[A few hours later – Poetry Lectures]
Rasul The thought of you makes me smile, as my heart beats, it aches; for I’ll never call you mine again. It’s unbearable to think you will never smile when I cross your mind; forever I shall feel the bitterness of breaking our bond. You were not just the one I called mine, you were my best friend, my escape to a better world, my comfort zone, my safe haven. You were not just a star to me, you came into my ordinary world and made it a beautiful universe. Not for a second should you think you broke my heart, you walked away with it, making our love timeless.
Professor Robert Thank you Rasul. Thank you all for a successful and intriguing semester. I’d like to leave you with a few words; you can do anything. All you need to do is plan, be consistent, find ways to motivate yourself, and never forget to include poetry in your daily lives. You can choose to be an engineer, a journalist, a nurse, a president, an architect, a custodian, or a computer programmer, and also be a poet. Art will always be part of our lives as human beings. Poetry does not always have to make sense; you don’t need to be happy to write an extraordinary poem. The outcome of a bad situation can be a good poem, sometimes the only motivation you need is to wake up in the morning. It’s a big world, go out there, and find yourselves. It was a pleasure to be your teacher! Have an adventurous summer! Class dismissed.
[Nabi applauds, while walking towards Rasul]
Nabi I’m speechless! When did you become a poet?
Rasul Exactly how long have you been eavesdropping?
Nabi The thought of her makes you smile? Brother, the look you had on your face was pitiful! Who did you pour your heart and soul into that beautifully, well-written, yet depressing poem for?
Rasul This is an old poem I wrote for the love of my life. It was very tough to complete, but it is time to let her go. Regardless of how many girls there are in the world, I see her face when I lay my eye upon a beautiful woman. Her voice takes over my thoughts, and then I find myself in another dimension; reminiscing about the way she made me feel, her soothing kiss, her gentle touch; filled with affection and passion. Ironically, I can never describe the way she truly made me feel; I think the precise word is… I wish I could describe the way she made me feel with one word. All I can say is she made me feel significant every second we spent together or apart.
Nabi Most people can’t describe love, but I think your words are what love is, exactly.
Rasul I don’t know what love is Nabi. I think love is being there for someone regardless of what life throws at you. Loving someone you know will never love you back, even if it’s just for the moment. Or for a decade, but you never give up, because having the hope that one day they will love you, is better than nothing.
Nabi Those words my friend, sound like the thoughts of a hopeless romantic.
Rasul I’m just a man, who loves everything about love. I like to think love is a form of art; one never loses when it comes to love but learns.
[Exit scene]
Nabi This woman you speak of that has had you heartbroken. How do you know she does not think of you, as you do of her, or still loves you? You know they say love never dies.
Rasul Don’t be naive Nabi, love dies. You might think I’m a hopeless romantic, but I’m not! I’m a realist. Also, she never broke my heart; she walked away with it, making our love timeless.
Nabi Don’t be obtuse my friend, listen to yourself! Your words are evidence that love never dies.
Rasul If you say so Nabi. All I want for her is to be blessed with the type of love she deserves; she loves, but love is never in her favor. If you say she might love me, I agree, but she will never be in love with me, nor will she ever think of me and smile. The terrible memories I left her, will forever overshadow the memorable moments we had. I know she would love to forget everything about me.
Nabi The worst feeling in life is, not knowing the truth about something. Let the past be the past. You seem to have been in love before everything fell apart, you know her like the back of your hand, you have the advantage. You have to try to show her you’re a better man, you’re not the same immature boy she knew.
[Padding Rasul on the back] You’re a wise man brother.
Rasul I’ve tried everything possible my friend. The best thing to do is to let her go, if she ever comes back, then we are destined to be together, but I doubt it, so as you said, let the past be the past.
Nabi You sound like a goldbricker!
Rasul That’s what she loved about me the most, the fact that I never gave up. She always used to say "I love the way you fight to make me happy." As many moons passed, she began to hate my excuses, repeatedly saying "stop telling me you’re sorry, and show me."
