"I have one more thing for you." He drew a pair of disposable cameras from his pack and handed one to her. "I thought it might be fun to create some photographic memories of our day. So you won't forget."
"I'm not going to forget."
"Well, just in case." His hand lingered on the camera even after passing it to her. Their eyes locked, and they both grinned and turned their faces away.
Daly fiddled with the cardboard camera. She hadn't used one of these in ages. Everything was digital these days, but once upon a time, it had been fun not knowing how a picture would turn out. If she could just remember how to operate the archaic contraption.
Zoom, click! The blinding flash startled her.
"Say, 'cheese,'" Kashi sang, after the fact.
"Hey!" She tried to grab the camera from him, but he stretched his arms above his head where she couldn't reach it. "No fair. I wasn't ready!"
"The best pictures come when you're least expecting it." He lowered the camera and tapped his finger against the side. "I have caught a true moment in history."
She pretended to listen while secretly winding the flash behind her back.
Zoom, click! She brought the camera within a foot of his face and returned the favor. "How's that for a true moment in history?" She chuckled as Kashi rubbed at his eyes.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that! Seems you've got the hang of it." He blinked hard, returned the backpack to his shoulder, and continued toward the garden. "C’mon, now." He extended his hand to her with the slightest twinkle in his eye. "Let's find out where this path leads us."
***
Together they wound through the nature trails, making their way deeper into the zoo. Kashi had become a bit shutter-happy, which made it that much harder for Daly to think of things to say.
"So, what was it like—" she began.
Click.
"What do you think about—?"
Click.
"Kashi!"
"What?" He pouted and cast big, black puppy dog eyes her way.
She rolled her eyes. "Quit taking pictures is what. You're going to waste all the film before we even get to the first animal."
"I'm not here to snap pics of the animals." Click. While winding up the wheel for another shot, he said, "I'm here to get to know you better."
"Well, how are you going to do that by constantly taking pictures? You're barely even talking to me."
"Sorry."
She smirked—there, she had stood up for herself—but her satisfaction didn't last long.
Click.
"Kashi!"
"Okay, okay. I'll stop." He put the camera in his pocket and lifted his hands in surrender.
"Why were you taking so many, anyway?"
He kicked at the dirt path. His eyes peeked up at Daly under the veil of his long, dark lashes. "Oh, just trying to capture the exact moment you fall head-over-heels in love with me."
Her mind reeled. Is he serious? What am I supposed to say to that?
They walked on without the interruption of Kashi's paparazzi act. Of course, now Daly had no idea how to get a fresh conversation going.
The trail ended at the river otter exhibit. Thank God for making the otters and placing them here. "Oh, I love the otters! Let's go."
They planted themselves in front of the exhibit and watched the two animals inside leap and twirl in the most skilled of underwater dances.
Knowing they were meant to provide the entertainment, the otters swam playfully by the glass wall, inviting their observers to jump through the barrier and come join them. Something about the otters reminded Daly of Meghann. An outsider might pity them, stuck in a box, unable to escape, but they enjoyed their lives for what they were—probably even felt sorry for everyone else for standing still and watching as they had all the fun.
Kashi pressed into Daly's side and slung an arm over her shoulders.
She took a note from the otters, or perhaps Meghann, and decided to loosen up a bit. After all, what was the worst that could happen? Kashi already liked her, even though she'd been awkward from the start.
It's okay to enjoy this, she reminded herself. Time to be brave.
"C'mon." She giggled and tugged at his hand.
He didn't complain as she dragged him toward the reptile house. She held his hand—actually held his hand—as she led him over to the statue of fighting pterodactyls that stood high in front of the exhibit.
"Stand here," she instructed, then took three giant steps back to fit the whole scene into her frame.
Kashi seemed confused, but still he smiled.
"Look up. Two scary, angry, flying dinosaurs are there… How do you feel?"
"Scared?"
"Right. You're scared! Now show me, so I can take this picture."
"What happened to capturing true and unexpected moments?"
