Later that evening, on a date with Adam and a few other people, I still couldn't forget the occurrence of that afternoon. The area was quiet for a Sunday evening, and given the time people weren't around as they would have been during the summer holiday. The outside seating area was all ours... only our table being occupied with what looked like a group larger than what I initially expected. Drinks were scattered across the table, some already empty, some yet to be touched.
"Rya... Rayna?" my best friend tried to catch my attention, softly touching my shoulder.
"Hm...? What?" I looked at her in a daze.
"Did you hear anything I said?" she asked, visibly bothered.
"Hm... no, not really. Where you talking to me?"
"No; I was talking to the moon. What's up with you?"
"Sorry, I was thinking about something else, maybe just tired? So? What were you saying?"
"I asked if you had seen the show last night."
"Oh, I forgot." I jumped, suddenly more awake than I'd felt all afternoon. ,"Was it last night?"
"You are hopeless. I hate you... bestie my ass..." she muttered.
"Mara!"
Pretending to be upset, she turned her attention to Adam, accidentally kicking the table. "Will you please say something to this," and gestured generously in my direction, as I scrambled to catch my drink and hers before spilling all over us. "Preferably before she falls asleep in her chair?"
"Let her dream," he shrugged and resuming his conversation with the girls on his left, he readjusted his position where his back turned to me entirely, and Mara and I exchanged a glance.
Glancing around, I realised I wasn't the only one who took notice of his reaction; a few of the other girls sending me sympathetic smiles before returning to their chatter, which in a sense were a waste in my case, but not unappreciated.
I was part to blame for it, to be fair.
Thinking of something else was a complete understatement, since I was on an entirely different planet. But Adam didn't seem too bothered, and I was lucky it was a group sort of thing, so the focus was everywhere else except me. Plus, Mara also had a date, so that worked more or less to my advantage, but I just couldn't connect to the real world, and I promise I was somewhat sorry... not too much tho; didn't want to create a habit. So I did exactly what I wanted to do all along until the end of our outing(?): return to my shell and daydream.
I refused Adam when he offered to take me home hours later; not that he looked too interested in doing so; and taking my time, I went back into the park. With my shoes dangling in my hand, I strolled by the lakeside, just as before. And I most likely looked crazy, but the grass felt so soothing under my soles. I watched absentmindedly the reflection of the full moon dancing on the lake's surface while my mind travelled with the night breeze to distant places.
The return to reality was sudden, hard, cold, and I had grazed my foot. Fortunately, it was superficial, but it still needed a little attention once I got home.
I should be more careful.
Looking closer to see whether I was bleeding or not, I noticed something shimmering in the grass. I bent and picked up a small metal object.
"You little..."
On closer inspection, I discovered in my hand was a golden harmonica on a little chain, which seemed broken in the pale light of the lanterns, but I couldn't be sure until I brought it home. In one corner, under a little mud, a message was engraved in beautiful calligraphy:
With love, Mom & Dad