I see your mom, your brother and you in my wedding. I'm very exited to come back. I hope you're happy. See you soon Dear, Adrien.''

After reading the letter, I was shocked, I could not react, I was silent, I feel like some one is snatch my heart. Evert thing was blank around me. I run toward my room and lean on my bed and cry. I was sad, tears was rolling my cheek. The hope that he come back to me was shattered...

One week later, after a lots of thought I decided to move on as he was getting married and its would be impossible for us to be together so I deleted all his recorded voice and get ride of everything which will make me remind of him. I will simply concentrate on my studies and lived my life like before without him even if it would be little difficult but life goes on. I lay on my bed and sleep with a heart broken heart.