Pathways (Fiction)

It was ten o'clock in the evening. Nico was bushed. Letting out a big loud sigh, he opened the drawer in the center to get some papers. While doing so, he saw an old photograph, taken more than thirty years ago.

"Toni..."

He held the picture tightly, careful not to crumple it. Memories of 1964 started like a movie in his mind.

The sun was setting like a beautiful yellow orange blaze with splashes of indigo. The horizon was a beautiful picture to paint, and for Toni and Nico, it was, for them, the most beautiful sight, more so because they were sharing it together.

Toni did not want to leave. 

Leaving the beach meant parting with Nico. They had been best friends since high school. Now that she was about to become a doctor, and Nico, a lawyer, he was becoming dearer and dearer to her.

Nico looked at his best friend. He loved her with all his heart, but he did not have the courage to say it. He was poorer than Toni. He wanted to be a noted lawyer first before he would tell her what his feelings really were.

As Nico's mind continued to wander, Toni finally mustered some guts to say, "It's getting late, I'd race you to the car!"

The two ran as fast as they could. They reached the car simultaneously. Before riding they stared at each other. Each wanted to tell the other the love they have kept for years, but both kept their mouths shut.

They rode the car and their trip home was filled with deafening silence.

Months after not showing himself to Toni, he decided to pay her a visit. She was playing Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu(Fantazja-Impromptu in Polish). Every bit of hair on his body started to rise. It was like hearing the Polish composer himself, not that he would know, but boy, she was brilliant.

He cleared his throat, "Are you sure you took the right course?"

Toni was surprised to see him. She was speechless. Then she noticed that he was dripping wet. She got him a towel, wiped his sweat, and placed it behind his back.  He was nervous, and she felt it.

"Where have you been?"

Nico stared at her. In his heart he wanted to blurt out his feelings, but instead these words came out of his mouth, "I had a ball game and we lost. Since I was in the area, I decided to drop by and..."

He started to show that he was in pain.

"What's wrong?"

"My feet hurt..."

Without saying a word, Toni made him sit down, removed his shoes then massaged his feet with such care and passion.  When Nico who was just an inch short in reaching Nirvana,  he became so embarrassed. It was soothing and he did not want it to end, but pride crushed his longing. He stood up, grabbed his sneakers then said, "I better get going...the bar exams start next week."

He left Toni dumbfounded. 

"What happened? Did I do something wrong?"

After the bar exams Toni kept calling him, but he would not answer. She wanted to tell him about the special medical course in England, but he was nowhere in sight.

While in England she wrote him several letters telling him to come visit her when he has the time and to tell her when so that she could send him a ticket...

In the summer of 1984 they saw each other again at "their" beach with their families.

Nico's feelings were never gone, but when he saw her again, the flames were hotter than ever. He could not move. He could not breathe. Why did he let her slip away?

Toni's husband approached him. "Toni wants to talk to you in private," he said, unsure if he was doing the right thing. She wants you to follow her to the pavilion."

Reaching the pavilion he grabbed Toni and gave her a lingering kiss.

"I love you, Toni, I always did, and I always will."

Toni pushed him away. "You love me?" She laughed.

"You left me."

"You left me first. I did not know what I did wrong. You would not answer my calls. You never answered my letters. You did not even visit me. I sent you a round-trip ticket even if...

"Toni, we can still..." Toni put a finger on his lips.

"Let's get this over with. I loved you, but not anymore. I love my husband. I love my family."

"Your kiss says otherwise..."

"Nico, you have a family too..."

"Then why did you want to talk to me? To find out if I loved you all along, so that you can bloat your ego?"

"I miss my friend...my best friend."

Nico did not want to hear more. He left running. He collected his family then left. He was hurt, but he knew it was his fault.

Twenty years later, he still loved her. Or did he?

🐳🐬⭐🌺💝🌹🌴🌵

Present Time(1995):

Family pictures on the table appeared like magic before his eyes. Boy was he blind.

He got Toni's picture, then opened a safe full of their memories. He buzzed for a paralegal. When the latter arrived he told her, "Burn them!"

She complied even if she thought it was wrong of him to burn beautiful memories.  He's the boss.  

For the first time in his married life, he was glad to be going home, for now he was free.

© Lara Mia Veronica Misa Garcia 1995

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental."