written by Inês Costa
It was so cold!
But the coldness of the weather could not be compared with the coldness that Vincent was feeling on his beloved's body.
As she laid against the hard rooftop ground, she looked upwards, where Vincent and the stars fitted into one beautiful picture.
The tears were poring down from his eyes while she was fighting for her last breath. Finally, she looked at him, smiling ...
- "Though lovers ... be lost ..."
The final verses of Thomas's poem became suspended in the air, like a promise to be finished some other day, but Vincent felt the need to hear them out.
- "Love shall not, and death shall have no dominion"
The beating of her heart, against his chest was fading and fading, until...nothing. Her heart had stopped at one final beating. Her body relaxed in a such a way, that her hand was no longer gripping Vincent's cape. Fighting a tremendous pain, he pulled her close to his chest and cried.
...
-...and we welcome this child in our community, by giving him a name.
After a few moments of reflection, the answer became obvious and instantaneous; for a moment, Vincent thought that Catherine was standing beside him, whispering the name at his hears.
- Jacob.
Diana smiled, not only because of the name that Vincent had piked for the child, but also because of the true feeling of union, sympathy and love that community had for that unique man, that was caressing his child like there was no other above this Earth.
But she also knew that, day by day, she was becoming more and more in love with him, a love she knew she had to cherish in silence: Vincent could not let go the image of Catherine.
* * * *
- We've got some news from Staten Island ... Gabriel was knocked off.
A tall and rather old man raised his head only for a second, the news almost distressed him, but the feeling didn't pass over the simple sign of discomfort. Sinking his gaze to the monitor, he continued watching the screen.
- And the child?
- They took him.
The man blew a puff of smoke from his cigar and waved to the guard that was standing at the door.
- Well, that's the last time that I'll ever attend to a Gabriel's whim. I hope he'll rot in hell.
- Sure, sir, you can't say that about your own ...
The man hit his hand on top of the table, causing the cable monitor to disconnect itself.
- SILENCE!
As soon as the exhilaration and redness of his face was submerged, he resumed conversation.
- That boy was evil, like his mother. I don't know what came pass through his mind, giving all much trouble just because of a baby? And now, look at this! - said he, pointing at the monitor - What in blazes am I going to do with them?
The "foreman" approached the screen and watched carefully the scene. After a few moments of reflection he had an idea.
- We have something on our favor, sir ...
The old man twisted his ancient ring with the aid of the other hand and waited for the brainstorm of his employee to finish.
* * * *
Opening her eyes, she didn't recognized the place. It appeared to be a very large white room. Reaching for any sense of contact with that place, she extended her arm, announcing that she was awake.Rapidly a white vested woman came running down a huge corridor and immediately tucked her in. She was scared, but the woman gave her a friendly smile at caressed her soft hair.
- There, there, it will be all right.
She seemed disoriented. Raising her hands to her head, she tried to remember any trace of memory that could have leaded her there ...
Nothing.
Emptiness.
Her mind was totally empty of any recollections.
Trying to calm herself down, she tried to remember her name, she searched and searched, but nothing was certain.Gradually, panic took control over her, and she started to cry desperately.
- Oh, I know, don't cry! Here she is!
Lifting her head up, she saw the woman that greeted her so warmthly, descending over her, placing a moving bundle on her lap.
- She spent all night crying! I'm sure she was missing her mother.
Her hands were trembling, but she reached for the tip of the white blanket, and uncovering it, she saw the most beautiful creature alive.
* * * *
The air around him was tightening more and more, as the nightmare progressed. The hand that he reached was unable to cover the void of separation ... he could see Catherine far away, but she was unreachable. Nevertheless he twisted his mind, in fury, to force the dream to proceed, to unfold, but for two months it stayed the same. He would come to a rift, a huge abyss that seemed to part them. Catherine is at the other end, still, without moving...she seems absent, white-hot any conscience of his presence. He screams, calls her name, but then the darkness engulfs her, and she disappears.
