(Short story made for my best friend about her and a guy I will not reveal the identity of, may we find the greatest kind of love).
I guess that the thought came back to me once again while I was sitting on my favorite couch, looking out the window at the snowy view and having my coffee. It’s not the first time that’s on my mind and much probably it won’t be the last time. It comes back to me from time to time like an internally bruised ankle that it palpitates again in different seasons or when you’ve walked too much and then it goes away again flying through the seasons, making itself more powerful for the next time it comes back to say hi again. It’s something that doesn’t interrupt your way of living but it certainly never goes away entirely and probably never will.
It was a very quiet night in the city, I really enjoy that kind of night, and I was on my way to meet a pal of mine for a beer and to chat awhile, nothing fancy. I got to the bar early because I was in the neighborhood and sat down at the first table I saw empty. I ordered my first beer and I started drinking really slowly because that night I just simply didn’t wanna go hard. I was going through my phone to try and kill time when a group of friends asked me if all of the seats were taken "Um, no I just need one more", "Great, thank you man!" so I was just left with an empty chair in front of me. After 20 minutes I ordered another beer and I received a text from my friend saying that he was really sorry but he was stuck at work so he couldn’t make it. It was too late to cancel the beer because it was already in front of me, open. I picked it up and I decided to sit at the counter since it was just me now, just quickly drink my beer and go home.
—Can you give me a beer, please? —I heard a woman said to the bartender.
—Sure. —He smiled and turned around.
She sat down next to me, she had really shiny black, straight hair and that’s all I could see through the low lights at first. And then after a few drinks in I couldn’t hold my conversation anymore.
—Hey you! —I turned to the girl sitting beside me.
—Yeah? —she looked a bit annoyed that I talked to her but she smiled at me anyways and those drunken eyes that held a half-conversation will probably always live in the back of my mind. She had something in her, something that not anyone would know how to handle, how to guard, how to challenge.
—What do you think about love? —I blurted.
—What? —she now changed her seated position and sat facing me. Maybe to verify if she heard well.
—What do you think about love? —I babbled again and she laughed a bit.
—Ummm… that it’s a cosmic, magical thing that it comes and goes at the most random times. —I smiled.
—Is that it? —I inquired and she half-laughed again.
—What do you want me to say?
—I want you to say exactly what you think. —Her first thoughts towards me must’ve been that I was a weirdo.
—Well, that’s what I think, what did you expect?
—Maybe just a longer answer.
—That’s a very commented subject, that would be a very long answer.
—What’s your name? —I asked, and this is the tricky part where I don’t entirely remember her name. I just remember it started with an L, so we will call her L.
—L.
—Well L, the night is long.
—Is it long enough? —She said and I smiled.
—It better be. —and she smiled back at me. —So, what do you think?
—Ok, let’s see… I just think it’s so much more than what the majority of people think, or maybe they’re experiencing something else but not love, they just have such a superficial view of it. But I see something more, something completely different that sometimes I wonder if I’m the one who’s wrong. I just think it’s something that holds so much depth, I can’t help but think that love it’s just something more, so much more. Something so much bigger than all of us. I think that it’s just an art that not anybody can understand. How’s that? —And I just thought, that was what an answer sounded like. A part of me wasn’t expecting that and the other part was just hoping for it.
—Well if that isn’t a good answer, I don’t what is —I smiled and she laughed.
—And what do you think?
—I just think it holds so much more depth than what people think. —We each ordered another beer.
—Well, it’s nice to find someone who agrees with that.
—Right back at you.
we kept talking through the night about the kinds of things that you always want to talk about but no one is ever up to, almost no one wants to talk about things with depth.
—So now that you told me half your life and I half of mine, what’s your name? —She laughed.
—I’m Jack.
—I don’t think I ever introduced myself to someone after we had talked for more than an hour.
—Well, I think it’s freeing to change the dynamic for a change.
—sure. Nice to meet you then.
—Nice to meet you too, L. Continuing, do you believe in love at first sight?
—No, I don’t think so, do you?
—I really don’t know. It has never happened to me but I guess it’s a pretty idea to believe in.
—Sure is. But i don’t think that you could feel love just by looking at someone for the first time. Maybe familiarity, maybe passion, I don’t know.
—The other day I was reading about the 3 types of love.
—Enlighten me.
—They say that there are 3 types of love. Eros, which it’s the erotic kind of love, the most instinctive, connected to biology, sexuality that seeks pleasure.
Philia, the type of love that transformed into gratitude, into trust. it’s supposed to create a mutual admiration, a love that shares ideas and values that seeks something else.
And Agape, that’s the unconditional love, selfless. it’s supposed to be a generous, emphatic kind of love.
—That’s interesting. agape is supposed to be the most powerful one?
—Yeah, probably people that have like 20 years married but still love and respect each other. or at least that would be my interpretation of it.
—Listen, it’s pretty late. —she said after looking down at her phone. —I gotta go, it was very nice to meet you, Jack.
—Wait but.. you have to go now?
—Yes, I’m sorry. —she smiled, turned her back on me before I could even ask her for her number, her last name, something that would help me find her someway. so I was just left there, with the greatest impression of someone and nothing else. No way I could ever find her again, unless destiny wanted me to.
