This story is not a happy one. It begins with a young man, named Gabriel Jamin. For now he is a shell of what’s to be. Darkness overcame his solitude. His eyes were dead, showing his soul was secluded from every aspect of the world. He was scarred with years of abuse and neglect.
With the sun on the horizon, the night is almost over. But I must tell the night before the day. Gabriel’s mother and father loved each other, with every fiber of their being. Their lust engulfed their souls. Each other’s eyes made the other’s mind go crazy. Their love was the sun, everlasting till the day ends and the night hovers.
Death came quickly and so did the alcoholism following it. His mother buried into the earth, and his father encased with a drunken emptiness. Soon Gabriel became alone and independent from everyone. No one was there when he fell. No one was there to tell him it was ok.
Gabriel grew up with no friends that played with him, and no family that wouldn’t blame him. Teachers called home a few times, but that couldn’t stop his father’s fists of rage. High school wasn’t any better for dear Gabriel. He tried to fight back when his father started hitting, but that only made him angrier. Soon Gabriel swore to himself that after high school, he would leave and never come back. To us it might not seem like much, but to Gabriel it was all he knew.
The last week of high school was like all the rest. The teachers would preach their knowledge, and the students ignoring them. But like always, Gabriel would just look out the window, hoping freedom would come faster.
But before he finished school, Gabriel had to do one more thing in this vile town. He had to say good-bye to his mother. He visited the graveyard she was buried in. The fresh cut grass and gentle breeze made the graveyard seem peaceful. Stone tombstones marked the ones who has pasted on to whatever awaits us in the afterlife.
Gabriel stole some of his father’s beer money to get his mother some beautiful floors. He placed the different kinds of roses in front of his mother’s tombstone. He knew that his father would be angry later but Gabriel didn’t care. He laid beside the grave, he always felt calm and serene in the graveyard.
“Hi mom,” his deep and soft voice started, “I miss you,” he looked up at the heavens hoping she was there, “I didn’t know how much I was going to, until now,” Gabriel glanced at the name on the tombstone that read Alicia Jamin, “It’s almost torture, and your husband’s alcoholism isn’t…” he sat up and couldn’t find the words to explain it but he knew she understood. Gabriel brushed a tear from under his eye, “I came here to tell you,” he paused thinking that this would be a punch in her heart if she was alive, “that this is the last time I will see you. After my graduation I’m leaving and never coming back,” another tear began to fall down his cheek when a soft breeze pushed it away like a finger. Suddenly he knew she accepted what was going to happen. He kissed his first two fingers and placed them on the cold gray tombstone. Then looking up at the sky he smiled. And with his bags still empty he left for home to fill them for tomorrow. His graduation.
The morning came too slowly. The sun finally shined through his curtains and his alarm clock finally rang. Graduation day has finally arrived, but the only thing Gabriel was happy about was leaving. Once he got to school, which was only about a five minute walk, Gabriel had to get ready for what he was waiting for so many years.
He sat in his seat, surrounded by people he knew but no one he called friend, and they didn’t even know his name. Person after person went up for their diploma and walked off with a giant smile across their face. Finally Gabriel’s name was called, and truthfully he was surprised that the Principle even knew his name. Unlike the other students he didn’t even try to look for his father because he knew that he wouldn’t wake up for some puny graduation.
After Gabriel was handed his diploma, he walked to the shack he called home with his bags by the front door. It didn’t take long since it was only a few bags. But something didn’t go according to plan when he was on his last bag, and that’s when he saw her.
She walked so gently, like wings were making her hover over the ground. An angel was the only word he could describe her, even to this day. Her long silky hair was as black as the night and her smile as bright as the glistening sun. Her body must have been carved by god himself because every curve of her body was perfect.
She walked up to him as he was putting his last bag into his trunk, “Hi, Gabriel…” her voice reminded him of his mother’s voice, when she tucked him in to bed when he was a child.
But Gabriel was in a hurry to get out of the god forsaken town, “Uh, hi,” he said closing the trunk and headed towards to driver’s side door.
Just as he reached the door, she appeared on the other side, “I’m Kaila, Kaila Ermintrude,” when she saw no concern on his face she continued, “So where you heading?”
