The Tragedy of Marco

Chapter VI: The Past

After Marco had left, Mary expected that her relationship with Leo would get back on track. They both agreed to spend more time together. The wish to succeed in business blurred their love, and last ten years were not as passionate as they both imagined them to be. But it was time for a change. Leonardo expressed his wish for a romantic holiday and Mary agreed. They booked a room in Paris, with a view as amazing as it could get. They walked around the Paris boulevards, went sightseeing, ate in fancy restaurants and it seemed like the past years were forgotten. But Mary was a woman who quickly got off track and she soon became interested in Parisian pastry shops and their business tactics. At first, Leonardo was not bothered about it. As long as she was happy, he was too. But after a week in Paris, she started coming back to hotel with piles of papers and Leo was once again just someone unimportant in the room. Back at home, he would go to his office and work, but here he wasn't able to do anything of this sort.

"Come on, Mary, take a break. We are on holidays, remember?"

"Of course, my love. Just give me a second. I found this great chef who said he could help me bring my shop on international level."

"Don't you think this can wait? We said, we were trying to renew our relationship."

"Why are you so egoistic, Leo? Please! I said I would finish in a second. Then we can go around Paris, and maybe visit Champs-Élysées."

Leonardo was utterly disappointed. This was not Mary that he married. They both spent too much time for work in the past, but he was prepared to change, in order to save the marriage. He believed Mary was to but she couldn't forget about her work, not even during her holidays.

Trip to Paris was meant to save their relationship but it somehow did the opposite. Back at home, Leo went back to his office and Mary began her preparations for grand international project. Still in hopes to make his marriage more interesting, Leo lessened hours spent at job. Mary promised to do the same but there was always something more important. Either an foreign businessman called her, or she was busy taking French lessons. Leonardo began to spend less and less time at home. His afternoons were reserved for the Baron's bar, and he sometimes even went to Marco's apartment and stayed there for day or two. While staying there, he met Marco's art teacher Anna Harrison. She offered Marco extra painting lessons, as he was so passionate about it. When Leo first met her, they talked more or less about Marco and it seemed like Leo finally had a friend to talk to about his family, without the need to get drunk before. Anna was at Marco's every Thursday and soon Leo was at Marco's every Thursday. They talked about this and that, while she was helping Marco with his canvas paintings. Marco was worried about how close her relationship with Leo was and he often advised his father to talk to her less. But Leo's feeling of again being important to someone was too strong to just stop. Anna and Leo moved their meetings from Marco's room to a café, and from the café to a restaurant and so on.

Mary heard rumours from a neighbour on a tea party. Although she was a calm lady, a fire started raging in her. Of course, at first, she didn't believe them, but as the rumours got louder, her suspicion got stronger. She talked to Marco about it, but the talk didn't calm her down. A big fight in Garis family happened. Heavy words echoed on the street and the neighbours were shocked yet curious to hear what will happen. At around 11 pm Mary left the house, sat in her car and drove away. Anger and disappointment outshined her sadness as she drove to meet Anna. Yes it was late but Mary was angry. Gods have not seen this woman as angry as she was on that night.

She got out of car, elegant as always. There was no sight of fight on her face. Not a single tear, no blurred makeup. She knocked loudly on doors of Harrison residence. After a minute she heard footsteps on the other side.

"Excuse me, do you have any idea what hour it is? In this house we usually sleep at midnight," said a deep male voice.

"I am searching for a woman named Anna. Do you maybe know her?"

"And you need my wife for what?"

"She tried to take something mine and I am here to teach her a lesson!"

Man didn't open the doors; he just went up and called Anna. She descended the stairs and went to the doors to see who wants to talk to her.

"Hello. Who are you? How can I help you?"

"I am Mary Josephine."

"And ..."

"Garis. Mary Josephine Garis."

"Oh, you."

"I don't know what you had with my husband but I promise you that if I ever get you close to him, I will make you suffer as much as it is possible for a human being to suffer. "

"Okay, Mary ... calm down. We didn't do anything outrageous. He likes talking to me and it is probably your fault he hangs out with me," Anna said, sleepily.

"My fault! My fault! How dare you? Listen you little snob ... leave my family alone. I think I have made that very clear," Mary was yelling.

"Yes, Mary, you did. You don't have to be offensive. And above all, don't yell. I won't talk to your husband but I won't stop him if he comes to me."

"Oh, he won't. I hope to never see you again. Good night."

Mary drove to Marco's apartment where her emotions got over her. She cried all night and Marco tried to soothe her. He found it ironic, how his parents were never there when he needed them and now both of them searched comfort in him. The next day Mary returned home and acted like nothing happened. She made it clear that she wouldn't let her marriage fall apart because of another woman and she also denied having any guilt in the case. Leo, now being ashamed of his actions, apologized to Mary and promised that he will be a better husband. Although she never said it, Mary knew she has to change too.

*

While one love story was collapsing, another one began to arise. Soon after his first month at university, Marco met a girl. His sad essays about isolation and parents were soon replaced with love letters to Gabrielle Smart. There was a fragment written in his last notebook that best describes her.

"What's definition of love? I don't know. All my life, I was seeking the meaning of love and I think it has always slipped away. Until the day I've met her. It was in autumn. I was sitting on a grass near the university when my eyes caught attention of a picturesque creature (I still get chills just remembering that moment. I'll write it very slowly so I can revive the memory. ). Her hair were long, curly and light brown. The skin evenly tanned. And her eyes ... oh her eyes. Green, like big emeralds. Everything on her was perfect. But most of all, her energy was the most powerful notion I've ever felt in my life. She was an elixir of beauty, happiness and love that has exploded just in time for me to still see it. Oh, how lucky I was. Every time I saw her I felt like she was absorbing the nature.

She started walking towards me. Oh god, this beautiful piece of art was walking right towards me - a hopeless mess, without future.

She politely greeted me. The lightness of her velvet voice faintly touched my soul. She was Venus. Goddess of love, purity and beauty. My Venus. I had known it before we actually talked. She was the woman that wrote the definition of love into my heart.

I saluted back. "It's a lovely day, isn't it," I said with shaky voice. We talked, talked and talked.

I don't remember what we talked about, I don't think I ever actually knew. I was too distracted by her beauty.

I'll never know what miracle brought her to me in that park, but I worship it every single minute of my life.

Gaby was her name. Was ... past ... oh, what a destroyable tense.

No. I won't let her go. She is perfect. She is a goddess. She is my Venus. Always on my mind, always in my heart. A tear. Tear down my face."