SAVING THE DEVILISHLY HANDSOME DOCTOR

I walked in the building, the noise already deafening. There was a crowd, always a crowd in these buildings, having me sigh. I had thought I was early. It was seven in the morning, yet to my shock there was already over fifty people there. “Excuse me,” I said to the man who was standing where I had to pass. I could feel the sweat collect on my forehead, the heat already picking up with the promise of a heat wave during the day. I made my way in the building. All the chairs were occupied with a lot of other people standing. The civil servants still had not arrived but I had to stand in line if I wanted to get my identification card that day. I raked my hand through my hair, moving to a man that was standing in a line which began from the last chair that was occupied. The building had recently been redone, the paint still fresh and clean with all the chairs still present, it looked decent, yet with the amount of people there, I could not help but suffocate. I rolled my eyes, cursing myself for losing the damn thing, I tried to avoid government offices like the plague. I did not know if it was the number of people they attended to or the peanuts they earned, but civil servants were so rude. Time ticked away and soon the front desk was occupied by a lady. She stood watching all of us before sitting down with her cup of coffee in hand. “Form a straight line!” She simply shouted and chaos broke through. Those that were at the back ran to desk, forming a new line to the lady with those that had sat down on the chairs also rushing up while shouting about people jumping the line. I tried to rush up, not wanting to be at the end of the line. Everyone wanted to form their own line where they were the first one in front and it did not work. My purse was to my chest, clutching it so tight with my body being pushed further and further until I found myself in the middle of a large crowd being squeezed from every direction. “You will not skip the line!” A shout from some lady came. “We were sitting at the front!” “Let’s just form a line!” Everyone was talking all at once and at that point I wanted to cry. I was short, too short, so they just kept pushing me, my face buried in some man’s back with elbows hitting me from every direction. I could not breathe, I could not do anything, having me sweating buckets and nearly gagging at some lady who I suddenly found myself buried under her armpit which smelled so bad I got a headache instantly. All I wanted at this point was to get out, I did not care if I was at the back of the line or whatsoever, but I just wanted to be out of here before I died. I pushed and pushed, pushing in the opposite direction. I could not breathe, my heart drumming and I thought I would faint. People were stepping over my bare toes, having them so painful, thinking my slides would tear. I made my way, tearing through people’s sides until I walked out and it was like a brick of fresh air hit me. My face was burning, my hands shaking with my eyes going down to my chest, seeing the purse I held so tightly still intact. I took more steps, walking away from the chaos. “Since you do not want to form a line, then I am gone. I will come back when you want me to help you with your ID’s. I don’t have time to waste.” The lady who was supposed to help us with the identification cards said with her back turned, cup in hand. I stood watching with her heels clicking. A roar came from the crowd, everyone complaining and promising that they would form the line. The people pushed back, a line formed so quickly it was amazing and I did not waste time finding a spot and sticking to it with the line continuing behind me, but at that point I was out the door and probably number hundred and something. The sun came out and it was not playing games. I could feel it shining on my forehead with such intensity my forehead had no choice but to shine too. I felt my skin go sticky, biting on my lip and licking it, but there was no way of keeping it from drying up and cracking. We waited thinking the lady would come back soon but it was two hours later when she did and lord I was tired and ready to collapse. The line began moving but, lord, it was so slow. An hour later, I had still not passed the door with such little movement done from where I was at first. People sat down, forming groups and chatting to themselves. I took out my headsets, listening to music with my stomach protesting. I had not eaten breakfast and at this point, getting out of the line to get food would only mean I would come back to be the last person. “Can I please have fifty people follow me?” Another lady shouted from one of the doors around the reception inside. People began running, moving out of the line to the lady. I did not know if I should run too, but looking at the amount of people rushing, I did not think I would make the cut. When all were scrabbling, I moved further in the line before those who had not made the fifty came back. I walked past the door. “You are crowding me, I said fifty, just go back, I want fifty. Can I have a straight line please?” The lady shouted so harshly. They all formed a straight line so long they had to be a hundred people, no one wanting to get back to our line which had closed off after them, meaning they would have to go to the back. This was the struggle we had to face. The lady ushered them through the door, counting, and when she reached fifty she did not even say anything but just shut the door and left the rest standing there not sure what to do with themselves. They just stood there hoping the lady would come out and ask them in, but it was just a long wait. My line moved and soon I was sitting in one of the chairs which meant I was thirty chairs from the front desk. Things were finally looking up and I could not help but already see myself leaving this place soon. My stomach was painful though, so hungry the pain was getting unbearable, especially with my ulcers acting up. My eyes trailed to the chair next to me and I froze. My heart beat went frantic as I shamelessly stared. Next to me sat a guy. It was not just a guy, but hell, he was handsome. I swallowed, afraid to even breathe because I felt as if my breath was smelling from not speaking for so long and not eating. I sat as