- NO!
Vincent wakes up to found his bead in a torment of sweaty sheets and body heat. He reaches his hand to his forehead, cleaning the sweat. He fears that this dreams are a prelude to something more terrible: the further awakening of his dark side, and he now knows that without Catherine, he cannot fight it. His fears are putted aside when he hears Jacob in his little crib, also having bad dreams. His little body shivers, and his hands also reach the unreachable.
I wonder if he dreams with his mother? I hope that he doesn't have my nightmares.
Two tiny blue eyes snap open and Jacob starts crying hopelessly. Vincent rapidly reaches for his son and rocks him a little against his chest. This produces a good effect, and soon Jacob stops crying and entertains himself playing with his father's gold mane.
- What is it son? What is wrong with us? Could it be that we have the same nightmares?
Jacob's blue eyes tremble, it seems like he understands every single word his father is saying.
- I only hope that you can catch your mother...I know I can't.
The memories are two painful.
Hugging his son close, Vincent starts crying compulsively.
* * * *
- So, are we feeling better? It's two a.m., you should be sleeping, dear!
The woman nods with her head and passes the baby to the nurse. She kisses the little one on the head, and looks at the nurse.
- So, have you remembered something? Anything at all? A name, perhaps? Your name?
She nods negatively.
- Well, you had no identification so ... I guess we'll have to issue you a new one, temporarily, until you remember again ... we'll take care of that first thing in the morning, all right? I'll call deputy Mitchell, he'll know what to do. Now you better go to sleep, your baby is tired.
- Thank...you.
The nurse turned around and smiled.
- You're welcome dear.
The woman layed down in her bed, which was next to the window, and contemplated the stars. Suddenly, she extended her hand and spoke.
- Orion.
She drew the imaginary line that connected the stars in the air, and glad that she had remembered something, she pulled over the blankets and drove into sleep.
The next morning, deputy Frank Mitchell went over into the hospital's facilities to talk to the woman that was mysteriously left unconscious, with her new born baby, in a empty road in the middle of the forest. He was approached by nurse Adams to take care of the case since the woman had no recolections...she was suffering from deep amnesia, so strong that not even the psychiatrist could help. It was decided that it was for the best that the woman should be relieved from the hospital, but still she had to attended for a mental check- up every month. But for her to leave the hospital, she should have a ID, so that was the task that the deputy had in his hands. Nurse Adams approached him with a smile, when he knocked slightly on the window.
- Good morning Frank! I'm glad you could come in such short notice!
- I couldn't say no to my favorite nurse in the world! After all you are the one, beside my wife, that has been privileged to see my naked rear end!
- That was only when you were born, and you were much more disciplined back then!
They laughed in a cheerful way. Then the nurse took the deputy along the corridor.
- So, any news?
- None. Nobody saw a thing. It's like she has dropped from the skies!
- Well, I'm sure that whatever time she passed, it was a tuff one, because she was dehydrated, full of bruises ...
The nurse pulled over the curtain leaving the woman at full site of the deputy: she was nursing the baby.
- Oh, I'm sorry! - Said the deputy, turning the other way.
- Oh, Frank, stop it! Like you haven't seen your wife nursing your three kids!
The policeman reluctantly looked at the patience, that was laughing and buttoning her blouse again. The baby was putted on her crib, placed along side with her mother's bed. Frank pulled over a chair and sat next to her, taking from the briefcase that he was carrying some forms and a pen.
- Well, miss, the doctors have confirmed your amnesia, so we know that your not faking anything.The problem is that we can't release you if you don't have any ID, so we will give you a provisory one and some money, so you can go about your own business. The only terms is that you must stay near here, so you can attend regular check ups every month here in the hospital, all right?
- Yes, officer.
- Well, let's start with your name ... have you got one picked up?
- I never thought about it! I was picking one to my baby ...
- And what was it?- the nurse asked.
- I was thinking on ... on ...Mary.
- Mary is a beautiful name! Any reason?
