The power of forgiveness
Mariana
Or at least most of what had happened.
" Ethan's girlfriend? " he asked, looking genuinely surprised.
" Yes, " I confirmed. "Her name was Beatriz and you dated her for only a few weeks while you were still in business school.”
"Her name was ... you mean …”
"Murilo seemed afraid to even ask about it, and I could perfectly understand his fear.”
"That's right. Beatriz was so upset when you broke up with her that she drove off at high speed and ended up in a fatal accident.”
It was noticeable how shaken Murilo was by that news and I deduced that he didn't know about it, it was quite clear.
"I didn't know…”
" I guess not, " I agreed.
We remained silent for a while. I realized that Murilo needed that time to absorb all this information that was so surprising to him.
"Now I ask you. How did you not know about this?”
"This story is much more complicated than Ethan thinks " Murilo still looked shaken, but now he was facing me and his face showed all the sincerity of his words "Beatriz and I had some subjects in common, and I only started this relationship because she declared herself to me, saying that she was in love and just asked me for a chance. Even without liking her, I tried Mariana. I swear I tried!”
"I know you did, Murilo.”
He walked around the kitchen, gesticulating a lot as he told his version of that sad story.
"Then, for a whole week, I couldn't meet with her because I was in my final exam period, it was my last semester and I chose to dedicate myself to my studies. I know that if she was really important to me, I would have managed.”
" But that wasn't real, was it? " I suggested.
" No " he agreed wholeheartedly "There's a lot of validity in the saying that if you want to, you can find a way, and I just made an excuse to spend some time away from her. And when she called me, practically begging me to go see her, I refused and then felt so bad about it that I decided to go to her house that very night.”
The story was beginning to puzzle me.
"But when I arrived at her house, I found Beatriz kissing another guy.”
"And that was the reason you were looking to break up with her.”
" I confess that, Mariana, " he was visibly embarrassed by this confession. "It was a very immature attitude on my part, but that's exactly what I did. I used your betrayal as the perfect excuse to do what I had already wanted to do.”
" I just don't understand how you didn't find out about the accident " I questioned him.
" I believe it was the following night because she came to me and when she left my house, I concluded that she would still insist, so I decided to take advantage of my graduation from college and travel to be with my parents, who were in Angola that year," he said "I ended up spending a whole year abroad. My family never got to meet Beatriz, just as I didn't know yours either. We dated for less than a month.”
"Well, this is all very sad and I believe that if you and Ethan would talk, he would understand that it wasn't your fault.”
" But I feel guilty, now that I've learned about what happened to Beatriz," Murilo said ruefully "She was a lovely girl, I never imagined that this had been her fate.”
" Ethan wants to find someone to blame for what happened, Murilo "I pointed out because it was quite clear to me " Unfortunately, you were the lucky one.”
" I agree with Mari, " Virginia said, coming into the kitchen and surprising us. "Ethan must have loved Beatriz very much, and I believe that even today, years later, he can't fully get over the loss of the girl he loved so much.”
My friend walked over to where Murilo was standing and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a little kiss on the cheek.
" It wasn't your fault, do you hear me? " she said, and I felt my heart heavy at that moment, seeing the evident affection between the two of them.
Virginia had been very lucky to meet a guy like Murilo, who was completely devoted to her and who fell in love with her from the very first moment, without caring about the fact that he had met her under the conditions in which it happened. Meanwhile, my memories were not pleasant at all, and I preferred to push them away from my mind because they did not do me any good at all.
Murilo
Virginia was now telling me that it wasn't my fault for what happened with my college girlfriend, but I felt guilty about the whole thing and it was making my heart squeeze.
I heard footsteps moving away and deduced that it was Mariana coming out of the kitchen to give us more privacy.
"If I had tried to talk to Beatriz calmly, instead of simply saying that it was over between us, maybe she wouldn't have…”
" It's no use clinging to the "maybes," Murilo " Virginia interrupted me "The possibilities are countless, and we can't be responsible for what other people do. These are their decisions, not ours.”
"But…”
" Murilo, listen to me calmly " She requested "I love you very much, but I would never accept a betrayal. So, I imagine that even if you loved her, you wouldn't have continued your relationship with Beatriz after finding her with another man, do you agree with me?”
I stared in amazement at Virginia, unable to believe her words and feeling that my heart wanted to jump inside my chest, such was the emotion I was feeling.
How was it possible that just one sentence had the power to change everything we were feeling?
" Murilo? Did you hear what I said? " Virginia asked me, worried.
" Do you love me? " Only this has become important now.
" But of course I love you, you fool " she confirmed, smiling openly "Why else would I be here with you, now?”
" You never said you loved me " I pointed out because she didn't realize it.
" I didn't? " she insisted, quite surprised.
" No " I smiled at her startled face.
"Well, know that I love you, very much, too much, too much! I love, love, love, love, to infinity and beyond!”
"Okay, I get it.”
