Memories of a Life That Never Happened

Chapter 59 - Fortune's Fools

In the morning, when Theo woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. Barefoot, he stole downstairs, attempting to catch shreds of conversation that could give away his parents' mood. Silence, however, reigned in the house.  

Then his mother's unmistakable laugh carried out of the dining room. Tension immediately drained from his shoulders and relief pushed Theo forward. He entered the room cautiously and saw Carolina sitting at the table. She was holding a cup of tea with both hands and smiling at Agnes.  

The housekeeper caught sight of him at the doorway and her gaze had his mother looking the same way. 

"Look who's finally up!" Carolina piped. 

"Where's everyone?" The boy wanted to know. 

"Your father went to the capital for a meeting. Nick and Leo just left. They'll be exploring Buriti with Joana and her guests today," she told him.  

So many varieties of cakes, breads and fruits covered the table that Theo had trouble choosing. He ended up deciding for a sesame-sprinkled round bread, a slice of ham, another of cheese and a bunch of those seedless grapes he loved.  

"You and I are going to go on a little trip ourselves," his mother informed. She folded the newspaper and slapped it lightly on Theo's head. "Once you're finished, get dressed." 

"Where are we going?" Given that his mother was already half-way to the door, he looked at Agnes for some explanation. His ally replied with a quiet, apologetic shrug.  

"I want to show you a place. I've never taken anyone else there," Carolina declared with an enigmatic wink. "Then, we'll have a picnic! Since everyone's going to be out and about today, I figured we should do the same!" 

"Err, I don't know, mom." Theo rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm a little tired."  

"Sweetheart..." Carolina looked back, one hand resting on the doorjamb. "I don't kid myself into thinking that a day with his mom is a teenage dream. You're always so busy already. Soon you'll have no time for me. Don't deny me a few more memories with you while you're still under my wing."  

"Damn," he muttered quietly. His mom knew exactly how to gilt him into agreeing to do whatever she wanted. At least he hoped to be back in time to meet Mica in the afternoon. In any case, it was imperative that he let her know he might not make it. The worse that could happen was for Mica to think he had stood her up if he happened to be late. Least of all when they were not exactly in the best of terms. 

Fortunately, except for the unexpected daytrip, everything seemed to be going his way that morning. His mother had just asked Agnes to fetch a few items in the village for their picnic. That, Theo assumed, would give his messenger the perfect opportunity to warn Mica.  

From the moment Mica opened her eyes, the perspective of an encounter with Theo chased all the hunger out of her. She could not wait until later that afternoon, when she would casually pass by the bookstore. Would she find those mesmerizing blue eyes already expecting her inside the shop?  

With a smile on her lips and Theo in her thoughts, Mica left home and headed off to Marumbi, where another congenial encounter with Detective Wando would soon take place. 

Just as destiny had conspired in their favor on that last night of December, it acted against them that afternoon. While Agnes pressed Mica's doorbell, the girl was on her way to the police station and Theo's message never reached her.  

Hours later, even though she had a throbbing headache-courtesy of Detective Wando-Mica was in high spirits as her shoes scraped the bookstore's doormat. At precisely two in the afternoon, she peeked through the window, hoping to find a certain boy inside.  

She did not.  

A little disappointed, Mica decided to get in the shop to check if Theo was anywhere inside. After a quick survey of the four aisles covered from floor to ceiling with books, she confirmed he was not there. Her throat tightened and breathing became a little harder. Mica chose to believe he was just running late.  

On a chair by the window, she waited for him. The whole time, she clutched a small purse against her body. It enclosed a treasured birthday gift: the camera that Joana, Jean-Pierre and Virginie had given her. The weather was picture-perfect and she felt like snapping some shots. Perhaps of her and Theo. 

During the first fifteen minutes, Mica thought of the horrible time she spent with Detective Wando. He had hammered her with all sorts of irritating, unnecessary questions. At one point, it seemed he was determined to pin her down for Alan's injury. Mica suspected he had only let her go because, save for her mom and Escobar, every witness to the incident attested that she was not the shooter.  

Nonetheless, Detective Wando had dismissed her with a warning. If Mica were to step again in his office, he would not be so tolerant.  

The next quarter of hour dragged on, torturing her midway from hope to dismay. Half an hour more and she was feeling embarrassed and running out of excuses to be in the store. As the church bells opposite the street tolled and told her it was now three o'clock, Mica gave up and left.  

For a while, she wandered with no destination in mind. She was too preoccupied, wondering what went wrong. This whole secret meeting thing was confusing. First, Theo refused to show up on her birthday, now this. Had he chosen to meet her away from other people's eyes afraid of what his parents might think? Were his feelings for her so feeble that he would not even bother to send her a message to cancel the meeting? Or was he toying with her? 

The feeling of rejection that assailed her was more painful than the uncertainty of the meeting's purpose. In desperate need of fresh air, she headed unconsciously to the beach. The best thing to do, she told herself, was to strike Theo off her mind and go with her instincts.  

Fate, however, was a cruel puppeteer who had vile plans for Mica. It pulled the strings in her gut and veered her toward the forest.  

There, in the place of Jacira's birth, the fortuneteller's prediction lurked hungrily behind the threes.