Ella sat up t thinking to herself.
She had been going through the pictures in her phone, the particular ones she took with Johnson. Most she found herself smiling, others she sighed, and some few others she found herself brushing a tear or two.
She missed him.
She missed having him around, she missed seeing him, she missed having to nuzzle him him close to her, she missed his words which rang a million times in her head.
She still had his number in her phone but she couldn't ring him up, she just couldn't. Next, a sudden rush of emotion swelled within her.
She would love to see him. How long does it take to Blueberry? She asked herself.
Maybe, he would also love to see her too. She dialed his number but he wasn't picking it up. Maybe, he was busy with work. Maybe, he was away from his phone.
She stood up at once, got into a shade of tortoise blue, Johnson's favourite colour. Then she combed her hair into a new style, and took the bus down to Blueberry.
*****
Johnson had decided to take the new girl Stacey out on a date. She was dressed in a pale, brown sleeveless gown. Her hair had gone blonde, lip gloss was added to her lips. She looked so beautiful.
"I'm so sorry for keeping you late. I'd just closed from work some minutes ago," Johnson apologized to Stacey.
Stacey smiled at him, she was at his coffee shop, sitting down sipping coffee at the far end. When he was changed into his clothes, he came up to her.
"It's alright," she beamed at him.
"Where is Ghost?" He was forced to ask, suddenly taking notice of that.
"I left ghost at my neighbor, she is quite good with him." She replied him.
"No one can be as good as you," h said as a matter of fact.
She scoffed at that.
Suddenly, he felt all shy. It's been ages since he took a girl out on a date after Ella. He knew he kinda misses her but he must move on. Stacey had seem remarkable, fascinating and quite intriguing. She seemed like the sort of lady who would make wonders in his life.
"I haven't yet decided where to take you but...,"
"We could go anywhere," she put in, watching him closely. Then she stretched out to touch him, "loosen up, Johnson, I don't bite," she assured him.
They took a stroll down Swiss avenue where a mini park was, they took a ride on horses, bought some snacks while they laughed and talked about themselves. Later, Johnson found himself loosing up, telling her stories about his childhood days.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" Johnson found himself asking her.
She scowled, frown as she threw some cookies into her mouth, "if I do have one, would I be out here on a date with you?" she asked him.
Johnson laughed at her, was he stupid to have such a question.
"What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?" She played along.
"We broke up some months back."
"Why?" her eyes portrayed how curious she was.
Johnson shrugged, "she wanted to move downtown with me. But, I wanted to plant myself here first. I didn't want us to live as man and wife without me doing the necessary things. I was really serious about our relationship. I'd planned everything out, fully sorted it out. But, she was afraid that I'd found someone else already then she broke up with me," Johnson paused.
Stacey paused watching him, "it must have been heart wrenching to break up like that."
"I have moved on," he shrugged.
She watched him closely, "Do you miss her sometimes?"
"Sometimes, yes but I have to move on. She just didn't fit me in my plans. But I'm beginning to think of us both in a different light."
She laughed at that, "isn't that too fast?"
"I don't mind. It feels like I've known you forever," he watched her.
She covered her face with her hands, feigning shyness, "don't give me those goffy eyes," she whined.
"Why?" He wedged himself before her trying to uncover her face.
She raced around the field, shrieking in delight while he pursued her.
****
Love could do wonders, Ella told herself.
She already found herself asking around with the picture of Johnson as her screensaver. Was she crazy? Going around and asking who knew her boyfriend. She was calling him but he wasn't picking up.
Finally, she got to a coffee shop, bought herself a coffee then stopped the waiter.
"Please, help me out," she called out to the young lady.
The tall teenage girl stopped then studies the picture of the guy Ella was showing to him. "That must be Johnson," the girl's eyes lit up.
Ella sighed, after endlessly toiling almost all day. "Do you know where he lives please?"
"He works here. He was out of shift thirty minutes ago. I'm sorry, I do not know where he lives." She answered him.
"Oh, really? Maybe, he lives close. Please, do try to remember," Ella begged.
"Let me ask my colleagues. They could help," she suggested.
"Please do."
Ella waited patiently till the brown haired girl returned, "I'm told he lives up Alley street, you could ask around where that is."
"Thank you so much," Ella paid for her coffee then walked out of the coffee shop minutes later.
Luckily for her, she met Johnson's neighbor who told her that Johnson hadn't returned from work. Ella sat at the edge of his staircase, feeling all giddy with excitement. She would see Johnson soon and they would be as one again.
Maybe.
She was wrong in breaking all ties with him without thinking, they could work out a way. There are endless possibilities in impossibilities.
She would wait, Johnson would be darn pleased to see her, she told herself.
*****
Dusk was slipping in slowly, the sky was swallowing up the sun. Johnson took Stacey's hand, "I wish this can go on," he regrettably told her.
Stacey smiled, "I wish so too."
"I have a early morning shift tomorrow. We could do this another time," he told her.
She nodded, smiling at him.
"Next time, it would be a real date," he assured her.
"This is still a date to me," she told him.
"Well, you deserve better."
They took a walk back Alley street where she lived opposite street from his. Suddenly, the rain started to pour before she turned to enter her street.
"Can I stay at your place till the rain is over?" She asked him, her hands covering her dampened hair.
Johnson grinned, he took her hand in his and they started racing up the stairs, shrieking in delight as the rain washed down on them.
They both stopped dead when they noticed a lady sitting down at the edge of the stairs. She had been staring at them the whole time while they giggled and laughed at themselves.
"Johnson," she called out in a funny yet calm way.
Stacey looked at Johnson's face then back at Ella. When Johnson couldn't utter a word, Stacey took the cue and started down the stairs.
"Stacey!" Johnson turned back to Stacey but Ella grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing here, Ella?" He asked her, his eyes still on the disappearing figure running in the rain.
"I came to see you," she said, "I've been waiting here for you."
Johnson stared wide-eyed at Ella, shook at what he had just heard.