Chapter 19 Between mountains and tears

Between mountains and tears

She was under the hot shower so he couldn't hear her crying, and even though she was trying her best to repel the sounds coming from her chest, the sound of her soul breaking apart, the sound of despair, he still heard her!

- Open this door, please! I'm asking you, Nina... open up.

For a second the image of him hugging the door, feeling sick, like the day they had been in the hospital in Rome, flashed through her mind. Nina ran, all wet, and opened the door.

She stood examining him with her red eyes still wet from tears and the bathwater.

- Is everything all right, David? Answer me! Are you all right?

- He hugged her and she tried to get away from that hug, she knew it would be her surrender. She tried to disguise it by showing that she was all wet, that she needed to finish her bath. He didn't let go. They fought gently until she gave up trying to get away from him. That's when she stood quietly with her water-soaked face and hair on his chest. She closed her eyes and couldn't hold back her tears.

- Let me come! Chi..." he said, with his eyes closed, as he cradled her in the warmth of his body.

It was such a heartfelt cry that she sobbed! Nina cried as much as the day they found out they were infected with the coronavirus, in their hospital bed. He had looked after her all that night, and she had looked after him. He did the same this time. He took her into the bedroom, combed her hair, settled her on the bed. He stayed close to her without saying a word. He just kissed her on the forehead, on the cheek, on her tear-soaked eyes. She cried herself to sleep in his arms, which were her warmth and comfort.

The next day they both got up early. He had a thousand calls to make, a thousand things to finish getting ready. That was what he had been doing so much of the past weeks. He was already putting all his projects and plans into practice. The distance did not stop him from working like a hurricane. Nina already knew this. But she didn't imagine it would be so hard to hear that this day was almost upon us. She packed up practically everything that was his that very day. And she acted as if she had accepted and settled for this last weekend with him. While he was busy with his errands, Nina talked to Kara and Lyon on the phone, as she did every day, put on some workout clothes, went to him, who was talking to someone on the phone, kissed him, and said goodbye in gestures. David asked the person on the other end of the line to wait a moment and he would call back soon.

- Are you going out?

- Yes, I'm going for a walk, up the mountain from here and get some air, and leave you alone to work. Kara and Lyon can't come but, I need to get away for a while, you know...?

- I don't need you to leave me alone, Nina.

- I know. You know what I mean. I'm going to clear my head, blow off steam, get away from you... I'm a gumdrop, you know.

- And you're going away for the day? Weren't we going to enjoy my last days here together?

- Yes, we would. I mean, we are. But you're too busy, I don't want to get in your way.

As Nina spoke, he was already changing his sweatshirt. He knew that she wanted to run away. He knew that she was sick inside and that when she felt like this she tried to isolate herself.

- Then let's go! - said David, taking the key to her car.

- Okay, then. Let's go. - she said, smiling because he always knew what was going on in her head.

She gave him a tender kiss on the lips, took a picnic basket, two backpacks, and went for a walk around the sights of Bergen. Nina was their tour guide.

- There is a well-known route, the 7 sisters! 7 mountains that are connected. But this walk takes more than five hours. Lyon has already told me all about it. We can go up by Stoltzen, which is an endless stairway to the top of the mountain. Stoltzekleiven is a steep, paved hiking trail with stairs of about 722 steps from Bergen to Sandviksfjellet. Stoltzekleiven is one of the most popular hiking trails here. See here on the map, Rich. The views are very worthwhile. Very much so! It's breathtaking. - Nina explained on the way, while David was driving.

- We can park the car and walk through the center. There is an amusement park there, and there are electric scooters all over the city, you can rent them on the phone app, there are bicycles, and there are streetcars too. Which do you prefer? Nina asked.

- Let's do them all. It's a beautiful day! - said, David. - Let's enjoy it, shall we?

- Yes, let's. - she replied, all pleased. Then he continued:

- I'll make a few calls between walks, but it won't get in our way. I'm still on leave until Monday.

Every time David brought up the subject of his departure, Nina's heart felt like it was being shocked. The shadow in his eyes was inevitable. He was sorry too, but they had promised not to talk about it again. They had a pact! In an immediate attempt to disguise her feelings she tried to divert his attention, and continued talking about the possible routes they could take:

- We can start with Fløyen, which is the area closest to the center of the seven mountains and the favorite hiking area of the city's population. Fløyen is easily accessible on foot, is located opposite the center. The hike starts at Vågsbunnen and you can choose between Tippetue, Fløysvingene, and Kvamsvingene. This is what it says here on the city's tourism websites.

- Another alternative is Fløibanen, the electric tramway. You will love to make a video and see the city from inside the streetcar. I recommend it! It is especially popular with tourists. - Nina reads the information on her phone and David listens.

- You are trying to avoid the hike. You want to take the little train up so you don't have to walk. - Soon David heard Nina's laughter. - Besides, we can't be around other tourists.