still as I could, my eyes watching him from the sides while pretending to be listening to some music when, in fact, I had turned it off as if it made me see him less. My hands were shaking, my heart pounding with my eyes down, staring at his perfect black formal shoes with his black suit-pants. I stared at them, daring now and again to stare at his white hands which were carrying an iPhone which had me go insane just on it's own. He was rich, he was totally rich! Everything in my body was buzzing as I imagined him turning to me right then, telling me how pretty I was, after which he would ask for my number. I paused in my thoughts, thinking of how I was probably a shade darker from the sun with my mouth dry and all. I looked horrible and I wanted to cry out in frustration, but that did not stop my mind from going back to imagining the beautiful house we would have. He would buy me an iPhone and a car where I would quit my job and become a housewife. I nearly sighed, looking up to find that everyone was watching him, stealing glances now and again with others not bothering to even hide it. Girls sat up, giggling, having me red with anger, wanting to just tell them to bugger off, yet I trusted that he would see me, see my sophistication and fall in love with me. I could already see us being the next Meghan Mackle and Prince Harry. I nearly laughed, it being like a dream, yet I was trying not to stare at him anymore, tried not to seem as if I noticed him, so he would wonder why I was not checking him out and ask me out like in those books. Sweat broke from my forehead, my tongue going over my perched lips, so dry the nearing skin itchy from licking it so much. I needed water, needed them so much, yet I was scared to walk and buy them. Chatter filled the room with the heat having no mercy on us. I wondered where he was from; the States, Europe or some other country? I wondered what he was doing there. Was he there for an ID or passport, but why would he want a Swazi passport? I swallowed, daring to steal a glance again, his phone ringing having me not be able to keep myself from staring at that beautiful device. It was one of the latest which I would kill for, so obsessed it was crazy. “Hello.” His voice came and I swear I gave birth, it was deep and sexy, so sexy I nearly cried out. My eyes had snapped back to him and he seemed to be more irritated by the hour. “I am out, shift it to tomorrow.” He said to the phone and quickly dropped it. His eyes scanned the room, a sigh escaping with his leg moving up and down in frustration. Welcome to Eswatini where you wait in lines until you drop dead. I said to him in my head because in my head he and I were having a full-blown conversation. He was telling me about how he loved our country and how he wanted me to be his guide and so I could take him to all the places he had to see before he went away. “Sorry, where did the front desk lady go?” The deep and horsy voice came with his breath warm against my skin. I froze, literally froze. He definitely had a foreign accent which just had me unrevealing. I froze because I did not know if he was talking to me or what? Was he talking to me? I could not even think, probably looking constipated. In my mind at this point I was shouting the hell out, shouting for myself to speak, but I could not. My mind suddenly went to my breath. What if I was having bad breath? That would be so embarrassing and I did not know what to do. I cleared my throat, looking down so that he would not smell my breath, totally wished I had a sweet or chewing gum at that point. “I think she left, probably to go eat lunch.” I replied back, then totally looked away. I had blown my chances with him, he would not ask me out, I looked terrible and all I could do now was just dream about the perfect life we could have had and nothing else. He did not say anything back but just cursed under his breath, which was understandable. When coming to government offices, one had to be prepared to stay for the whole day and probably come back on the following day too, because they were super slow and cared nothing about anyone else. My stomach growled loudly, having my eyes to nearly fall from their sockets. I wanted to cry, really I did. Had he heard that? There was no way he had not, even the lord heard that. My stomach was so painful, having me feel like I would vomit, knowing that my stomach ulcer was not having it even in the slightest. I folded my hands only to unfold them, taking my phone and played a game only to nearly throw it to the wall in frustration. People had friends to bring them lunch with those who were not afraid of anyone just standing up to go buy food knowing that no one would take their spot for they would kick their ass if so. I sat, the battery on my phone getting low and lower. This was one of the worst days ever and I just could not wait to get to my house and sleep into the next day. There was movement besides me and my eyes were quick to look his way, finding him standing up. “Please watch my seat for me, I will be right back.” The handsome man said, having my heart drum, wanting to refuse, but how could I. I found myself nodding my head as he walked away. I placed my purse on his chair with his figure moving out of sight, my heart was drumming. I was a shy person, always running away from confrontation, but if anyone tried to take his seat I knew I had to do everything in my power for it not to happen. I sighed, looking at the reception desk, still finding it empty, knowing that the lady would probably take more than an hour to eat lunch. My eyes trailed back and I froze as I saw a man making his way through the other occupied chairs. The question was, where the hell was he going? Leaving nothing but the fact that he was coming to the empty chair next to me. My heart drummed, not knowing what I would say. Lord, I was afraid of people, especially people who could speak for themselves, because hell I could not. I sat watching him with my heart drumming harder and my hands shaking so badly. My eyes trailed to the door,wishing Mr Stranger would just come back to deal with the man himself. I did not know what to do but knew that if he insisted on sitting on the chair there was no way I could stop him, there was no way I could save Mr Stranger’s chair.