KEN
Alonso
Unbelievable!
When I went toward where I had seen her last, she wasn’t standing in the queue like the other females who needed to relieve themselves. Most of the females smiled at me as I passed and checked their faces closely due to the poor lighting.. I did not peer at their faces like a creep but merely glanced at once face to the other. The only brown haired person who happened to almost be at the same height as her was wearing a skinny Jean and a Go strikers shirt. She wasn’t Rosalia.
I wanted to give up on my venture and go back to the duty I had been assigned, when I caught sight of someone squatting close to a door at the end be of the hall. It was her.
I immediately walked toward her wondering what she was doing there. Her head was bowed and her arms folded.
As my legs came into her line of sight, she lifted her head and even the dim light of this hallway could not prevent me from clearly seeing the streak of tears on her face.
She’s crying. Why is she crying?
Did anything happen before my arrival?
Tears sluiced down her eyes.
“That man… he will not accept to be my Barbie! Such a vile being.” She said pointing behind me. I turned to where she was pointing but there was no one there.
“Ah sorry. A man cannot be Barbie. A man can only be Ken. Will you replace him? Please be my Ken. I promise I’m a good Barbie.”
I wanted to smile. What the heck is Barbie or Kay… Ten or whatever she said. From her eyes I could tell my deductions from afar were wrong.
She is not tipsy. She is very drunk already and… also more beautiful than I thought.
The light of the hallway made her face appear golden, like she was glowing. I believe if she was squatting the way she was in some forest, all the fireflies around would have been drawn to her.
She pouted her lips and suddenly more tears began to fall from her hazel eyes.
“You also don’t want to be my Ken. Are you also a vile man?”
I cleared my throat. I didn’t know how to respond. I kill people for a living… What am I to say to such a question she is asking? If this was an examination, without doubt, I would have failed woefully.
I squatted before her. If the men I work with were to see this, they might develop a heart attack. And that is why I have to be done quickly and take her back to her friend.
“I don’t know what that is but yes I will love to.”
She smiled and aggressively began to wipe her tears. When she was done, she wiped one hand on her dress and stretched it toward me. “Hi, my name is Rosalia and I am your Barbie.”
I took her hand. “Nice to meet you Barbie. I am whatever you want me to be.”
She opened her mouth to say something when we both turned at the steps coming toward us. I looked up to see Viviana, the person I am supposed to be protecting.
Shit! I am not supposed to be known at all.
She looked from Rosalia to me. Rosalia smiled gleefully at her.
“Hi Viv, look , I found my Ken.”
Viviana shook her head. “I’m so sorry.” She said to me as she lifted Rosalia by the shoulder.
“When I last saw her she was still in perfect control of herself. Please forgive me. We’ll be taking our leave now.”
I stood up as Viviana began to lead her out. Rosalia turned one more time to wave at me. “Bye Ken.”
I shoved my hands in my pocket. Ken. Yes, that's the name she gave me. I waited for a few more minutes before I went over to get my car. Then I followed the one Viviana was driving, a small car that seemed to have seen many lives. The only thing keeping it together was the red paint that seemed to be newly sprayed.
That was the only good thing about it. I maintained a relatively far distance and watched as Viviana stopped to purchase some snacks from a supermarket. Then she filled the tank of their car with gas and then she was off to their house. I waited till I saw the light of their apartment come on and even when all lights were off, I waited for a while before I turned my car around and headed for my apartment. When I got home, I relayed all I could via a voice message to my boss and waited for any words from him.
There was none and so I threw myself to my bed. I would have to wake up early as well. Although doing this type of stake out wasn’t my ideal thing to do, I think I might not hate it totally.