Mr. Andrés gets back on the bench, and continued his story.

-After making my decision, I had to prepare myself for the admission exams for the university, and that meant ignoring my beloved art. At first I told myself that it would only be until I had more time for myself, but after I managed to enter, I found myself in situations where to pass all those classes and exams I had to dedicate all my time to study. But I struggled for years to achieve it.

-But if it was so difficult, besides that it was something that did not really like him and even made it so difficult, why did he continue?

-Because in those days, I could see that my father had started to show a little more similar to how he was in the days when my brother was alive, and that was my motivation to continue that way. After all, that my father had life again in his eyes also brought tranquility to my mother's heart, and even if it was a bit painful, both had admitted that it reassured them that I also put aside the idea of being an artist, since both thought that I would end up as a failure.

Mr. Andres looked at me, and in his eyes I could see that this memory brought him a little pain, but he faced that pain with a smile a little different from what I had seen in him until now.

-After I finished my university studies, I worked for a few years in a company where my father once mentioned that my brother wanted to work when he graduated, and I found myself with a bigger obstacle than studying.

- What kind of obstacle?

-While not having the same capacity as my brother, I had to work harder to survive in that race. And it was not until after several years, that I realized the mistakes I made with all those decisions. Those mistakes are the reason why I started writing those thoughts and reflections in this notebook.

At that moment, Mr. Andrés took out the same small notebook that, when I looked better this time, I could see that it had small wear that was not visible to the naked eye because of the dark color that covered it. Mr. Andres leafed through the pages of the notebook, clearly remembering different moments when reading the different written thoughts like the one with the sheet of paper that remained folded in my jacket.

- Does it mean there's more like this?

-Effectively. The one that you have there is the reflection that I made thinking about all the way that I have traveled throughout my life.

At that moment I understood that that note was more than I had believed. It was the shape of what Mr. Andres had lived, and he could not just treat it like garbage. That thought, I would certainly keep it to remember what we had talked about.

-And what happened next?

-Well, what happened next was what made me realize all those mistakes, and it was the death of my parents. I spent so much time trying to be someone I was not, trying to fill the gap that my brother left, I did not give myself the little time necessary to take care of the family I still had, and I did not even find out when it was time for the funeral. Only when a member of the family contacted me to complain about not having even gone to the funeral.

The death of his parents ... And in such a sad and shuddering way ... That subject seemed too delicate to treat him like this from nothing.

-Don't worry too much about that. The past has already happened, and we can not remedy it. But that's what made me realize the big mistakes I made. I tried to fill the gap left by my brother, but in doing so, I left a gap where I should be. In trying to fulfill my brother's dreams, I lost my own dreams, telling myself again and again that I would postpone them until I had time, until finally my hands forgot what it felt like to draw.

-It really sounds sad…

-Alex –Mr. Andres got up, and looked at me with a warm look like that of a grandfather-. Thanks for listening to this old man. But do not worry either, thinking that I lost my whole life like that. I may have lost many things, but at least I realized in time not to lose others.

Mr. Andres extended his hand to me with the leather notebook closed and tied by a small cord.

-Please, accept this as a gift. And try not to make the same mistakes that I made in my time.

- Mr. Andrés ... Thank you. With all my heart, thank you for telling me your story.

At that moment, what I felt most was gratitude. Mr. Andres had told me a story that gave me a lot to think about, and I felt that I could start looking for the answer I was looking for myself. Although the story itself did not tell me what I wanted, at least it taught me what I needed to find the answer.

-If you need help to understand any, you can find me here as now. And if you come to say hello ... I'd appreciate it a lot.

-You will not get rid of me so easily. You still do not teach me to make animals accept me that way.

After that, with a couple of smiles on our faces, we said goodbye. Mr. Andres left by the same door of the park as the last time, while I stayed on the bench in front of the pond, with the leather notebook in my hands, and I felt that his weight was greater than just a couple of sheets of paper. I looked at the pond for a while longer, while reflecting on what that book represented, like the teachings of a person's life, and leafing through the pages at times. Finally, I took my backpack and went to the exit of the park to go to my house, now with a notebook full of thoughts I hoped to understand, and now I would have a teacher not from a class at school, but from life.