Accidentally In Love

There is one question that lingers in my brain that kept running every time I heard the word "FATE". At someone who buried themselves to work hard without any balance in life. Does word Fate and Love even equal? or Fate means "This is your fated life?"

On a summer evening, a girl named Caraleen walks home from an exhaustion shift at work. The breeze of the wind is a bit cold as it is dark and alone on the sidewalk. Caraleen was in deep thought of whether resigning to her current work which is toxic and loud or stay and waiting for the promotion that was promised to her for 2 years now, when suddenly a guy on his bicycle almost crushed her but instead bump into a small tree making him fall on the ground. Caraleen immediately ran into him and checks him if his okay or needed to call for an ambulance. "Are you okay Sir?" Cara asked the guy that is grunting from bumping into the tree. She help him stand which made the guy look to her. "Yeah, I'm alright" He responded as Cara hold him, helping him stand properly. The guy tried to walk on his own but almost fall as he was limping, making the both of them look at the guy's feet. "Oh?" she said, squatting to check the guy's ankle. He got shocked by Cara's action and stepped back a little while she held his feet to look it closer. "Don't move. This might get worst" She calmly said. Caraleen help the guy to sit on the bench nearby to see if it is swollen. The guy was mesmerized by how caring Caraleen is, knowing they are strangers to both of them. "Miss, I apologize for making you look after me, but I can handle it from here," the guy said making the other look up to him. She smiled at him and said, "No worries, I have the entire night and it's swollen. I better call 911 now". The guy was amazed and left speechless watching a stranger looking after him.

A few minutes later an ambulance stopped in front of them. Two guys in an orange track uniform went down to the ambulance with a stretcher. Cara greeted them saying her friend got injured from bumping into the tree nearby. The guy told Cara to go home but Cara is not that kind of person. She goes with them making sure that the guy will be treated well. At the hospital, Cara was the one who run errands for the guy so it won't be a hassle for the other. She was known to be the group's life saver and this is why it is never new to Caraleen to help someone in an emergency. The night has passed and so has the guy pushing Caraleen to go home. "Miss, you should take some rest. You look tired and stressed. Please I can handle it from here now" the guy to the lady. Caraleen looks at him checking if it is fine to leave him like that. "Okay then. I can see you are okay. By the way, I am Cara and you are?" she asked the guy "I'm Aki" he simply replied and offer his hand for a shake. Caraleen immediately receives his hands and shakes them lightly. She bid her goodbye while waving her hand and so did Aki.

Time goes by and it's almost a month since the incident happened. A lot of things changed for both of them. Caraleen leave the toxic environment where she jailed herself for almost 6 years and Aki has been doing physical therapy because of his injured ankle. He is forced to rest from the National Team as this might affect the injury. His coach and the team told him to relax for a bit as he is known to be the most dedicated player in their team. His life is all about playing and achieving the gold medal they all dream about but in his current situation he feel like the world is against him, taking all the blame from the incident.

More days has passed, on the sunny morning of August, Caraleen decided to walk at the park nearby. It was so long ago as far as she remember the last time she woke up early and do a morning walk. The morning wind freshens up her mind. This is the first time she breathes fresh air and not the air conditioner wind that her old company. She sat on the bench near the river and relax her body and soul. "Is this seat taken?" a familiar voice speaks in front of her. A tall smiling guy covers the sunlight from her face as she lifts her head. 'It was the guy I helped from that incident' her mind murmured. She just nodded her head to answer yes to his question. "It's been a month right?" He started the conversation to ease the awkward atmosphere, she chuckled and look at him making sure she react to him. "Yeah, it's been a month since then. How's your feet though?" Caraleen asked him. He is wearing a cast while holding his crutches on the side. "Been doing good I guess, except for the fact that I have to rest for a long and do therapy, it stresses me out. Being an athlete was my life and now I don't know what to do anymore." Aki said looking far into the river. Caraleen watches his eyes drop when says those words, it is like she feel the pain in his eyes. "You? I guess you're doing great" He changed the topic. Caraleen smiled and closed her eyes to feel the light from the sun. "I am never so okay until I leave that toxic work. I locked myself into that company making me do impossible. I thought they were just grateful for me being part of their team but as time goes by I realized I was taking advantage of them. Abusing my good deeds for their own good. I was tired that night when the incident happened." A vision from the left side of Caraleen watching her, curving his lips up from hearing that she got her freedom. They suddenly look into each other's eyes. Both of them feel the electric spark just by staring at each other. Caraleen feel flustered and turned away her gaze from the guy. A heat in her face pop-ups that made Aki smile brightly. "I wonder if you believe in love at first sight?" A sudden question slips into his mouth. "I don't believe in that but I believe in Destiny" She replied. "Should we talk about that over a coffee?" Aki invites her making Caraleen blush and so they both stood up, Cara helped Aki into his crutches and walks slowly.