Everyone dreams of happiness, and everyone has his or her own. For some, it is financial gain, for someone else it is a successful career, for others, it is a successful marriage and complete security. And the most impatient want to get everything at once, in one bottle.
Some associate happiness with love and believe that when love is gone, happiness will wither like a flower without water. And others are happy that love is gone and it saved them from heartache and financial problems. And they consider that to be happiness.
The world of our relationships is changing. Not so long ago it was dominated by masculinity, but now it is dominated by tolerance and feminism. Happiness has become elusive and selfishness capricious. One loves and the other lets oneself be loved. The selfish uses and betrays those who open their souls and trust their hearts to him.
In this love story, I wanted to show the intertwined passions and emotions in the life of a couple. But very soon strangers began to interfere in my writing. They were capricious and insisted that I should include them in the story. And they told me I couldn’t do it without them. I tried to resist them, saying that love does not need witnesses and that I do not write big novels, but stories with few characters. But they were stubborn. They suggested that I should do my work – watch, listen and record…
===== ===== ======
ROCKY.
He spent his youth in frivolous pursuits. He rode his ‘Harley’ with his buddies on the roads of America, hung out with the girls in the bars, and gambled with the hustlers. His father’s sudden death changed everything. Daddy left behind a ranch in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. At the funeral, a childhood friend from Seattle offered Rocky a partnership and a share in the business. And Rock took it. He gave up his old life, sold the ranch, and moved north. He bought a lake house outside Seattle and invested in his friend’s construction business. Construction is always in demand where it rains all year round and the nights are cold.
Dreams come true, and when you have the luck to catch that bird by the tail, the hardest part is holding on to it. As money comes in, new friends and girlfriends appear. Who helps you pluck that bird like a chicken, very quickly. Rock knew this firsthand. He was thirty and thought that if he was going to change his life, he shouldn’t stop halfway. His adventures were in the past, he had married a young Filipina, his bank account was growing and his wife and baby daughter were chirping in his house.
A car honked outside the window:
“Hey, kid, get ready, the plane’s waiting,” his friends shouted, throwing empty beer cans into the flower bed. A few days earlier they’d agreed to go fishing in Alaska.
Rocky was an avid fisherman and always had his tackle ready. He quickly packed his rucksack and in a minute the jeep with the noisy party was round the corner.
The small plane hummed as it tore through the rainy sky.
“…Rock, you don’t seem yourself today, gloomy. Got impotence or something?” his mate chuckled.
“…Chock, you often got the nuances right, but not today,” Rocky grumbled. The plane shook and coffee spilled on his jeans.
“Guys, flight canceled, big storm ahead,” the pilot turned the plane around.
With no choice left, they headed back. It was getting dark and nobody wanted to go home. Opportunities to escape family life for even one night are as rare as sunny days in Seattle.
“Fishing isn’t canceled!” it was Chock. Everyone was excited about the adventure and laughed.
They got lucky with the girls at the bar and soon the music was blaring in their rented motel room and the tipsy girls were dancing on the table. Rocky was annoyed, he wanted to be alone, so he fled to his room on some flimsy pretext. It was drizzling, but the evening was warm, and he settled down in a chair on the loggia, covered with a blanket.
Recently, his family life had taken a turn for the worse. After the birth of their daughter, his wife refused to cuddle him in bed, claiming she was unwell. Rock tolerated this with understanding, even hiring a nanny and trying not to burden his wife with housework. He was often away from the office, at home with the baby, while his wife went out with her girlfriends and stayed out late. Sometimes he caught her distant gaze, which made him uncomfortable. Rock tried not to see it negatively and realized that she was lonely and difficult without socializing when he was busy working from morning till night.
With such unhappy thoughts, he dozed off. Voices brought him back to reality, and at first, Rock thought the company had come for him. But what he heard chased away the remnants of sleep. On a neighboring balcony, two girls were smoking and talking. The topic was racy.
