by Pet TorreS
“Yeah, we spent a night together.” She sat on the sofa. “One night was enough…” she confessed, sounding repentant at her past.
“And I was born.” I stared at her, disgusted. “So that's why you hate him so much!”
“I don’t hate your father. I just avoid talking about him. It has been very hard for me, bearing all of this by myself.”
I realized she was crying in silence.
“Being a single mother and not knowing the father of my daughter.” She put her fingers on her face and wiped a tear away.
“You should have avoided that situation,” I said and my eyes were wide-open and serious.
“If I had, you wouldn’t be here in this moment,” she said, firmly.
“It would have been better,” I said and went to seek refuge in my bedroom.
Talking about my father had always been a torment for us.
“Don’t say that again, Valkyrie!” She came walking after me. “You are my life,” she confessed.
“I didn’t say that I am not your life.” I sat on my bed and placed a cushion on my lap. “I just think you didn’t need to suffer so much… if I hadn’t been born,” I said and leaned my head to the side.
“I would face anything to have you here with me.”
She confessed and hugged me tightly. Her hug expressed her immense love for me.
We remained together for a long time. My mother was everything I had in my life and I was all she had in hers.
It became much clearer to me. We depended on each other.
CHAPTER 10
Some students decided to make a luau at the waterfall. I decided to go since Mirta would be there. She convinced me and I agreed to go with her.
I realized they had excluded Eros from this event.
He didn’t get along with anyone. Eros was always isolated from people. That’s why he hadn’t been invited to the party.
Between classes, I walked to the school courtyard and I saw Eros. He was sitting on a wooden bench under a tree. His face was hidden in a book.
I approached him pretending I didn’t want anything and I sat down at his side with my hands leaning on the bench.
“What are you reading?” I asked looking at his book page.
“A book about owls,” he answered looking up at my face.
“Do you like owls?” I couldn’t avoid my surprise.
“They are the ‘symbol of wisdom’.” His countenance seemed arrogant.
“I didn’t know.”
“There are many things you don’t know yet,” he affirmed looking into my dark eyes.
“An owl came to my bedroom window and I frightened it away,” I confessed.
“It is a bird that does no harm to anyone.”
“But it is frightening... that animal has large eyes...”
He smiled at me and then he looked back at his book’s paragraph. That was a way of telling me that his reading would be more interesting than my words.
We remained voiceless for a time, until I had the courage to break the silence between us again.
“There will be a luau this evening at the waterfall. Do you want to come with us?”
“I don’t enjoy that kind of thing.” He closed his book and glanced away.
“It’ll be cool,” I tried to convince him to go with us.
“Who will I know if I show up?” he said, looking back at my face.
“I’ll be waiting for you there.” My voice sounded hopeful.
“I’m not making any promises.”
He got up, walked away leaving me wondering if he would go to the luau or not. I remained seated, with no enthusiasm to face my classroom again.
***
In the evening, when we arrived at the waterfall, everything was so pleasant - being faced with nature’s beauty. I loved it all. I felt the gentle wind biting against my cheeks. I was so excited.
We got out of the cars. The guys were looking for a suitable spot to make a bonfire. Delighted, I watched the blazing twigs for a long time.
The folks served us drinks. We sat on the ground and in front of the bonfire. I refused to drink intoxicating drinks as I remembered my mother’s words.
I sipped my soda, while listening to the sound of a guitar. They were singing such a moody melody. I stood up to go for a walk around the waterfall. Mirta was talking to Christian at that moment. She looked at me while I was walking away slowly.
“Excuse me,” she told Christian and came after me.
“What’s wrong with you? Don’t you like it here?” she asked me.
I looked at her worried face.
“Yes, I do,” I responded a little confused.
“Why are you feeling like that?” She wanted to know more.
“He didn’t come,” I told her, looking down at the floor.
“I can’t believe you’re here thinking of Eros!” She placed her hands on her waist and looked upset at me.
“I just wanted him to be here with me,” I confessed and my eyes were gleaming.
“And you always declare you aren’t in love with him.” She added, thoughtfully.
“He’s my friend,” I said, trying to sound indifferent.
“I’m your friend too,” she said, looking at my face.
“Finally you and Christian are together,” I changed the subject almost immediately.
“Have you noticed that?” She said and smiled, her face looked content.
“I have not only noticed it but I’m very glad to finally see you together.” I smiled back.
We lingered quietly for a moment. Then a boy approached us. He looked at me anxiously.
“Hello. My name is Douglas,” he said, watching me.
I had no interest in knowing his name.
“Valkyrie,” I said, rudely.
That was completely unnecessary, me there, chatting with him.
Mirta went back to Christian and I was alone with him. I avoided facing him and kept my eyes down all the time.
“I’m trying to talk to you since we arrived here,” he said.
