Downpour

  As we exited the plane, Asia’s hand held onto my waist firmly. A light rumble of thunder accompanied our arrival as she grew more intolerant of her blindfold. As we made our way past the doors of the private airport I rushed her into a parked car that was waiting for us. She kicked and moaned the whole 40 minutes it took to arrive at our secret destination, but I rather enjoyed it. I was usually the one who was left in the dark as she led me to some strange place.

  "All right birthday girl…we’re here," I said excited. She had removed the blindfold before I could finish my sentence.

  "Where are we Max?"

  "I’ll give you one hint," and from my pocket I removed one single flower. A small, pink, cherry blossom. She slowly snatched it up and stared at me for a moment. She looked lost in thought, as if she were dreaming with her eyes open.

  "Max?" she asked with her voice cracking.

  "Happy Birthday Asia." I kissed her on the cheek and jumped out of the car. She followed quickly behind me until her eyes focused on her surroundings. We both stood in an orchard of cherry blossom trees. They spread as far as the eyes could see. Pink and white petals danced all around us, spinning through the air and swaying along the tree branches. Her eyes filled with wonder.

  "Welcome to China," I boasted.

  "This is the most wonderful present!" she squealed. She spun in a circle with her arms out and stopped directly in front of me. She looked truly happy. Like a little girl with all her crazy dreams swirling around her head. I was proud of myself.

  "Max how can I ever thank you for this?" she asked.

  "Don’t thank me yet…this is only half of your gift," I said quietly. I turned from her with a nod to follow me, and she did with little hesitation. We walked together through the fields before reaching the last half of my surprise. It took her a moment to make sense of what she was seeing, but when she finally did, I think I could actually hear her heart pounding.

  "Is that…?" she began to ask.

  "Yes."

  Tears fell from her eyes as a mist of rain began to wash over us. It was very light and warm. The moisture only enhanced the smell of the orchard. She slowly stepped toward the little table set up in the middle of this orchard. It was covered by a black tablecloth that almost reached the ground. A few stray cherry blossoms had fallen onto it and accentuated what was in the middle of the table. A small, silver box with black ribbons. They gently flickered in the breeze.

  "Open it," I insisted. She looked back at me with shaky eyes and then delicately picked up the box. I knew she would react strongly to the sight of the gift box I had tried to give her almost a year ago, but I didn’t expect this reaction. It was the only thing she hadn’t smashed and destroyed in her giant house back on Maui. The last piece of normalcy she had run away from. She held it against her chest for a minute. One long minute. Streaks of lightning danced above us without a sound. The rain fell harder but with tinier drops. I started to think she would never open it, but I was wrong.

  Her fingers gently untied the ribbon before sliding themselves underneath the mirrored wrap. Her hands faintly shook as she opened the box and peaked through the stuffing paper. She pulled out a small, red, velvet bag with black strings cinching it closed. She quickly loosened the string and slid the contents into the palm of her hand. A shiny gold and black pendant with two separate chains dangled over her fingers.

  "Max it's beautiful," she gasped. I stepped forward and placed my hand on the pendant.

  "That’s not quite right," I smiled and clicked the pendant into two separate necklaces with my fingers. “They’re beautiful.”

  Both pieces were gold with black onyx intertwined throughout. They spun around in our fingers, gently reflecting the dancing flowers that continued to shower us from above. Separately they each had a single Chinese symbol accentuated in deep red. One was “FIRE” and the other was “WATER.” When they were joined together they formed the word “ETERNITY.” She was fluent in Chinese, and she knew exactly what the symbols meant. She placed one around her neck, wiping her tears as she did, and the other around mine. Her hands were soft and cool against my neck. The rain fell dark and full as we held each other tightly, not saying a single word.

  From afar a single shadow watched us closely.

  ~The Wind Blows: The All-American Rejects~

  Saturday night - 12:56 p.m. - August 12th.

