The street was bustling with the boss's men relentlessly chasing the Quisqueyanos. The screeching of tires and honking of horns added to the chaos as Dai maneuvered his car through the traffic to get to school. From the window, he glared at the men who had sold his soul to the devil. These men, driven by their thirst for power and prestige, invaded the streets of Santo Domingo with an air of superiority. They wore military uniforms and carried a metal cane to symbolize their authority. They used a blunderbuss to end any conversation that did not go their way. It takes more than one cruel man to keep a regime in place. But it takes one man to be brought down for it all to end.
Dai used to have a passion for playing the piano, but that was long ago. Now, his sole focus was on seeking revenge against these men who had wronged him. Every time he saw them, it only fueled his anger and determination to make them pay for their misdeeds. He was sacrificing everything, even though he felt he had nothing left.
Upon arriving at Mount Sinai, the rich kids wanted to have a good relationship with the reckless boy who had as his only friend a gun inside his suitcase. However, Dai was cold and indifferent to the students around him. He no longer had the heart of a teenager. He went to the piano room and chose to play Mozart's Lacrimosa. Dai, immersed in his notes, his mind transported him back in time. He saw images of the woman he loved most smiling. And then a cold scene on a sunless afternoon with Nana Inoue inside a coffin. Seeing himself in front of her, who lay lifeless. The countenance of his agony was such that he couldn't even hear the other boys running through the corridors.
However, a sharp, beautiful sound broke through the walls of his anguish. Outside the school, someone was singing Lacrimosa along with him. That beautiful voice was a sublime musical feast combined with Dai's piano. And Dai didn't stop, even with curiosity eating him up inside. He preferred to continue with the musical piece rather than interrupt such a solemn performance. After his piece, Dai immediately stood up and hurriedly left the room. He had to know whose voice rescued him from his daytime nightmare. He was so hurried that he would bump into other students in the hallways and leave without apology. At that moment, for Dai, it was as if everything else in the universe had turned to ashes, and there was only that sound, that voice that echoed in his head more than his sadness. As he walked out the school door, Dai desperately looked around but saw no one who might be the person he was looking for, so he approached a man selling newspapers on the sidewalk. And asked him:
— "Did you see anyone here singing Mozart's Lacrimosa?"
The man looked at him confused and said— "Lacrimosa? Whose?"
Dai understood that his way of expressing himself was above the man's understanding, so he changed his question and said,
— "Did you see someone here with a beautiful voice singing?"
The man looked thoughtful momentarily and then reacted as if he had remembered something. Then he said to him,
— "If you're looking for a singer with a beautiful voice, that has to be Bernardo. He's the only one you see him singing around this area."
Dai was silent for a brief moment. The question of why go after this unknown person crossed his mind, and then he smiled, looked up, and thanked the man for answering him.
Bernardo's days slowly faded into the ocean of a paradise where only one season existed, the never-ending summer. Every day, he would go fishing simultaneously, wearing his usual outfit. As he cast his line into the ocean, he couldn't help but gaze at the beach's shoreline. The waves crashed against the shore, and the gentle breeze carried the salty scent of the sea. The sun's warmth on his skin and the soothing sound of the waves created an environment where time seemed to stand still.
Amidst all this, a thought crossed his mind — What if he stayed in the ocean forever? The idea lingered in his thoughts, and he couldn't shake it off.
— “Why did the little mermaid wish to go to land? The sea is so much more beautiful to me.” He said to himself.
The image of a handsome boy flashed through his head again. He looked at his reflection in the water and plunged into it, leaving all his fears drowned. The story was over long before it began, even before he understood his feelings.
Months passed, and Dai was on the day of his graduation from the School of Fine Arts, Mount Sinai. Everyone was wearing their black robes and ceremonial hats. Black and white photographs were being taken that would perhaps be remembered forever after that day. A young girl named Jesica approached Dai and asked for a picture together. But he remained earnest and distant. Jesica grabbed his shoulder and said:
— "Smile. Tomorrow is always too late."
Dai watched her in amazement and smiled. Although he didn't add anything to Jesica's comment, that was probably the first time he genuinely smiled since Nana Inoue's death. The photo was etched into history. One day, someone will look at it and wonder — "What became of those two? Were they happy?" But the truth is, there will be no way to know. History will only tell what hasn't stuck in the memory of just one person.
At noon, the graduates of Mount Sinai gathered at the school gate to say their goodbyes. The atmosphere was bittersweet as many boys knew they would never see each other again after that day. But the memories of the days spent in brotherhood would stay with them forever.
With the door of his vehicle open and ready to leave, Dai waved goodbye to everyone in the distance. He was wearing his black tunic and had his diploma on his side. Bernardo, standing afar, saw Dai leaving and felt a sudden pang of sadness. He couldn't even see Dai's face, let alone know his name or where Dai was headed next. But Bernardo felt as if he was watching someone he had known walk away without a word. His heart felt heavy as he realized this was the end of an era, and he would likely never see Dai or any of his classmates again.
Dai's heart raced as a sense of unease settled over him. It was as if someone was watching him again, and when he turned around, he saw a mulatto boy standing in the distance, his bare feet dusty and calloused. As Dai gazed at the boy, he felt an inexplicable connection, as if they were meant to meet. However, Dai knew nothing about him - not even his name, where he came from, or where he was headed next. Despite this, Dai felt a profound deja vu when they parted ways, knowing he may never see Bernardo again. As the years went by, Dai often thought about the boy with bare feet and wondered where life had taken him. Dai always asked if he was someone who wanted to go to school. Learn to read and write like everyone else. But they didn't live in a country where people had the same opportunities. He, who was born a poor mulatto was destined to die as one.
At Bernardo’s eighteen spring, years have done their work and erased all memory of that fleeting love. Bernardo still dreamed of becoming a musician and wanted to go to the capital, Santo Domingo, to pursue his goals. But sometimes, he stared at the sea as if he wanted to disappear. Every artist carries the weight of his passion, which consumes and destroys him inside as much as it gives him life. Bernardo had to make a decision. He had to choose between his dreams and his reality. He had to decide whether to keep fighting for his goals or to give up and accept his fate. But Bernardo was born brave and did not know how to be a sheep. His grandfather Rogelio always told him it was better to be meek, but no creative soul knows how to keep his feelings to himself. Bernardo decided to follow his heart, no matter the cost. He knew that he could not give up his passion, even if it would cost him everything. He was determined to make his dream a reality. But his yearnings were always more profound than the ocean. As time passed, destiny would eventually bring him back to the most perilous yearning of all— the affection of another man. Despite the potential risks and societal pressures, he could not deny the intense emotions that stirred within him, drawing him closer to this forbidden love.
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