"Good morning, sunshine," I say to Radi as he wakes up. He is sleeping on the cot in the corner of the room, which the sunlight shines warmly on, due to the window in the small kitchen, opposite of the cot.
"What are you making? It smells good," says Radi. The bed sheets move a little bit, and there is an indented mark in the blankets, which I assume is where his elbow rests.
"I decided to make porridge this morning. While looking in the cupboards for ingredients, I found cinnamon in the very back of the cupboard. Cinnamon does add a delightful taste to the porridge, and it also has a pleasing aroma," I say, taking the pot of porridge off of the stove. I pour the porridge into bowls, and bring the bowls to the table. I look back at Radi, who is still in the same position as he was before.
"Good decision," says Radi getting up from the bed. I hear the soft thuds of his feet hitting the floor. As I set the table, Radi wraps his arms around me and kisses my neck softly. His lips are cold, and sends shivers down my spine each time his petite mouth brushes against my skin. I turn around so I am facing Radi, and I kiss in the direction where his mouth last was. I seem to have aimed correctly, because there is a long, soft kiss in return.
Radi draws me closer to him. As we continue to kiss, I trace my hand down his delicate spine, attempting to learn how his body used to look like. All I know about his appearance, was a face from a memory of a handsome boy. As I start to grasp on what his back may have looked like, Radi pulls away.
"Millard, you can't learn everything. You won't be able to learn how I used to look like before, no matter how hard you try. Try to memorize me as how I am, now. Try to memorize me by how I feel, and not how I look, because no one will ever know me by how I look anymore, not even you," Radi says, whispering the last sentence. A dejected silence falls between us. Even though Radi doesn't say anything, I know that he is crying silently. As much as it may have been difficult for me to hear, it was much harder for him to say.
Radi lets go of me and hesitates to lay against me. I enfold my arms around him, bringing him closer to me. He rests his head against my chest. We stand in the silence for a while, letting our thoughts communicate. I lower my head to kiss his soft forehead.
"I love you," I whisper quietly. Radi lifts his head from my chest. He places his arms around my waist, and kisses me softly.
"I love you, too."
