Birds chirped, conveying haste, as they rushed to their nests before nightfall. The sky burned orange and the descending sun casted elongated shadows of the three kids walking down the road.
Bernie's lean shapely body was clad in a red dress; he wobbled on red heels that were slightly bigger than his feet and the blonde wig hid his eyes from the disappointment of the world. "I'm sorry we couldn't make it..." He started, wringing his hands behind his back.
"It's not your fault, I'm sorry..." Ryker mumbled, "I was a boring magician, I know." He said, tapping the tall top hat against his thigh. His droopy shoulders let the black suit sag on him, eating up his frame from common sight.
"It's no body's fault. We did good! Others just did slightly better than us," Nadia exclaimed as she shrugged her shoulders, "Who knew the kung fu guys had a whole skit planned? It was very funny!"
Bernie and Ryker nodded but the overhead gloom did not recede. While Ryker's woes were limited to disappointing Nadia, Bernie's were grander in proportion.
Now that they had failed the summer festival audition — Nadia and Ryker Cordelio had no use of hanging out with Bernie. They had recruited him for a purpose and now that they had lost as a collective, it was only fair that they go back to their own lives. It was natural, even as they were walking down the deserted street leading to the back of Bernie's house, that Bernie would jump that wall one last time and lose the comfort space they had built.
The water fights by the creek, the tickle fest outside the ranger shelter, the candle-lit nights fested with the scent of glue spent narrating horror stories as the clock ticked by; it was all over. Albiet the momentary grasp Bernie had on sands of time, they continued to slip out of the crevices of his hands, once again, because he had been greedy and held too much.
What remained with him were the grains of memories stuck on his sweaty palms.
He really, really, wanted to keep them as friends. Was it wrong to expect so much after they had failed? He had given his best on every step along the way.
"—Bernadette!"
Bernie looked up, from straing involuntarily at his hands, to Nadia standing by the back wall of his house. His time was up. Would they still look at him and smile during school? His world would be lonely again, he thought as he sighed.
"I'll get going, I guess. G-goodbye," Bernie said, trying not to choke up like a pathetic kid. He pursed his lips in a line and waved his hands, both of them, simultaneously glancing at the duo.
"Yes, yes, get going, get changed quick, yeah?" Nadia urged by tapping against the wall.
"Huh?" Bernie questioned. The blank look on his face elicited a snort from Ryker.
"Have you not been listening to me?!" Nadia snapped, brows afrown.
"His head is lost in that wig," Ryker mocked.
"I said, get changed quick and be back A.S.A.P!! Mumma has planned dinner for us! Because the effort counts, you know, so be fast!!" Nadia scolded, in hushed whispers, and tapped the wall agressively.
"Oh—" Bernie uttered, throat clogging up. With glassy eyes and nostrils flaired, Bernie said, "Yes, yes, gosh you're so demanding. I'll be back like flash!" He ran across the street, propelled himself on the wall, jumped down and sobbed his way to the rooftop room.
"Was he crying?" Nadia whispered after Bernie sneaked inside his room.
"Surely. He looked like a kicked puppy. I'm sure he was thinking that we wouldn't hangout anymore," Ryker replied.
"Oh poor child," Nadia drawled, "We must be really good company," she grinned and slung a hand over Ryker's shoulders.
"You're so full of yourself," Ryker rolled his eyes and tickled Nadia's inviting armpit.
The girl yelped and jumped away, glaring. Her body attained the kung-fu stance she had witnessed earlier that morning, ready to battle cry like Bruce Lee and giver her opponent a deathly neck chop.
Ryker burst out laughing at Nadia's antics and narrated the whole incident to Bernie as soon as he jumped back.
"I bet Nadia could take you down though, she's taller than you," Bernie grinned in reply, catching Ryker off-guard.
"Oh-ho Berns, I knew I raised you well!" Nadia exclaimed and jumped over his back, arm slung around his shoulder, she pulled a mocking face to a stunned Ryker, "That's what you get for jumping ships."
"Oh I will show you both!" Ryker emphasised on 'both' as he began Naruto-running in their direction.
