When We Were Young

Chapter 18

Six years ago(Flashback)

"That was fun," Rafael said as they walked off the dance floor.

"Told you it will be,” Paula replied with a grin.

She noticed Juan Rodriguez walking towards them and she muttered a soft curse under her breath. She knew that he was only coming to annoy her. She had to find a way to avoid him for the rest of the evening.

"Let's take a walk in the garden. It's becoming pretty hot in here," she added when she saw opened double doors leading to a garden.

They went out into the garden. The moon was full and it casted a pale light on the surroundings. Lovers took advantage of that semi darkness and some of them could be seen fondling on the several benches built behind Bougainville shrubs.

Paula sighed in near jealousy. She knew that she would never be able to experience what they had. She was emotionally incapable of having such intense feelings for someone other than herself.

The cool breeze blew by carrying scents of different flowers and she inhaled in delight. Bending down, she removed her high heels.

"These damn heels are killing my feet," she explained when she saw his questioning glance.

They began to stroll around the garden.

"Let me?," he said as he took the heels from her.

Paula flashed him a grateful smile before breathing out a contented sigh.

"It's nice to take a walk in the garden at night. So refreshing! The cool breeze,the sound of the night creatures, the feel of the soft grass under your bare feet and walking under the great galaxy of stars. It’s perfect! ," she muttered.

Rafael chuckled besides her.

"Do you want to be a love poet?"

She threw back her head and laughed.

"Why would you say that? I hate everything that sounds impractical and love poems are one of them. It's all bullshit!"

"That makes the two of us. I guess that's one thing we have in common besides our crazy love for food,” he chuckled.

"You don't believe in love?,” she asked him with her eyebrow cocked.

"I don't."

"Why do you look so surprised?," he asked when he saw her face.

"For someone who has a stable family unlike me, l am a bit surprised. You seem like you grow up surrounded by loving people like Hazel."

His face took on a pained expression.

"I never had a stable family,” he said in a strained voice and Paula stopped in her tracks to look at him.

"I believe in love but not romantic love. That force is destructive. My mother loved my father but he never cared about her. When he met a woman of his upper class, he left my mother heartbroken and with a fee for abortion but my mother never went along with the abortion. She had me expecting the man who fathered me to see me and realise his mistake in leaving her. She would sent him pictures of me ever since l was young but he ignored it all. Instead he send his goons to silence her.

I was eight then and helpless watching some savages ravage my mother in front of me...," his voice trailed off with difficulty.

"She refused to tell me who my father is but l figured he was someone rich and powerful who didn't want his image tainted by a bastard son. When it became clear to her that he wasn't returning, she became bitter and threw her frustrations on me. She accussed me of ruining her life and causing my father to leave her. She blamed it all on me."