My old friend

I couldn’t never forget the first word that I learned to write “abuelo”, in Spanish this means grandfather. I really don’t know why I wrote that word but a thing that I know is that he was present in my live. My grandmother always, always, talked about him when I was little. He is my inspiration even if I didn’t meet him. He was a military man that died 2 weeks before my birth.

Abu (my grandmother) told me that my grandfather wrote a poem to her. She still has it and I read it. It was the most romantic thing that I have read in my entire life. How I would love to meet him. I've never seen a photo of him. My mother was so sad that she kept the photos in a box. I have only imagined what he looked like. My grandmother said that I am a romantic person like my grandfather. I read romantic books. OH! How I love them.

In school I didn’t have that many friends. I was the weird one that read in recess, but I didn’t care because the only thing that I need in live are my romance books. Well being honest I want a friend that shares that love for romance but, what can I do.

I could never forget that day. The day when my world was turned upside down. The day when I saw her. I was melting for her like an ice-cream in hot season. Her eyes transported me to another world. Stefany, my first love was perfect. The only problem was that she was in love with another boy. The sadness in my face when I figure it out.

So, I went to the park that was in front of my school. I sat in a bank and closed my eyes and started to cry. Suddenly, I heard an old and low voice. He was wearing clothes that looked very old-fashioned. His face was full of wrinkles. He told me to write a romantic poem to her. How did he know that I liked that girl? Well his advice was very good, so I finally ask him how he knew that. He told me that it was obvious and that his name was Pepe. We started to talk about the poem I would write to her. He told me not to be afraid, if something goes wrong, she will lose someone that love her, and I would lose someone that didn’t love me. I always remember that lesson. Hours passed as we talked when I realized it was late. I said good night to my new friend and ran as fast as possible to my house.

The next day I finished my poem, I was ready to give her all my heart. I was very nervous. I took all my courage and put the poem on her desk. Oh my god! My head was tormenting me. What if she doesn’t like it? What if someone finds out that I wrote a poem to her and start laughing at me?

In the recess she came to me and told me that the poem was the cutest thing that anyone had ever made for her. My heart was beating so fast that I thought it would burst. She gave a kiss in the cheek and went away. Literary, I was speechless, and it was all thanks to my new best friend from the park who gave me the strength for write her a poem.

Since that day of the discussion with my new friend Pepe, I went to that park and he was always there waiting for me. Finally, I have a friend, I said in my mind, I was so happy because we shared the same love for romance books and in everything romantic. I was so thankful to him, for all the lessons and advice that he gave me. He made me feel less alone.

One day my mother asks me why I was getting home so late and I told her that I have a new friend. She was amazed. She wanted to know him. So, I went with her to the park and waited for him. We waited and waited. It was strange he was always there. An hour later we went home. I was miserable, why had my friend not come. I want them to meet, to show my mom how incredible this man with the best love advice ever.

The next days he didn’t come. I waited for him, but he didn’t come. Since that day, I don’t know anything about my best friend, why he went off or what happen to him.

Stefany and I became lovers, thanks to my friend. Years later, we married, and we now have a beautiful family. We have two children, Pepe, in honor of my best friend and Luciana in honor of my grandmother.

A year, I went to my moms’ home. She was moving onto another house. I helped her packing and suddenly I found a picture. “I recognize that face”, I said. My mother told, me “Oh! What an old photo, he is your grandfather. He wanted a lot to know you, but you know what happened to him”. In that moment I recognized his face full of wrinkles, it was Pepe, my old friend.