- No, that's not it. We go up and down by cable car if there are no people in line, we don't touch anything, we use our disinfectant gel and our masks, then we go back up the mountain on foot, how about it? I will read here for you what Lyon sent me: The Fløibanen bottom station is located near Bryggen and Fisketorget. It is recommended to buy tickets in advance on days with good weather. In this case, today. But I expect it to be sparsely crowded due to the pandemic. At the top of Fløyen, at the highest station in Fløibanen, we will find a panoramic plateau, with a beautiful view of the city center and Byfjorden. If we get hungry there is a kiosk up there, a cafe, and a restaurant with a beer garden and terrace. But I brought our food! - she said, smiling.

David and Nina took pictures of the most beautiful scenery along their hike, the two stopped to have a picnic in the fresh air, with only nature as their witness. The two crouched down near a tree, set up a hammock, spread a towel on the grass, and made themselves comfortable. Nina was leaning against the tree, her back resting on its trunk, while David was lying on top of Nina on his back at the height of her stomach. They both listened to music with headphones on the same playlist. They ate, read a few chapters of a book, discussed that chapter, and walked back. They spent the whole day under an open sky, contemplating the beauty that mother nature offered them for free. Everything seemed better by the end of the walk. They breathed better, their mood improved even more, and even their thoughts seemed more centered.

Soon evening fell and the two of them were still descending the mountains. They stopped in front of Fløyen, the cable car station that took tourists to the top of Fløyfjellet mountain. They walked to a well-known little street where people used to buy hot dogs and other ready-made food on the street after the parties. David attracted attention wherever he passed. He kept his cap, mask, and hood, which she made sure to keep on, yet people turned to look. That tall man walking on the street, showing off his defined muscles in his sweaty sports clothes... he became even taller next to Nina, for she was only 1.63 meters tall, with long hair down to her buttocks and a beautiful body, although she had never been to the gym.

Nina wanted to go home, but David did not. He wanted to sit at the outdoor bars, he wanted to extend the evening while they were out. He knew that at home it was inevitable to think that they would be apart in two days. The two of them had gotten used to each other. They slept together for months, there wasn't a day they hadn't made love since they got better from their covid-19 symptoms in Italy. They ate together, played "online" games, playing cards and dominoes, and did whatever else they could come up with to pass the time without getting bored during the quarantine. David had even adopted Kara and Lyon as friends. One was the shadow of the other. And soon the shadows would be separated.

David was recovered. He was no longer taking medication since arriving in Norway, there was no need. He was able to rest his body and soul, as he himself was responding to Nina's questions. He hadn't done that in decades! He was more than ready to resume his acting life, although there were still restrictions in terms of crowding and social distancing. Many countries were monitoring the pandemic and were already loosening the rules.

They sat outside the best-known bars on Bryggen, the main street in downtown Bergen, and stayed there for hours chatting, enjoying the night. David told about his projects, about everything he was going to do in the coming months. In September he already had the launch of a film that would start his new era playing a new character in the movies.

- You, stranger. What are you going to do?

- Me? I'm going to stay quiet in my corner. I'm going to work Monday through Friday and one weekend a month. I will go back to giving dance classes to foreign women, in a social inclusion project, when the training centers reopen, of course! One day when all this is over I will travel and visit the most amazing places in the world. And I'll definitely find a husband and get married as soon as possible.

David squeezed his eyes shut, staring at her seriously. She couldn't hold back a loud, debauched laugh.

- Don't worry, I'm not sending the invitation. - Nina said, laughing at his serious expression.

- Stop it, it's not funny!

- It's not funny! I've stopped. - She said, immediately stopping the jokes.

- I have a proposition for you. Now let's get serious. - he proposed.

- That's good. - Nina said, showing that she was all ears for him.

- We can keep talking on the phone, on video calls, and every time I have a free day you can come stay with me. No matter how or where. We can keep this up for years, Nina. It doesn't have to be the end.

- No. My answer is no.

David leaned back in his chair and folded his hands. He couldn't believe his refusal.

- I want to go on living after you're gone. What do you want? That I go into a depression, lock myself in a dark room, and get sick every time you or I leave?

David even leaned back in his chair to get closer to her.

- I'll probably cry, yes, I'll cry for a few days, after all, it was so good to be with you, it was so good everything we lived through, I'll never forget it. And I want to thank you for those wonderful moments! You were a real gentleman, a real pervert, naughty, and very affectionate. And above all, very human... super humble. You are really fantastic! Incredible! And for these reasons, I will miss you. But I will survive, David. I will go on with my life, and I will go on well! So I beg you, listen to me carefully, don't feel guilty, don't let yourself get down, don't let yourself get worried. Do you hear me? You gave me the world! I'll be all right. Go out there and shine! Conquer all that you still have to conquer and live life! Don't let society oppress you or dictate what you can and can't do. Don't get enferme again, fight!