- It was the first thing that came to my head.
- But does it have anything to do with you? Can it be your own name?
- No, I don't think so. It has a ring to it, but it isn't my name, I'm sure.
- Spear her, Frank... the memory will come, with time, and if she wants it to.
- All right, the baby will be registered by that name, Mary. But she must have a last name too!
- You remind me so much of my granddaughter, that I think that you should call yourself Laura ... Laura Smith! I think that she won't mind! My granddaughter as a heart of gold, she will be very honored ... I'll present her too you soon.
- All right, Laura Smith it is.
* * * *
Time passed by. Laura was relieved from the hospital and begun her new life in a little town near Yelowstone national park, in Montana. Everyone was extremely nice since the beginning; nurse Adams offered her a job at the hospital, aiding the nurses with the babies at the nursery. She had done that for two reasons: one was because she liked the company of that strange and sweat lady and of course, to keep an eye on her in case she could remember something.
But she didn't want to remember.
She didn't wanted to because of the few scraps of memories that arrived at her head, in the first night she had come to the hospital: she had been too scared of them to report it to the deputy, because they were horrible, horrible dreams! She remembered an intense light over her, then a sudden pain, a coldness ... blood. Whoever she was in her past life she didn't wanted to know. She just wanted to raise her daughter in a safe place, without any kind of danger.
Life went on, with the obvious quietness of Montana's living.
It was a beautiful little house on main street, surrounded by a white picket fence. A brunette figure stood in the middle of the small garden, and wiped the sweat from her forehead, smiling at the work done. Three large vases showed the most magnificent Daisies ever to set foot in that town, and Laura knew it. She simply adored flowers, and sometimes, she even let her mind wonder if it had been so in her former life ... with the years, and despite her reluctance to remember, some shades of a past life inevitably surfaced from her subconsciousness, and she could remember a balcony, which had plants and flowers ... but it wasn't just that: she could remember a feeling something in the terms of ... impatience?
She could not tell.
A car horn abruptly ended her train of thoughts , just as she was about to remember something, and a mildly blond hair, slim figure appeared at the end of the garden. Laura looked at her eighteen year old daughter: how lovely she looked, with her painted T-shirt of a wolf, that she had done when she was only fourteen years old, with her gold, and rather rebel, hair soaring over her wide shoulders. Her big green eyes were glowing in happiness and Laura instinctively thought that she reminded her someone, but who was it? She didn't wanted to know, she simply adored that strange warmth that filled her up inside when she thought of it.
Mary .
A beautiful name for a beautiful creature .
- Mom! Mom!
She was out of breath. The reddish of her face was a huge contrast with the green emerald of her eyes. She ran to her mother and gave her a hug.
- What happened sweetheart? - said Laura, unable to reply her daughter's embrace, because her hands were covered with dirt.
Then she noticed that her daughter was holding an envelope.
- It's here mom! The reply of the NY academy of arts!
- And? Tell me!
She smiled.
- I'm in!
Laura clapped her hands, in happiness, laughing.
- That's wonderful! I knew it all along!
But Laura's face held a little bit of regretless. Although she was happy for her daughter, she knew that was a trip that she had to take for her own ... she couldn't leave Montana. It was too scaring.
- What's wrong mother? Why your face turned all gloomy?
- It's nothing, dear. I'm tired, that's all. It has been a fight, arranging these vases, you know?
- That's not it, you can't fool me Laura Smith!
Laura smiled with hurt beneath it, and shrugged her shoulders.
- It's because you´re so grown up! And you're going to such a far away place!
Mary smiled and held her mother in her arms.
- Oh, mom, don't worry! I'll come back every weekend that I can dispose, I promise. I love it here! You know, I can't find any other place that gives me such an inspiration ...ooops! It's almost dinner time. Can I order pizza, pleeease?
- Check the oven, you'll find a surprise there, said Laura, drying her tears.
Mary ran inside the house, leaving Laura busy with the flowers. Five minutes later, she was next to her mother again, holding another envelope.
