Decalcomania

Last

After two hours bus ride, we arrived to that place, the same place, where it all started and where it all ended. The atmosphere, the sensation and the feeling, everything led back to those days, the days of yore, and the days of bitter-sweet memories. The street, the houses, the trees and the signs, everything in its place, nothing changed, and that's the case of places, they never change, we do, we are the only change that happens. There it is, settled in the end of the neighborhood, my home, or shall I say the place that used to be my home. I stepped on the doorway, my eyes scanning every corner, recalling every moment I spent here. My mother's lilies weren't there anymore, my father's tree was hanging low like an old man who is waiting for his beloved ones to comeback.

I slowly grabbed the keys in my fingers and gathered all my scattered impulses into a passionate act of courage to open the door, only to be hit by the smell of sadness and emptiness, but I still, through these, I could smell the delicious food of my mother and the cologne of my father. I could hear their voices in the corners, laughing, talking and calling for me.

My chest tightened and my breathed hitched, I felt it coming, but the warmth of his hand on mine stopped it midway, he stood by my side like a shadow, I smiled, knowing that my parents will be happy to see that their daughter is not alone anymore.

I walked and walked until my feet landed next to a plain white door, with no handle, no lock, no hinges, nothing to get a grip on. The blackness that seeped through the gaps was reaching out to me and the door mat could have been replaced years ago, its edges were frayed and curled, but it was still there. A cluster headache stroked my senses as I put my palm on the cold door, sending an indefinable vibration to my veins, a feeling of electricity stung my brain like a thunder blasting in the summer days.

I entered the room slowly, hesitating and afraid of what I may find or see, a hurricane of expectations poured over my head as my feet made it inside the room; my eyes landed on the view of the room, all my expectations faded away, it wasn't what I exactly expected, it was a bit different, in fact, it was completely different. The room was invaded by dust, nothing was seen but dust, I couldn't make any steps forward because it honestly scared me, terrified me. I stepped out of the room immediately, and before I could make it out of the corridor, I heard giggling and speaking sounds coming from the room that I just left empty and invaded by dust. I held into my Alvin's hand tight and tried to distract myself from listening to any of these sounds, terrifying happy sounds.

Ermitage impero dining table decorated with different delicious dishes, , chicken cordon bleu skillet and Insalata Caprese. Shiny Candelabras on the end of the table for subtle elegance, eight chairs and eight figures, spiting lame jokes, embracing each other's company and sharing joyful laughter that echoed through the halls and into each and every room in the house ... but her laughter stood out, giggling through her nose and snorting adorably, that was me, and that was my home, long time ago.

I had no more courage to walk inside the house, and Alvin felt that "Let's leave, don't you want to go and see them!" he whispered as he tried to drag me out of the house.

I stepped outside, feeling myself breathing properly again, everything felt normal again, like I was having a nightmare and just woke up. Alvin pulled me into a hug and said "You did great, I'm proud of you!" and his words were enough to take all the pain away, in flash, in matter of seconds.

"Shall we go to meet them?" he pulled away, I nodded and we got going, heading to the cemetery where my parents are sleeping peacefully.

This time we decided to walk instead of going on the bus, the cemetery wasn't really far and the weather was chilly, the sky looked like one of those baby-blue skies, no wind, ambient temperature - it's more like an absence of weather really. Perfect for our not too long walk, the sun was already a friendly ball of yellow above, promising more heat as the day progressed.

Alvin was silently walking by my side, swinging our arms playfully, if it wasn't for him I would never make it.

Few minutes later we arrived to the place, it was as gloomy as it is, the air felt a bit heavier as we walked through, I didn't like the place at all.

"That one!" I pointed at their graves, making quick steps to reach there, to my parents.

I sat on the ground and stared at them, it was quiet for while, only me staring at them and Alvin rubbing my back without stopping.

"I can hear them!" I whispered, Alvin's body shivered when he heard my voice, "they are proud of me, they said, they are happy to see me all grown up and responsible, and they are happy to see you here!" I smiled, looking directly into his gorgeous eyes, he smiled back and looked at the grave, "I'm happy to meet them too!"

"Thank you for this gift, I promise I will cherish it as long as I'm alive!" he grabbed my hand, "Do you remember the first day we met? – The day you placed your yellowish jacket on my shoulders, or when you gently moved your tiny warm hands over my messy hair, you stared at me with your innocent hazel eyes and soothed my heart with your pure smile. I was covered with blood yet you didn't fear me, you were lovingly melting my dead heart, Elyse, you have been saving me all your life!" his voice cracked as tears gathered on the corner of his eyes. I looked at him while he said all of that, taking me ten years back, to that day, I couldn't believe my ears.

"The heavens brought us together in that police station, on that chair, in those circumstances. We needed each other and our story started there and then!" he continued, "you were always in my dreams, always hoping to meet you again. How come I didn't realize that it was you all along!"

He pulled me into his embrace and fondly wrapped his arms around me, "you were my cure, all this time!"

"How?" I managed to say, he let go of me and said, "I saw a picture of you when we were a kid, in your house, and I remembered you right away."

"I love you!" he whispered, "I love you more!" I leaned my forehead on his,

"Now, I got the permission of your parents to take you with me!" he helped me to stand up and we paid our last goodbyes to my parents. We walked away, leaving our loved ones there happily watching us. We buried our fears and sorrow on the cemetery, taking with us nothing but new dreams and hopes.

"Where are we going, now?" I asked, he chuckled a little and placed a smirk on his lips, "Home!" I looked again at the road we were walking in, and I realized it doesn't lead to Sophia's house, "Alvin, we are going the wrong way!" I stopped him.

"No, we are not!" he insisted, I knew he was doing it on purpose.

"Alvin, Sophia's house is this way!" I pointed at the other road,

"But I said we are going Home, not to Sophia's house!" he innocently smiled. His glittery hazel eyes suddenly took a dark shade, turning rebelliously black and unreadable. His innocent smile turned to a smirk in a flash of time, and I knew who it was, I knew it was him again ...

"Home is wherever you are!" I smiled.