  Three unforgettable weeks in China had flown by in a hummingbird’s heartbeat. I was hoping we would stay a little longer, but Asia had different plans. One rainy night, she insisted we make our way to the closest airport and fly to the nearest ocean side city. Sadly, that wasn’t close at all.

  Fangchenggang was a southern coastal city bordering Vietnam. This was where she had arranged for her massive yacht to be waiting for us. Before I even had time to figure out how she had pulled that off, we were sailing away, my hand in hers and my heart racing. Adventure was our new teacher and we were its best students.

  That was almost twenty-four hours ago. She kept insisting we were running out of time. I played along because I was becoming lost in her secret journey.

  “Just trust me Max, we don’t have much time,” she said from the back of the ship. We stood shoulder to shoulder as the black water passed before us. I watched the ocean breeze slip around her hair, mesmerized.

  “I thought we had all the time in the world?” I joked with a soft smile. She leaned into me.

  “We do. This is about something else though,” she drifted off. Her soft hair rested along my bare shoulder.

  “Well, that’s pretty vague,” I teased.

  “You’ll understand soon enough,” she said, and the thunder rolled along behind the sailing ship.

  Now, as I stepped onto the cold sand of this strange little island, the mysterious detour from China became clearer. We were in the middle of the ocean on some remote island. It couldn’t have been more than half a mile in diameter. The sand seemed to circle the whole thing.

  “What’s the date Max?” Asia asked wickedly. She walked backwards down this dark and mysterious beach with her glowing blue eyes holding me in their grip. I followed her like an addict. I didn’t quite understand the question.

  “Why?” I smiled coyly. She stopped walking and waited for me to catch up with her. I placed my warm hands on her hips. The soft fabric from her sarong felt good to the touch.

  “What day is it?” she whispered. The rush of the waves serenaded us.

  “August 12th,” I said, unsure. She smiled bigger and pushed her weight into me. Her cool skin felt perfect.

  “And what time is it?” she asked. I looked down at my watch.

  “One minute until midnight,” I said, curious. She turned herself around in my tight embrace, placing her back snuggly in front of me. Her hands fell along the tops of mine, and she leaned her head up toward the night sky. The giant face of the moon shined down on us.

  “And what is tomorrow?” she asked me with a flip of her hair. It fell away over her left shoulder, exposing the opposite one completely. My eyes stole a quick glance down at her tone neck and shoulder. In an instant I realized what this was all about. Painted on her shoulder blade was the tattoo she had inked in our honor. It had rolling waves circling the Chinese symbol for fire, and a date, 8/13. Our destined anniversary. The day we met on the beach in Maui. The day she almost died. The day I saved her. The day we became one.

  “Thirteenth,” I whispered. She smiled and turned to me again.

  “Our anniversary Max,” she purred. I should have realized sooner. She had always been obsessed with this date. And ever since that summer afternoon, I had been obsessed with her.

  “Why this beach Asia? Where are we?” I asked with a grin.

  “I have no idea where we are. This is just the closest island I could find.” She removed her sarong, exposing her striped bikini. Her hands pulled mine down her skin to the small of her lower back. My heat covered her body in goose bumps.

  “I’m not sure I understand?” I
said trying not to stare at her silhouette too much.

  “Promise me on this day, no matter where we are or what we’re doing, we will find the nearest beach. Every year we find a beach to remember!” she said, nervous but excited.

  “I don’t need a beach to remember…” I tried to say, but she stopped me with a push of her hand.

  “Promise me Max!” she said, more seriously. Her eyes locked onto me tightly. They filled with the moonlight. The truth was, a day didn’t go by when I didn’t think of that fateful day. I filled with a warm confidence.

  “I promise,” I paused as her eyes welled up with tears. I looked past her to the wild trees behind us.

  “Under one condition,” I added. She stared at me quietly.

  “What condition?” she asked. I smiled and walked past her. I slid my fingers into hers, forcing her to follow me. I walked her to the first tree along the mysterious beach. Thunder popped in the distance and I smiled bigger. She was so nervous by my actions. I looked at her and then the long, tall palm tree. Her grip tightened around my hand.