- Another one, hum
- Another what dear? - Laura turned around and saw the envelope in her daughter's hand. She putted on a tired look and sighed.
- How much was it, this time?
- A couple of thousand dollars ...
Mary looked at her mother, with her mouth opened in amazement. Then she pressed for more urgent and real matters.
- Mom! This is going on for too long ...there's someone who knew you and knows that you are here! Don't you even want to know who's sending you this?
- I trust that's someone with a gentile soul, who took pity on me. - somehow, not even Laura believed in her own words, but the money had come in hand since the first day she got the first envelope, the day she was about to leave the hospital, with nothing in her hand, except the clothes that covered her body and a five-month child in her arms. That money had been a bless in such an hour.
But there had to be a catch ... there had to be!
* * * *
- Diana! Diana!
Diana was finishing combing her red hair, when she heard a familiar, and rather exciting, voice entering the living room.
- Coming!
She opened the door of her bedroom and found young Jacob trying to drink a enormous glass of milk at one time. She put on a serious looking face and shrugged her shoulders.
- Well, help yourself!
Jacob was almost out of breath when he finished the glass of milk. Then he ran to her and gave her a big hug.
- What's this? - said she smiling - Did you won the lottery or something?
He looked at her, with his blue eyes glowing in happiness. Then he waved a white envelope at her. Diana opened her mouth in wonder.
- It's here! So? Aren't you going to open it?
- That's just it. I would like to be my father to open.
- Vincent? Why?
- Well, he was the one to encourage me to apply to the art college ...
- Non sense! I think he will be happier when he receives a hug as huge as the one you gave me.
- But, what if I didn't make it?
- Are you crazy? Of course you have! Have you forgot how talented your parent's were? It's in your genes!
- Well, I'm not suited to be a lawyer ...
- But your as stubborn as your mother was ... at least, that's what I've remember them saying about her. In fact, I've got this picture here ...
Jacob got up immediately and looked at the window.
- No more tricks, Diana.
Diana lowered her eyes and closed the drawer.
- I thought if I could caught you off guard ...
- I don't want to see my mother's face. Is that clear? If even my father can't force me to see it, it sure won't be you to force me.
- I just don't understand why.
- I'll tell you why My mother's alive, Diana, I know it.
- That's non sense, Jacob. I investigated our mother's death, she's quite dead! And even if she wasn't, which is impossible, it would be pretty difficult for you to recognize her if you don't even know how she looked!
- My heart will know.
Diana wondered. Could it be that the empathic powers that Vincent had ...
- Hey! I'm in!
- What? What?
During the arguing, Jacob had tared down the envelope and the reply was affirmative: he had been admitted to the NY art college.
- I have to tell father and grandfather!
- Jacob, wait!
- Later, Diana!
Diana tried to stop him, but she was too late, the elevator was going down.
* * * *
Here.
Here it is, when the story begins.
Jacob ran through the multitude of labyrinths, turning on the right turn, jumping when it needed to. His blue eyes were glowing, his medium-long, straight blond hair was no longer fastened to it's hair band, and was following is own ups and downs. For any by standard, that young man was exactly like his father once was, running free in the tunnels. But Jacob was a mist of both Catherine and Vincent: blond hair, blue eyes, a strong and handsome face, an impressive body, a little bit like his father's, with an impressive health: he was shaped according to the life Bellow. Although with the characteristics that defined the tunnel dwellers, Jacob had always carried the dream of pursuing his dreams somewhere else. A little bit like his uncle Devin, which had become a partner of many funny adventures Bellow and a source of many strange headaches among his grandfather, and strange grins spread by his father.
His father.
Vincent.
He loved him very much and it would be a difficult task to leave him, and trace his path Above.
Thinking how he would approach this to him, he suddenly noticed that he had arrived to his grandfather's chamber in a blink. Vincent was sitting down, by the snail stairs and immediately removed his attention from the lines of a poem and rested his eyes on his son, smiling gladly with Jacob's arrival.
