A Parting of the Ways (the sequel to "From the Heart")

“Of course,” Elias said. “I wouldn't dream of revealing to others what you tell me to keep strictly confidential. The Greeks have a term for it: herkos odonton.”

“What does it mean in English?” I asked.

“ 'Behind the hedge of the teeth',” he replied.

“Where did you learn that term?” I asked.

“While watching the James Bond movie, 'For Your Eyes Only',” he said. “One of the better early 1980s James Bond movies.”

“Then definitely keep this 'behind the hedge of your teeth' and 'for your eyes only',” Sam said, “because it won't be easy to talk about.”

“But why are you telling me, Sam?” he wondered. “You could just continue keeping it to yourself.”

“Because I trust you and I love you, Elias,” I said. “Also, because I can't keep it a secret any longer. It's threatening to eat me up inside.”

“This sounds like we need to be somewhere more private than here,” he said.

I nodded. “Any suggestions?”

He looked thoughtful. “We could go back home.”

“Too claustrophobic for something like this,” I said.

“Or … we could walk along the river,” Elias said. “There are probably some private spots here and there.”

“Let's do that instead,” I said.

---------

Minutes later, we were walking hand-in-hand along the river. The shadows from the trees along the river were growing longer, mingling with our own shadows. It was so quiet that we could even hear the river flowing past. A soft series of rippling sounds as the river flowed past its banks as well as around debris in the river itself.

“That should do,” I said, pointing ahead of us.

I saw a large log that sat mostly on dry land, while its front section rested in the river. There were bushes on either side of the log and no one in sight. We walked over to it and I sat down in the middle of it. Elias sat down behind me and put his arms around my waist. I gently laid my hands on top of his.

Elias said nothing, trusting that I would know when to start talking about the secret I'd had to keep to herself. We both seemed to enjoy the feeling of our bodies touching, my back against his chest.

“Have you ever been to a party where you had so much fun that you didn't want to leave it?” I finally asked.

Elias nodded. “A few. I'm not much of a party-goer.”

“Well, what about a party that promised to begin so well only to turn into an argument?” I asked.

“I'm not sure I've ever been to one of those before,” he replied.

“I wish I hadn't either,” I said.

“Then why did you go to it?” Elias asked.

“I was invited by a friend,” I replied. “A very good friend. Someone I'd known for a long time. Someone I thought I could trust. In fact, someone I thought I was in love with.”

“And yet you abandoned the party and headed out into a rainstorm,” he said.

I nodded. “His name was Tony. No need to mention his last name.”

Elias was silent, waiting patiently.

“I first met Tony back in college,” I went on. “The college was small and it wasn't hard to get to know most of the faculty and the other students. I was sitting under one of the trees in the Quad –”

“The Quad?” he interrupted, sounding mildly puzzled.

I laughed softly. “Didn't they have one at the college you went to?”

“My college was a string of buildings along a wooded slope,” Elias said. “There wasn't room for a quad of any size. But the views of the river flowing past were amazing.”

“The Quad was a square of four buildings, one building per side, with a fountain in the middle,” I said. “There was a small forest of flowering cherry trees in the Quad. A beautiful sight to look at and walk among every April. The flower cherry trees had been a gift from a Japanese university in Kyoto, Japan. Back in the 1950s, I think.”

“A postwar peace offering between Japan and America?” he suggested. “Like the flowering trees around the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC?”

“Probably,” I said. “Anyway, it was a popular place for people to meet, whether casually or romantically. One day, after I was sitting under one tree, my backpack on the ground nearby, and reading a copy of 'The Time Traveler's Wife'. In my peripheral vision, I saw a tall shadow approach and stop several feet away. A pleasant male voice asked if he could join me. I looked up to see a tall, handsome young man. Short chestnut-colored hair, green eyes. Dressed in a light sweater in green-and-white, the school colors, dark pants, and dark shoes. That was the first time I saw Tony. I must have been staring at him because he smiled and laughed softly.”

----------

“I guess you must be used to girls gawking at you,” I told him.

“Sort of,” he said as he sat down near me. “But most girls on campus are nothing like you.”

“They're probably much better looking,” I said.

He shook his head. “Not really. You should hear their comments when they talk about you. If anything, I'd say they were envious of you.”

I found that hard to believe. “Of me?”

He nodded.

“You wouldn't lie to me, would you?” I asked him.

He shook his head. “My parents taught me that it's better to be honest than to lie. Even if the consequences of honesty aren't much better.” He glanced at the book I was reading. “Interesting choice of reading material.” When I tried to hide it from him in embarrassment, he said, “No, no. That wasn't criticism. Just an observation.”