  “I promise…as long as we do it together.” I looked at her and let my other hand ignite in a bright orange flame. It swirled in the wind and made a soft crackling sound. She looked at me with surprise. I pressed my burning hand into the tree trunk, a couple feet above the sand. It smoked in the dark with flickers of embers falling to the sand. After a few seconds I pulled back my hand and let the fires fade away.

  “Deal?” I asked leaning closer to her. I could smell her cherry blossoms over the burnt timber. She watched as the orange handprint darkened to black. Her hand reached out and traced the outline of my handprint upon the singed tree bark. Lightning lit up the dark island in a barrage of flashes, but the strikes made no sound. I had hit a nerve.

  “Forever Max,” she spoke softly. We spent our first anniversary on the unnamed island until the sun made an appearance. It was easily one of the best nights of my short life.

  After our extended month in that small providence outside of Kunming, China, enjoying the births of thousands of cherry blossoms, and a quick detour on our personal fantasy island, we set out on a whirlwind globetrotting adventure. We followed no schedule or plan. We just went where the wind would take us and saw the world.

  There was however, the scary two weeks in Africa where we almost became lion food while in the Serengeti. When the monsoons wreaked havoc with Asia’s natural rainmaking abilities, making her much grumpier than usual. Then another few weeks in Italy where I gained 5 pounds from the food. There was the week and a half at Asia’s winter place in Aspen, Colorado, where there wasn’t much snow, but it didn’t really matter; we hardly left her giant cabin anyways. Next there was the lost weekend in Amsterdam, and now this.

  Friday night - 6:33 p.m. - October 13th.

  It was my birthday, 20 years young. Asia had spent the last month planning this very day. I had begged her not to make a big deal of the day and to keep things simple. Last year I didn’t even celebrate my birthday. I was still on the run from Maui. So this year, Asia told me it had to count as two special days. I told her she was crazy and not to bother, but she was determined to trump the gift that I had given her in China. She didn’t seem to understand that our adventures together were the only gift that I needed.

  Her large yacht slowed to a crawl along the coastline of her surprise. She gently walked me to the railing with her hands over my eyes. Her hands felt like cool silk. A unique smell filled my nose just before she removed her soft fleshy blindfold.

  “Well, are you surprised?” she asked softly, biting her bottom lip. I loved when she did that.

  “Yes.”

  “And?” She nudged my side gently.

  “It’s the most amazing sight I have ever seen,” I gasped. The city outline of Sydney, Australia looked almost magical. Rays of sunlight sparkled across every curve and angle of its architecture. I was overwhelmed. It was the start of spring here but it was still surprisingly cool. I had always dreamt of coming here. She had made that dream possible.

  “So you’re happy with your gift?” she asked, already knowing my answer. I wasn’t just happy with the gift, I was happy with my life. Truly and completely happy with her. At that very moment I forgot about everything else, my past, the pain, my home. Now, I was totally hers.

  “Yes Asia…I am happy.” My hand squeezed hers tightly.

  “Come on Max…there’s so much more to show you.” Her steel eyes washed over mine and I followed her, hypnotized. We strolled along the docks arm and arm. A long white limousine waited for us at the end. Inside the car a small birthday cake in the shape of a guitar sat on top of the back seat. I kissed Asia long and deep as we drove off for our next adventure together.

  “Happy Birthday Max,” she smiled, and fed me a piece of my cake.

  We spent the next two weeks staying warm with our newly purchased outdoor gear, camping in the bush and becoming one with nature. One with each other. She had even found us a local aboriginal priest that bathed us in blue ink, and marked our left shoulders with matching tattoos. They were applied with an ancient stone attached to a stick and slowly and painfully tapped into our skin. She was worried that I might heal before the dark red ink could set, but I knew that wasn’t an issue anymore.

