for your graces | isla & kasiya
Kasiya didnât consider himself to be any more or less patriotic than the next guy, but Fourth of July events in Cloverbrook had been a favorite tradition of his ever since he could remember. His parents, sisters, and nieces all got together to celebrate and catch up, laying thick blankets down on the grass and toting coolers and lawn chairs along with them. On top of that, the entire day was a unique sensory-experience. He could smell hot dogs being cooked and foamy beer and the grass kicked up by childrenâs running feet, all while sounds of bellowing laughter and movie soundtracks trailed through his ears. And, oh, the fireworks. They were something else. He often thought about how the stars were slowly becoming less and less visible to him each time the night came around, inching towards fading into pale flecks that he could just make out if he looked at them right. One day theyâd be gone, but, for now, watching such grandiose displays of color in the sky made him feel a little less afraid of a future without stars.
He had been at the radio booth almost all day, taking short breaks to eat or to say hi to a friend if they strolled by. It was a good place for him to be-- he could play music and get to know other residents all from the cool, shaded space inside the booth. Stevie appreciated it, too, no doubt, as she didnât have to worry so much about navigating through the party crowd. The golden retriever simply took long naps at Kasiyaâs feet, content to be out of the sun. When the sun hinted that it would set soon, however, Kas handed the mic over to one of the station interns who had tagged along to help him out, and slipped out of the booth with Stevie by his side. He was ready to take a longer break now, mostly so that he could find his family somewhere on the grass and spend time with them. His nieces were finally old enough to really appreciate the goings-on.Â
The energy in the crowd was palpable as Kas made his way through, frequently offering up polite mutterings of âexcuse meâ and trying to navigate his way to his family. Stevie was surprisingly at-ease, despite the stress of helping her owner avoid being trampled. Kasiya smirked a little at the dog and continued their trek. He knew the area well, but it was always so different once it was covered in people-- needless to say, a few wrong turns were definitely taken. Finally, he reached a more secluded area by the trees so he could get his bearings, and practically stumbled right into another body as he surveyed the area.Â
âOh, man,â he said, arms out to steady himself. âIâm really sorry about that. Are you--â He stopped short when he realized who he had, quite literally, bumped into. Blurry vision or not, he would always be able to recognize her. Her hair, her posture, everything. The image of the woman before him was one that had been pressed into his memory time and time again, and yet, he couldnât think of what to say. It had been too long; the words were all gone by now.Â
âIsla,â was all he managed as his mind raced to catch up with what he was seeing.