beyond the monotonous city

Epilogue

She looked at the map on her phone. She hadn't been there before on her own and the last time she went there, she was merely a passenger, not knowing the directions.

She stopped when she was sure she made the right turn. She got out of the car and looked at the sign.

She was sure it was the right cemetery. It had been so long.

She didn't remember exactly where so she went up to the big tree in the hill and from there she made her way down until she was so sure she found it. The stone was clean as if it were polished every day. Lauren bent down and placed a bouquet of wilted daisies before standing up. The epitaph read: KARLA CAMILA CABELLO. A loving daughter, sister, and friend. Living beyond the monotonous city.

Lauren faintly smiled. She forgot what it felt like. To love her. It happened so long ago and sometimes feelings fade. The memories remained the same. But she knew, it was the girl who taught her how to live and to love after the accident.

Lauren took out the crumpled piece of paper with her writing on it. You should find this camera useful for travel purposes. Use it well, then come back.

"I did use the camera." She started. "I went everywhere, and I didn't know I loved adventures until I went out there." She recalled happily, with a smile on her face. "I spent a long time trying to decode this, if there was a simple message. It was only until the plane ride back to Miami that I realized what it could have meant. So now I'm here." She let her arms fall at her sides.

"Thanks for bringing me back here. Knowing me, I probably wouldn't ever visit places like these, for what it's worth." She said, speaking more to herself at times. "I visited Sofi just earlier, she told me she was at Starbucks so I dropped by. She has a lot of friends, she's the star track and field athlete at their school, and she's got straight A's. She looks so much like you, except I think she's less so full of herself. I mean-you would have been proud to see her. " Lauren felt a little weight in her chest. "I heard your parents moved to Orlando. I mean it's pretty there but our street would never be the same without the Cabellos."

She ended up sitting, crossed leg on top of the grave. She shut her eyes and let the breeze roll her by. "I'm seeing someone new now. Her name's Lucy and she's amazing. I have lots of great job opportunities, I have a flat in New York. I mean life is really good now and thank you, really. Without you, I would be nowhere."

"I made you a gallery, but you never got to see them." She went on. "I put them in a gallery of a friend for a while before selling them all. I gave the proceeds to this charity I've been closely working with the past few years, for teens and children with heart disease. You would have loved to meet them."

"I'm sorry for not knowing exactly what happened to you, and for not understanding you enough." She finally said, feeling the lump at her throat.

She just sat there for some more time, thinking of what else to say but sometimes you just run out. Even to the person who used to mean so much to you. She was supposed to stand up when she remembered Sofi mentioned 'treasure hunt' the minute they met again. Treasure hunt. She had mentioned it long ago, not understanding why. It didn't make sense.

She looked at the grave stone. Her eyes landed on the grass beside it.

The memory of her and Sinu digging that hole came to her mind. She got to her knees. Sinu held a package that day that she said had some of her valuable things. Could it be the treasure? She looked next to her until she saw a couple of graves away was a small shovel. She quickly grabbed it and started working on the grass, hoping the caretaker wouldn't get mad.

When she dug deep enough, she used her hands until inside them was the shoe box that was sealed with duct tape. She put in in her lap and ripped off the duct tape. Her hands were covered in soil but she didn't care.