RED 2: A Trick of Mirrors [#Wattys2017]

30. Requiem

"The stars remind me of The Little Prince," Marisa said.

"I read that book as a boy and loved it," Robert commented while Eliana kept quiet.

"It's only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye," Marco quoted.

"That's it. And among a thousand people, the one that goes to the trouble of captivating us becomes unique," continued Marisa. "I reread The Little Prince last year and was surprised that a story for children could deliver such profound truths. Do you remember the ending with the stars?"

"Actually, I don't. What I never forgot was that line by the fox."

"Before returning to his star, the little prince laughed and said from then on his aviator friend would remember him and his laughter every time he saw the stars in the sky, and all the stars would be laughing for the aviator. They would hold a special meaning and never be the same because both friends had captivated each other."

And I, every time I see a dark and glossy jabuticaba berry, remember you and your eyes, Marco, she thought with a strange commotion as she recalled the scene where the little prince bode farewell to his friend. All of a sudden there was no longer laughter in the sky, which now seemed to her a dark cemetery lit up with a myriad of tiny bluish crosses. Marisa missed the girl she had been one day, that one reading for the first time The Little Prince in her childhood. And then came the melancholy of comparing her to the woman she was today, seated there contemplating somber stars. She didn't mention the book again.

The conversation wended to constellations, legends and distant planets. At one point, the unbearable beauty of the stars turned uncomfortable, commanding secret reflections, longings and pains. None of them wanted to confront those so they left the chaise lounges vaguely disquiet, staring at their own feet and the deck expanse with its illusion of firm ground.

They went back to the central pool and found Zoe taking off with Jean-Philippe and half a dozen musicians. She invited them to tag along to the Opal Lounge where they would be having a jam session. And who could resist Zoe with her rainbow hair and her cheeks ruddy with music, dance and mojitos? The four friends joined the noisy retinue down the stairs to Deck 6.

Their destination was a spacious venue that doubled as a game room and nightclub. The group passed by the pool, chess and backgammon area to reach a nostalgic salon in the back. Its ambiance evocative of the 1940s greeted them with elegant wooden-paneled walls, tranquil lighting and tables lapped by semicircular, cream-leathered seats that spread around the dance floor and on a curved platform further behind. They paused at the bar for a line of shots lit up by the bartender. A trail of fire enveloped the drinks on the counter for a few seconds, and when the orange flames died away, they applauded, turned up their glasses and proceeded to the dance floor

The cover band on duty jammed with guests and it wasn't long before Zoe and her friends jumped to the stage. On Eliana's request they sang If You're Going to San Francisco. With a dreamy smile, she hugged Marco's waist and he put his arm around her shoulders. They performed a duet as they knew the lyrics by heart. Marisa didn't and returned annoyed to the bar as soon as the song ended. The unmistakable riffs of Satisfaction took the lounge by assault and everybody sang along with the band.

While Marisa ordered another shot, Marco approached her, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up and the coat thrown over one shoulder. Despite a serious countenance, his face beamed. Marisa offered him a drink. He declined, said he was going to change his clothes and departed. There was no conversation. With a surge of sadness, Marisa concluded Marco couldn't care less about her letter. Robert soon joined her, ordering a shot too. The flames on the counter danced and extinguished. The two drank in one go.