“I didn’t plan this life. I was looking for a rich husband to live a life of idleness. My husband is not poor, but I’m stuck at home. I also suffer because I have a child I’m afraid to tell him about. I’ve kept it a secret from him and he would throw me out for cheating if he found out”. The girl spoke with a slight accent, and Rocky found it familiar. He froze in his chair, not wanting to give himself away.
“…Do not be a fool, you could kick him out of the house and take all his money,” her friend laughed.
“…I don’t see how it could be done,” the first girl replied after a moment of silence.
“…Well then, listen to me, dear,” her friend continued, “we have laws that work in our country that allow all sorts of things to happen. Feminism helps a woman. You’re lucky to live in such a society. Do you know that?”
“Really? I thought I lived in a society of selfish, money-grubbing people. Can you help me to understand that?”
“Okay, I’ll help you get your husband’s money and live like a rich bum. You love money, don’t you?” the girl giggled, “But I’m practical and my condition is my share. Do you agree…?”
She must have got the go-ahead because she went on:
“…Are you familiar with sexual harassment, scandals involving beatings, infidelity…?”
“…We don’t have that in our family, my husband is a polite and sensitive man,” replied the first.
“…Now you will be involved,” her friend laughed a chesty laugh, “my lawyer will help you rob your husband. The lawyer will be in on it and he will help you as a teacher. He will probably need your husband’s business papers. The valuation of your house will be done by his agents, they’ll visit you under pretenses”.
“I agree. But how long will it take?” the first one still sounded doubtful.
“A few months, perhaps. Keep refusing your husband in bed, provoke him into a scandal, and try to get him to beat you. Agents will bug the house, to videotape all the scenes. The lawyer will need this evidence. He may want to sleep with you, so don’t say no, he’s our partner. In court, you will need to shed the tears of a cheated wife, hold your daughter to your chest, and discreetly pinch her bottom to make her cry. A baby’s tears work better on judges than any evidence,” she smiled, “now let’s go to the bar across the street, drink to our success, and discuss the details…”.
The rain was getting heavier and in the lantern light, Rocky saw their blurred silhouettes. The one on the left looked remarkably like his wife.
***
SUZANNE.
At the construction company, Rocky was in charge of coordinating the scope of work with clients. His client that day was a pretty, smiling blonde. She introduced herself as a designer, worked once at Warner Brothers Universal Studios, and was skilled in computer graphics. Her name was Suzanne, she had long, slender legs, and an engaging laugh. The guest explained the nature of the order. A friend of her father’s, a wealthy businessman, had asked her to help design and decorate the space he had chosen for his company. His team is helping seafarers from different countries to find employment in shipping companies.
The space the company rented was located in a high-rise in the city’s business district. The spacious room had one wall of thick glass with a breathtaking panoramic view of the ocean. Suzanne’s idea was to have workstations for employees, a briefing table, a small coffee bar, and a corner for the manager. The design of the room without walls and partitions was to create the atmosphere of a ship’s cabin and the view of the whole business would inspire confidence in the client. Rocky found Suzanne’s idea wonderful and was intrigued by the project. Together they sketched and designed the interior design his company was to create. They soon became friends, spending time together over lunch. Suzanne proved to be a witty conversationalist, and their conversations became increasingly frank. One day Rocky asked her why there were no women in her social circle, only men, all younger than her.
Suzie set the glass of juice aside:
“…Rock, I might think you’re jealous of me,” she smiled, looking into his eyes.
Rocky looked embarrassed.
