The sky was already dark when Boyce arrived.
Jasmine and her classmates were having barbeque beside the stream on the hill. They brought
charcoal, various meat and vegetable skewers and some DIY vegan skewers. The guys helped in
cooking the skewers, while the girls helped to set up clothes in front of the tent and placed drinks and
fruits on them.
Jasmine was a little distracted. She kept looking at her watch and estimating how long was it until
Boyce arrived.
“Jasmine, what’s wrong? You looked distracted after picking up that call,” one of Jasmine’s classmates
laughed at her, “Did you miss your husband?”
They were close friends of Jasmine’s, so they knew she was married.
“I wasn’t,” Jasmine looked down, “I was thinking about the clothes on the balcony. I wanted to go home
and…”
“Don’t be a killjoy. It’s dark, and it’s not going to rain tonight. The clothes are fine on the balcony,” one
of the guys who was cooking the skewers overheard their conversation chimed in.
“He’s right. You don’t come out with us often, so don’t be a killjoy this time. Furthermore, it’s getting
late. How are you going to get back to the city? It’s dangerous. You better stay.”
Everyone was convincing Jasmine and told her not to leave. It was getting late, and the road going
downhill was dangerous.
Jasmine couldn’t say anything. She took out her phone and texted Boyce to ask him whether he was
coming.
“I’ve arrived at the foot of the hill,” Boyce replied.
Jasmine looked at her classmates and said, “My husband came to fetch me…”
“Wow, your husband is here?” Jasmine got surrounded by three girls before she could finish her words,
“Ask your husband to come here. We want to meet him.”
Jasmine felt awkward, “I…”
“Don’t be stingy. We won’t take your husband away from you. We just want to meet him,” Jasmine’s
classmates wanted to meet the man who Jasmine loved and protected.
“He’s busy. He often has time…”
“Alright, Jasmine. Don’t be a killjoy. Introduce him to us. We might not have to chance to meet him next
time.”
Jasmine felt resigned. They were pretty close friends. It wasn’t good to reject them so harshly.
So, Jasmine texted Boyce: Can you come up please? My classmates wanted to meet you.” she added,
“I’ll reject them if you don’t want to.
Boyce replied after a while: I’ll come up.
They were Jasmine’s classmates. If he refused to meet them, it could affect the relationship between
Jasmine and her classmates.
Jasmine smiled and replied Boyce: I’ll come to meet you.
Boyce replied: I’m fine. The road downhill wasn’t exactly easy to drive.
Jasmine texted: I know the way. But you have to drive slowly. That’s it. I’m coming to get you.
Jasmine kept her phone away and stood up, “I need to go get him. He didn’t know the way.”
“I’ll go with you,” a girl stood up, “We’ll look out for each other.”
Jasmine agreed, “Sure.”
The girl grabbed a flashlight. Jasmine and the girl held hands and got off the hill. They even told the
other classmates, “Keep working. Get everything done when we come back.”
“Be careful. It’s dark down there,” another classmate told them.
“Yes, we will,” the girl answered.
It was easier to get up the hill than going downhill. Furthermore, it was night-time, and they had to
depend only on the beam of the flashlight. It was even more dangerous.
Jasmine and the girl walked very slowly. After around half an hour, they saw a beam. The girl asked, “Is
that your husband over there?”
They could only see the beam and light movement. It should be Boyce, considering nobody would
head uphill at this time.
Jasmine wasn’t sure, “It should be him.”
The girl waved at Boyce with their flashlight, “Jasmine’s here!”
The beam immediately shone in their direction.
The girl said excitedly, “It’s your husband!”
Boyce asked them to stop moving around. He told them that it was slippery and to be wary not to fall.
Jasmine and the girl stayed put. After a while, Boyce approached them with the built-in flashlight in this
phone.
The girl was excited to see Boyce. She reached out her hand and said, “Hi, I’m Elaine Jenkins,
Jasmine’s classmate.”
Boyce shook her hand and withdrew his hand very quickly.
Jasmine walked to him. She can’t really see his expression in the dark. She asked, “Why didn’t you tell
me that you’re coming back?”
If Boyce told her that he was coming back, Jasmine wouldn’t come out at all. She would stay home and
wait for him to come home. Jasmine didn’t want Boyce to come hiking at night during his off-duty time.
Boyce replied, “It was impulsive.”
Elaine teased them, “Didn’t you come back because you miss Jasmine?”
“Elaine!” Jasmine glared at him.
“Alright. I’ll zip my mouth. Let’s go back. They’re waiting for us,” Elaine passed the flashlight to Jasmine
and said, “I’ll walk in front. Help me to light up the way.”
Jasmine nodded.
Boyce and Jasmine walked behind Elaine while holding the flashlight.
Elaine turned and smiled at them, “Say whatever you want. I’m deaf from this minute. I won’t hear
anything.”
Jasmine felt speechless.
“Elaine, you’re the worst.”
Elaine laughed at Jasmine.
Boyce and Jasmine didn’t say anything along the way. All they did was holding hands.
Jasmine’s classmates were staring at them when they heard people coming back.
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