Philoscifi

On the brink of destruction, the world desperately needs a Hero. Phil Safari, a reluctant Candidate, must prove himself worthy to the gods by completing a Heroic Task: change 1000 lives for the better… or else! The following is part of the Safaris – a collection of Phil’s misadventures in Heroism. Find out how it all started and what he has learned about love, life, and the pursuit of happiness.

We talked a long time about everything under the sun - art, love, history, and philosophy, just to name a few. I had never met anyone that I could talk about anything with. Now that I think about it, my friendships were all interest specific. For instance, I could talk to Zaris about books and basketball, but his eyes glazed over on anything else. For Jake, it was videogames and sports. It was exhilarating to be freed of such constraints.

As the night progressed, I began to notice more details about Evie. She was pretty tall for a girl, about 5’8,” and had straight ear length hair that was some sort of dark brown…chestnut? She was certainly pretty – large green eyes, distinctive eyebrows, full lips – but it was a classic beauty, not the drop dead gorgeous variety. Her most attractive feature though was her vibrancy; she was so full of life. I loved the sparkle in her eyes and her wonderful laugh; I felt more alive simply by being near her.

I didn’t want the night to end, but of course all good things come to an end. The café closed around 2 AM, and we reluctantly shuffled out.

“Well, I had a really good time tonight, Evie.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Sorry again for burdening you with the past. I’m sure it was the last thing you want to hear after a long day at work.”

“Oh please, don’t even worry about it.”

“I’m not a psycho, I swear!”

“Will you stop it?” She giggled.

“Ok. Will you be all right getting home? It’s kinda late.”

“I’ll be okay. I live relatively close to here.”

Evie tilted her head, looking up expectantly at me. Her eyes sparkled in the soft glow of the café lights; and she looked positively radiant. A rush of adrenaline coursed through my body. My heart pounded, and I swallowed several times to irrigate my suddenly parched throat. Well, it was now or never. I licked my lips and went for it.

“Uh… would it be all right if I walked you home? I mean…only if you want to.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

We walked along in silence for awhile. Occasionally, I would glance sidelong at her and then look away when she turned her head. My mind was blank; I didn’t know what to say. Gods, this was a stupid idea! I had to think of something, and fast.

“It’s…” / “ So…” We laughed.

“No, you go ahead,” I said.

“I was just about to say how silly this was.”

“Yeah. I didn’t really have a plan,” I admitted sheepishly. “I just wasn’t ready for the night to end.”

“Same here. Hey Phil, do you believe in fate?”

“Well, if you mean predestination, no, but I know there is a plan for me.”

“I feel the same way! All my life, I’ve felt guided somehow, which is weird because I’ve never been particularly religious.”

I felt a chill go down my spine. Was my initial fear correct? Was Evie the puppet of the gods as well? I had to know.

“How do you know what to do?” I asked as casually as I could. “Does some voice tell you?”

“No, nothing like that. I just get this feeling of déjà vu…like I’ve seen a particular event before. It might not be what I expect or want, but it shows that I’m on the right track.”

“But you can still make your own choice, right? You still have free will.”

“Oh yeah. I don’t automatically know what to do next, merely that I’m where I’m supposed to be.”

I relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. While it was still possible that Athena was playing me for a fool, it seemed less likely.

“You think I’m psycho, don’t you?” Evie asked in mock indignation, giving me a playful shove.

“Well, you gotta admit that it does sound a bit outlandish,” I grinned. “But I got you beat. You see, the gods charged me with helping 1000 people, or else. That’s my life plan. And when I say ‘gods,’ I mean the Greek gods.”

“You mean like Zeus and his incestuous family? Shut up!” She pushed me away, laughing.

“No, I’m serious! That’s why I keep throwing myself at people.” Sobering as this was, I couldn’t help but laugh. Her laughter was contagious.

“Ummm hmmm. Oh shoot! I think we passed it. Here we go.”

We stood at the top of the stairs leading to her complex.

“Thank you again for saving me from those ruffians, Mr. Safari,” Evie said with a curtsey.

“The pleasure was mine, Ms. Ryan.” I replied, tipping my imaginary top hat.

We laughed.

“Seriously, I had a great time tonight.”

“Me too.”

Evie tilted her head, looking up expectantly at me, and for the second time this evening, I felt an overwhelming attraction to her. My head began to pound. It was getting hard to think and harder still to breathe.

“Well, I guess I should let you get some rest. Good night.” I turned away and scurried down the stairs.

Evie laughed and called after me, “What, that’s it? You’re not going to at least ask for my number?”

“Huh? Well, I figured a girl like you was taken. And if not, I probably lost whatever chance I had by telling my sob story in the café,” I said, shuffling my feet.

Evie sighed. “Silly boy, you had me at hello.” She walked slowly down the stairs and took my hands into hers. “You’re in luck. I’m in the market for a weepy, inexperienced boy like you.”

“Pssh, inexperienced? I’m just rusty.”

She chuckled. “First of all, you’re a bad liar, and second, you’re easy to read. Like a book.”

“That bad huh?” I lamented.

“No, that good. It means you’re honest; I liked that.”

“Sooo, what now? I’m the student, and you’re the teacher?”

“Oooh, that’s a little naughty, but I like it.” Evie wrapped my arms around her and drew me close. “Yes, and the first lesson is to seize the moment. Stop thinking, and do what comes naturally.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Oh, shut up and just kiss me!”

Yes ma’am.

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