“…I told you I’m not married, remember?” Suzie confidentially touched his hand with a finger, “You’re a grown man and you can guess that an unmarried girl is always on the lookout. At this stage, she has to be careful not to make any mistakes. Unmarried friends create unnecessary and dangerous competition. And married ones can give dangerous advice. Such advice comes from jealousy and envy…”
“…That’s why the company of young men is the safest company for me to socialize with. Every one of them is too selfish, loves himself too much, but has no experience of loving anyone else, or of seducing a girl to fall in love with him,” Suzie smiled, “I like young boys for their ambition,” she continued, “but I realize how naïve they are about it. A young man who has no experience of life is far from realizing that girls are just playing games with him, that it is not he who chooses, but they who choose him. And he will always lose, inexperience and ambition will one day play a cruel joke on him. I like to manipulate such boys, it’s fun to watch them obediently take the bait, unaware that there is a hook in it. Fishing like this keeps me in shape, it’s a sport, you know,” she laughed with a playful note in her voice.
“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Suzie looked around conspiratorially, “women have well-developed side vision, we watch you without turning our heads. Looking a strange man in the eye is very risky; such a look can give him false hope and provoke him into actions a woman fears. A woman who is more skilled in this has back vision, knowing that she is being watched. She can guess what men are thinking. I’m one of them, it’s exhausting but I like it. As you can see, I’m being honest with you, Rock, because I trust you,” she pouted flirtatiously.
“…I apologize for my tactlessness, Suzie, I shouldn’t have asked you that…”
Rocky was embarrassed.
Seeing the confusion on his face, she smoothed things over:
“…Rocky, I owe you an apology too. I’m just like you…”.
They clinked glasses.
“…I know you’re married, now that we’re on the subject,” she stopped smiling and looked him straight in the eye, “you said your wife is from another culture and I think you probably just have sex to keep in touch. And I think that’s not enough for you. For the harmony of souls, you need common interests, the same folklore, the same jokes, the same gastronomic preferences. You need a friend who understands you as you understand yourself, don’t you?” Suzie licked her lips with her pink tongue.
Rock was shy. She must have touched on an intimate subject.
“…We haven’t had sex for a long time even…” he finally whispered, looking away.
“…Well, you see what a shameless girl I am, I got into your soul, I’m sorry again…” she was laughing softly.
Rocky thought he’d heard that laugh somewhere before. But he couldn’t remember where.
***
IRISHMAN.
Rocky was at the supermarket, in the sporting goods department. A trip with friends to Montana to fish for trout in mountain waterfalls was coming up. This type of fishing is extremely exciting and requires special skills and equipment.
“…Let me guess,” a voice behind distracted him from looking at the display case, “you’re picking out the mountain trout fishing equipment?”
Rocky turned around. A tall, elegantly dressed man was smiling at him, “…Sean O’Connell, also a fisherman,” he introduced himself, “and if I’ve guessed your intentions, I suggest you purchase this,” he pointed to a predatorily curved steel plate with a double hook. “I had a chance to fish in the mountain streams last year, and this hook worked better than the others…”
“…Thank you, Sean for the advice, it is just in time, my friends and I are going trout fishing in Montana,” Rocky shook the outstretched hand.
“…Ha! I was there, the fishing in Montana is great!”
They decided to celebrate their meeting at the supermarket café over a cup of coffee. Sean turned out to be a fun guy:
“My grandfather was a fisherman in New York,” he said, “they fished off the coast of Newfoundland in their sloop, and in New York, they sold their catch to local fence-buyers. One of them, an Italian, had a young daughter, she seduced my grandfather, and they married. Like all Italians, my grandmother was a jealous, impulsive person, and my grandfather didn’t stay on land long; she was kicking him out to sea, away from skirts and friends. There at sea, he once disappeared in a big storm,” Sean sighed, “and I was raised under the tutelage of jealous grandma Cleo, she instilled in me mixed feelings about women,” he smiled, “…which is probably why I’ve spent my life trying to understand the psychology of women and even went to law school. I specialize exclusively in divorce cases. Perhaps this accumulated knowledge is the reason I’ve never married in my forty years of life. I guess I am a victim of my profession because every case I have been involved in has been another dangerous journey into the world of women. In these journeys, I have collected as many fascinating stories as any writer could dream of. I’ve learned everything a woman is capable of, but I never learned how she accomplishes it…” Sean laughed out loudly and a woman passing by threw a judgmental look at them. Rocky offered Sean to join the company on the trip, and Sean readily agreed.
