The Song


    Summer nights are special. If you would just pay attention enough, you would see they are portals towards future and eternity and-- as you enter-- answers to life's big questions may be graffitied on certain walls. If you would just see... 

    Young Forest did not see. She felt, though... sometimes... It was a summer night that she was totally excited about. A big camp fire a few houses down her street, and some of her favorite people were there, including Sycamore, her childhood friend. Games, jokes, laughter, and music till 3AM. Yeah...music... it was that age when everything was around the music of the time... Her beaten-up cassette player was by their side as they were, at times, dreaming or brooding about something when fixing dancing flames...

    At a random moment, Sycamore told Little Forest he had something to talk with her, and they agreed upon doing it later, since they would be the only ones walking home in a particular direction. So, when sleepiness creeped in and the mood to laugh was over, so they all could only hear the soft and somewhat weeping music, a general silence took over and signaled the evening's end.

    When they left, Sycamore was courteously carrying Young Forest's cassette player, with music still on. She was waiting for him to start the conversation, and after a short pause he asked her with the most articulated words... if she has loved him... 

    Boy...what a question...! The girl was taken by absolute surprise and was happy the dark of the night covered her face and did not let him see what she was sure of -- her blushing. Her instant reaction was to hide the truth that she knew, that her feelings for him would flare up every time they've met. She recomposed and told him she was yet to find love. 

    Unconvinced perhaps, he tried something different and invited her to dance right there in the middle of the street, empty at that hour, just them under the starry night. And it happened that it was playing one of her favorite songs... She would have liked to dance with him, but she did not feel at ease for some reason, maybe she did not badly want; she quickly imagined that he would kiss her as she had seen him kissing other girls in the evenings of other summers. Curious, she had not felt excruciating jealousy, and she had had the best of time anyway. 

    All these scenarios came through her mind as she refused him and said "good night," while Sycamore,  as courteous as before, accompanied her till she reached the premises of her house, and followed her steps with a serene glance through the iron work of the gate.

    Later, when Young Forest remembered the story of that summer she realized she had told him the truth: she had not known love at that time in her life despite infatuations, and she hadn't lie to him. In fact, the song and dance belonged to someone else that came on her street sometime after...

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