May It Be Forever

INDECISIONS

I was looking forward to my meeting with Richard. I was a little afraid too, I had to admit.

"Emi" called Guilherme. "Are you ready? It's tomorrow."

I breathed.

"Yes. I'll call today and tell Mayana."

"Are you really ready?"

"Don't make me more indecisive than I already am!"

I've spent the whole week thinking about the possibility of not going on the date with Richard.

"That's fine. The person who said that is no longer here, I know! Hey, let's practice a little? It's been a long time since we practiced."

I looked out the window. The sky was blue, the sun was beautiful and bright. So we could run a little.

We ran four laps around the house. Then I borrowed his cell phone and called Mayana.

"Hello?" I said "Mayana?"

"Yes, who is this?" she said on the other end of the line.

"It's Emi."

"Emi! Sweetheart! Don't tell me you've already gone to have the talk with Richard..."

"No, no."

"I suspected it. Otherwise you wouldn't have called. You'd be dead already. You were right to call, my dear. Are you going today?"

"No. We're going tomorrow, I called the day before so you could get ready."

Listen to silence.

"All right" she took a breath. "What time tomorrow?"

"7:30" I answered.

"See you tomorrow then."

"See you tomorrow" I hung up the cell phone and handed it to Guilherme. He repeatedly tapped his foot on the floor, looking impatient.

"Stop it, Gui!" I was rude. He stopped and almost started biting his nails. "What's the matter with you?"

He scratched his head.

"I'm nervous, that's what. We still have to wait until tomorrow to see this guy, I mean, you see this guy!"

Guilherme shoulders were slumped, so that I could see across the living room. William was approaching with a silver tray with several glasses.

"I brought us some hot chocolate" William said with easy familiarity, smiling at me.

"Thank you, William!" I was kind. "I was really hungry. I'm thinking about tomorrow."

"Relax. You'll be fine. And the tests, have you done them yet?"

"Not yet."

I was confident, I don't know how, but I was.

Finally the day arrived. As we drove to Mayana's address, we turned the corner and entered her street.

Mayana was waiting for us in the driveway of her house. The wind ruffled my hair as soon as I got out of the car. It was a sunny and windy day. I walked over to her.

"Nervous?" she asked.

She and I got into the car.

"A little," I admitted.

It took us about twenty minutes to get to the Eagle Fortress. I was breathing hard. Mayana stroked my back.

"Breathe, Emi. Breathe."

William turned the wheel to the right and parked on the asphalt near a tree. As we got out we came face to face with a tall building.

"Do you wear your hair up?" she gave me a disapproving look.