Jacob looked carefully at his father .
For what people had told him, he wasn't a single day older from the time he had appeared in the tunnels carrying him in his arms. It appears, at his grandfather's clinical eyes, that "Vincent's biological clock was ticking slower" as he aged, so he wouldn't grow old as fast as normal people. Jacob took of his leader jacket, a present of Diana's when he turned eighteen, and proceeded downstairs, kissing his father on the cheek.
- Hello father.
Vincent remained silent and never took his eyes off from his son's: it seemed he was waiting for Jacob to say something more.
- Well?- he finally pressed him - You have something more to say, son?
- Yes, said Jacob smiling. I've received the college response.
- And?- said Vincent, closing the book and forgetting where he had stopped in reading.
- I'm in!
Vincent swiftly took his child in his arms, filling his chest with a warm felling of happiness.
Oh! How I wished you could be here, sharing these moments with him!
- I knew that you would make it. You'll become a great artist, I'm sure of it.
- Let's see if I'm talented enough.
- Of course you are! I've seen you paint, your drawings are magnificent ...you can even shadow Elizabeth's paintings (just don't tell her I told you this). And your music, and your sculpture ... you have a gift, Jacob. Don't let it go to waist! You have to perfect it in order to achieve your goals. Embrace your dreams, Jacob, embrace your life It can be so fugitive ...
Of course he was talking about Catherine, and Jacob knew it. Relieving the tension, grandfather Jacob entered the room.
- Is it true? Is it true my boy? You've entered the NY college of Art?
- Yes grandfather, I did.
- Come here, boy! Give your old grandfather a hug!
As young Jacob held old Jacob in his arms, Vincent thought that it was a beautiful setting to a painting.
Unfortunately, Jacob Wells didn't posses Vincent's slow bio-clock, and eventually, the years did catch up. His grey hair subsided to a mist of white and light grey from one day to the other. His pace had become slower and his role in the council, as a leader, shared with his adoptive son.
Over the years, the tunnel folk grew older. Narcissa, William and others parted this world during an awful winter, and there was a feeling of impatience growing amongst the tunnel community. Some young men and women were leaving to pursue life Above, but a consistence and rather large group preferred on-going life Bellow, so the dream wasn't dead, but becoming stronger with each passing day. So , when Jacob decided to leave Bellow, Father was worried, but Vincent stood by his son 100%, because he knew that Jacob had the free spirit of Catherine's in his soul, and who was he to cut off an angel's wings?
- But grandpa, how did you knew?
- Diana signaled it on the pipes, she's coming down. Of course, I've always hoped that you would become a physician ...
Seeing the discouragement in his grandson's eyes, he rapidly ended the sentence.
-... but this is the next best thing!- and he hugged him again.
Squeezed in Father's arms, Jacob could let the chance too kid around a little bit.
- Grandfather, this is starting to be embarrass...people are watching?!
Vincent was extremely proud, his heart was beating very fast, emerged in a happiness he never had felted for such a long time ....
* * * *
"CONGRATULATIONS MARY", said the banner that was hanging across the living room. When the young woman entered her house that Saturday evening, before leaving to NY, the lights went on in a row and lots of familiar faces screamed , all at once:
- SURPRISE!
Mary jumped, suddenly frightened, but then she laughed so hard that she just tumbled to the floor. Everyone was there, all her friends, her neighbors, teachers, everyone! All were there to wish her a safe journey and a wonderful year at college. She had two more friends going to NY, so she wasn't properly alone, but still, it was fun to discover a new city, especially to a person who had only seen tall buildings at Helena.
- Thank you, everyone! And I hope to see you all when I give my first major art show at NY!
Everybody laughed and raised their champagne glasses on a toast. Later that evening, after dinner, Mary found her mother outside, by the tree swing, looking at the night sky. She held her mother in her arms and Laura smiled.
- Come inside mother. Let's eat a piece of cake and later I could brush your hair and you mine ...