Nabi Those words are hollow, it’s time to show her how much she means to you, go out there and win back your lost love! Destiny can’t be controlled, but when it comes to love, you can choose to be the writer of your story. Make sure you write something you would love to read. Remember, we all are characters in someone’s story. She might meet someone who is worth a paragraph; I might meet someone who will be good enough for a chapter, or verse. But what you want to achieve at the end of the day is to be the title or the theme of someone’s story.
Rasul Very wise words my friend! Although, it might be too late, the last time we spoke, she was in love with someone who makes her happy, someone who gives her the type of love she deserves. She deserves to be loved, the way she loves, or even more.
Nabi I honestly don’t think giving up is...
Rasul You’ll never get it Nabi! I used up every single chance she ever gave me. Trust me she gave me more chances than it rains in Washington, more than the earth orbits the sun. I wouldn’t be shocked if she gave up on love.
Nabi Quit exaggerating! Would you be pleased if she gave up on love? Then, make her not give up on love. If you think what you had was true love, fight for it, and keep pushing till you can no longer push.
Rasul Honestly, deep down I think she hates me. She says all is forgiven, and the past is the past...
[Interrupting Rasul]
Nabi Exactly! The past is the past; you can either use that to your advantage, or dwell in the past, and lose her forever. She has made it clear to you, she loves people who never give up. I don’t understand why you...
[Interrupting Nabi]
Rasul I’m starving Nabi! I’m not going to sit here, in this sunlight-lacking room, I feel as if I’m being interrogated.
Nabi They say where there’s love, there’s life. Furthermore, the best thing to hold onto in life is your loved one, the one you think about when you hear the words love and forever.
Rasul They also say all your actions certainly have a consequence brother. I constantly thought she would be here, till hell freezes over, no matter what. Now here I am, with nothing to hold onto but a blurry past and fading memories.
Nabi Ra! She might be waiting for her Romeo, someone to save her, maybe she’s not happy.
Rasul What if she is happy?
Nabi I’m beginning to think I’ll never get through to you because you have given up, which is a shame. But, as a substitute, I think you should look for a new Juliet, to help you take your mind of your lost love.
Rasul There can never be a new Juliet, there’s no one better than her Nabi!
Nabi Clean up! Let’s get something to eat before the sun falls. Old man William is mowing his lawn, which tells me the sun is still warm. Come on! You might meet someone enchanting.
Rasul Quit chattering Nabi!
[Mocking Rasul, while leaving the house]
Nabi Perchance, a gorgeous Moroccan, or Egyptian. Even better, a witty European! You know you love those beautiful accents.
Rasul You know me too well my friend!
Nabi This particular dazzling European lady, you’re destined to meet, might be the reason you forget about your old Juliet.
[Replied with anger]
Rasul Now that is absurd! Impossible!
Nabi Impossible?! Always remember brother, Love and laughter can heal a broken heart.
[Rasul stopped and looked into the sky, replying]
Rasul My heart is not broken Nabi! It’s missing. I gave her my heart, and she never gave it back; she walked away with it, without a goodbye.
Nabi Love is complicated...
Rasul Without a doubt!
Nabi Love tends to...
[Interrupting Nabi]
Rasul I’ve met beautiful women who captured my attention instantaneously. However, that same attraction seems to vanish, the same way they caught my eye. No one Nabi, no one, can hold a candle to her!
Nabi Don’t lose faith, captain! There are a lot of fish in the sea.
[While looking around]
Rasul Everywhere I look; I see love, life, people smiling and making memories with loved ones. That irritates me!
Nabi Cheer up! It's truly a beautiful day. Seize the day, brother! A simple hello and a smile can lead to a forever.
Rasul Talking about smiles, her smile always...
Nabi You still haven’t told me about this magnificent woman, who has kept you in a blue funk.
Rasul It’s not love if it doesn’t make you go crazy. People misuse the word perfection when they are aroused by beauty, but she was not just stunning, even her inner beauty surpasses that of the most physically attractive woman in the world. The only creature I can put above Luana is an angel, something heavenly, divine, someone…
[Interrupting Rasul]
Nabi Stop! There she is, Ra! There she is, the love of my life, she is what I call perfection…
[Replied with fascination]
Rasul Sensational!
