Broken Hearts On Boulevard Unirii novel Chapter 16

When we finished with our shopping, we still had forty-five minutes until six o'clock, when we were scheduled to meet the others and head out to the airport. We decided to go for a cup of coffee in one of the many cafés in the shopping center.

"So that's it, the trip is over," Mirella said in a reflective tone.

"All good things must come to an end, but there is always a new beginning," I answered, as the waiter placed the coffee in front of us.

I sipped the coffee, which was quite good. I thought to myself that this was probably one of the places that Angelo was referring to.

"What did you mean when you said 'a new beginning'?"Mirella asked.

"A week ago we didn't even know each other, and here we are a week later good friends. This is the beginning of a new friendship. Where this will lead to, only time will tell."

"In a few days you will be going back to your home, your work, your children, your wife, and will forget all about my existence," she said.

"I don't think so. After all we have begun a relationship, haven't we?" I responded.

"The most it can be called is a casual relationship," she said."After all, look at the years between us. I would say that ten years is a maximum age difference, perhaps stretching it to fifteen years, but thirty years, that is just too much of a stretch."

"Okay, if that's the way you feel, let us separate here and now. Let's shake hands, say goodbye and not arrivederci," I said.

"You immediately get offended," she said to me in an irritated voice. "That was not my intention. What I meant to say was that this cannot develop into a long-term relationship, a commitment, because nothing will ever come of it. The most it can be is a friendship, perhaps even an intimate one. After all, we enjoy each other's company."

We walked to the car and waited until everyone arrived and we then headed out for the airport. As usual, Angelo led with his car and we followed him. When we reached the terminal, we dropped everybody off and we continued, to return the rented cars.

They all stood in a semicircle, as tears rolled from the girls' eyes. Roxana, who until now was wrapped in the arms of Claudio, released herself and stood facing us.

In a loud voice she began.

I smiled at her, took my suitcase and said goodbye to Angelo and Mihaela. I promised him that we would see each other again in the near future. I waved one last time to everyone and went into the departure lounge with Elia running right behind me.

We followed the rest of the crowd and got in the line for passport control where everybody stood quietly, deep in their own thoughts.

When the plane took off on its way to Florence, I took the letter out of my pocket. I opened the envelope, took out the letter and turned it over several times. To my surprise it was blank; a blank sheet of white paper with nothing written on it, not even an address or telephone number.

I didn't say a thing to any of my friends, just folded the letter and put it back into my pocket.

As soon as we emerged from passport control, I turned to the others and asked, "Fabrizio, Claudio, do either of you want to come with me to Arezzo?"

"We are all travelling together and Gert is also coming along," Elia said after waiting a while for his suitcase. "He has decided to spend a few days in Italy before returning to work at the hospital in Lucerne."

"I can't believe that it is all over. It is like a dream," Gert commented.