I remained silent. He gazed at me all the time and I was bothered by his gaze.
“Are you always so quiet?” he asked me as his hands went into his jeans’ pockets.
“I speak when it’s necessary,” I answered, in a serious tone.
“Me too, I’m shy too,” he shrugged. “Do you like luaus?”
“They’re cool.” My answers were short and he realized I didn’t want to talk to him.
“It seems that your girlfriend is having fun with my friend Christian!” he said, staring at them sitting around the bonfire. They were totally involved in a conversation full of intense glances.
“Let’s go back to the party,” I said and walked away hastily.
“Wait!” he suddenly said and grabbed my arm. “Let’s talk a little bit more.”
I looked up into his eyes and remained still. An owl appeared, flying silently and landed on a tree trunk, just a few yards from us.
I glared it and realized it was staring at me with watchful eyes, as if it was observing me. It seemed to be the same owl that showed up at my window.
“I hate that creature!” Douglas shouted when he saw the dark bird. He picked up a piece of firewood and flung it against the owl.
“Go away, omen!” he yelled at it.
I tried to stop him from doing that, so he wouldn’t hurt the owl. Then I remembered Eros had told me several good things about the owls.
“Don’t do it!” I shouted and ran to him.
The torch hit the bird and it flew away, vanishing into the darkness. I felt awful about that and wished to walk away. I turned back and left them.
“Where are you going?” Mirta cried out loud.
“I’m leaving,” I said, walking away.
“Are you going by yourself? She asked, desperately. “It’s dangerous!”
“What happened to her? Does she feel like that because of an owl?” Christian asked, mocking me.
Mi
rta came after me and stood in front of me, trying not to let me go away.
“You can’t go back home alone, it’s dangerous.” She held my hand firmly.
“That wasn’t funny… what Douglas did.” I was so angry.
“He just wanted to frighten the bird. No one likes owls. They bring death messages,” she explained.
“I like owls and that’s just a silly superstition!” I frowned, outraged.
“Alright, Valkyrie, let’s go back to the party then!” she said and held my arm firmly.
“Okay,” I agreed with her. “I’ll go back because you’re asking me.”
Then we walked back to them.
CHAPTER 11
The next day, Eros came to school and his left hand was swathed with a bandage. That soon attracted my attention to him, due to the contrast of his dark clothes and that white bandage on his hand. It was inevitable that I would notice him. I was troubled about him and ran into the gangway, trying to talk to him before we entered into our classroom.
“What happened?” It was the first thing I said instead of saying ‘Hi’.
“A little accident,” he said in a weak voice.
“Are you wounded?” I insisted.
“This is a burn.”
“How did this happen?” I remembered the owl last night, when Douglas threw a lit torch at it.
My thoughts became confused with the luau scenes and I was not able to pay attention to what was happening around me anymore.
“I was frying a steak,” he answered and I could come back to my normal state as I listened to his voice again, that is, to reality.
“Do you cook?”
“I have to,” he answered almost smiling at me.
“Do you live alone?” I was surprised again as I imagined he lived with his parents.
“Yes, I do.”
“You need to take more care,” I continued troubled about him.
“This was nothing. I’ll be better soon.”
“I was waiting for you yesterday.” I changed the subject.
“Sorry, but I couldn’t be there.”
"I think it was good that you didn’t go. Douglas threw a flaming torch against an owl that appeared there."
"Why did he do that?"
"I do not know. Maybe he had a bad feeling."
"If I were there I would have stopped him." His voice showed anger because of the event.
"I tried doing this, but nothing worked. I confess that I was sorry for the bird."
“Are you starting to like owls?" His surprise was inevitable.
"I am trying to get used to them." I smiled and kept talking. “This is thanks to you who told me those things about them."
He smiled back.
"There are many things you need to know.” He faced me. “Just the right time has not come yet ..."
"What do I need to know?”
I stared at his face with anger. Our conversations always had an incomprehensible air about them.
"Everything has its time ..." he said and walked quickly, leaving me behind. However, I remained puzzled due to his unfinished sentences.
CHAPTER 12
Before I prepared my bed for sleep, I put on a long nightgown and stopped walking in front of my mirror to tie my hair, since I wasn’t able to repose with it remaining free. At the moment I gazed at my image in the mirror, I was stunned because I could barely see myself in it. It was a far and weak apparition. It was as if I didn’t exist in fact.
Then I imagined it could be a hallucination on my part.
Again the owl came to my window.
My body trembled due to the impact of my fright, at the same time I saw it there, stagnant and observing me all the time. Seconds later, I walked in its direction and this time I didn’t want to frighten it away from there but to protect it.
Eros made me see the owls from a different aspect.
Before, I saw the owl like an awful and foreboding animal. Now I see it like a friend and also a protector that comes to my window to watch my sleep nearly every night.
