Thoughts

"So you think that the colonel and the lieutenant are having a relationship?" I sniggered deeply from the bottom of my heart as I heard the 'astounding' news that was travelling around his office. Breda scratched a big cross on the scrap paper before leaning back in his chair apparently confused, Falman refused to hear about this issue leaving the most enthusiastic one of our group; jabbering excitedly – Kain Fuery.

"I am pretty sure, that is it. I mean they talked about something so secretive in the office and and they have been coming to office late. Where do you guys think they might have been?" Kain looked slightly annoyed at the lack of interest with his co companions. Breda looked even more confused; not knowing what to believe. Falman picked up the news paper nearby and began to read the top header of that morning while I had no much to say except giggle as I knew what the truth was and where our superiors had been all night. It was interesting to know how much Kain could imagine out of that brain of his, and I was not going spoil his mood. And that was when I had an idea and that was to join him.

"Well, maybe they have a relationship somewhere out of this office" I started carefully, trying to stay as vague as I could be. It was hard to stay a straight face when Falman began to peep over the top of the newspaper, and Breda losing the lost look in his eyes. They were hanging on my every word, Kain eyes gleamed as though he had found treasure.

"I told you, I told you; it's true! Havoc believes me!" He exclaimed happily, jumping up and down like a puppy. Unconsciously I rubbed the top of my head; that was when I noticed Breda having one of his eyebrows raised suspiciously. Yeah, I am not very good with lies; Breda would know i tend to rub my hair when i do however it was very much enjoyable to see them so interested therefore I am going to let out a little bit more.

"You see, I did see them leave the office together quite a number of times." Falman dropped his newspaper while Kain looked as though his heart was about to somersault out from his body; Breda refused to remove his suspicious gaze from me not even for a minute. I felt a little disgruntled but it was not like me to leave information hanging; I grabbed my cup of green tea which the lieutenant graciously gave me a while back and settled into my chair as though I was preparing to tell children an bed time story.

"Three days ago, I saw the lieutenant taking the colonel's car; It seemed to me that she was less than happy to be near the colonel, she might be angry at him." I was smacking my lips happily, well; the colonel and the lieutenant would probably not know about this so I guess a little spinning of tales would be just alright. At that particular moment, Breda jabbed into my words; he was already in his own chair sitting opposite to me with his arms and legs folded so strictly as though we are going to have a debate.

"We all know that the lieutenant is not a person to take favors from anyone, especially not from the colonel; maybe that's why she isn't so happy to get into his car." He said, shrugging his shoulders to my annoyance. The more he said those words with an unimpressed tone the more I had to prove my story telling abilities.

Kain looked in my direction and back to Breda, he was not unraveled by our words instead he was more and more entailed in my stories. Falman was still hanging onto my words; his newspaper was lying on his lap and his fingers still between the pages.

"If I am not wrong, I saw the colonel having his arms around the lieutenant just yesterday." I said, though I should have been more careful as a second later; I had tea sprayed onto my face. Kain was drinking his tea and in his excitement and my misfortune; I had led him feeling overly thrilled with my words. "Kain!" I shouted in my disgust, and walked hurriedly away to the pantry to get some paper towels.

"Ah! I am so sorry, Lieutenant Havoc!" Kain shouted out almost immediately as he followed to see if I was okay; Falman and Breda exchanged a knowing look, he pointed to the tea bag and then to Falman indicating if he wanted more tea. The two came tottering into the pantry, to my utter embarrassment. It was very and highly unusual for four grown solders to be squeezed uncomfortably into a pantry and it being a small space in all does not make reality any nicer.

We were in the process of shoving each others' body parts away from one another when we heard the main door slam hard against the hinges; accompanying the loud noise were even louder voices; the very two which belonged to our superiors.

"I told you, I can't do it!" It was a sobbing voice of our lady boss; I mean the lieutenant. She seemed to be very agitated and that was not a common sight to hear from her.

"If you try to keep an open mind, I am sure you can accept…" the Colonel was trying to persuade her about something, was it about alchemy? But how would that make the lieutenant cry? She is not an easy person to tear up; it must be something serious…

"It is not possible. So let us stop here, please?"

I could not breathe, but that was because Breda was choking my throat since he was pressed up against my front. "Get off of me!" I hissed to him highly annoyed, Kain on the other hand had his ear very close to the door, hoping to catch every single word. "Why don't you shift your* to another end?" Breda hissed back, he whacked his fist onto my head, Falman sighed behind us. We were all interested in their conversation but due to our scuffing, all we heard when some rustlings of clothes and a small sob. They footsteps began to walk away to the inner rooms i believe while kain looked very very disappointed.

After assuring that we would be safe, Falman unlocked the pantry door and it felt as though we lived again. The air was extremely stuffy in that room, the fresh air from the outside world was a miracle medicine, I turned around to look at Breda and Falman, and both seemed to be rather red in the face and seemed to be quite shocked by what they heard. The youngest of us on the other hand, was more bristled rather.

"If it was quieter in the pantry, we would have heard so much more…" He said forcefully, glancing at me in a way, that made me feel uncomfortable and unfair, was kain trying to lecture me? I caught Breda's eyes and they had the same expression as mine, was Kain trying to lecture us? He walked away from us, Falman seemed to be enjoying the show, he had not said much nor do much all this while.

Time passed by extraordinarily slow that day, we were dragging by not doing our work, taking long breaks to the bathroom, staring into blank space, doodling onto some blank scraps of paper. I did not speak to them that morning; my own mind was reeling from the information of what I heard. The lieutenant sounded desperate, the colonel sounded desperate not to let her feel so desperate. What was going on?

Finally, it was a quarter to twelve; it was time for a long awaited lunch and energy booster we all need; I peered at the inner rooms; they were in there for such a long time. We heard nothing, no noises or words; there was nothing to tell us there were people in that room.

Falman sighed audibly as we headed out through the door; the rest of us peered at him curiously. "We should ask them what is happening…"

"Ask who what?" replied another voice which was not any of ours, right outside the door preparing to come in was the colonel and behind him was the lieutenant.

What! That was strange! I can't believe this is happening… what on earth happened…?

Jean Havoc

4th November