The end of dreams

21

"Please do not leave your seats and fasten your seat-belts. The landing procedure has just begun. We'll reach the José Martini Airport of Havana in about half an hour. The ground temperature is 29 degrees Celsius. We thank you for choosing our airline and we wish you a happy stay in Cuba."
Silvia woke up. She felt slightly stunned.
"Have we landed yet?" asked she, yawning.
Michelle and Mark turned round while recalling her presence  at that very moment.
"Please, don't forget to call me as soon as we are in Milan again" said Mark to Michelle.
"I'm going to call you for sure."
"Are you sure you don't want to give me your phone number?"
"I have a terrible relationship with my cellphone: I never carry it with me. Honestly I don't even remember my number! Don't worry, I'll keep your number very carefully."
"Michelle, I can give him your number if it's okay with you, I know it by heart..." said Silvia.
An instant later Michelle's ferocious gaze met her yes, so she realized right away she would have done better not to say a word.
"I'll call you, Mark, I promise."
"But his cousin... we could meet up in Havana one of these evenings... why not?" asked Silvia in a low voice, but not so low as to go unheard.
Actually it was Mark who tried to avoid that gathering; he involuntarily revealed the little inferiority complex he used to have towards Carlos. His cousin was much more captivating than him and Mark would never accept losing Michelle's attentions because of him. He would see her in Milan after just fifteen days: therefore he would put off their first date until a very close day.
"We're going to be very busy in the hospital, we'll waste  two days, at least, just to get the Escozul! Moreover he works a lot in August..."
"I can imagine that" said Silvia, saddened.
The plane was perfectly on time when it landed and the girls, like magic, found themselves in Havana. On leaving the airport they recognized their names written on a signboard that an elegant, cheerful-looking man was  waving over his head.
"Signorita Miguela, signorita Silbia?" shouted the man, while looking for them amid the crowd.
"They have come to collect you! I'll have to take a taxi to reach the city. I bet Carlos has forgotten about my arrival on this day..."
"See you soon, Mark" said Michelle, while hugging him tight and holding him so close to her for some instants, just like people do when they say good-bye to one another.
"It's been a plesaure to see you again. You can't imagine  how much..." she added.
"Don't forget to give me a buzz as soon as you go back to Milan" the boy whispered to her while touching  lightly her ear.
"Count on it" said Michelle, telling him a lie, as she held the thrill caused by that physical contact. She was dead set on avoiding Mark's envolvment in her tragedy. She was already making too many people suffer on the score of her disease, so she would undoubtedly spare him that pain. All the people lovingly close to her, as well as those who were really important to her, were having their lives devastated. She endeavoured to send Mark back to the remote past he had mysteriously sprung out of, then she looked ahead again.
"Come on, Silvia, don't act like that..." she told her friend, who was wearing a disappointed expression.
"Oh shit, Pina, you've made me lose the Che!"
"But there is me, my love, who else do you need?" she told her, while giving her a smack on the lips.
The chaffeur who was waiting for them at the airport looked at them: he was being amused by that scene and he said something witty in spanish: he probably explained how much he hoped they were the very girls he had been waiting for.
Michelle and Silvia smiled  without understanding anything, they just thanked the man in English, which was the only language they could speak, apart from Italian. Soon after they had themselves taken to the hotel.