Olives and Yellow Roses Chpt. 2 Turkiye/Mama Greece
Once, Sadiq had walked all the way across the water to her side of the shore, bearing two cups of coffee.
By the time he found her, his knuckles were scraped and his nails chipped from climbing her rocky shores, his feet sore from the circles he'd walked along the hard road that winded between white stone buildings and tiny wooden homes, his mask broken from a run in with donkey that hadn't taken well to him trying to snatch it as a means of transportation.
"You..." Sadiq grumbled, one hand keeping the fragments of his mask against his face, the other holding a dainty cup, "You made me waste a perfectly good cup of coffee." He'd dropped his cup in the fight with the donkey.
She turned from the man before her, huge, and painted. The candles lit along the far walls sending the mosaics there up in sparkles of light and color. It was all new, interesting, and impressive, but the room was as white as the temple where it resided in comparison to the surprised girl before him. Alcina muttered something in the tongue he only heard when she wanted a kiss from him to the man, before walking over to him in her usual stride, smiling as her thin fingers slipped beneath his and took the cup.
"Is this coffee?"
"Bet yer ass it is."
"Shush," she corrected, pressing a finger to his lips, "Not in here."
Sadiq rolled his eyes, watching as pink lips pressed to the brim of the cup, and the twitch of muscle in her neck as she took a sip. He watched as her eyebrows furrowed, then pinched together, and finally she lowered the cup from her mouth- half thrusting it back to him.
"This is disgusting."
"You said you liked it."
"I did, on your tongue! This is gross."
He wanted to take the cup of coffee and throw it at every pale man she ever prayed to, curse every rock on her land, and every donkey that ever brayed. When her hands slid to the mask he was still holding pressed against the skin of his face he froze, turning his head from her. She only moved to make up for the change in direction, brushing her fingertips across his bruised knuckles before they took a hold of a jagged edge on the mask. There was silence between them as she slid a fraction of the mask from beneath his fingers, her breath in her throat as if the slighest movement would shatter the boy before her. Bloody fingers trembled and cracked lips opened as if to protest, but didn't breath a word.
She let the white sliver fall to the floor with a clatter. Alcina's fingers rose to the mask again removing another piece that revealed the curve of a broad nose and the edge of dark eyebrow and dropped it to the floor.. A third and a fourth piece revealed high cheekbones and a nostril flared from him breathing so heavily through his nose. A fifth piece and for the first time Sadiq stood before her with a bare face, his own filthy fingertips still pressed pitifully against the skin of his cheekbone as he watched her remember how to breath.
"ωραίος."
"... What?"
"I LIKE YOU WITHOUT IT," SHE SAID NOT ANSWERING HIS QUESTION.
"That makes one of us." Sadiq turned away, the knuckles on the hand holding the cup turning bone white as he made his way to the mouth of the temple.
"Thank you for the coffee... even though... you know."
"S'alright. You just have bad taste." The smile was evident in his voice.
-
Once, Sadiq found himself lost in her eyes. It soon became a habit.
He loved her eyes more than anything. Too often he found himself lost in them as they sat on cliff just past the Temple of Zeus, talking about everything their lips could find words for. The breeze of the Mediterranean shifting between them when the occasional silence fell, never awkward because they'd been around one another long enough now that sometimes they needed a break from each other.
"What are you looking at like that you creep?" she'd tease, leaning closer with a raised eyebrow, close enough that he could smell the olive oil spread across her skin.
"I'm just in awe at how you have a god of beauty and yet she seemed to over look you," came his reply.
"Jackass."
"You love it."
She never said anything after that, just smiled and punched him lightly in the shoulder before bringing up another question to be answered by a question.
-
Once, Sadiq held her against his chest, feeling as exposed and fragile as he had the first time she'd peeled the mask from his face in the temple. He'd looked down into the eyes he'd marvled at since he caught them looking his way from the other side of the water and felt his stomach flip. She had been silent since he found her laid out on a rock like the offerings to her gods, but she was awake. She was breathing her honey breath and she smelt like olives and not the sharp stench of death.
"Barbarians," she croaked, "they talk like sheep and yet..."
"Shut up. There's no point in talking now. I'm taking you across the water."
"Don't be stupid, you couldn't make it. You're too afraid to get your pants wet."
"You don't know a damn thing about what I'm afraid of."
