Chapter 3: A broken heart

At the bank, Liz and the others operated on Emily, via video call with expert surgeons from Pakistan.

- Each instruction must be clear, precise and detailed - Liz told the Pakistanis

- Yes, no problem. Now what you are going to do is the following ... - said the surgeon - ... you are going to have to separate the ribs. Part of the lung may need to be removed

- It can't be - said Robert

And, with the help of the governor, who had some knowledge of medicine and surgery, they did what the Pakistani surgeon said.

Meanwhile, I could hear footsteps near me. The person did not speak. I could only see part of his legs. But his face did not, therefore, I did not know if he was an enemy or an ally of ours. I took the gun out of my pocket, and pointed to where he was standing. I loaded it up, and it was ready to attack. And when that person picked up the wooden box, I could see that he was Lucas.

- Professor - he said - it's me. I am Lucas

- Ah ... Lucas, I'm sorry, I didn't know if you were a policeman - I told him

- No problem - he said - come on, no cops

- And the bull? - I asked him

- What bull? - he asked me

- Help me, I'm numb - I said

He helped me up, we took a few steps, and in the middle of an opening in a stone wall, was the bull.

- That bull? - Lucas asked

- That bull - I replied to him - begins to walk very slowly backwards, Lucas, and look him in the eyes. Backward

- Does it remind you of something? - Lucas asked me as we walked backwards

- San Fermin? - I tried to guess

- Italy, when I met you at the wedding - Lucas said

And yes, I met Lucas, Mike and Diego at my brother's wedding with his new wife: Diana

- Come on, more back - Diana said long ago

- This of the branch was not for single women? - Diego asked

- Diego, do you see any single women around here? The closest thing we have is you - said my brother jokingly

- Tradition says that the bride should throw it away and that's what I'm going to do. So come on, a little further back - said Diana

- Ladies, focus, please, that the bride is going to throw the bouquet. Come a little further back - said my brother

It was just when I remembered that moment, in which the bull ran towards us. I put my foot on Lucas's hand, I pushed myself up and managed to get out of the bull's trough, and then I grabbed Lucas's hands I raised him and he was also able to get out of the bull's trough. The bull crashed into the stone wall, leaving him somewhat sore. We were breathing somewhat agitated, but at the same time somewhat relieved, as the bull moved away from us. For we had left the trough, and we had returned to the forest.

- Ready? - Diana asked

It was at that moment that Diana threw the bouquet of flowers back, and that bouquet of flowers fell into the hands of a person. And that person ... was me.

Diana and my brother cried out in happiness at the result.

- Hahahaha, little brother - my brother said - bravissimo

Lucas clapped me on the shoulder, Mike applauded me and Diego said:

- Congratulations

- And now we have to open the wedding dance, but first ...- my brother said to Diana - ... a little surprise

- Which? . Diana asked

- Oh ... - said my brother happily

Then a monk began to play a piano, my brother took a microphone, and began to sing "Ti amo" by Umberto Tozzi:

- "Ti amo, in sogno ti amo, in aria ti amo, it comes testa vuol dire che enough lasciamoci, ti amo, Io sono, ti amo, in fondo un uomo, che not freddo nel cuore e nel letto, command io , ma tremo davanti al tuo bosom, ti odio e ti amo, È a farfalla che muore sbattendo le ali, L'amore ... "

Then the monks continued chanting, and they both embraced and began to dance.

- Let's go, that good chorus! haha - Mike exclaimed, as he hugged Lucas from one side

Then Diego joined them, and I, like all people without a sense of rhythm, sat at the table. And there I asked myself: What weighs more, love or death?

- What weighs the most is life. Life - said my brother - Then there is me, I am dying and yet I am getting married. Hahaha, isn't that a lovely contradiction?

- Does she know you're sick? - I asked my brother

- Of course she knows, she's very smart - my brother told me - and if you look at it on the bright side, it's lucky. People do not know when the time will come. That makes us live on a constant honeymoon. People buy champagne to celebrate something special. Then the ordinary days come. Diana and I are going to burn life in a barrel of French champagne.

She put her hand lightly on my shoulder, and said:

- Death may be the best chance of your life, Joseph

Returning to the present, Lucas asked me while he was driving a van:

- Sad, Professor? If he wants, he can talk to me about feelings. Do you want to listen to music? Music lifts your spirits

I nodded, but the music that played was one of love.

- The car is stolen. The music is not mine - Lucas told me

- It's the same, Lucas. Keep driving

- Pamuk - Lucas said

- What did you say? - I asked him

-My dog ​​was called Pamuk-said Lucas-he was with me during the war-I know what you feel

- Lucas, are you doing some kind of metaphor or something like that with your dog and my wife?

- It was female - Lucas said - After the war, all my friends were dead, and I ... I stayed every night in a bar. One day, another day ... Pamuk was out waiting, always.

- Did you live a love story and they executed it in front of you? - I asked for

- Yes

- What happened to Pamuk?

- The village boys ... played at war - said Lucas - of course, after a while, without an enemy they get bored of playing at war. One day, they find some stones ... they broke bottles, and they said that Pamuk was the enemy.

- I'm sorry - I told Lucas

- She was a good dog - Lucas told me

At that moment, with the story Lucas told me about his dog Pamuk, I had never felt so sad in my life. I lost my grandparents, I lost my uncles, I lost my parents, I lost a few friends, I lost my brother, and now, I had lost the woman I loved.

- Lucas, can you stop for a moment? I need some fresh air

Lucas nodded. And he stopped the car. Afterwards, I got off and decided to breathe fresh air for a few seconds, and when I finished, and I turned to leave, in front of me I could see some beautiful pink flowers. They were very similar to the ones in the bouquet at my brother's wedding. I remembered the flowers perfectly, as I held them in my hands. I knelt in front of them. Tears wanted to come out of my eyes. I could no longer contain them.

I remembered the wedding. My brother happy, with Diana by his side. I looked serious, worried and emotional at the same time, because I didn't know if someone would really love me after everything that happened to me when I was a child. I wanted to cry, because I was deeply sad and devastated. But then, I remembered Lucia, and all the happy moments we had together, and knowing that they would never come back. And that I had lost her forever.

It was at that moment that I couldn't take it anymore. I screamed and cried at the same time for all that I had to suffer. For everything I had to deal with. For all my loved ones that I had lost.

And my will to live was about to disappear completely.