The end of dreams

23

Diamond had just fallen asleep when she heard her mobile phone vibrate; she had always kept her cellphone under her pillow since Silvia had started living by herself. She saw her cell display
an infinite number, whose area code was unknown to her, so she got worried and answered the call. 

"Mom, it's me" Silvia reassured her. 

"Darling, where are you calling from?" 

"You could not even figure it out." 

"So you made up your mind and called me, huh?" her mother interrupted her.

Diamond used to be a very proud woman.  

"Are you still mad at me?" asked Silvia gently.

"Somewhat. But I'll manage to get it over." 

"Thanks, mommy. But tell me, how are you?" 

"Better now, dear, and you? Come on, join us here on the mountains for some days! It's no big effort! If you only knew how much we miss you... especially your father. You know very well that he starts being in the doldrums when you stay away for more than three days. You should see him, he looks as if his cat had died" she sniggered in a low voice.

"By the way, how is Calimero?" 

"Oh, he is better than anyone else. Your father, on the contrary, is really down in the dumps. This time he has taken it really amiss." 

"Tell him I'm going to drop in on you one of this days. Maybe next Wednesday." 

"Oh my God, really? I can't wait to tell him about it and see him revive! I am sick and tired of seeing him in that state! He's unbearable, I swear! What kind of a phone number is this, for heaven's sake?" 

"Oh, this number is... we're by a friend of Michelle's. I'll explain it to you later. So we'll see each other in a few days." 

"Oh, so you are with Michelle! How many good bits of news! Give her a kiss from me and tell her that if she decides to come over to the mountains we'll welcome her with open arms! A change of scenery would do her so good... why don't you bring her here next Wednesday?" 

"Alright, I'll ask her about it. I'll let you know." 

"You know, I think your father has become that dispirited because of her too. He's so worried about her health condition. You and Michelle grew up together, she's like a second daughter for us. If she's out with you it means that she feels better..." 

"Oh yes, she feels definitely better." 

"So, when are you coming round to see us? On August the sixteenth, you said?" 

"No, not on that day! The sixteenth of August is a Monday. I told you next Wednesday, if I can... now I really gotta leave you. Tell daddy he has no reasons to worry. Tell him he's always in my thoughts and I miss him so much too" 

"Don't you miss me too?" 

"Of course I don't!" laughed Silvia.

" Bye, big mom!" 

"Bye, my darling. But don't call me this late any more, else you'll scare me!" 

Silvia hung up while feeling that she would not hear that voice for a very, very long time. It was just a stupid feeling but she did not like it at all. Thus she found herself keying, almost automatically, Andrew's phone number. Andrew was a specialist in helping her get over any bad thought. As she further keyed Andrew's number she tried to figure out Andrew's face the moment he would see such a strange phone number being displayed on his cellphone. The very instant she realized the hotel's phone number was absolutely anonymous she began to think of George, inevitably. The absence of George and, consequently, of his voice, appeared to be a very cruel circumstance, in her eyes.

The mere memory of his very sweet voice made her legs grow heavy, so she sat down to get herself together; few seconds later she was keying George's number. She had not heard him for two months at least. Her hands were trembling. The telephone line was free, considering it was night-time in Italy. Her heart started throbbing like crazy. 

"Hallo?" answered a sleepy voice from the opposite side of the world.

An endless joy swamped Silvia as soon as she heard that beloved voice: it had the same effect as oxygen for someone who's just emerged from the bottom of an ocean after swimming up to the surface without breathing apparatus.

"Hallo, who's speaking?" insisted George.

Silvia's heart was champing at the bit so strongly it almost seemed to jump out of her body. The girl would have loved to cry all her love to him while begging him to give her one last chance. She'd have also sworn she would let him down no more. The phone call was abruptly interrupted before she could turn all of her silent thoughts into audible words. 

"Click." 

The previous minutes of ineffable bliss turned into an unendurable sorrow, to such an extent that she lost her composure completely.

So she began sobbing in total despair without any reserve. Michelle was sleeping too soundly to hear her friend cry, but Silvia's long lamentation was heard by the whole hotel. Silvia wished she could have died that very instant, she would have done anything so long as she could put an end to her overpainful existence. The grief she felt beause of her unrequited love had become unbearable. She loved that man so deeply that she would give her life for him.
Her life would not be worth living if she should not have that very precious love by her side.
She thought of the baby she was carrying in her womb and felt the certainty it was just the outcome of that immense love. That was George's baby, no doubt about it: it could never ever be Andrew's. 

Poor Andrew. Silvia wondered if he had suffered for her the way she was pining away for George. She felt enormous sorrow for Andrew too as well as for herself.

That evening Silvia cried herself to sleep, just like children do. When sleep came and replaced the tears she did not even realize that. Thus she had involuntarily refrained from phoning Andrew, therefore she could not be consoled by him.