While on a bridge

“I’ve always loved days like this.”

“What do you mean?”

“When the sky is black and there’s still light from the sun.”

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The truth was she loved and cherished contrasts. They were somehow an expression of her self. She had always been this bookworm, the perfect student with a promising career, but at the same time her thirst for freedom had lately taken the lead. In this she was his mentor. He had only known about school, school and school and then the world of academia: he was about to finish his PhD in Quantum Physics. They met in a conference at the university. They clicked after a brief exchange and after a couple of months of attending events together, she told him she was leaving soon to South America and he decided to join. “I’ve never done something like this before and I think I should,” those were his words; though his intentions were indeed of a different nature.

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Now, they had been travelling for about four months and they had stopped in Bolivia to save some money to continue their way south. They had a day off at the hostel where they worked as bartenders and used it to walk down the streets and corridors of La Paz, try the traditional cuisine and interact more with the locals. On their way back, they stopped on the bridge from which at times they could admire the magnificent Illimani.

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After a long while standing there (to his eyes “doing nothing”):

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“So, what’s next?” he broke the silence asking what seemed to be the most plausible question. Though he was hoping she would stop gazing out and looked at him.

“I don’t know,” she calmly said.

“You cannot be saying that. So far you’ve had it all figured out!” He wanted to sound flattering.

“Is that what you think?”

“I’ve seen it! You’ve had all the time, what seemed to me, allocated dates for places: a week for a couple of venues in Bojacá, only a couple of nights in Ecuador; Christmas at Cusco; New Year’s at Isla del Sol. Almost as if everything was set in stone.”

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She just smiled, said nothing. The truth was she had been playing it all by ear. (Or maybe not.)

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“Oh, come on! Please say something.”

“Take it easy, doc.” And as she could sense his querying face, she added immediately, with the blunt intention of teasing him: “Tell me, have you learnt your lesson?”

“My lesson?” his huge ego would seldom let him see all the things left to be learnt.

“How to behave with the service.”

“What?!”

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Before the trip, he would constantly invite her for dinner to fancy restaurants and every time they were about to order he would never smile or say “please” or “thank you” to the waiter/waitress. He would ask questions about the food, but avoid eye-contact at all costs. For her that was completely unacceptable. “Who the heck do you think you are, sir?” She would always think to herself, but said nothing and just tried to behave overly friendly with whomever was taking their order. Now, in the middle of their journey, she had seen this as the perfect opportunity for him to learn. She had managed to persuade him to be a waiter because that would enhance their experience of the real world outside of the cocoon of academia.

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“Just kidding. Of course you’ve always been kind and respectful.” Subtle sarcasm in her tone of voice.

“Well, yes. I mean…,” he tried to pick up his words wisely, something that could put him in favorable position, “You have to understand, sometimes I have to deal with many things in my head.”

“Not when you’re at a restaurant about to order food and you are just reading the menu.”

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Of course he knew what she meant, he could remember. He felt ashamed and stupid. He had been hoping all along to see her fall crazy in love with him and her despise and gradual lack of respect were bringing them to the opposite direction.

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“Ok, ok, I admit it: I’ve been a bit of an asshole! Are you happy now?!” he exploded. “How do you do this? Why do you always have to make me feel like shit?” He asked, expecting an apology.

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“We can also part ways. You’re not forced to follow me.” He froze – her words just broke him.

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She held her camera and took a picture.

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“Let’s go.”