Resented by her mother's silent reply, she dear to ask what she had called "The weekly final Jeopardy".
- Have you remembered something today?
- Only flashes. Little bits of memories that I can't make out.
- Can't or won't mother? Don't block your mind! You can never be at ease if you don't know the truth!
- The truth ... at what cost?
- There is always prices to be paid. Have you thought that maybe your price is your stubbornness?
Laura looked at the sky, searching for answers.
- Orion. That was the first thing I've remembered. Not my name or yours, but a constellation.
- And don't you want to know why?
She stole silence to silence itself and remained distant. Her daughter kissed on the cheek and returned back inside, leaving Laura concentrated on the sky. Maybe there she could find some answers...some peace.
* * * *
- Well, you've got all packed up? - said Vincent, entering his son's chamber.
For some years now Jacob shared a room Bellow with a space at Diana's apartment, Above. She was almost like an aunt or a older sister too him, dew to her friendship with his father, and so, to pursuit a life Above, and consequently an education Above, he had to have some form of residence and tutor. Diana had been the perfect choice.
- Just some things. It's not like I'm going very far! It's just a couple of miles. Luckily, I can come back for supper some times, and make you company.
Jacob paused, and then he resumed talking, with a much lower voice, almost like his father's.
- I'll need your help, father. I know I will.
- Your a terrific person, Jacob. You'll never let me down.
A knot seemed to tie ever so slightly around Jacob's neck, which caused him to sob.Vincent lay a gentile hand on his sons shoulder and looked at him, worried with this sudden arouse of emotions.
- What is it? Tell me your worries.
Jacob tried to clean the tears out, but they were so stubborn! The sleeve of his red-wined sweat-shirt became moisten with the cleaning, and he hided her hands on the back pockets of his jeans. Looking down at his All-Star snickers, he knew that he couldn't run away from the question.
- I feel like I'm deserting you, leaving this magnificent world behind ... I fear that I might be doing a mistake, I don't know! Maybe I just feel guilty because of my ...
He feared for what he was about to say. He looked at his father, that was listening every word with the most understanding, open heart. Finally he just threw himself into his arms, no longer afraid of appearances.
- I just miss my mother so bad, dad! I wished...I wished I could find her for you, for us.
Stroking his son's hair, Vincent felt through each word, each sob, each tear, like it was his own: and in deed it was.
- Son, your mother is no longer in this world, but I know that wherever she is, she's watching you, and smiling at you, at us.
- No father - said Jacob, assuming a strong and determinate look, cleaning the tears and looking straight into his father's eyes - She's alive, I know she is. And when I find her, happiness will rule this world once again, like it did before. She will make it all right. She will.
How could not he even feel a residue of hope, growing in his chest over the years, with his son's beliefs? And he, of all people! Who had carried the love of his life, lifeless, to her apartment? Who had staid with her all night and all day, watching her?
How could he?
How?
* * * *
It was 11 am of a beautiful Sunday morning.
Diana's car pulled over next to the drive way, shipping out the bundle of three restless teenagers, Jacob and his friend who had also entered the NY college of arts: Jeff.
Jeff was a sort of "pretend-to-be-jock", but he had an artistic persona that didn't quite matched his father's ambitions of a football prodigee. Gathering the last sense of nerve he had ever had, Jeff entered the university race, and the results came out against what his father had wished for. But Jeff was incredibly excited.
- So, kids, you're delivered. Can you handle your way around campus? Or do you kneed some extra help?
Jacob looked at her with a hint of irony and Diana started chuckling. Obviously the chuckle became a large laugh, and at the end, everybody was laughing.
- Oh, boy! If you could see the look on your faces! Well, Jacob, I'll pick you guys Saturday ok?
- Ok, repeated a group of three loud voices.
Diana's car became a red point on a very long street, when Jacob and his friends stopped waving. Then they looked at each other, and then at Campus.
- Here goes nothing!
- Where should we go first?