"Hey, I never agreed to that. I like setting the stage and taking memorable photos. I'm an artiste, remember? Now, show me fear!"
"Okay, okay." Kashi laughed and placed his hand on his chest, displaying an expression that could only be categorized as surprise.
"Noooooo. Not like that. Like this." She drew closer to him and thrust both hands over her head, forming an imaginary barrier between herself and the aggressors. Her face contorted to display fear. She hoped Kashi found that look pretty on her.
"Like this?" He mimicked her facial expression and body language.
"Perfect!" Daly teased him a little by making him wait while she pretended to puzzle over the strange picture-taking device. "Now hold that pose so I can get the shot."
Click.
Kashi rose and walked to Daly's side. As soon as he was out of the way, two school-aged boys rushed to take his place beneath the statue twins, cheering and pretending to engage in battle with the stone pterodactyls.
"Maybe your way is better than mine," Kashi admitted. "They seem to be having fun! But I'd like to try playing director this time."
He took her hand as if in an old-fashioned waltz, and led her to a large iron turtle sculpture a few feet away. "Take your seat astride this mighty steed. Pretend this silly tortoise belongs to your knight in shining armor." He beamed, as if any doubt existed as to who that knight could be.
Daly plopped side-saddle onto the shell, crossed her legs, and placed one hand on the turtle's head. She couldn't make up her mind on whether to play the scene as damsel-in-distress or Joan of Arc, so she did her best to encapsulate both. Tilting her chin, she peered at Kashi as if he were her knight and lover.
He cleared his throat and took the picture, then returned to the tortoise and offered her his hand.
They strolled around the zoo, stopping occasionally to set up other comical photos. Kashi imitated the snow monkey, puffing out his cheeks and pulling at his ears. Daly put on her best mean kitty expression, hoping she looked like a hungry lioness. They asked a passerby to take their picture together outside of the giraffe exhibit, as they both stood on tiptoe and stretched their necks upward.
Around noon, Kashi declared the time had come for their picnic. They circled back toward the front of the park and stopped at the Rackham Fountain. Two stone bears growled at one another, and water spilled over their heads as a pair of sculpted seals shot streams from their mouths straight into the air.
"Feeling hungry?" he asked as she watched the spectacular fountain.
"Sure. I've been looking forward to your cooking all day. No pressure or anything."
He gestured to the spacious green field behind them. The grass was sprinkled with small garden patches and flanked by ancient-looking stone walkways. Although the fields offered plenty of room to spread a picnic blanket, people chose to congregate near the magnificent stone fountain instead.
"Seems we have the place pretty much to ourselves," he said. "So let's find a good spot to spread out."
"Sure thing. How about there?" Daly pointed at a sunny patch of grass close to the fountain.
"No, I don't think that's a good place. Let's find somew
here else."
"O—kay." Daly hesitated, then motioned to another place on the opposite end of the field. "How's that? Good?"
"Nope. I don't think so." Of course, he didn't make any suggestions of his own—just smiled and waited for her to land upon the correct location.
She covered her eyes and spun in several circles. Keeping one hand clamped over her eyes, she used the other to point blindly. "Here?"
"Wrong again."
When Kashi unshielded her eyes, she found him staring at her with a smile. He was kind of blurry. "Pretty hard to find a good place, huh?"
"Might I make a suggestion?"
"Oh God, yes, please do."
"Well, I haven't given it much thought, but...." He grabbed her hand and made a beeline toward a small garden of irises. "How about here?"
"Here? Do you think?" She slapped his forearm in jest.
"Well, again, I haven't given it much thought."
"Uh-huh." Daly brought a hand to her hip and shook her head.
"Seems nice, don't you think?"
She nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes, definitely."
He dropped his satchel to the ground but made no effort to unpack it.
"Should I help get us set up?"
"No, not yet. Since we're having our lunch right next to them, it's only fair we check out these gardens."
"Oh, yes, of course. How rude of us." She giggled.
Kashi waited for her to finish and pointed to a series of small, handwritten labels that clung to wispy metal posts. "See these little signs spread throughout here?"
