The roar of a thousand voices echoing throughout the city. The stampede of people pounding at the ground, producing an earthquake beneath your feet. The heartbeat of city keeping in rhythm with the wild African drumming being played in the square.
Caroline had missed the excitement and the sense of life that the city possessed. She had missed watching people go about their lives, wondering what stories, wondrous knowledge and secrets they held close.
Caroline felt like a child, learning for the first time the wonders and mysteriousness that the world presented her with. What common, yet nonetheless extraordinary, events and miracles which were laid down before her.
Discovering for what seemed like the first time in far too long, the sensations of the spicy scents as she wandered through the market place, the phenomenal feats of the African drummers as they played the instruments with pure passion.
She and Gerald were caught up in a large crowd of people in the city centre, the former enjoying the commotion far more than the latter.
Everything and everyone in the crowd was a colourful, loud, and beautiful blur.
Until suddenly, Caroline's eyes fixed on a single still figure, whose outline and form was unmistakeable.
She knew that tatted old hat and that figure anywhere. But surely this wasn't real…It couldn't be just a huge coincidence…Could it?
Her heart was skipping beats. She stood still, unable to move. Gerald had managed to pull himself out of the crowd and was attempting to look over the heads in the crowd for Caroline, but he couldn't see her amongst the vast herd of people.
Caroline had completely forgotten that Gerald existed for that moment. Because she was staring at the man, who was only twenty feet away from her. Her heart was fluttering in her chest. Her mind was telling her to back away and hide, but her heart was telling her that his was right, that she should go to him.
Suddenly he turned his head and looked straight at her. His features clearly showed his shock and disbelief.
Caroline couldn't shake that sudden feeling of exhilaration when he looked at her with those heart stopping coral blues. He looked as though he was barely able to breathe or speak. His eyes glittered with his shyness and his love, and Caroline felt as though they were the only two people in existence.
He moved closer to her, trying to reach her in the crowd. He stopped as they stood face to face, just gazing at each other. Neither knew what to say or to think. They were just lost in this moment together.
Caroline tried to speak first, "H-Hi," The words were so difficult to produce, as her shock had not yet worn off.
"H-Hello," he replied, seemingly finding it just as difficult as her.
Anders wanted to ask her so many questions, but he didn't know how to begin, all he could say was, "How?" his expression was questioning and confused.
"Oh!…um…Gerald and I were…um…we just decided to spend a few days in Johannesburg. You know, just to get out of the house for a while," explained Caroline, never dropping her gaze from his.
Anders flinched at the mention of Gerald, his anger and jealousy building up again. It felt hot and it scorched his insides; it crept through every inch of him, until all of him was filled with this smouldering flame of hatred. He consealed it from her however, and eventually controlled it.
"So…um…how've you been? Are you and Him happy?" he queried; the latter was said quite vehemently. Caroline didn't miss this.
"I've been alright…And I suppose we are happy, yes." What she was going to say next, she knew would really hurt him deeply, but she couldn't lie to him…She couldn't keep it from him.
"Actually, Gerald proposed to me about a month ago…We're to be married in a few months."
Anders heart felt that rusted knife twist inside, and it wounded his heart deeper than ever before. She was going to marry HIM! This couldn't be happening…He refused to believe it…But it was happening…Caroline, His Caroline, was going to be the wife of that disgusting snake, that evil, horrid, venomous, retched and shameless man.
Anders couldn't stop himself, he had lost Caroline once; he would not lose her again. The words burst from him like a wild animal thrusting itself against a cage wall, hitting it so hard until it was free.
"Caroline you can't marry him! He's not right for you…He doesn't deserve you."
Caroline was shocked by this response, she had expected him to be upset, but she hadn't expected him to say that.
"What do you mean he's not right for me? If he isn't then who is?!" she answered, feeling confused and overwhelmed by all of this.
"I…I don't know, but I do know that it's not him!" Anders was desperately trying to make her see Gerald for what he truly was. He couldn't let her go forever. He wasn't strong enough. His heart wouldn't be able to cope, and he was certain that it would be the end of him. He took a deep breath and continued,
"Caroline, listen…You may think now that he's right for you, and that he's going to make you really happy, but if you gave it a few years you would see how wrong for you he really is. He always thinks that he is superior to everyone else, he only thinks about himself and he doesn't really care about you or your feelings, and I know he doesn't."
"Oh? And how do you know that I don't love Caroline?" Anders knew that voice only too well; his burning hatred filled him once again, and bubbled furiously inside…
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What will happen between Anders and Gerald in the next chapter?! If you kindly R&R, you'll find out!
I'm not trying to seem cruel I just really, really want your opinions on my chapters! Any constructive criticism will be appreciated as well! Thanks so much! :)
