Saudade

3 (Summer 12 years ago)

Throughout the school year Cecilia and Rui had kept in touch. They would Email  A lot and eventually they started calling each other. They had made a schedule, after school Cecilia would rush home from school and get home around 3pm. Since there was a 5 hour time difference, it would be 8pm for Rui.  They tried to call everyday, if Cecilia didn't have homework and Rui didn't have to go to bed early for soccer practice in the morning.  They had really gotten to know each other and really liked talking to each other, it turned out Rui was an only Child like Cecilia. He was serious about soccer and surfing, and he worked at Cecilia's uncles restaurant.  Cecilia told Rui about how she wanted to be a writer and how she was a poet.  They got along really well.

"Mom, I'm 15. Don't you think a curfew Is juvenile?"  Cecilia said sitting In the back of their grey Mercedes rental car,Her mother and father sat in the front. They were driving from the airport to the house in Apulia.  "Cecilia, If your mom wants you to have a curfew you will have one." Cecilia's dad said looking back at her. "10pm." Cecilia's mom said with a nod. Cecilia rolled her eyes.

As they pulled into the driveway Cecilia got a wave of excitement. She was meeting Rui in an hour at 12pm.  She quickly got unpacked, her mothers orders, and made sure she looked good.  Over the past year Cecilia had changed. Her chest had gotten bigger and she started wearing a bit of makeup. 

She swiped on a bit of blush, some mascara and sprayed some bath and body works perfume in her hair and on her cloths. Her grandparents were on a cruise until next week so it was just her and her parents at the house for now.

"Cici, me and your father are going for lunch." Her mom called. "Okay!" she called back.  Soon after they left, she heard a knock on the door.  She ran to open it, and there stood an even taller than last year Rui.  He was wearing a white T-shirt, black nike shorts with a big white check mark on the side and sneakers.  "Ola." She said with a smile. "Ola." He pulled her in for a hug.  It wasn't awkward, it was more the excitement  and anticipation of seeing each other after a long time. 

The two were non stop talking. They had decided to go to the beach, they Brought a soccer ball since Rui promised to teach Cecilia some soccer skills.  As they walked down the board walk she could already her the waves. "My guess is it high tide." She stated. "My guess is low tide." He said with a laugh. "You are most definitely wrong, I can hear the waves."  She said rolling her eyes.  "As an Apulia local I think I would know." He teased. "Uh huh." She said sarcastically.  They walked up the last hill of the board walk and when they got to the top where they could finally see the water, it was high tide. "Ha, told you so." She said nudging his shoulder.  "Yeah, whatever." He laughed.

"I won, again." Rui said with a toothy smile. The two were currently on their 8th round of soccer in the sand, and Rui had won every round.  "I'm tired of this." She said as she plopped down into the sand, covered in sweat.  "Ok, want to go get a drink from the cafe?" He asked as he picked up the soccer ball. "I can't walk up that hill right now." Cecilia said pointing at the sand dune leading up the the board walk.  "I'll carry you, Lets go before you get heat stroke." He said helping her up. He turned around so she could jump onto his back.  When she did He started walking up the hill.  "I can walk Rui it's fine, I'm Heavy."  She said. Cecilia wasn't insecure but she wasn't necessarily confident. "You're not heavy, I'm carrying you don't worry about it.  You're friends with the right guy to carry you." He said taking one arm off of her to flex.  Cecilia laughed, but her mind dwelled on the word friends.  She didn't want to just be friends with Rui. She promised herself  that at the end of the summer they would be more than that.

Rui, Cecilia, Maria and Nelson who was Maria's boyfriend, spent everyday that summer together. They had become a tight little friend group, Nelson being Rui's best friend and Maria being Cecilia's. Everyday Cecilia would get closer and closer to fulfilling her goal of being more than friends with Rui.

One day Cecilia and Maria went to the beach, just the two of them.  They said they needed a break from the boys because they were annoying but it was more of an excuse to talk about girly things.  They swam in the water and tanned, then swam and tanned, and repeated the cycle.  They were walking to the water to swim again when Maria asked "So, What's going on with you and Rui?" Cecilia just shrugged her shoulders. "He told me he really like you."  Maria said as they got to knee deep water and kept walking. "WHAT! wait actually?" Cecilia said shocked.  "Yes, like you didn't know that." Maria laughed, they were now in waist deep water.