- And you won't tell me you'll always be here if I need you? - he asked, uneasy.

- No. It's to cliché. Everything about us is to cliché. Yes, I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere. But I want to ask you something.

- Yes. Anything.

- Forgive me for what I'm about to say, but I don't want you to come to me. I don't want you to call me, not even as a friend. I don't want my name mentioned anywhere.

- Are you breaking up with me for good? - he asked with a very sad expression on his face.

- No. We will never break up. What we have lived through is a one-in-a-million chance. You will be special for the rest of my life. But I just want to sit here quietly, I want to occupy myself day and night, I want to let time go by. And if you call me, if I call you, if there's even the slightest possibility that we can get together even once a year, do you know what will happen to me?

David held both her hands on the table.

- I'll be a ghost living in your shadows. I don't want that for me! I'll never get to really know someone if I hope we'll see each other. I'll waste years of my life devoted to you. Until the day you, by text message or phone, tell me that you can't do it anymore. And I need to assure my sanity. I have it now, and I intend to keep it. I'd rather live through all the pain I have now than live through all at once when you're gone. And to live waiting for you is like killing myself every day little by little for long years.

- It wouldn't be like that. - he said.

- And what would it be like? Like Freddie Mercury and Mary Austin? - she said, continuing.

- You don't have to explain anything anymore I don't want to hear your reasons anymore... That's enough! Say no more because when you say it, it hurts! - he retorted.

- Look, you're offering me so much more than anyone in the world could ever hope to get from you. As I said, you're amazing! I can't tell you how special you are as a person. But I am content, I am happy and satisfied with what I have had so far. After you leave in the early hours of Sunday to Monday, you have to swear to me on your word of honor that you will let me move on. Swear, David!

- No. I swear nothing!

- It's not fair to me! Look at me! What will become of me if you manage to disarm me? I'll become a husk, a leaf in the wind if this doesn't work out. I know how it will all end. It's always you who end your relationships and women are devastated. Forget male pride!

- I have made mistakes, yes. I am just a man!

- Look at me, David. Now I am in the position of refusing you because I am fine, I have prepared myself all these months for this farewell. And if you come now, and don't take this oath, or don't keep it, I won't be so strong afterward when you have disarmed me, and if suddenly you conclude that distance has cooled your feelings, or that you have met someone on your shoots or at a thousand other events... It's not fair! I am prepared for that outcome now! You can call it pure cowardice, I admit it.

David shook his head, clearly expressing that he didn't agree with any of this. And he let out a:

- "BULLSHIT!"

- Take it, Richard! Swear it! Don't be selfish with me! I don't deserve it!

Nina said, wiping away the river of tears that were streaming down her face. David also had his eyes filled with tears as he watched her cry.

- Swear! - Nina held out her hand to him.

He removed his closed hand from his mouth and held her hand.

- Speak the words, David. It's a promise of honor. And neither of us can go back, in any way, no matter what. You go back to your world and I go back to mine. I won't feel safe until you swear.

- How childish! How old are you now? - retorted David, indignant at her attitude.

- You know I can be any age I want, and be anyone I want. It's not childish, it's about honoring a promise.

Nina explained her feelings in an attempt to get him to swear and continued:

- Speak! I swear. I swear I won't bother you. I swear I'll let you be happy, let you be at peace, let you move on. I'll never call you or look for you. Just say it: I swear. That's all.

- I swear too! - said David, clearly annoyed. - Okay, everything you said. I swear.

- Okay, that's good. That's better! Shall we go to the house now?

- Let's go! - he said with a very serious expression on his face, getting up immediately.

When they got home Nina soon made herself ready for bed. They were very tired, they had completed the list of clichéd outings for this Friday and she was exhausted. They took all the pictures they could take together during the whole day. Pictures of the "picnic" in the mountains isolated from the others, instead of going to the restaurants in Bergen that had been open for some time, as well as the discos too, although you couldn't dance, and each group of a few people had to have tables reserved. The number of people in each place was restricted and the rules of social distancing had to be kept, at least one meter away, using alcohol gel on the hands, etc.

- Aren't you coming to bed, David? It is already midnight.

- I'm not sleepy. I'm going to play until dawn.

He barely looked at her. She knew he was upset.

- All right, then. Do you want a drink? I can make one. - she said, without getting an answer.

She went into the kitchen and prepared some appetizers for him, put everything on a nice tray, and put it next to him in the living room. She poured his favorite Brazilian drinks and kissed him good night on the forehead. As he turned to march to his room, he pulled her by the arm and sat her on his lap trying desperately to kiss her. It was a kiss with many feelings involved: anger, confusion, frustration, helplessness, and a little disappointment. At the same time, he felt a very strong affection for her, admiration, and very, very horny.