She was silent and he ran. He ran faster than his legs would allow, but his mind screamed that if he kept it up death could never catch him. Alcina said he'd been a man, death, so it was possible to out run him. Just run, Sadiq. Make it to the water. Make it.
His knees started buckling as he half slipped down the steep cliffs closer to the water, his robe was torn about the feet and he'd lost a shoe a mile or so back, but he didn't care. He needed to make it to the water because she'd be fine then, death would stop at his door because death was not his god. He had no right in his home.
His toes were bleeding by the time he made it to the edge of the water and the cuts stung like he'd set fire to his legs as he waded in and his robes clung to his pants beneath, making walking difficult. He could make it. Her death might not be able to swim.
"Sadiq."
"What?" he half croaked in return, his face wet beneath the mask from the tears that had been running since he found her, coming faster as he grew frustrated.
"Take your mask off."
"Why?"
"Why not?"
"I'll take it off when we reach the other side."
A finger slipped beneath the mask, pushing a pool of salty water out from under it, letting it drop down to his chin in one big droplet. His skin felt like ice as a breeze blew against it, moist from tears caught in his mask and he let out a sob as he felt her nails brush lightly against the line of his cheek.
"You never fucking listen."
She laughed and it was weak. He was losing her.
"Sadiq..."
"I don't want you to go." It came out in sporadic syllables in between gasps, and hiccups, and sobs as he pushed every muscle in his legs to hurry, hurry, but they only cried and shook beneath his weight.
"So, tell me to go. I never listen to you anyway."
"N-no, it'll be the one time you listen."
They both laugh, but it was strange. It was a laugh that didn't know which way it wanted to go. Caught inbetween a sob and a real laugh.
"φίλα με," came another request. She always wanted something from him, but now wasn't the time to complain so he ducked his head, his hand supporting her back as she lifted to meet him. "What did you eat?"
"Asure. Now shut up." he grumbled, stumbling over the fabric of his robes as he grew closer to his side of the water.
"I bet it's good. Better than your coffee. Make me some."
"Hmph."
"Sadiq, I'll tell you something if you make me some."
"Like what?"
"A secret you already know," she sighed, closing her eyes.
"HEY! HEY, WHAT TH-" a new set of tears spilled over his cheeks as he watched the mask she held in her hand slip to rest on her chest.
"Shh, I'm fine. Just resting my eyes."
He choked on his own spit, trying to form words from a closed throat, but found he couldn't do much but croak out inaudible words. She closed her eyes again and he wanted to scream, but nothing passed his lips. The mask fell from her chest, hitting the water with a light splash and he felt her fall limp against him. His mind went white, his vision warping as he looked down at her form, swimming in tears.
"Go! Get the hell out of here! You listen to me, alright!?" His knee wobbled backwards, sending his equilibriam into a pendulum swing until his opposite knee gave out as well, send him dropping to the water that pulled around his shoulder, his arms aching as he held her on the waters surface, screaming into her stomach. "You never fucking listen! Never, so get out of here!"
He stayed that way, kneeling in warm water, choking on spit, and sobbing into the stomach clothed in white cloth that smelt like olives praying she would stay. Sadiq couldn't tell how long it had been as his sobs fell silent, leaving his chest to shake as the only sound that left his lips was the hiss of air. She was limp in his arms, mostly carried by the water as he pulled her tight against his chest with pruned fingers.
The sun had long since hid behind rocky cliffs and scraggling trees when he finally let her water bloated body go, watching it slip along the current as her olive branch had in a stone silence. His lip shaking with it's own mind.
-
Once, Sadiq stared across the water at an empty shore. Thankful for the olive tree hanging over his head in the summer heat, breathing deep so as not to miss that familiar scent.
-
Now, he stares across the shore at a boy. He's young and made of bone and skin. The mop of brown hair on his head splits off in curls and hid bangs hide away his eyes, but Sadiq can feel them on him. It's only when the young boy brushes them aside does he feel his heart jump up onto his tongue. Green. The most breathtaking green he'd laid his eyes on since...
"Hey! HEY YOU!"
"Quit screaming you hairy, old fart! You'll scare the cats!"
"Don't tell me what to do you little brat! Get over here!"
"No! I'm staying right here!"
"Never fucking listen..." he grumbled, getting to his feet and storming into the water.