**
In Montana, they had fun: catching trout and roasting them on the fire, drinking beer, and talking frivolously. In short, they were enjoying the freedom that comes from being free from the collar of society’s moral conventions. Tomorrow was the day of their return, and to mark the occasion they had a feast.
A fire was smoking in the clearing and trout were roasting on skewers. Everyone was quite tipsy, Rocky was strumming his guitar and they were singing cowboy songs. The irrepressible Chok suggested that they organize a fraternity initiation ceremony for Sean. Everyone agreed loudly. The pledge sat at a table with his hands tied behind his back. Chok uncorked a new bottle of whisky and filled a glass to the brim. Sean took it with his teeth and drank it without spilling a drop, to shouts of approval. When his hands were untied, Sean hugged Chok and kissed him on the cheek. In the same second, Chok screamed and bent over in pain. It turned out that Sean had bitten him on the ear. It wasn’t part of the ritual, but the newcomer let to know everyone that he wasn’t to be messed with. Everyone laughed at Sean’s prank and he poured whisky on his mate’s wound and put a plaster on it. They hugged and the initiation ritual ended with fraternizing and drinking. Sean was nicknamed as “Irish”. And Chok added that he was a wild Irish.
On his return, Rocky found his house empty, his wife and daughter gone. On the table was a notice that he had been named as a defendant in a divorce and property case. The hearing was a month away.
Rocky called Irish and asked him to come over.
The Irish sipped his whisky and listened without interruption.
“…Perhaps your wife is foolishly feminine in her naivete,” he said when Rocky fell silent, “but my professional instincts tell me that someone has been helping her and that someone is a clever bastard. Yes, we live in an emancipated world,” Sean continued, “in this world, people put on masks that often hide their predatory nature. Christian morality has become a tight shoe, no longer worn but not yet discarded. All this masquerading takes place under the hysterical cries of feminists, and naive men think they are doing a gallant thing towards all the ladies, putting them on an equal footing with themselves. But not all women are ladies, and for such “non-ladies” emancipation is a whore’s fight for the right to be one, with impunity, whether you agree with me or not”.
There was a pause. The Irish lit a cigar.
“But we have a baby!” Rocky put his head in his hands.
“…Yes, but you just said that she is often out late and that the baby is taken care of by a nanny or by you,” Irish raised his eyebrows, “…I’m repeating your words here and as a lawyer who has dealt with this kind of story many times I would venture to guess that your wife is not exactly a good mother or a faithful wife, sorry mate…”
Rocky was silent.
“…You know, I’ll open up to you too,” Irish gave his mate a friendly hug, “I dreamed of a normal woman, one who would be easy to live with, one who would recognize and accept a man’s supremacy in a union of equals. After all, a man will always appreciate a woman who has given herself to him, and such a woman will always have flowers brought to her house. But I’m a lawyer who specializes in women’s cases,” he grinned, “in twenty years of practice, I have seen and heard so much that I no longer believe in my dream. Tell me, have you stopped at a florist’s on your way home from work to buy your wife flowers lately?
“…No, not so much lately,” Rocky sighed.
…Well, see, I can guess the reason for that too,” Sean smiled, “you wanted to see a well-dressed wife at home and a nice dinner on the table. But that wasn’t there, was it? And you found out you weren’t welcome and nobody wanted your flowers…”
Rocky was silent. There was nothing for him to object to.
The Irish summed up: “…Let’s get to the point. Judging by her complaint, she may be a marriage fraud, after your money. Sorry to be so harsh, mate, but we’re not children and I’m not going to comfort you, I’m not a spiritual advisor. In my experience, I’ll have to check with the prefecture in Manila where she lived before she came to America. There’s also some legal work that I can’t discuss with you yet. If you want me to help you solve this case, you will have to tell me every little detail of your relationship, leaving out the intimate details of course…” The Irish put down his cigar and prepared to listen.
