Diamond

  Chapter 8

  The friendship

  The next night I slept soundly and dreamed Ele and Eleana were as beautiful as I remembered them, danced around me at the sound of a waltz and it was all the colors of the rainbow and people smiled at true happiness.

  The afternoon came back to me Verter. I could see it in his face dark and did not give me any time to ask him what he had said to me: "Silvio, this night I could not sleep thinking about Eleana possible that a dear girl as she is to risk getting lost has not suffered already enough?" I put a hand to his forehead and as always his bluntness hurt me, but I had to agree with him. I said "What do you think I do not know?" "Then why do not you give yourself to do!" He replied, and I was screaming, I was dumb. "You have no idea what it means to lose the affections, and all together?" He said and showed indignation.

  I could not believe that he treated me that way; he wanted to dismiss the whole thing giving me the blame. I said "Listen, now exaggerating, think of you, you have a beautiful woman at his side and betray and you do not even realize that she knows everything!" and it was clear that only she could have told to me and it did not escape him.

  "What do you mean?" I was releasing a weight that stops me too, but I did not know what I would have had to pay. I said "Sit down and I'll explain why Eleana is gone." I had to take that step, run the risk of losing it, but I would not have waited over to clarify with him. I told the dinner with Stephanie. Then I said: " You know, I've been tempted to take advantage of it, she is really beautiful, but I could not, I love my wife, and you're the only real friend, I'm sorry if I misbehaved with you."

  He listened to me without opening his mouth, then he took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes between thumb and forefinger. I was expecting him to say that I should not accept the invitation that our friendship ended there. After a silence which to me seemed to never end, he said: "There are many ways to betray the other." I said: "Betraying trust is the biggest betrayal." He said: "Betraying the conditions, also." "Do not put in the other part of his life" I said. He said: "Of his own weaknesses, their hopes." "I do not correct each other, do not drive yourself" I said. "It does not happen by chance to betray" he said, and we were silent. Verter stood up and approached me. "That's what makes a true friend yells at you and shows you for what and for whom it is worth going forward." It gripped my arm. I realized how sincere his affection for myself.

  "Now is Eleana that he needs us to fight for her" he said and insisted that there was definitely some home track to follow to find her and convince her to return. I loaded again force his understanding and my liberation. We started looking through his things, but without success. At a certain moment I remembered the computer. I said, "There's your computer, but you cannot, it's personal." "It will mean that the wonder of that as an excuse" he said. It would turn on.

  We saw on the desktop folders from a labyrinth of text on the background of her white roses, the maze leading to the center along three routes and four areas, the center was larger and the folder was called "Escape". "I do not dare to read his stuff" I said. "Do not worry, I read them I " he said and clicked the middle of Escape. I sat. Verter began to read. "If one day you'll hear me as I was before it all happened, I would dedicate myself to build a foundation, and I want to call Escape."

  "I lost in a continuous dripping of my loved ones, I lost my roots, I felt weak and unable to react and someone has even profited." "I would like to relieve the other impotence, misunderstanding, isolation, would like to help as many people as possible."

  "My center will be special for all those who have lost the affections so traumatic." "The Centre will operate closer to those people who know the pain that has crippled and took away the ability to ask for help." "Escape must be the place to go if only to weep and where is the consoler in silence, who makes a gesture of affection, the place to return to, and there is always someone ready to receive, until they find their way out." "This project is my way out."

  Verter remained silent. I hid my face in my hands. He said: "Is tenders her thought; of course she is not of the sector." I said: "But I must do something." I know I should not but if I had not felt I could not understand how his life was tragic and I could not get into her size. We were unable to remain united front to pain, illness, the unexpected of life, but now I could fix it. I always hated to risk it, I decided not easy to change, but I had to decide what I was willing to risk it.

  ***