“Have you seen the movie adaptation?” I asked.

“It's pretty good,” he replied. “But I still prefer the book. It can get pretty explicit sometimes, though.”

I laughed softly. “No kidding. I'm surprised that there isn't an R rating for books like this. If my parents knew, they'd probably ask where I found my copy of it.”

“Surely they wouldn't fuss about the intimate language in it,” he said. “After all, they were lovers once, before they got married and became parents.”

“True, but I think that most parents forget about the lover stage in their life,” I said. “Especially the ones that get so offended when they see young couples hugging and kissing in public.” I snorted. “As if they'd never done the same thing themselves. The hypocrites.”

“Don't be so quick to criticize them,” he said. “Imagine what they had to experience. Raising children like us.” He smiled and I found myself lost in the glow of that smile. “My name is Tony. What's yours?”

“Samantha,” I said. “I prefer to be called Sam, though.”

“Sam it is, then,” he said. “Why haven't I seen you here in the Quad before?”

“I usually spend most of my free time in the college library,” I said. “But when Spring comes and the cherry trees burst into blossom, it's hard to stay away from the Quad.”

“You sound like a poet,” Tony said.

“I've written a little,” I admitted. “But nothing I'd want to share with anyone. Not even with my parents.”

He gave me a curious look. “Why not?”

“I'm not very good at poetry,” I said.

“So says the writer,” Tony said. “Maybe a reader would have a different opinion of them. Do you think that you could let me read one or two of your poems?”

I tore my eyes away from him and tried to get my thoughts back in order. I held up one finger. “One poem. Only one.”

He nodded. “Fair enough. Just one poem. You pick the one you think is the best and I'll read it.”

I laid the book aside and unzipped my backpack. I dug out the journal I used to write poems in, then zipped the backpack closed again.

Quite aware that there was a handsome young man sitting near me, looking at me as he waited patiently, I probably didn't pick the best poem after all. I just arbitrarily picked one and handed the open notebook over to him.

He thanked me and silently read the poem:

There are days that make

You thankful to be alive,

Days of joy and happiness

That seem like a little bit

Of heaven here on Earth

Then there are days of darkness

And unhappiness, reminders that

Not everything is bright and sunny,

That sometimes tragedy must take

Its course and carry us along with it

But when I sit here,

Under these cherry trees,

I find it difficult to believe that

The darkness is for real, that

The road ahead is ever bumpy

Yet, for me, the road can also be

Empty sometimes; I long to become

One of those couples in the Quad,

Lounging together, sometimes talking,

Sometimes kissing, so very happy

Perhaps one day I shall find that

One special person, the one who is

Meant just for me, someone I can

Spend the rest of my life with,

A tall, dark, handsome stranger

“It does ramble a bit,” Tony admitted, “but it's not bad. I've read worse poetry in the college's literary quarterly. You should try submitting some of your poems to it.”

I shrugged. “I'd have to do some editing first. Some of these are … a little too personal.”

“Like this one?” he asked.

I looked at it, blushed, and nodded. “Especially this one.”

Tony smiled and handed the notebook back to me. “Not everyone can express themselves that well. You should be proud that you have the ability to do so, instead of hiding your efforts from view.”

“I'm not much of an exhibitionist,” I said. “Too shy.”

“Maybe that'll change in the future,” he said, standing up. He held one hand out to me. “When's your next class?”

I accepted his offer of help and stood up. Then I checked my watch. “In about half an hour.”

“If you'll let me, I'd like to walk you there,” Tony said. “And maybe, in return, you'll let me have your phone number?”

“I'm not sure if my parents would approve,” I said. “But I can ask them.”

“You don't have a phone of your own yet?” he asked.

I shook my head.

We walked across the Quad to Chandler Hall where my next class was. Understandably, most of the eyes were on Tony. But I noticed that at least a few were on me.

“Maybe you can ask for one for your birthday or for Christmas,” Tony suggested. “That way we could talk more often. We could even send text messages to each other.”

“You make it sound like you want to go steady with me,” I said.

“Would that be a problem?” he asked.

“Not for me,” I said, “but what about all the other girls? Won't they be disappointed that you chose me instead of one of them?”

“I'm not the only guy on campus,” Tony said with a laugh. “They'll find someone else. They'll have to.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I'm already taken,” he said.

----------

“That quite a romantic introduction,” Elias said. “I'm guessing you dated each other a lot in college.”

I nodded. “It definitely made college more enjoyable. Much as I love spending time in a library, it's sometimes nice finding a person to spend time with.”

“I quite agree,” he said. “So. That was the introduction. When did things fall apart?”

