By Pedro R.C. Silva
The
leaves crunch under my feet as I walk slowly down the forest path. The leaves
all around me colored red and orange as the seasons have changed. Winter is
coming soon. It reminds me of when I was a child and went from house to house
on hollows eve to collect candy from my neighbors. It was a much simpler time
back then, when the child with the biggest and fullest bag was declared the
lord of hollows eve. I wish I could relive any part of those moments. It’s too
bad I haven’t found a wife. Of all the times I’ve tried to be a suitor, each of
them brought me no fruit of love or companionship.
There was a time
in my younger days that I sought the favor of a girl from a village across the
bridge. Her name was Charlotte, eyes of the ocean after a storm and hair as
golden as the rays of the sun which curled ever so slightly. In the month of
December, with fresh snow just settled in, there was a Christmas ball and
everyone went. I went on the off chance that I would see Charlotte there, even
a glimpse of her smiling or laughing would make my night, but I never suspected
what would happen there that night. I ended up talking and dancing with her. By
the end of the night we somehow ended up at the bridge, watching the snow fall
and melt into the river. Yes we did kiss, and even talked some more, but I
can’t remember what we talked about. Either way it doesn’t matter. Two days
later I heard the news of her engagement to an Admirals son and they moved to
the city before New Year’s Day.
My luck with women
has never change, but who in their right mind would marry me now? A middle
aged, balding, bearded, history professor. I reach the end of the forested path
and reach the cliff that overlooks the ocean. I sit on one of the benches
provided for those who enjoy the view. There’s a guard rail running all across
the edge of it now. I remember when the cliff stood alone, and the path leading
to it was still grassy. My friends and I would call this cliff the devil’s
elbow because of the way it sloped up and abruptly cut down again in an angle
away from the edge. We saw who was the bravest by seeing who would get closer
to the edge. One summer’s day we were doing exactly that, and there was a
rivalry between Ralph and Carl. Time after time one would get closer than the
other, but this time they went into it while being furious at each other. Ralph
said that Carl took the silver coin that his father gave to him, while Carl
called Ralph a liar. On that day, most people say, Ralph pushed Carl over the
edge and Carl grabbed Ralph, bringing them both down, but I was there. I saw
how Carl lost his footing and how Ralph outstretched his arm to grab Carl.
Ralph couldn’t keep his footing either. That’s when the village ordered the
guard rail to be put in.
I sit there on the
Devil’s Elbow, looking out at the ocean, hearing the wave’s crash and the
seagull calling each other over the slight breeze. So many memories we keep to
relive at any moment’s notice, even when we don’t want to.
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