A Filipina was in America on a visitor’s visa. Their marriage was registered in Las Vegas, where she presented a driver’s license instead of a passport.
Sean suspected that the visa in her passport had expired and that she was already in the country illegally when the marriage was registered. The American system does not take kindly to such offenders and she could face deportation for such deception. Rocky confirmed Sean’s hunch, saying his beloved sweetheart proposed to marry in Las Vegas and to spend the wedding week there.
“…Common sense rests out with lovers…” – chuckled Irish.
Two weeks later, his law firm received an answer to his query. The Manila police reported that the person named in the request had been married twice, and had a child from her first marriage, who is living with her parents.
“…As you can see, lad, my professional instincts were right,” the Irish shook his head, “…you’re caught in the web of a marriage fraud. I have enough evidence for a court to declare your marriage null and void, and all her claims on your money will only add to her guilt. If she’s still in the States, she could easily go to jail and you’ll get custody of your daughter…” The Irish smiled, but the next second his face turned serious: “…Rocky, you don’t know everything, but I’m obliged to tell you the truth. Sit down and watch something, it’s the work of my boys from the private detective agency…”. He put his iPhone on the table and turned on the video function. On the screen, Rocky’s wife was having fun in bed with some young man. “…If I were you, I’d file a petition demanding a DNA test to determine the biological paternity of your little girl,” the Irish continued. Your wife started leading you around as soon as you let her know you were in love with her. Being in love only makes the male blind, not the female, that’s what the zoologists say anyway…”
Rocky was silent. He was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Sean easily blew the case in court. The impostor must have known what was coming, she didn’t show up in court and nothing was known about her. Rocky’s heart was broken, he’d lost his daughter.
Bandages stop the bleeding and medication dulls the pain. But the pain of losing a loved one lives on forever. It can be eased by alcohol, but medicine has no other remedy. Often the pain returns and becomes unbearable. At such times, a person should not be alone. The Irish have offered Rocky the chance to stay with them for a while until life brings a decision.
Ты смеясь, разбиваешь мужские сердца
И купаешь своё в их крови
Видно болью сердечной раны глупца
Жив тот змей, что свил нишу в твоей груди
Так и мне на своем непутевом пути
С сердцем выпала доля сыграть,
Я с тобою его потерял, не найти
Где оно, моя милая бля..дь
Убегая от страсти беспутной
Я нашел свое сердце в дорожной пыли
И отнес его я к проституткам,
Чтоб отмыли в греховной любви
И испачкав продажной любовью,
Исколов об измены шипы
Умолял я сердце, залитое болью
Пощади, милый друг, пощади!
Ну зачем нам эти страданья
И напрасных надежд пустота
Ведь отчаяние расставаний
Убивает обоих, тебя и меня
Мне ответило ласково сердце на муки
Друг мой, я другим не умею быть
Не пройдя через боль разлуки
Не сумею я снова любить…
BAHAMAS.
Rocky’s relationship with Suzanne became more and more trusting. One day, friends suggested he spend some time in the Bahamas and he invited Suzie.
She happily agreed. There were three couples, all of whom loved the sea, and when they arrived they immediately chartered the yacht.
After a cold and wet Seattle, a week sailing in the warm ocean was a fairy tale. On one of the islands, Suzie was captivated by the blue lagoon. In the euphoria of a love adventure, Rocky decided to make her a present and bought a hurricane-damaged building with land right on the shore of the lagoon. This gift added heat to their already hot nights.
The boating adventure was over, their friends flew home and Rocky and Suzanna stayed on the island for another week or two of funny days and nights. They hired local builders to restore the structure they had bought. It consisted of three bungalows and, remembering the joint project that had started their friendship, they planned to turn this place into an exotic hotel.