"Well, yeah. I Guess I-"  Cecilia paused. She felt a burn on her foot. The sensation  continued and went up her leg. "OW, OW, OH MY GOD!" She yelled.  Maria pulled  Cecilia and tried to run out of the water. "You were stung by a jelly fish!" Maria said once they had gotten to shore.  Cecilia looked down at her foot. There was a long red mark across her ankle to her foot. She cried  "what am I supposed to do?'' Cecilia wiped her tears. "Um, well I think you might need to pee on it."  Maria said wincing. "Oh my gosh, I don't know."  Cecilia said with more tears streaming down her face. "I don't know if I can bend that way, you might need to do it." Cecilia added.  "Um, I don't know. Are you sure?"  Maria said with a worried look on her face. "Yeah, I'll look away." Cecilia said rubbing her eyes. 

Cecilia looked in the other direction, there wasn't anybody around which Maria made sure of.  Cecilia waited about ten seconds until she felt warm liquid on her ankle.  "Ew, Ew, Ew!" Cecilia yelled.  "I know, I know! I'm sorry!" Maria cried out. The girls bursted out laughing.

Maria and Cecilia Eventually got back to Cecilia's house.  Cecilia's grandmother was so concerned she was in tears.  Cecilia showered  and her grandfather wrapped it. Cecilia relaxed for the rest of the day, Maria eventually went home.

Later that night Cecilia was lying in her bed in pyjamas when her mom called "Cici, Rui is at the door for you."  Cecilia quickly got up and walked as fast as her sting allowed her to.  She took the door from her mom and stepped outside with Rui.  "Hi." She smiled as they sat on her front steps, it was dark and the street lights lit up her front yard. Rui was wearing sweatpants and a hoodie, his hair was wet. It looked and smelled like he had just showered.  "Hi, how's your foot feeling." He asked.  "It hurts, but it'll be fine."  She said smiling.  "Did Maria actually pee on it?" He questioned.  Cecilia nodded. "Oh!" He recoiled, Cecilia laughed.

"Listen, I know Maria told you I like you." He said being serious again.  Cecilia's cheeks flushed pink.  "Um, yeah." She said trying to find her words.  He was looking in her eyes like he was trying to find an answer.  "And I do, she was telling the truth." He said, his cheeks were now pink too.  Cecilia stayed silent not knowing what to say.  "Say something."  He said biting his lip out of nervousness. Cecilia blinked twice trying to wake herself up.  "I like you too." She said licking her lips.  He looked deeper in her eyes and before she knew it his lips were on hers. His hands were on her neck, hers on his jaw.  The kissed tasted like mint toothpaste, his hand on her felt soft.  Cecilia could feel Rui's heart racing and in her stomach butterflies were swarming.  Her pattern of breathing changed.

The next few days, Cecilia and Rui spent every minute together.  Going for walks, swimming and playing soccer which wasn't by Cecilia's choice.  When they got the chance they would kiss, hiding behind the tents on the beach, when they'd go for walks at night and when nobody was around.  They eventually decided they wanted to be in a relationship, Cecilia couldn't be more happy.

She learned a lot about Rui. He was an only child and his mom had emigrated from Angola when she was pregnant with him.  His father passed away before he was born so he never got to meet him. 
She also learned that he always taps his finger on his knee when he sits down.  She noticed it when they were sitting on a bench eating ice-cream.  When she asked him about it he said that he doesn't like sitting still, his mom would get annoyed when he was a kid cause he was squirmy so he would tap his finger instead.  He was kind. He was a soft speaker and never raised his voice. He almost always had a smile on his face.

Rui and Cecilia tried to keep their relationship on the low but eventually Cecilia slipped up to Maria, who was beyond happy about it.  Near the end of August, Cecilia's heart would hurt every time she saw Rui since the summer was almost coming to an end, which meant not seeing Rui for ten months.

They spent the last day together at the beach, just lying in the sand and trying to not let the moment slip through there fingers. 

Before Cecilia left Rui gave her a kiss and told her to call him everyday. "I'll miss you." She said with her eyes welling up.  "I'll miss you too." He said giving her one last kiss on the forehead. With that Cecilia was off back to Canada.