Nabi She is! Skin as delicate as melted chocolate, hair smooth as silk, the closer you get, the more beautiful she gets.
Rasul What a pleasing view! Look at that smile,
Nabi Mona Lisa smile, I know!
Rasul I mean the light-skinned one. I love a girl with a beautiful smile.
Nabi That is Ya...
[Interrupting Nabi]
Odrih Nabi! Over here!
[Nabi whispering to Rasul while walking over to Odrih]
Nabi We should have taken the other route; she makes me nervous.
Rasul Be confident, and remember to introduce me to her friend.
Nabi Odrih! How are you?
Odrih Nabi, you left before I could wish you a very special happy birthday on Friday!
Nabi It’s okay! A gorgeous woman like you already has too much on her mind.
Odrih Oh Nabi, you’re too modest.
Rasul I think you should make it up to him! My friend only turns nineteen once.
Odrih And who are you?
Nabi O, where are my manners? Odrih, this is my good friend Ra. Rasul, meet Odrih and her friend...
[Interrupting Nabi]
Yasmin Yasmin. I’m Yasmin.
Rasul Nice to meet you Yasmin. I’ve to say, you have a lovely name, and I’m in love with your smile. Nice to meet you too Odrih. You can call me Ra.
Yasmin I know who you are. Well, I know about you. Rasul from Rhythm Technologies.
Rasul Charming and breathtaking; Odrih, I like your friend, she is well-informed. I hope they are all good things; everything you heard about me, I mean.
Yasmin Oh yes! My High School teacher was obsessed with Rhythm Technologies' Energy Elixir. Also, call me Nana, my friends call me Nana.
Rasul I love Yasmin, I love the way it sounds. In my opinion, it’s the only beautiful name that starts with the alphabet "Y".
Yasmin That is your opinion! What about the name Ysabel? With the alphabet "Y" instead of "I". That will be the name of my daughter.
Odrih Really? That is beautiful.
Nabi It’s very beautiful!
Rasul Okay, with the exception of Ysabel, I love it
Yasmin I wanted a name very unique, with a beautiful meaning.
Rasul It’s perfect. Where are you headed? We were going to Mercy's for lunch. Do you want to come with?
Odrih Sorry, we have to get going; we are going to the cinema to watch “The Thousand Mile Walk”.
Yasmin Thank you, for the Extra Help Mathematics application. It helped me through the last year in school.
Odrih We must go out to dinner soon.
Nabi Yes, we must!
Yasmin I hope to see you again Rasul. Have a splendid day!
Rasul Have a wonderful day, ladies!
[Exit scene]
[Next day - On the phone with Rasul]
Nabi Wear your best attire, I’m meeting Odrih in a few hours. I told her to invite Yasmin.
Rasul That is a bad idea Nabi! I’m leaving early in the morning, and I’ve to get ready.
Nabi I don’t need to be reminded! I can’t believe you’re moving to Europe! It’s almost eight thousand miles away. Also, it’s just lunch; Yasmin is interested in you and I know you are too.
Rasul She is enchanting, and she is responsible for my happiness yesterday and today, but I’m leaving tomorrow, and my mind is already made up. I don’t know exactly where my destination will be, but I’d love to visit St. Petersburg, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Stockholm.
Nabi Don’t forget Berlin.
Rasul Definitely!
Nabi You should think about moving to another state, instead of moving to another part of the world. How about Orlando, Florida?
Rasul Nabi, I didn’t plan to spend my last day with you talking about this. My mind is already made up.
Nabi Alright! Do you want to meet up with Odrih and Yasmin?
Rasul I would love to, but no thank you, you can go if you want.
Nabi Let's go fishing!
Rasul What?!
Nabi You always said, the one thing you missed doing was fishing, ever since you moved to the west. We are going fishing.
Rasul I thought you had a date with Yasmin's friend.
Nabi Odrih. Yes, I do, but she is not moving to another continent. I’ll call her, and hopefully she will understand.
Rasul You’re insane brother. Meet me outside in twenty minutes.
Nabi We have to make a quick stop to buy some fishing gear.
