CHAPTER 22 - Lunna Rivera
***Between friends.
Months later…***
We're sitting in a restaurant near the airport, and Kim is half an hour late. We came to have dinner with Kéfera and Julliety, and today they're returning to New York. They decided to stay here in Boston for six months to complete their other courses. So much has happened in that time! Romolo and I decided to move in together, and it's been good, even though we don't have a romantic relationship. He respects me, and that's wonderful.
“She's very late!” Kéfera says, and I glance at my phone, but there's no message.
“I'll call her!”
“No, what if she's in the middle of something important?” Jully says, gesturing to indicate what she means.
“Even so, she and Antony can do that later. In three hours, you'll be leaving,” I say, and suddenly, I see a blonde woman entering the restaurant, adjusting her coat and her still disheveled hair.
“Hi, girls, thank you for your patience,” she says as she approaches.
“Things must have been wonderful for you, Kim, just look at you!” Jully says, pointing at her. Kim fixes her hair and sits down.
“I have no idea what you're talking about! It's windy outside, that's why my hair looks like this.”
“And the shameless one still lies shamelessly. Look at that flushed skin, those wrinkled clothes! Don't come up with excuses, honey, because I graduated from that school a long time ago,” Jully says, winking at her, and we smile.
“Okay, okay… I surrender, you win,” Kim says, raising her hands in surrender.
“You all did, not me!” Kéfera says, and I agree.
“I didn't say a word, Jully was the one making insinuations here.”
“And was I wrong? Of course not! I think I should become a detective,” she says, and I start laughing, almost spitting out my drink.
“If you become a detective, you'll end up in jail.”
“Why? I'm great at it, I mean…”
“Jully, we know! But you'll get arrested for assault. Every day you're with a different man, and you shamelessly flirt with them,” Kéfera says, and Kim and I nod, giving a positive gesture with our heads.
“I know how to enjoy life, unlike you two, oh…” she says, pointing at me and Kéfera.
“Girls, let's take advantage and share the books we're reading since we won't be meeting this week,” Kéke says, raising her juice glass, and the three of us do the same.
We toast, and our dinner arrives. Amidst conversations and laughter, I remembered that we won't have our book club meeting this week.
“Girls, let's take this opportunity to share the books we're reading since we won't be meeting this week,” Jully says, taking a sip of her juice.
“Okay, who wants to start?” Kim says, sitting up straight in her chair and grabbing her phone. “I'm reading two books by a Brazilian author named Ney Ellen Moura. The titles are 'Juntos pelo destino' (Together by Fate) and 'Um amor para chamar de meu' (A Love to Call My Own). The synopsis of 'Juntos pelo destino' goes like this: 'When things have to happen, they simply do. Everything in this world is written, waiting only for the right moment. Just like the union between these families, loss and suffering, it's all part of destiny. A love strong enough to face the obstacles along the way, two people strengthened by their losses, supported and loved by their new families. And even though they receive affection and love from their new protectors, they continue to feel alone. Until the day destiny decided it was time for them to meet.”'
“Wow, I like it!” Kéfera says.
“I knew you'd like it. I thought about you when I started reading. The synopsis of 'Um amor para chamar de meu' is: 'A love to call my own is all he wants, even though he's afraid of destroying what's left of his heart. But will she be willing to change her whole life for this great love, which she will think is just a platonic love? Are they both prepared to face the obstacles that life has in store for them? To find out how this story of overcoming and love ends, come and read 'A Love to Call My Own'.”
“I loved that one too! Send me the link, I'll read it on the plane,” Kéfera says, all excited. She really enjoys romantic stories. “Now, I'll share my two books, also by a Brazilian author.”
“I think we all got Brazilian authors this month, huh?” I say, believing I'm right.
“Really?” Jully says, looking at each one of us, and we nod and smile. “We're soul sisters, indeed!” She says, and we hold hands. “Okay, now it's Kéke's turn.” We let go of each other's hands, and Kéfera takes her phone, looking at us and raising an eyebrow, leaving us in suspense.