“At the party I was alluding to,” I said. “I was all dressed up and ready to go. The party was at a restaurant owned by Tony's parents. Not far from Francois' restaurant, actually.”

“What's it called?” Elias asked.

“Saunders' Bar and Grill,” I replied. “It's over on Third Street.”

“I think I've walked past it sometimes,” he said. “Seems to be a popular spot.”

I nodded. “Anyway – the weather forecast was for clear skies. The rain wasn't supposed to come until the next morning.”

“Apparently, Mother Nature decided to jump the gun,” Elias said.

I sighed. “She sure did. And she wasn't the only one. Just in case, I brought an umbrella with me. I'm so glad that I did. I took a taxi over to the restaurant. I think I was too early but it was already pretty crowded. Plenty of music, plenty of talking, and plenty of alcohol. I stood just inside the front doorway and looked for Tony. He was sitting next to a young woman with long black hair. They seemed to be enjoying each other's company. There were several empty beer glasses in front of them. I saw them kiss a few times.”

He also sighed. “How quickly he forgot you. Or maybe the beer and the young woman made him forget?”

“Probably,” I said. “As I was standing there, a waiter put another two glasses of beer in front of them. They toasted each other and drank.”

----------

Oh, why in the world did I bother to come here? I wondered. I should've just stayed home. But, trusting creature that I am, I thought things were going well and there was nothing that could possibly go wrong.

A waitress came over to me and asked where I'd like to be seated. I chose a booth as far from Tony and his new girlfriend as possible. Unfortunately, the waitress led me in front of them on the way to my booth. I stopped, but the waitress continued on, thinking I was still following her.

“Hey!” Tony exclaimed, but then seemed to have some trouble remembering who I was. “You're … um … um … that's right ... you're Sam. But what are you doing here?”

“I believe you invited me,” I replied coldly. “But apparently you're already preoccupied with someone else.”

“Who is this, sweetie?” the black-haired girl asked him.

Sweetie? Well, why not? They were already on more than casual terms with one another.

“She's one of the students at the college I went to, Carrie,” Tony told the girl.

“I'm so glad you can still remember that far back,” I said and turned to the girl. “Maybe he'll remember you better than he remembers me … when he moves on to someone else.”

Tony gave me an angry look. “You didn't have to say that, Sam. Especially not in front of her.”

“Why not?” I asked. “Isn't it true? You seem to go through girls like a blackjack player goes through cards.”

The waitress turned and saw that I wasn't behind her anymore. She came back to where I was. “Ma'am? You said you wanted a booth? There aren't any booths in this area of the restaurant. Just tables.”

“I don't think I'll be having dinner here after all,” I told the waitress. “I think I'll just go back home.”

Tony stood up even though Carrie tried to grab his arm and pull him back down. “I think you owe me an apology, Sam.”

“Tony – if that's even your real name – I don't owe you anything,” I said. “I thought we were more than just friends. Apparently, I thought wrong. Enjoy your evening with Carrie.”

I left the restaurant and burst into tears. Not sad tears, but angry tears.

He had no right! He had no right to destroy what we had together! But he did it anyway. And probably had done it many times before and would do it many times yet again in the future.

Despite my anger, I even managed to briefly feel sorry for his date, Carrie. Maybe she would last longer than her predecessors had. Or maybe not.

I spotted a taxi and waved to it. It drove over to me.

“Where to, ma'am?” the driver asked me.

“Anywhere out of this area,” I replied.

“Where specifically, Ma'am?” the driver asked. “I can't just go around in circles.”

“Is there another restaurant near here?” I replied.

The driver nodded. “A very good one.” He looked up and we both heard the rumble of thunder. “Better get inside my taxi. That rumble sounds like serious business. Probably rain pretty hard tonight.”

I sat down on the bench seat in the back and pulled the door shut. Moments later, a veritable downpour started. As if the skies had saved up all this rain for months and decided to dump it in one great deluge. All that was missing was Noah's Ark.

The taxi sped through the intervening streets and pulled up to a stop in front of another restaurant. Protective curtains were already pulled down.

I paid for the fare, managed to get the rear door open just enough to open the umbrella. It didn't do me much good. I still got wet, but maybe less than I would've without any umbrella.

I ran across the sidewalk and ducked into the restaurant's outdoor seating.

----------

“Which is when I saw you and then you saw me,” Elias said.

I nodded. “So now you know what led up to our first meeting.”

“And I'll try to make sure I never ever treat you like Tony did,” he said.

I smiled. “You wouldn't. You're not the type.”

“Feel better now that you've got that off your chest?” Elias asked.

I nodded. “Want to go back home? Maybe we could cuddle and snuggle for a bit.”

“I'd like that,” he said.

“So would I,” I said.