It Was You All Along (An Iker Casillas Story)

Chapter 3: Homecoming

 I sat myself unto the big soft armchair of my Aunt Rosa. I took in the warmth of the fire from the fireplace that was in the middle of the room. It was the centerpiece of the living room of Aunt Rosa's 2-story home in Madrid, and all the furniture was built around it. I scanned the room and caught my reflection in the mirror at the bottom of the staircase.

“You look exhausted and ugly,” I thought to myself as I scanned my weary, hazel-colored eyes and straightened my dark brown locks that were starting to get oily.

I frowned at my vanity and walked towards the tons of picture frames that hang around the fireplace. I noticed that there wasn't any massive portrait or painting of anything that governed the attention of the people that might find themselves inside the cozy living room, instead, the place was littered by countless pictures of people, some are recent but most are worn out and old.

Some of the pictures included children playing soccer on the streets. There was a particular picture of a little boy smiling at the camera whilst holding the ball with goalkeeping gloves that were obviously too big for him. I found the little boy's face very familiar and tried my best to think of where I saw him. After a few long seconds, I gave up and moved on to the other pictures.

Most of the pictures were of three girls. Three baby girls in strollers, three toddlers riding bicycles, three toddlers wearing skirts, three young girls going to school. “It's like a timeline,” I thought to myself. The life of my mom and aunts in pictures. I smiled at the adorable faces that lined the top of the fireplace. The last picture in the “timeline” tore a bandage in my heart that I spent years trying to cover up. It was of my mom, Aunt Rosa and Aunt Dolores in their mid to late twenties. They were standing in front of a shore and I could see myself playing at the background of the picture with sand castles and shovels.

I remember that she kept on bugging me to take a picture with them so that I could be a part of the girls' group. Of course, I never understood what she meant back then and as a little kid, all I wanted was to play and feel the sand in between my toes. Turned my back to her and they took the picture without me. It was the last picture of my mom when she was alive and I missed it.

I felt myself breaking into pieces one small fragment at a time. Seeing my mother's face was almost unbearable and I found myself retreating to the comforts of the armchair.

“Mina! Oh how you've grown!”exclaimed my Aunt Dolores as she made her way from the kitchen carrying a tray of sandwiches. She was followed closely behind by Aunt Rosa who opened the front door for me a few minutes ago.

“Aunt Dolores! You haven't aged one bit!” I covered my grief as best as I can as I stood up and embraced her in my arms. “ Both you and Aunt Rosa should really let me drink from the Fountain of Youth of yours.” I said before winking at Aunt Rosa.

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We sat down and chatted for hours about our lives after my dad and I moved. I found out that Aunt Dolores was still unmarried but is as happy as ever with the time she is spending with her sister. Aunt Rosa on the other hand has a family but all 4 of her children are away at university while her husband is working in Portugal. The two of them are the only family they have after my father and I left Madrid.

I felt bad for them and embarrassed about our actions simply because I felt like my father and I stole their happiness from them when we left.

“Oh Mina, we're just absolutely excited when we heard you were staying with us.” Aunt Dolores said to me as she was cleaning up.

“As soon as we received the phone call from your papa, we went upstairs and tidied up your old bedroom!” Aunt Rosa exclaimed. “Here, bring your luggage and I'll show you the room so that you can freshen up.” And with that she took my hand and led me upstairs to the 2nd door on the left, my bedroom.

I unpacked my clothes into the drawers and sat down on my bed. I smiled to myself as I scanned the room. “It still feels the same.” I thought to myself. My inner musings were interrupted by the ring of the doorbell.

“Hola, it's just you. Come in, come in.” I heard Aunt Dolores downstairs. I was about to conitnue unpacking when I heard Aunt Dolores call for me.

“Mina! Come down here, an old friend is waiting for you!” She yelled.

“Old friend?” I burrowed my brows and asked myself.

“Mina?” Aunt Dolores shouted again.

“I'm coming!” I yelled back. I looked for a hair tie and quickly pulled my hair up.

I ran downstairs as fast as I can when I turned and saw him sitting in the same armchair that I sat a few minutes ago. My “old friend” was the crazy guy from the airport coffee shop. I tried to run back upstairs but he already saw me. He stood up and walked towards me, a smile carved in his face. He stopped in front of me and looked into my eyes. I looked into his and felt myself swimming in the light brown shade of his eyes. All of a sudden, I remembered him as the little goalkeeper boy from the pictures in the living room.

“It's got to be him. No, it IS him!” I told myself in my mind. I have no idea why I thought that he is the goalkeeper boy but I had no doubt in my mind that it was him. I knew it. I felt it in my bones. I froze in my tracks and felt unable to move, unable to speak and unable to think clearly in the presence of this man, this little boy from the picture.

Out of nowhere a word came out from my mouth. It came from the deepest wells of my body. A word I haven't used in years. The sound that was released from my mouth sounded foreign yet familiar at the same time.

“Iker,” I spoke softly.

“Iker, that's his name.” I thought to myself, still gazing at his beautiful eyes. "But how did I know that?" I asked myself as he smiled at me.