"Mmm-hmm." Daly pointed at the one nearest her. "This one says, 'Just for fun, J. Collins.'"
"That one says, 'Happy Fifth Birthday, Joey P.'"
"'We'll miss you, C. Dennis.' Oh, that's sad. What are all these for?"
"They're part of the Adopt-a-Garden program. People donate money to make memorials or to post congratulations for special dates." He walked down the row and stopped near the end.
"I never noticed before. That's really sweet."
"Yeah, I've always enjoyed reading the dedications when I come here." He placed his hand on her shoulder as she came to stand next to him. "Look. This one says, 'Welcome to the world, baby O'Neil.'"
"'Happy Anniversary, Sarah T.,'" Daly read out, moving down the row. "'You will be missed, Mama Jones.' 'Trust in Fate, Daly.' Wait... what? Did you adopt a flower for me?"
"Maybe." He smiled impishly and rocked his weight from the balls of his feet to their heels.
"'A. Malhotra, October 2015.'" She read the rest of the information located on the placard aloud. "'A. Malhotra.' Now who might that be?" She squinted before giving him a tight hug. "First pharmaceuticals and now flowers. I'm flattered, thank you."
"Don't mention it," he said as they parted. "A pretty girl like you deserves flowers, but I've always hated how bouquets wilt and die. That's not the right way to start a new romance. This flower will keep on living, and you'll be able to visit whenever you want."
"Aww. Well, you're going to have to keep bringing me back here now, so I can visit." She nudged him with her shoulder and wished he'd kiss her now—it was the perfect moment.
Kashi didn't catch on, though. "If you'd like to come, I'm happy to be your escort."
She smiled and closed her eyes.
He paced back to the place where he'd dropped his pack. "Okay, my goal here was for you to meet your flower. We can set up the picnic wherever you'd like."
"Well, of course, I want to sit right here, next to my own pet flower!" She grabbed the dangling knapsack from his hand and extracted the blanket.
Together they spread the warm square of flannel over the cool grass.
Kashi pulled Styrofoam plates and bowls, plastic cutlery, and several small Tupperware containers from his bag. "Well, everything may be a little cold, but hopefully it will still taste good. I can make you the hot version some other time."
When everything had been unpacked, he spooned the palak paneer, chicken tikka masala, and chhole into bowls, and opened up a foil package of naan. Scoops of rice, mint chutney, and yogurt finished the setup. He then laid a plate and three bowls on the blanket in front of Daly.
"Wow, this is so much," she said, eyeing the spread of greens, browns, and reds. The scents of the spices swirled in the air and tickled her nose. "How are we going to eat all this?"
"Don't worry." He patted his stomach. "I have plenty of room in here. Before you know it, everything's going to be all gone. Better eat up while you still can."
"A challenge, huh?" She tore a piece from her naan and stuffed it into her mouth.
Kashi chuckled between bites. "You don't have much experience eating Indian food, do you?"
She shook her head and threw the flatbread down onto her plate. "No. Tell me what to do."
"Okay, you tear off a piece of the naan, like this." He demonstrated, ripping the flatbread apart. "Then you make a little shovel, like this." He deftly wrapped the flatbread around his thumb to form a miniature scoop.
He dug into the chickpea curry with the makeshift utensil. "Use it to pick up whichever thing you like, and stuff the whole thing into your mouth. Then," he added between chews, "you can also dip it in the curd or in the chutney—for added flavor."
He swallowed and motioned to Daly's plate. "Now you try."
"Okay." She hesitated, having paid more attention to her instructor's lips than to his lesson. "So, I tear off a piece... make a shovel... dip in the food... then the yogurt... and I eat it."
When she tried to put it in her mouth, a large piece of paneer cheese plopped down onto the blanket, and her face flushed.
Kashi swooped in and scrubbed at the new stain on the blanket. "Don't worry. Usually takes some practice. Let me help you."
He tore off a piece, formed a bowl, and showed her how to use a spoon to add the main dish to the bread. This time she sped the heaping bite into her mouth without incident.
