Passion Fruit...

You will find passion in transit.

Before you stop running he will trip you.

~Anonymous

Passion Fruit

And I was on the bus minding my own business. I let everyone know that I was minding my own business because my headphones were set to the loudest volume. The bus is always more interesting when peoples voices are muted. I tend to place my own conversation in their mouths. I was watching a young woman explain to her best friend the joys of sexuality manipulation, I think. She was very animate about this topic, she was probably saying “Never pay for drinks. Always look for the most desperate man in the club and give him some attention. Show some skin too” I looked down in disgust at these shallow words I put in her mouth. I feel bad about how I feel sometimes. I feel bad that I don't li
sten to peoples conversations. I don't give them a chance to defend themselves. I felt a tapping on my shoulder. Countless people have told me to turn my music down, I was sure this was another annoyed patron. I readied my fake smile and sappy apology. The same one I've used countless times. I turn to the source of the tap and looked right into the face of Passion. I've never been face to face with the physical personification of anything before but here I was starring Passion right in the face. He mouthed a couple of words I couldn't hear. I lowered my headphones.

“What?” I asked.

“I love you” he said.

I just met this abstract concept made real and he already loved me. I was silent for a bit. I just watched his glowing skin turn red. I don't think he was embarrassed I think he was just getting ready for my response. He looked almost like a passion fruit. His skin was coarse and dimpled and if I wasn't mistaken there was some bruising around the left side. Maybe the first guy to discover passion fruits came into contact with this... thing I was starring at. He was probably on an expedition of great importance when suddenly this thing appeared in his caravan. He was probably as confused as I am now. He'd ask the caravan leader who this thing was and the leader would have no answer. Then Passion would start annoying him with questions and hinder the whole expedition. And when he saw a passion fruit for the same time he decided to name it after that strange thing that followed him on his journey.

“Do you love me?” he asked.

“I..uh...This is my stop”

It wasn't. I got off the bus and didn't know where the hell I was. Passion followed me.

“So you don't love me?”

“Yea I don't know I guess. Man your not even real”

He looked hurt. I was immediately sorry. Not because I disliked being a jerk, quite the opposite, it can be fun sometimes. I felt sorry because this thing could be some divine god here to test me, or worse to love me. Now I know how all those ancient Greek peasants felt. Call me Daphne and turn me into a Laurel tree. Passion still looked on.

“I still love you. Its ok” He said in his calm voice.

He looked like a passion fruit and even sounded like one. His voice was a squishy mess, like he was constantly eating.

“Well great. Nice to meet you. Bye”

I began to walk fast. He followed.

“Tell me you love me” he said behind me.

I almost broke into a run I was walking so fast. He was keeping pace with me saying things I tried not to hear. Just before I broke into a full run, Passion stuck out his leg and tripped me to the ground. He had a boney leg. Like those California raisins. My shins will be sore for a week. I flipped onto my back and Passion mounted me.

“Say it. I love you”

I refused. I had never said it to anyone why would I start with some aggressive fruit. Why should I? I just wanted to be left alone and listen to my music. To create conversations between people on the bus. To not have to understand another human being, or to take responsibility for one. I don't want to love. I couldn't. I am selfish boy, love isn't an option. I looked into Passions mushy eyes and finally saw everything in colour now. All the blacks and white turned into the vibrant colours they were suppose to be. I could see all of Passions colours as if they were mine. He smiled. I smiled. Babies laughed I guess and fireworks went off. All that cliché shit. It was like every Disney movie got together for a giant orgy and came at the same time. Looking into Passions eyes was like achieving every goal in my life. Even goals that I hadn't acknowledged, life was complete. He got off of me and helped me up. I could still feel the weight of his circular body on my torso. It was a weight I'd carry for the rest of my life because Passion is a burden that both liberates and restricts us. I know no one will understand and I will be misunderstood but the blacks and whites no longer exist the way they see it. I'll be forever different. When I got to my feet I smiled again.

I opened my mouth “I...”

“Save it” he said “I know”