The Orange Butterfly
1583 Words
Leoncio paced his room several times, thinking of what to do next. He reached for another stick of cigarette, and lighted one again. On the table was a black granite ashtray filled with several cigarette butts, some new ones, and some from last night's drinking session with Rogelio. He cleaned up the ashtrays, worried Tia Gertrudes might have appeared and started the day’s litany about his messy room again. As the days passed by, the tension that happened at the town plaza had eased up a bit. He considered it as a direct challenge to his masculinity, but he actually saw an opportunity. Though that made him so mad, inside him, he also felt a kind of euphoria, a psychedelic high like a person on a h****n drug. The more I ignored to accept his offer of friendship, the more he became insistent. Something clear triggered inside of him. A plan. He was leaving in a week’s time and he needed to act before he sails to the United Kingdom or else bear the brunt of my separation from him.
He searched for his library card and found it in his wallet. He checked the information written on it. As he grinned, his eyes turned narrow. His face showed a kind of satisfaction for the first time, as if he made a wild discovery of an unknown fact. There was a secret understanding of what was going to happen in the next few days. He made one last puff of his cigarette and extinguished the butt on the ashtray and walked in the office room.
*****
I slept a bit late last night and when I woke up, I felt a slight headache. It might be that, or my sunglasses desperately needed an upgrade, but I have no time right now to visit my opthalmologist in town. After breakfast, I had taken the medicines and went to work.
It wasn’t a busy day at the library. I felt a bit better by now. After a short meeting with my staff about the routine instructions, I walked around the library with my notebook and pen to do some inspection. Few students with their chosen books had gathered around a long table and started their research. Some people dropped by and borrowed their favorite books, one customer returned a book. I walked to the shelves and double checked the codes of the new arrivals to work on later on my computer. I had more time to check on my emails for new books, purchases and requests. When I opened my computer later that morning, a ton of emails lined up on my inbox, mostly questions from people about the date releases of books and others, and also from my own email subscriptions. I scrolled down and noticed an unfamiliar address. I felt a slight surge on my heartbeats. It read, leo62.oceansailing. Could it be him? Or a scam mail? I thought. I opened the e-mail despite of little apprehension.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
To: cdalmeda_biblioteca
Subject: Hello
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
17 March 1998
Dear Miss De Almeda,
I hope things are okay with you. You missed our meeting at the town plaza. I was worried something might have happened to you, so I looked for ways to communicate with you, and found this library card with your information on it. If in case you are sick, I wish you well. Take care.
Leo Marco
I stared at the blinking cursor of my computer for a very long time, never knowing what to think or what to do about his email. My thoughts raced in my mind with so many questions. Will I answer it? Delete? Block him? Ignore? I had a sense of guilt for not coming to town that day. But I second guess myself. It was my choice, so why should I be? I pondered. I read the email again. This time, I felt a sudden warmth feeling about the message. That time I realized he must have been worried about me for not showing up. I laughed at the thought. If you are sick, I wish you well. If you are sick, I wish you well. If you are sick, I wish you well. The message reverberated in my mind. I shook my head and released these thoughts. . .
“Aaaarrggh! Enough. Go to work, Celina!” I switched the computer off, and proceeded with my day. I decided to think about that later.
I walked across the library for my lunch break at Molina’s. I sat at my favorite spot beside the glass window where a small flower garden lined up with several colorful pots, and can be seen from the inside. I noticed a bright orange butterfly sucked the nectar of the beautiful red geraniums, and enjoyed his meal like I enjoyed mine. My mind still drifted to the thought about the email. I made a decision to reply, not for any other reason, but for the sake of doing the right thing. Okay, nothing personal, just doing business here, I mused.
Leoncio was home and pacing back and forth. He waited for my reply and was logged in to his computer since morning, but only after he finished his late lunch did he received the email. His hands were cold and clammy and he didn’t understand why. He clicked his inbox.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
To: leo62.oceansailing
Subject: Hi
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
18 March 1998
Senor Leoncio Marco,
I am asking for an understanding regarding my absence during our meeting. There was a personal matter, regarding my work, that I needed to attend to immediately. I am in the pink of health and not suffering for anything.
Yours truly,
Celina de Almeda
He felt a surge of mixed emotions. He was glad that I replied to the email which meant a lot to him, but also, sad that my email was a bit impersonal. Very businesslike, he thought. She didn’t even mention if she wanted to accept my offering of friendship. Leoncio replied to the email later in the afternoon - before closing time - with a different approach to see what was on my mind.
There were only a couple of people left at the library. I checked on my watch, it’s 5:47 p.m. I was about to go home and turn off the computer when I found a new email from him. I smiled after seeing his name in my inbox. Okay, what now, Leo? Hmmm… did I just say, Leo?? I asked myself. So you’re friends with him now, Celina? Stop it! I clicked his name. .
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
To: : cdalmeda_biblioteca
Subject: Hello again
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
20 March 1998
Dear Miss De Almeda,
As a peace offering for what I have done in the past, can I offer you a quick lunch at Molina’s, the one across the library? There’s no need for you to go all the way to the town plaza, to avoid conflict with your work. Will that be fine?
Still me,
Leo
I rolled my eyes after reading it and hated the fact that he just won’t give up that easily. Of all places, he wanted to have lunch at Molina’s… Molina’s? Are you kidding me, Leoncio? Do you want my staff – who had known the whole story about the ‘book brouhaha’ - to see me having lunch with my so-called, good looking arch nemesis? Being sneaky, huh?That’s what you think! I pondered.
I never did reply to his email anymore. I realized that, yes, as much as he wanted to be friends with me again, I couldn’t really do it. Right now, I am at the point in my life where I don’t need any kind of distractions. When one is in love it’s easy to succumb to somebody else’s wishes, wants and needs. Once they become your life, everything goes down with it. I don’t want to lose myself to anybody for that matter. There are lots of things that I wanted to accomplished for myself, like perhaps, to see the world. I am not closing the doors to anyone else, but for the time being I would stay single. I wanted to be free, like the orange butterfly.
Let me be me.
- Writer
