Two Fools Collide
1196 Words
“Ana, sorry to bother you, but do you have Celina’s number?” asked Leoncio.
“You mean, Casilda’s phone number? Are you ready to face the “executioner?” teased Ana while Leoncio heard her laughed on the other line.
“She challenged me. I won’t back down," he said.
“947-36 72 99. That’s her number at the library. Sorry, but I can’t give you her phone number. Even if you were father’s friend, but Celina’s my comadre now, I pledge my loyalty to her more than ever.
“I understand. Bye.”
*****
Leoncio, are you serious? Are you doing this? Leoncio questioned himself as he dialed my number.
“Hello, La Biblioteca Nacional? Can I speak to Miss Celina de Almeda?”
“Speaking.”
“Buenas dias, This is Leoncio Marco I wanted to remove the bad blood we have between us. Let’s forget about what happened. Can we be friends at least?”
“Wait, sir Marco, not so fast,” I replied with apprehension.
“Is there a chance I can invite you for a coffee, at least.”
I stood there for a while in silence as I held the phone in my hand. I checked my schedule in my notebook and said,
"Okay, Senor Marco, meet me at the Fuente de Agua at 4 p.m. this coming Saturday. Please don’t be late. Is there anything else?”
“It’s fine with me. See you there. Bye!” He hangs up the phone.
Leoncio found a ray of hope at my response. He was not expecting that answer but, meeting me would be a big deal because, he never had an experienced begging for a woman before. He usually had an easy time asking women out. Why not? He was charming and good-looking. He had a stable job abroad as a professional seafarer. He loved sports and a very athletic man. He may not be as rich as Don Nieves but he worked hard just like his father and he believed with enough money in his bank account, he had a lot to offer to any woman he would choose. Some women wanted him so much, and he didn’t even care. Now, here was somebody who made it difficult for him since day one, and he was like… yes, getting crazy. Why?
Did she cast a spell on me, the way Casilda lured men to her bed and then killed them? I will find out. He contemplated. He then wrote on his calendar, because he must not forget.
May 9, 1998, Saturday at 4 p.m. Fuente de Agua. Coffee with Celina
When he arrived at the town plaza, it was ten minutes before 4 o’clock. Leoncio was already seated at the Fuente de Agua, a famous water fountain when people gathered around it. More park promenaders came by. He had spent the next few minutes waiting for me. He waited. He glanced at his watch, 4:20 p.m. He waited. The late afternoon heat rushed to his head and made his cheeks flushed with redness. He felt restless. He waited. His hands got clammy and fingers fidgeted inside his pockets. And he waited. By 4:47 p.m. he stood up, checked on the two park entrances, looked at the streets for a familiar figure in the crowd, but nothing. He walked back to the water fountain to see if I was there and still, he waited. The passing time made him even more agitated. He brushed off his mind the negative scenario that slowly unfolded in front of his very eyes, but the effort was futile - he felt like the fable of a frog being slowly boiled alive. At 5 o’clock, Leoncio went home upset when he realized, it was only a trap - something no woman had done in his life. He felt crushed to smithereens.
I was in the cool comfort of my bed, read a book, watched a movie, and had taken a nap. When I woke up, I realized, I must have forgotten the date with Leoncio. It can be that reason, or subconsciously, it might be a scheme to get back at him. I really couldn’t say. I was set on meeting him, but something made me changed my mind at the last minute.
“What? Did you stand him up? Ana asked in surprise.
“It was not my intention, promise. I must have forgotten it, while I was so engrossed reading and eventually slept.” I lied, of course.
“Oh my God, what now Celina?”
Perhaps, a good reason for him not to come to the library anymore. He had paid for the lost book anyway, I thought.
“What are you afraid of, comadre? Why can’t you give him a chance to prove his worth.”
“It was his bruised ego that only prompted him to invite me for coffee – to prove that no woman could say no to him, simply a trick under his sleeves.
“He called me and asked for your number. So, it meant something important.”
“Haayy, amiga. Why do you have to do it?”
“I didn’t see anything wrong with it, Celina. Besides, he would leave again in a few weeks and won’t see him for another year. Why can’t you both just end it as peacefully as possible.”
“Because it won’t work. Case closed.”
*****
“I have never been so humiliated in my life!!!” Leoncio began, anger written all over his face. “I waited for one whole hour…No! I was even there before the time she set! She was nowhere!
Tried to remain calm, Melanio explained, “Perhaps there was a very important reason, something came up or she needed to finish an important task, you never know.”
“It was intended to hurt me, to get back at me for what happened! I told you she hated me so much. She was a mean old lady in spectacles who hid behind her books.” Leoncio paced Melanio’s kitchen like a dog moving around in circles trying to catch its tail. “Right! Her name was not the sweet gentle Celina now, she was the mad, mad woman Casilda!”
“Ha-ha-ha! You were acting like a toddler on temper tantrums. Now you were saying not so nice things about her.
“Because I tried to befriend and gain her trust once again, and she acted like it was nothing at all.”
“Perhaps, to her it was not important. You can’t control that. What’s wrong with having a different idea? People do not always have the same mind. Challenges made humans interesting. Imagine if people like and want the same things. What a boring life.”
“Hermano, are you with me or what?”
“It’s not about my that, Leoncio. You knew where I stand. But in life, you must accept, you can’t always have your way.”
What Melanio had said was true, something he needed to hear, but he never had this kind of experience before and didn’t know how to react.
Too bad, Leoncio was clueless.
- Writer