- It's better for us to go find our rooms ... this is huge, man!
The buildings were fresh new, but the university Campus had a hint of old and decay very suitable for art experts...you might even say that it held something magical. The two friends took their first steps inside the university, and soon enough they had found they're quarters. Luckily, Jacob and Jeff were sharing the room.
- This is so cool! - said Jeff jumping up and down on his bed.
Jacob was standing by the window, watching the greenness of the lawn and found himself seeing the faces of all his family Bellow: Mouse, Jamie, Pascal Kipper, Samantha, Cathy, Father ... and Vincent, of course.
While he was thinking on the intimate last moments he had shared with his father, a blond figure, dressed with a long pale blue skirt, that seemed to rustle very slowly with the wind and with an adorable knitted, white, jersey, captured his eye.
With her back facing him Jacob could see that she had the most luxurious long, gold hair that reminded very much his father's gold mane, although her's was much more straightened.
Her head was bending over, and she was, what appeared to be, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Some other students were filling up the lawn, but Jacob was so captured by her that it seemed that she alone was on that field.
Then a couple of other girls arrived and she ran to them, hugging them and spinning around and then ... he saw her face.
Oh, yes! She was beautiful! Her face glowed with joy and happiness ... Jacob thought that she was the most wonderful creature he had ever laid eyes upon.
- Jacob...Jacob...JACOB, MAN!
- What? What?
- Finished unpacking ... let's check out this place.
Jacob turned to look for her in the field... but it was too late: she was gone.
- What is it, bro? Cat got your tongue?
Jacob faced his friend and smiled, burring his hands in the pockets of his jacket.
- I think I just got struck by lightning, that's all.
* * * *
- Say, Mary, that's a wonderful jersey you're wearing!
- My mother knitted it for me ... I think it was the first thing she knitted when she learned.
- Well, she has done a hell of a job!
- I can't believe that we are actually here! - said Vanessa one of Mary's friends and her new room mate.
- All you ever wanted was to leave Montana!
- Don't even tell me about it! I hated there!
- Well, au contraire de vous, má chérie I loved Montana ... that landscape, the trees, the sun the open meadows, the valleys, the creeks ...it's the most wonderful place on earth.
- That's why you brought your paintings with you?
Mary was hanging her Montana paintings on the wall, next to her bed, while Vanessa had just finished hanging a cool Andy Warholl poster and another one of Klimt's " The Kiss", showing well her wide variety of art "taste".
Mary sat on her bed and looked at the paintings, with a long and profound look. A violin tune came to her hears and she remembered the afternoons on her porch, just scrabbling a drawing pad with everything that would come to mind: a boy riding his bike on the driveway, her mum cooking something delicious inside, the children that played elastic on the grass of they're tidy gardens. But what Mary really liked was to go to her own secret place, down near the river, where a wonderful beam of light would illuminate the gorge where the water would slide.
Quietness.
Wild.
It was so like herself.
Some days, she would be very still and wait for the animals to approach. No one knew about her strolls down the river, and she held the memory of the smell of dry earth after a nice rain shower so close, that she actually almost heard the Meadowlark singing his beautiful scheme of chirps.
-Mary...MARY!
She was briskly awaked by her room mate, impatient to see what else the campus could offer them.
* * * *
-What is it? You are awfully quiet.
Vincent was sitting on his big chair, next to where Diana was sitting.
-It's Jacob , isn't it? The boy's fine Vincent, there's nothing you should worry about.
-Isn't there?
-What?
He closed the book before he had even started to read it. It had been a kind offer of Diana's, but he simply wasn't in the right mood for enjoying it and in his mind, a good book should deserve a more nicer treatment. Diana took off her glasses. As the years went by she realized she was wearing them more often, and sometimes she would not realized that they were on until she lay down to sleep ... but looking at Vincent, it was so amazing to see that, in him, the years would only roll by in his eyes, that grew weary, loosing his deep blue until they would reach a more grey tone.