Clearly intimidated, the duo screamed and ran with their hands thrown up, laughing as they blended into the crowd at Bruno Square. They stopped at Mr. Henry's shop to get an icecream each, calling momentary truce, before racing back to Nadia's home in the same exasperated fashion.
"One might think you were escaping criminals," Ms. Paisely scoffed at the sight of three sweaty kids at her doorstep. "Ice creams in the fridge and your bodies in the bathroom. No stinky child will grace my dining table, am I clear?"
The three kids looked up at her and nodded in synchronisation. Ms. Paisely passed them a satisfied smile and stepped away, giving them room to enter.
"I call dibs!" Ryker shouted and zoomed inside.
"IT IS MY HOUSE! HOW DARE YOU?!" Nadia screamed and followed.
"Good evening Mrs. Paisely, it is nice to meet you. I apologise for stinking up your place, please accept this ice cream and forgive me," Bernie said and bent into a nintey degree bow, presenting the ice cream on his palms like a royal gift.
"It's okay boy, no worries, just wash up real quick and eat your ice cream after that," Ms. Paisely patted his back and ushered him inside. Through her tone did not betray her surprise, her mind was imprinted.
"You're too kind, I am grateful," Bernie bowed again and entered, shoulders curled inwards as he awkwardly took off his shoes. He placed his them side by side in a corner before picking up Ryker and Nadia's scattered shoes and properly placing them in the shoe rack.
He then stood up and awkwardly entered the living room. Upon spotting the kitchen in the opposite direction, he stood and stared at the refrigerator, wondering if he was allowed to enter the kitchen with his stinky self and place the ice cream in the fridge.
"Let me help you with that," Ms. Paisely came to his rescue and held out a hand.
"Ah, thank you very much," Bernie bowed and placed the ice cream in her hand.
"It's alright kid, no need to be so formal. Don't you see Ryker? One would think I have known him for centuries," Ms. Paisely gestured her chin towards Nadia banging at the bathroom door while Ryker was singing, on top of his lungs, inside.
"Yeah...I never knew he could be so open," Bernie said and pulled his mouth up in an awkward smile.
At the sight of Bernie, Ms. Paisely could not help the laugh that erupted from her. She placed a hand on Bernie's shoulder and called out, "Nadia! Come here!"
"Yes, momma?" Nadia ran in.
"Take Bernie to the backyard, I'll get the inflatable pool. Ryker wouldn't know what he missed," Ms. Paisely grinned with a glint in her doe eyes, while conspiring against a kid.
"Oh-ho! Momma! You're the best!!" Nadia exclaimed and jumped to hug her mother.
Bernie stood there, whispering thank-yous under his breath all the while Ms. Paisely set up the pump and inflated the pool. She threw a hose inside to fill it up with water while Nadia brought out a handful of toys as her contribution.
"Hop in," Ms. Paisely said, clapping her hands as soon as the pool was filled up.
Nadia held Bernie's hand and jumped in, dragging him inside. He toppled over his head, awkwardly, and instantly sat up straight.
Ms. Paisely sighed and patted Bernie's head. "If you eat and bathe with someone, they're family. And unless you intend on betraying your family, loosen up." She said before walking away.
"Kekekeke, Ryker would be so jealous when he comes out!" Nadia exclaimed and squished a rubber duck to fill it up with water. "Look, it can shoot water!" She held up the inflated duck in Bernie's face and pressed it. A stream of water pierced Bernie's eyes, jolting him out of his formality.
Mean words slipped out of his mouth as he tackled the duck out of her hands. The evening sky was a clear blue and Nadia's laughs echoed into the air. Ryker's jealous shouts followed soon after as he entered the scene in an extra large tee-shirt overstuffed in daisy-duck shorts.
Bernie's heart captured the moment forever, in essence it was most tangible to grounding his existence.
Nadia and Ryker's banter continued over dinner and did not last until loud shouts from Bernie's house distracted the lot.
"Have you been okay?" Nadia asked, suddenly, as she shifted closed to Bernie's side.
"Yeah, yes, why not? He just screams, we're used to it," Bernie held the ice cream in his mouth and raised two-thumbs up.
"We're always here, if anything happens. You know," Ryker said, patting Bernie's back.