A burst of flavor danced across her tongue. The bread was almost like a tortilla, but thicker and less salty. Palak paneer boasted a rich and interesting texture, and would have been too spicy were it not for the yogurt's diluting effect.
"See, success! You're a quick learner." He clapped his hands together and pointed to the reddish blob on her plate. "Try that one next."
She complied. "Mmm. What do you call this again?"
He led her through the names and recipes of the exotic dishes, encouraging her to taste each one as they discussed.
"I think this one is my favorite." She pointed to the spinach dish. "Polyp paneer."
Kashi dropped his food to his plate right before taking a bite. Straight white teeth peeked from between his lips when he laughed.
"Hey," she whined, and reached across the blanket to give him a shove. "Don't tease me!"
"I'm sorry," he said, but continued to laugh. "Not polyp. Palak, p-a-l-a-k, spinach."
She chewed and swallowed. "Okay, so what? Big deal."
"Trust me, you wouldn't want to eat polyp paneer." Laughter rose from his belly.
Daly bugged her eyes in frustration. "Are you going to explain yourself, or would you rather keep laughing at me all day?"
"Okay, but remember, you asked. A polyp—" He paused for dramatic emphasis. "—is a growth inside the mucus membrane. You would definitely not want to eat that. Very disgusting." Rolling back in laughter, he seemed both amused and disgusted by her innocent malapropism.
"Eww. Now I don't want to eat it anymore!"
Kashi sat up and wiped a stray tear from his eye. "Here, taste the chicken. It's my favorite." He placed the creamy, smoky morsel in her mouth, allowing his hand to linger near her lips.
Daly brushed his hand away and hopped to her feet. She hoped the polyp mishap hadn't cost her a kiss. "I'm all full-up. Let's go see the polar bears."
"Good idea. It's hard to eat now after your polyp episode." He sealed up all the half-empty containers, returned them to his satchel, and brushed the breadcrumbs from his sh
irt.
She grabbed their disposable dishes and jogged over to the nearby trashcan, where she found a peacock and two peahens preening their feathers in the shade.
"Hey, Kashi," she called. "Your friends are out here. Shouldn't they be in their exhibit?"
Kashi finished repacking his satchel then came to join her on the walkway. "They don't have an exhibit. They enjoy themselves, go wherever they please."
"Really? How come I don't remember that from last time I was here?"
He shrugged. "C'mon," he urged, grabbing her hand and pulling her closer to the peafowl. He placed the foil of leftover naan in her hand. "Let's give them something to eat. They look hungry."
"I don't think you're supposed to feed them. The zoo brochure said they're on a strict diet, and—"
"Forget the brochure! These are Indian birds. Their beaks long for this food." His hand shot to his mouth, and he smacked his lips together. "Naan is their favorite. Go ahead, make our friends happy."
"Well, if you're sure." She broke off a small piece and tossed it to the scragglier of the two peahens.
"See how she likes it?" Kashi beamed as he offered pieces to the other two birds.
A zoo security guard rode by on a ten-speed bicycle, stopped, and backed up a few paces. "You're not supposed to feed the animals," he shouted from under an anachronistic handlebar mustache. "If you continue, I'll have to escort you from the zoo."
Daly smirked as the two obediently walked toward the trash bin under the scrutiny of the guard. "Told you," she teased.
The officer pedaled away when they reached the can.
"Now act cool," Kashi instructed her.
He dropped the remaining naan just shy of the can, allowing it to fall onto the grass, and continued down the path with a sly glance back toward Daly.
She jogged to catch up with him and knocked into his shoulder. "You're such a rebel. Who gets in trouble at the zoo?"
"We do, I guess. But, c'mon, that was fun! The peacocks already ate most of the naan. A little more won't do them any harm."
"You're so bad!"
"Sometimes you have to live on the wild side. What better place to be wild than at the zoo? Now, let's go see those bears."
A Colorful Life: Drawn in Broken Crayon Page 8