  “Where to next?” I asked, admiring her new shoulder art. She snuggled up to my matching design and caressed it with her fingers, enjoying the heat my body was generating. She followed the lines of the ink with her eyes, lost in thought.

  “Anywhere. Everywhere.” She smiled and ran her hand through her hair.

  Patiently we spent a few days waiting for the blue ink to finally fade off our bodies. The priest had forgotten to mention that it was almost as permanent as the red tattoo ink he had used on our matching shoulder art. I loved Australia completely and could never thank Asia enough for our time here. It was now a part of my inner inferno. I would come back here again someday. I promised. Asia was the true caretaker of my inner fire now. She was the kindling to my dreams, and I burned for her completely now.

  She was my fire.

  Masquerade - 06

  ~Give In To Me: Michael Jackson~

  Tuesday night - 10:31 p.m. - October 31st.

  Paris, France - Halloween.

  We had met another young couple that were in love. They were celebrating their recent marital vows. They were throwing an extravagant costume party at the stroke of midnight to celebrate the holiday and they had asked us to join them. Asia surprisingly accepted their invitation without hesitation. A first for her I thought as I stepped from the shower and looked at the outfit she had laid out for me. I cringed.

  “Great,” I huffed. A long, black tuxedo with all the trimmings lay before my pouting eyes. It was classic and expensive looking with one unique detail. In blood-red writing was the numbers 666 painted across the left side of the jacket. I laughed to myself and began getting dressed. Then I could hear Asia in the next room on the phone, and she didn’t seem happy. I slid the pair of slacks on and walked quietly into the room, feeling instantly uncomfortable. I missed my usual tee shirt and board shorts.

  “I don’t care what it costs! If he needs it, than handle it! Understand?” she huffed. She turned and seemed startled to see me in the room. As one hand gripped her phone, the other one clicked a button on her laptop and closed it quickly. I tried not to let my curiosity get the better of me, but it was obvious she was hiding something.

  “Everything all right?” I asked, looking at the computer on the hotel table. She clicked her phone off and tossed it on the bed.

  “Accountants and lawyers…they seem to throw a hissy fit about any and every penny I spend.” Her eyes watched mine carefully. For some reason that phone call didn’t sound like it was from her lawyer. She hardly ever spoke to her lawyer, and when she did it was never like that.

  “Is there a reason they should be upset?” I asked.

  “Not yet, but there will be,” she smiled and shifted her hips seductive
ly. Her white hotel robe shifted with her curves as she walked up to me. Her hand pulled a pair of devil horns from her pocket and she slid them on top of her head. They stuck up from her hair that was filled with giant curls and streaks of orange and red dye.

  “What do you mean?” I was lost. From behind us a piece of paper started to print itself out on the room’s fax machine. She quickly snapped it up and slid it in front of my wide eyes. Her robe slipped open and exposed her little, red, devil costume. It looked more like a swimsuit than anything else.

  “I need you to sign this,” she said softly. Beware of the devil and her contracts, I laughed to myself.

  “Sign what?”

  “You’ll never have to worry about money again,” she giggled. I quickly read the paper and realized she was signing her inheritance over to me. I was stunned.

  “Asia, I can’t…” This was crazy. I was still trying to make sense of my second chance at life. I didn’t need this added stress.

  “It’s yours,” she said, and placed herself upon my lap. “Well, only half of it,” she corrected with a roll of her eyes. I felt my chest begin to fill with heat.

  “You’re crazy.”

  “For you. Besides, it’s only money,” she joked, and began kissing my neck. I could feel my anger rising inside.

  “I don’t need your money,” I said, grumpy. Why would she be doing this? Did she think I cared about the fact that she was filthy rich?

  “I know, but what’s mine is yours…right?” she asked playfully. Her lips kept kissing my neck as she ignored my rising temper. I sat still and burned from the inside out.

  “And what’s yours is mine.” Her hand slid over my heart in my chest.

  “I guess!” I snapped, even though I did it half-heartedly.