Rocky returned from the trip rejuvenated and tanned. His eyes sparkled with new life and he and Suzie were engaged! All his friends had gathered for a party to celebrate the occasion, some with their wives. There were a few guys on Suzie’s side and Rocky didn’t ask her any questions, remembering why she didn’t have any girlfriends.
The Irish was modest at this feast of two hearts. He took a moment to lead Rocky into the garden:
“…You’re a great couple, boy, congratulations,” he patted his friend on the shoulder and offered him a cigar, “I value our relationship, so I’m not going to give you any advice, but I want to share my thoughts. I’ve seen your heartbreak before. I don’t want to see it again…”
“…Thank you, Sean, you are my friend and have the right to advise me, but I’m sorry, I’ll listen to you without due consideration because we both know that lovers don’t listen to what their friends tell them…” – Rocky smiled and lighted his cigar.
“…That’s good, mate, you catch a hint as quick as a trout catching shiner,” Sean grinned, “…I just wish you’d be careful with Suzie, she’s not a simpleton like your ex. You’re the same age, but I can see she’s more experienced than you, Rocky. She’s a lot more cold-blooded and when she does what she wants, God forbid, you’ll have no choice but to accept her terms. Such women always win, their game excludes that state of mind which men used to call love”, Irish blinked through the smoke of his cigar, “…the truth of this statement has been proved by the lives of all the great courtesans, at whose feet lay kings, presidents, scientific husbands and world idols. A man in love is always a fool, whom such a woman manages to convince that flirting with other men is only a game, but she only sleeps with him…”.
He patted his friend affectionately on the shoulder and they returned to their guests.
Months went by. Rocky was happy. He was at peace with his new life. He had Suzie and life was full of colors again. She spent most of the year in the Bahamas, the hotel renovation was nearing completion and the finishing touches required her presence. They phoned almost every day, but one day Suzie didn’t answer the phone. And then she stopped calling for a long time. Late one night she called: “…Rocky, you’re a good guy,” her voice sounded distant, “…I’ve been thinking a lot lately about us and the life that awaits me. You and I have different ways of looking at things. You like your job, the comfort of home, your dream of a child, and all that. I’m not ready for that life, I’ll be cramped in your cage, I’m sorry. I’m a free bird and I don’t want to commit. Thank you for everything and especially for this piece of paradise you’ve given me. We shouldn’t see each other any more, send my things by post. I am sorry. Goodbye…”
Rocky was on holiday in Florida. He was drawn to the Bahamas, but even in his dreams, he was afraid to admit why. After flying in, he took a sea taxi to a familiar island. There, his feet led him to a small hotel on the shore of a blue lagoon. It was getting dark. In a bungalow under a roof of palm leaves, a noisy party was having a good time. A spectacular blonde stood at the centre of the table and Rocky could hear her chesty laugh. Of course, it was her! Next to her was a slim, tall man in a snow-white shirt. He was pouring champagne into the blonde’s glass and whispering in her ear. There was something very familiar about him… Rocky leaned against the trunk of a palm tree and smoked. The sun was setting in a scarlet haze, the sunset was colorful, probably the first time the sailors of Columbus had seen it.
He remembered a story he had read about how the first hunters in the New World had formed a maritime brotherhood on the islands. Each hunter was obliged to share everything he had with his partner. Even the wife went to a close friend if the hunter didn’t return from a hunt…
Rocky smiled at his thoughts. He took a device from his pocket and typed a message: (( Hi mate! I remember you warned me once. You talked about how a man in love is a fool who is always convinced by a woman that she only sleeps with him. And I laughed and didn’t want to listen to you. Now I admit you were right. I wish you happiness. You can count me as not returning from the hunt.)) He added a familiar phone number and pressed “Send”.
© Copyright: Walter Maria, 2021
Certificate of Publication No.221082401160
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