The sky was already dark when Boyce arrived.
Jasmine and her companions were having a barbecue by the creek on the hill. They brought charcoal, several meat and veggie kabobs and some DIY vegan kabobs. The guys helped cook the skewers, while the girls helped set up the clothes in front of the tent and set out the drinks and fruit.
Jasmine was a little distracted. She kept glancing at her watch and calculating how long until Boyce arrived.
âJasmine, whatâs wrong? You seemed distracted after taking that call,â laughed one of Jasmineâs co-workers. âDo you miss your husband?â. They were close friends of Jasmineâs, so they knew she was married.
âI wasnât,â Jasmine looked down, âI was thinking about the clothes on the balcony. I wanted to go home andâ¦â
âDonât be a spoilsport. Itâs dark and itâs not going to rain tonight. The clothes are fine on the balcony,â interjected one of the guys who was cooking the skewers and overheard their conversation.
âHeâs right. You donât often go out with us, so donât be a spoilsport this time. Besides, itâs getting late, how are you going to get back to town? Itâs dangerous. Youâd better stay.â
Everyone was convincing Jasmine and telling her not to go. It was getting late and the road down was dangerous.
Jasmine couldnât say anything. She pulled out her phone and texted Boyce to ask if she was coming.
âIâve made it to the bottom of the hill,â Boyce replied.
Jasmine looked at her companions and said, âMy husband has come to pick me up?â.
âWhy, is your husband here?â Jasmine found herself surrounded by three girls before she could finish her words, âAsk your husband to come here. We want to meet him.â
Jasmine felt awkward, âIâ¦â
âDonât be stingy. We wonât take your husband away from you. We just want to meet him,â Jasmineâs companions wanted to meet the man Jasmine loved and protected.
âHeâs busy. He often has timeâ¦â
âAll right, Jasmine. Donât be a spoilsport. Introduce us to him. We may not get a chance to meet him next time.â
Jasmine felt resigned. They were very close friends. It was no good turning them down so harshly.
So Jasmine texted Boyce, [Can you come upstairs, please? My classmates wanted to meet you], and added, [Iâll turn them down if you donât want to].
Boyce replied after a while: [Iâll come up.]
They were Jasmineâs classmates. If he refused to meet them, it might affect the relationship between Jasmine and her classmates.
Jasmine smiled and replied to Boyce: [Iâll come up to see you.]
Boyce replied: [Iâm fine. The downhill road wasnât exactly easy to drive.]
Jasmine texted: [I know the road. But you have to drive slow. Thatâs it. Iâm coming to get you.]
Jasmine put the phone away and got up, âI have to go get him. I didnât know the way.â
âIâll go with you,â a girl got up, âWeâll take care of each other.â
Jasmine agreed, âSure.â
The girl grabbed a flashlight. Jasmine and the girl held hands and walked down the hill. They even said to the other companions, âKeep working. Finish everything when we get back.â
âBe careful. Itâs dark down there,â another teammate told them.
âYes, we will,â the girl replied.
It was easier to go up the hill than down. Besides, it was night and they had to rely only on the beam of the flashlight. It was even more dangerous.
Jasmine and the girl walked very slowly. After about half an hour, they saw lightning. The girl asked, âIs that your husband?â.
They could only see the lightning and a slight movement. It should be Boyce, considering that no one would be heading up at that time.
Jasmine wasnât sure, âIt should be him.â
The girl pointed her flashlight at Boyce, âJasmineâs here!â the beam immediately shone in her direction.
The girl said excitedly, âItâs your husband!â.
Boyce asked them to stop moving. He told them it was slippery and to be careful not to fall.
Jasmine and the girl stood still. After a while, Boyce approached them with the flashlight built into this phone.
The girl was excited to see Boyce. She held out her hand and said, âHi, Iâm Elaine Jenkins, Jasmineâs classmate.â
Boyce shook her hand and quickly withdrew it.
Jasmine walked over to him. She couldnât see his expression in the darkness. She asked him, âWhy didnât you tell me you were coming back?â
If Boyce had told her he was coming back, Jasmine wouldnât have gone out.
She would stay home and wait for him to come back. Jasmine didnât want Boyce to come hiking at night during his time off.
Boyce replied, âIt was impulsive.â
Elaine teased them, âYou didnât come back because you miss Jasmine?â
âElaine!â Jasmine glared at him.
âAll right. Iâll shut my mouth. Letâs go back. Theyâre waiting for us,â Elaine passed the flashlight to Jasmine and said, âIâll go ahead. Help me light the way.â
Jasmine nodded.
Boyce and Jasmine walked behind Elaine while holding the flashlight.
Elaine turned and smiled at them, âSay what you want. Iâm deaf as of this moment. I wonât hear a thing.â Jasmine was speechless.
âElaine, you are the worst.â
Elaine laughed at Jasmine.
Boyce and Jasmine didnât say anything on the way over. All they did was hold hands.
Jasmineâs companions stared at them as they heard people coming back.
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