“I don’t want to frighten you,” I said and tried to touch it. However, the owl flew to the window corner, preventing me from doing that. “I don’t want hurt you.”
I think I frightened it even though I didn’t have any intention of doing so.
Minutes later, I extended my light body on my soft mattress and made my head comfortable on my pillow. But my eyes were still on the owl, which stayed in the same place for hours, just observing me.
I didn’t feel any fear of it, as I remembered Eros all the time and also reminded myself of everything he said to me regarding the owls. His words comforted me in the face of that frightening bird that a large majority of people fear.
Every time I looked at the owl, I felt it was as if Eros was present in my bedroom. Then I sighed deeply while I thought it would be good if he was present there, he could protect me in fact.
After sometime I ended up closing my eyes and fell into a deep sleep in the owl’s presence, while this same owl remained inert with its enormous pair of eyes over me.
***
The first sun rays reached my window soon in the morning and then I awakened with brilliant light over my face and automatically I felt an irritation in my dark eyes.
Then I put my pillow against my face, blocking out the light and I ended up remaining in bed longer than I had intended.
CHAPTER 13
Every Wednesday after class, there was a basketball game in the school gym. I sat down next to Mirta to watch the match.
The game had not started yet. Christian needed one more player to complete his opposing team. He was annoyed because they couldn’t start the game with a missing player.
For the first time Eros appeared unexpectedly to watch the basketball game. He arrived after everyone had taken a seat, then he walked in slow motion and isolated himself from the other supporters.
Since he arrived there, my glance was focused on him. It was amazing the power of enchantment he always exercised over me. Mirta nudged my ribs.
“Look who is coming,” she said, leaning her head towards him.
“Err… I’ve noticed,” I said, staring at him too.
Eros looked distracted and at that moment he had not seen me yet.
“Why don’t you go there and talk to him?” she asked, glancing at me and smiling joyfully.
“What would I talk to him about?” I asked with a serious tone in my voice. I was avoiding showing I was really interested in him.
“Think of something interesting.”
“I’m not so creative,” I jeered.
“Ask him if he likes basketball.” She shrugged her shoulders.
“Great idea!” my voice sounded wry.
Christian saw Eros by himself.
“Hey! You there!” Christian asked standing in his place. “Do you want to complete our team?”
Everyone around heard his invitation. Eros realized that everybody was staring at him, as if he was a celebrity.
I straightened my neck, alert, trying to listen to his expected answer.
“Are you talking to me?” Eros asked, in a serious tone.
“Yes, I am,” Christian answered, holding the basketball.
“Am I designated to play in your team?” Eros asked and his eyes were cold.
“No, my team is already complete.”
“I agree,” Eros said rapidly, dropping his backpack on his seat and then he walked onto the sports court.
The game started. Christian was outstanding on the shots, scoring lots of points. The other players supposed Eros was like a fish out of water. It seemed like he had never seen a basketball before. All of his moves were affecting his team. He was doing everything wrong. He held the ball so clumsily. That was pathetic.
I remained quiet and disturbed watching that game, as well as how his teammates were mad at him.
“He is very bad on court!”Mirta commented and I remained quiet. I was pissed off.
In
a matter of time, after his perception about the game, Eros found out the perfect strategy to play. He grabbed the basketball several times. It was amazing how quick he could move his body on the court.
We could only see his shadow running on. No one could stop him from going on, not even the best player… ‘Christian.’
The supporters changed their idol. They began shouting aloud the name ‘Eros’, as opposed to Christian.
Christian was furious with all of them. No one had ever detracted from him on the basketball court.
Mirta sat back next to me. She was upset due to Christian’s defeat. Unlike me, I was bursting with joy, watching Eros crushing Christian on the court.
The game finished with the effusive victory of Eros’ team.
“That’s beginner’s luck!” Christian told Eros, when he left the court, leaving the ball going down. Eros noticed he was glowing with indignation.
“I have never seen anyone play like that!” one of Christian’s teammates vehemently said.
“Shut up!” Christian shouted at him.
I tried to talk to Eros while all the players were leaving the court. He had turned back to get his stuff. He was bent when I approached him.
“How did you do that?” I asked at his back and opened up my eyes in surprise.
He turned to face me as he was arranging his books.
“I don’t even know,” he said and his voice was aloof.
“You moved so fast on the court! You dominated the game!” I exclaimed, staring at the court.
“Christian didn’t like it,” he commented.
“He’s not used to being defeated,” I affirmed.
“He’s a jerk.” He finally smiled.
Mirta came to me in silence. She was upset.
“I’m leaving…will you stay here?” she asked and acted as if Eros didn’t exist.
“I am going home, too…” I told her.
Eros frowned and stared at Mirta, at the way she acted towards him. Being very anxious, she left us behind.
“See you tomorrow,” I said as I was walking on.
