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6- Complicity

"They are going to turn us into their

dealers, they want to

turn me into the doormat of a drug trafficker, of a

murderer and I will not

allow it. Never. That

Never."

Everth sighs and brings both hands to his face.

“For God's sake,” Everth reproaches.

“When we started this, you said there would be no violence.

We make money to help others, to support others and fulfill our dreams... not to throw our fates to the wind.

I don't accept that. May Allah

please find a way out of this.

By the prophet! Because

otherwise you will drag us all down.

You will drag down the school, you will drag down the children, and

the animals. We will not save anyone's life if we can't even

keep our own safe.” Jade says.

“You cannot be reasoned with. You talk as if

this is my fault. You cannot be talked to.”

Everth reproaches, there is pain in his

eyes.

“It is your fault Everth, it is, because you gave your

word and you did not keep it.

You said that we would go to Ireland” says Jade and

at that moment she looks up to the sky, and

sighs deeply.

Under the Spell of the Sea

Jade was looking out the window, her gaze following the coming and going of the tourists

moving along the boulevard towards the sea. Each figure that passed by seemed to carry

with it a piece of the salty energy that permeated the environment. The sun shed its

glow on the waves, creating sparkles that danced on the surface of the water. Everth

burst into the room, his face adorned by the freshness of the sea, sprinkled with

tiny drops that enhanced the vivacity of his countenance. When their gazes

met, a fleeting flash illuminated his eyes, a spark of understanding in silence.

Among the books scattered on the floor, Jade moved gracefully, barefoot. The titles of

Plato's "The Banquet" and Isabel Allende's "The House of the Spirits" rested as

silent witnesses to her dance. A kiss on the lips and the hug that surrounded Everth

marked the beginning of a silent dialogue, a conversation of caresses and affection that

spoke beyond words.

He stared at her for a second and put one of her wavy hairs behind his

ear in a protective gesture.

" I have gone to look for the sea, the beauty I had left at home," he announced with a

mischievous smile.

" The beauty of the sea is incomparable," she replied, with a

playful sparkle in her eyes. Their complicit exchanges were intertwined with the improvised delivery of a bag of toasted bread and a bouquet of flowers, a gesture that promised to add a special touch to the moment.

“You brought bread that I like so much, now what excuse will I have to go out and avoid your hands imprisoning me?” Jade joked, delighting in the complicity with Everth.

“Stay with me forever,” he said softly, loading his words with sincere affection. Everth’s taking of the arm triggered a sweet surrender in Jade, who let herself be carried away by the warmth of his kisses.

And I did, I stayed with Everth for the rest of the year, and that year became the best of my

life.

We painted the house pink, and I surrounded it with dazzling mirrors to dance in the mornings while I prepared breakfast. And on Sundays Everth cooked, on the other hand,

we used to buy bread with yeast and corn and prepare breakfasts with a picnic. It was

fun! Especially because of the sandwiches with avocado, the cheese that Ivan's cows gave

and the fresh vegetables from the market every Sunday. Since I loved Everth it was

easier for me to be beautiful and love all men. I loved Ivan, our

roommate, I loved his smell of cows, pigs and horses, and his

lab coats stained with mud after three washes and a sunset from the balcony,

which let the veterinary doctor's coats be seen, in full view of all passersby.

I enjoyed living with Ivan and Everth, Ivan traveled to the jungle every week and

usually came back on weekends, and Everth was a responsible man who provided for my pleasure and

comfort. In addition, we both enjoyed swimming and the small pleasures such as caressing the seashells or laughing with our heads turned to the sky while the rain fell.

Outside the beach. Morning, day, boardwalk.

From the beach you can hear the music playing on the platform at full volume, The Chainsmaker, Closer.

In an instant of pure aquatic symphony, Everth, dressed in his diving suit, dove into the sea

with the grace and determination that characterized him while Jade, slid with elegance

inside her suit, merging into that blue world that stretched out before them. Their hands met in a gesture of complicity and together, in a synchronized dance, they dove into the depths of the sea, sliding between a stone castle adorned by the presence of tiny turtles and vibrantly colored fish that danced to the rhythm of the currents.

Amid the gentle waves, Jade caught a glimpse of a flash of orange in her waving hair. A seahorse, a dazzling peach hue, had become entangled in her locks.

Through the entrails of her diving gear, she observed it with a mixture of wonder and

affection, marveling at the delicacy of that marine creature that seemed to have found

refuge in her hair. The seahorse swayed with the rhythm of the water, as if

it were dancing to the beat of the ocean, adding a touch of magic to that intimate

encounter with underwater life.

With each bubble that escaped from their respirators, Jade and Everth explored that

underwater world, immersed in a natural choreography of indescribable beauty. United by the grace of their movements and the complicity of their gazes underwater, they shared a moment that stretched out over time, an intimate encounter with nature in its purest form. Among the stone ruins and marine life that surrounded them, that seahorse became an ephemeral symbol of connection, a small link between them and the vast aquatic universe they explored together.

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