Diana knew what was the cause of that subsiding color: Catherine. It was always Catherine . Although she had tried to divert Vincent's attention from the memory of her "rival", she was a constant in every thing that Vincent did. He had even once confided to her that she was permanently in his thoughts, that sometimes he could hear her voice, turn around...and there was nothing there.
And Jacob! Jacob grew to be a complete union of both Vincent and Cathy, and you could see the joy in that father's eyes, every time that his son appeared to great him, to give an embrace...even when he behaved irrationally with Devin.
-Jacob had a talk with me last night. He blames himself for his mother's death.
-That's absurd! What did you do?
-Comnfort him the best way I could.
-One thing you can take out has positive though: he's finally realizing that ...you know.
Vincent sighed.
-Yes. It was hard for me too.
Diana reached for his hand and waited for him to reach it too. He did it, looking to her with shameful eyes.
-Diana , I'm sorry for...the pain that I've...
Diana reached his lips, and covered them with her fingertips, in hoping that he would quiet down.
-Don't say it. I regret nothing.
It was almost three o'clock and the dorm was filled with lots of teenagers running around, freshmen and "veterans", some playing pranks, others checking the board, and there were still people arriving. Mary had just stepped off the cafeteria with some friends and she was now standing in the lawn, playing frisbee with them and a strain dog that was considered to be the mascot of campus. It was a Belgian sheep dog, with his golden years trapped along somewhere in the past, but he still jumped!
-Mary, here!
The frisbee flew past Mary and landed somewhere near a large oak.
-Great Susan!
Her brunette friend just shrugged her shoulders and laughed, taking his hand to her new bought Yankees cap, adjusting it to her forehead: the sun was very strong, and she didn't measured her strength well. Mary ran to the oak and searched for the frisbee, but it was nowhere to be found.
-Damn! Where is it?
-You're looking for this?
The frisbee was being held by a delicate, but strong hand. His voice was low and very gentile, like a tuned base, that caused chills over Mary's spine. A lock of her hair fell over her eyebrow and Jacob thought that she was the most beautiful being he had ever seen.
Mary didn't emitted a sound. She just stood there, speechless, has her hand automatically reached for the frisbee, and her eyes never left his.
"So blue!" she thought "So blue ..."
She grabbed the frisbee and turned around, running in her friend's direction.
"Stupid, you didn't said thanks!"
But when she turned to look for him, he was gone. So strange that glance was! So deep and emotional. So tender...so mysterious.
-Mary, are you thinking of yesterday?
She looked to the oak and then turned around to pass the frisbee once more. Although she waited to see him again, he didn't came.
"So blue!"
-Oh , man! And you didn't asked her name? That's pretty lame, don't you think?
-But I do know her name: Mary.
-And tell me ...is she, you know! Good looking?
-Sometimes I wonder how do you love poetry so much, talking the way you do.
Jeff stopped teasing his partner and turned around, sitting on the bed. He wasn't used to fight or argue, but those words seemed to affect him more hardly than any, since the passion that he had for writing was misunderstood under his looks of a sport's playboy. Jacob, of all people, knew of those sentiments, and how much it hurt him.
-I'm sorry Jeff! I didn't mean too.
-I know you didn't Jacob. But I'm sorry if I can't act more like an artist or a writer does. I'm just me, man!
-And you're a great you.
Jeff laughed and threw away a cushion at his friend's head. Jacob laughed and then he turned away to the computer: every room in campus had one, for any report or written work that the students might come to have. When he turned it on, there was a e-mail icon flashing at the top corner. Jacob clicked it: it was a snail e-mail, announcing that there was going to be a party at the campus bar: an Irish pub.
-There's a welcome party tonight at the pub.
-Yeah, I've heard about it at the cafeteria ... we're there, buddy!
"REUNITED" belongs to Inês Costa Any distribution, copy, shoul be made under her consent. Thanks
All artwork you see here are property and were desing by Sonia Mª Corral, Any distribution, copy, shoul be made under her consent. Thanks
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