Rasul And where can we get such things?
Nabi I know of a place.
[On the road]
Rasul She seems amazing.
Nabi Yasmin?
Rasul No, Odrih. Remember to treat her right. When you meet an understanding, and loving woman, you should always treat her like a queen.
Nabi I’m curious! You never told me when or how you met her, your lost love. I know nothing about her, not even her name.
Rasul I think, we met during the winter of the year 2000. Honestly, those memories are slowly fading, like a flying sky lantern. I fear they will one day disappear, and I’ll be left with nothing.
Nabi You have an eidetic memory; I doubt that would ever happen. Quit beating around the bush and tell me what happened. We don’t have all day.
Rasul It was three weeks before New Year’s Eve. I saw her at a carnival, with a Polaroid camera, taking a picture by herself. Everything was perfect, the loud colors, the rapidly moving objects, the continuous chattering, different faces moving around, and the delicious smell of kettle corn. There I was feeling lost, because everything and everyone seemed to be moving at a fast pace. And there she was, trying to take a picture of that perfect moment. At that point everything seemed calm. I could hear myself breathe, the sound of popping kettle corn; suddenly everything was balanced. I was very shy, scared to walk up to her, and say hi. As if we were destined to meet, something or someone pushed me, and I found myself standing in front of her, stuttering. I was nervous.
[The Encounter - Year 2000]
Rasul You might want to stand in this direction for a better picture. You will look perfect no matter what, but those moving lights will add more beauty to the beauty.
Luana What?! Never mind, I’m leaving anyways.
Rasul Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you off.
Luana I don’t get scared that easily!
Rasul You should have at least one perfect picture of this perfect day. Hand me the camera, stand right there and pose!
Luana Do you always talk to people you don’t know?
Rasul Only beautiful girls.
Luana Here.
Rasul Thanks, you won’t regret this.
[Few minutes later]
Luana I’m getting impatient! Let me see!
Rasul Not yet! Let it dry! Not to get ahead of myself, but this might be the best picture I’ve ever taken.
Luana Don’t be too certain! What happened to the timid boy who seemed nervous, a moment ago?
Rasul I tend to open up to people when we develop a connection.
Luana Let me see the picture, and what makes you think we have a connection? Don’t be a know-it-all.
Rasul One more, and take a look at this one.
Luana Ugh! I hate it! I look like I did when I was twelve or thirteen years old.
Rasul You’ll love this last one, it’s perfect.
Luana I doubt it! Can you please stop overusing the word perfect?
Rasul I can’t. That is the only word I can think of at the moment.
Luana I don’t like it. You can keep this one since you love it that much. I like the last one.
Rasul Thank you very much! It’s...
[Interrupting Rasul]
Luana Do not say perfect.
Rasul I was going to say perfection. It’s perfection.
Luana Well, I’ve to find my brother. Have a good night loser!
Rasul I can help you find him, and my name is...
Luana I really don’t care, I like loser. It’s perfect.
Rasul This picture says I’m not a loser, tonight I won!
Luana Whatever you say loser! Bye!
[As she began to walk away]
Rasul Come on! The night is young. It’s...
Luana Don’t say perfect.
Rasul It’s beautiful. Why are you in a hurry anyway?
Luana Yes, it’s a beautiful night, but it’s not what I thought it would be. My brother disposed of me the moment he met an old friend.
Rasul Well, maybe I can change that. How about I make your day better, and you show me around? I’m new in town.
Luana Where are you from?
Rasul I recently moved here from Ghana.
Luana Ghana, as in Africa?!
Rasul I don’t think there’s another place called Ghana. Other than, the Ghana in West Africa!
Luana No, you just don’t look like an African.
Rasul And what is an African supposed to look like?! You know what, don’t answer that.
Luana My sister has been to Ghana, she went on a tour, and I’d love to go to Africa one day, tell me more about it.
Rasul I will, but tonight is more about me getting to know you; I want you to tell me about yourself. What type of music do you listen to?
Luana There’s nothing to tell. I love hip-hop, I love all types of music, but I can’t live without hip-hop.
Rasul