He told her the simple truth, “Away.”
“Well,” Kaila started, “Can you drop me off at my place?” she asked, “It’s not that far from here,” Kaila quickly added.
Gabriel put his arms on the roof of the car and sighed, “Fine,” all he wanted to do was get away. That was all. Was it too much to ask for? And as he began to sink into his seat, he said, “Get in.”
Once everyone was in, Kaila turned her head towards Gabriel, “Maybe, we could get something to eat. I know this place that’s on the way. And they have great food.”
Gabriel sighed again, “Fine.”
Apparently her house was on the other side of town and this restaurant was on the outskirts. It was this little place on the side of the road that looked like a diner. They were quickly seated and they were the only customers they had. Kaila order a small meal and Gabriel just wanted a soda.
“So why are you leaving?” Kaila asked after the waitress left.
Gabriel knew that this question was coming sooner or later, “Let’s just say that I don’t have many good memories here.”
“Like what,” she asked.
Gabriel mused for a second, pondering whether to tell her or not, but he didn’t show it, “You don’t want to know.”
“Why do you think I asked you to drive me here?” she asked, “I want to get to know you Gabriel,” she looked deep into his eyes and touched his hand, “Come on,” Gabriel’s dark and secluded soul began to brighten and open, “Please…tell me.”
“If I tell you, will you drop it,” she nodded. Gabriel glanced at the table and Kaila saw pain in his eyes, “My father is a drunk, and I’m tired of it. So I had to make a decision…Stay here, and become insane or even get beaten to death, or,” Gabriel’s voice became softer, “leave. And I decided to leave,” he looked back into her angelic eyes.
She realized why she saw pain in his eyes, “I’m…” she was at a loss of words, “…I’m so sorry.”
Gabriel took back his hand, “I told you, you didn’t want to know,” he paused. Gabriel leaned forward and put his hands on his chin, “Please,” his voice was full of hurt and agony, “can we change the subject?”
Her eyes quickly turned to sorrow and she wanted to ask so many more questions but she had a deal that she had to keep, so she nodded. It was silent until the food came, which slowly brought a new conversation. The meal came and went all too quickly, and soon it was time to take Kaila back to her house.
It didn’t fell long for Gabriel to get to Kaila’s house. And when the car stopped Kaila glanced at the door and then towards Gabriel. Time began to slow and they both wanted to savior every moment. They didn’t know it, but something happened at the diner that neither of them could deny. Gabriel turned and gazed into Kaila’s eyes.
“Can you do me one more favor?” Kaila asked.
“Sure,” Gabriel’s voice was as soft as the wind that day in the graveyard.
“Can you walk me to the door?”
Gabriel smiled which warmed Kaila’s heart, “Sure,” he repeated.
As they walked up the pathway Kaila’s hand found Gabriel’s and they both didn’t want to let go. As they reached the door Kaila’s arms wrapped around Gabriel’s neck, they looked into each other’s souls and a flame flickered. Kaila’s moist lips came to Gabriel’s and the sands stayed still in the hourglass. Once they broke away from each other, Kaila said, “Let me come with you Gabriel, please.”
Gabriel couldn’t let her do that, “I’m sorry Kaila. But I couldn’t let you do that with your life. You can’t just throw your life away for me. I won’t let you.”
She knew she couldn’t argue, “Then take this,” she gave Gabriel a folded piece of napkin from the restaurant. He opened it and it was a set of numbers, “I will never change my number, so you can always call me.”
“Thank you,” he embraced her and kissed her one last time. Then he left, with the piece of napkin tight in his hand.

Five years pass when a phone rings. The number is unknown to Kaila but she picks up the phone anyways. A woman’s voice speaks, “Do you accept a collect call from Rome, Italy?” the woman asked.
“From who?” Kaila replied.
“A man name Gabriel Jamin, do you accept?”
Kaila’s voice became watery, “Yes…yes I do,” she waits a few seconds in silence but once the phone clicks, her watery voice swiftly asks, “Are you coming back?”
A few moments pass in silence but to Kaila it feels like an eternity in torture. But then the silence is shattered into pieces with one word, “Yes.”