"Yes, yes, yes, I know," Bernie hastily covered, "It's so sad that we wouldn't be able to see the performances at the summer festival, right?"
"Yeah," Nadia agreed instantly, sighing, "I was excited. It's okay though, at least we can have fun with the food and bouncy castles!"
"Yes, as long as we're together..."
Against Bernie's overthinking spirals, Nadia and Ryker did not abandon him. Their school days continued in giggles, exchanging notes and pulling their hair over long division homework. As the summer hit its peak and the Bruno Square dressed up in orange, brugandy, beige and green — there was only one word on everyone's lips, 'The Summer Festival.'
All vendors temporarily disguised themselves as food stalls while newer migratory vendors set up cultural stalls of handmade fans, flowers, jewelleries and much more. All public and private vehicles were prohibited in a ten meter radius around the festival grounds. The hotspot was the Rielle Stadium where amature and professional performances were taking place. Giggling school kids, angsty teenagers and overworked adults had finally found a common ground to celebrate.
Though non-participants and unsupervised kids were not allowed entry into the performance arena, Bernie held onto Nadia's hand while she held onto Ryker's hand as he held onto Aaron's hand — a 'Staff Only' identity card swung around each of their necks as they followed Aaron's aggressive navigation through the sweaty crowd and into the reserved block.
"Sit here, you lot and enjoy! Cheer hardest for me, of course," Aaron grinned and patted his chest, twice. "Are you comfortable?" He asked as the kids settled into the chairs.
"Yes, thank you!" Nadia exclaimed.
"We appreciate it, a lot!" Bernie nodded agressively.
"Thanks big bro," Ryker smiled with stars in his eyes.
"Of course, always," Aaron ruffled Ryker's hair, "I'll send someone, probably Elio, with snacks. Make sure you don't get hurt!" Aaron called out as he jogged back and was eventually lost into the crowd.
"I did not know you had a brother!" Nadia slapped Ryker's arm in exclamation.
"You never asked!" Ryker slapped back.
"He's super handsome!!" Nadia giggled.
"And super nice!!" Bernie joined.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's the best for a reason," Ryker scoffed.
Though there were a lot of performances that encapsulated the hearts of the young trio, there was one that left a lasting impact on Nadia. Apart from all the laughs she burst in, tears she shed out and people she cheered for, there was a person who captivated her mind.
Nadia was young and impressionable, nine and naive. The stage was set up with bright lights and the music thumped through the very ground her feet were on. She was standing, compelled to cheer for Aaron's band. Her hands were already up in the air, mind prepared to be blown.
Yet, when the lead singer opened her mouth — Nadia lost all sense of reality. Her breath hitched, heart thundered and eyes widened. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she mimicked the girl's movements, entranced by her entire existence.
Maybe it was the lyrics of the song.
"Somebody once told me, the world is gonna roll me, I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed—!"
Maybe it was her powerful voice.
"She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb in the shape of an "L" on her forehead..."
Maybe it was giddiness in her stance as she was hungry to feed the world on the joy coursing in her veins.
"Well, the years start comin' and they don't stop comin'
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground runnin'
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb—"
Maybe Nadia was the perfect donor for the oozing feelings, she wanted to latch on and embrace it.
"So much to do, so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the backstreets?
You'll never know if you don't go
You'll never shine if you don't glow—"
Maybe it was the natural build-up of the song that made butterflies wreck havoc in her stomach.
"Hey now, you're an all star
Get your game on, go play
Hey now, you're a rock star
Get the show on, get paid
Only shootin' stars break the mold."
Yes, Nadia knew in that moment as she jumped to the beat, shouting, "Oh I'm in love! I love you so much!" This is who she wanted to be. That girl. The one who stood tall in the centre of the stage, raven hair shining silver under the stage lights. The one with who smiled the prettiest, doing what she loved.
Nadia wanted to be like her. Shine, powerfully and brilliantly, doing what she loved.
It was a memory Nadia would cling to as the summer stilled into winter and the winter melted into a new summer. As flowers blossomed and leaves withered, as makeshift stalls turned back into permanent ones and the local ladies haggled harder for lower prices. As time went on and her letters to Arabella Mahenjer kept being cold heartedly returned, Nadia did not give up.