“So, the author's name is Paloma Kemm, and the first book is called 'O casamento de Catarina' (Catarina's Wedding), and the synopsis goes like this: 'I wanted to be as free as a bird, but I felt trapped in a cage. Forced by my religion to marry a man I didn't love, and throughout my life, dealing with the indifference of my father and my family, and still coping with the grief of my mother's death. My life has never been easy, but at the same time, I was willing to fight for my happiness, for a dignified life where I can decide my own future.”'
“I like this synopsis!” I say, excited about it.
“This story is beautiful, featuring a Muslim woman who faces highs and lows in pursuit of her happiness and even control over her life,” she exclaims, her eyes shining with excitement.
“The other one is deceived by Fate: 'Barbara's life was perfect! Marriage, family, and work… everything was going hand in hand. She was living the pinnacle of life alongside her husband Paulo and her son Pedro. But everything changes when a tragedy strikes, deeply shaking her to the core. Her husband is murdered! And with his death, she must grapple with unfolding mysteries and secrets that leave her bewildered. She discovers that not everyone around her can be trusted! Betrayal looms around her, intertwining with unimaginable secrets,”' she explains, her voice filled with emotion.
“Okay, now it's me!” Jully says, grabbing her cellphone. “The author's name is Hellen Heveny, and I love that name! It's so chic. So, the book is called The Love Counselor: Ah, High School! What time in life can be more chaotic and incredibly beautiful than adolescence? Aurora didn't know the answer to that, but she continued to believe she was fulfilling her role and that this period of her life would be very rewarding, at least for others. Daughter of a psychologist and a sexologist, Aurora Backer always showed an exceptional talent for understanding people, especially when it came to romantic relationships. This unique ability brought her a fame she didn't expect when she entered high school. She became the love counselor, and her name was known by all the students in her school and even some outside of it. Always taking care of others, always fixing other people's love lives. However, her heart carried a deep scar. Her own love life had been in ruins since the appearance of a guy who took her to heaven and hell in less than six months. After the pain of betrayal and humiliation, determined to set her own heart aside, something unexpected happens. His name was Dante, and he would certainly take her to hell, for the second time. But perhaps being in hell wouldn't be so bad,” she sips her juice and smiles, moving on to the synopsis of the other book. “The other one is The Duke Who Loved Me: Charlotte, a beautiful young woman, daughter of one of the kingdom's most important farmers, was not noble, but everyone knew her name and knew that she decided to marry for love. While all she desired was to live her fairy tale, her husband saw her as a trophy and, more importantly, as the one who would bear the most beautiful heirs a man could have. But her beauty wasn't enough, nor was the sweetness of her personality. After discovering that she couldn't conceive and suffering for two years at the hands of the man who vowed to love her eternally, humiliated and broken in every possible way, she is returned to her parents. Her reputation is ruined, and her mother forces her to live hidden in a house far from the main house of the farm where she used to live. On a rainy day, when thunder rumbled in the sky and lightning illuminated everything, a man knocked on her door, and despite her fear, she took him in, in the company of her servants. On that day, Lucian was certain that he had never seen a more beautiful and kind creature in his life. The Duke of Gloucester was in search of a wife, and he had no doubt he found her when his eyes fell upon that angel who sheltered him during the storm. But would his love be enough to make such a wounded woman surrender herself again, body and soul?”
“Loved it!” Kim says. “Now it's your turn, Lu.”
“Alright, I'm also reading two books. The first one is called 'Gift' and the second one is called 'Drawn by Destiny.' Both are by the author Mirah Flor, who is also a Brazilian writer, and her stories are wonderful! Let me read the synopses to you,” I say, grabbing my phone, opening the app, and reading to them. “'Gift': A curse, a predetermined destiny, a game of intrigues. Can you change the course of your destiny? Could you change the love of your life? They will confront destiny and even death to live true love. When you create a detour in destiny, it can lead you to a surprising ending. Do you like surprises?” I finish reading with a smile. “Now, 'Drawn by Destiny': Once, I heard about a beautiful love story that took place in a small town called Bocardi. I was so captivated that I decided to share it with you. The story was about the Cooperlock Family, an ancient and highly respected family in the entire city of Porto and especially in Bocardi. In this family, there were two beautiful young women with distinct temperaments and personalities. One was named Megan, and the other was Suzzie. They were bound together by a strong bond, but that same bond also threatened to tear them apart. Together, they went through various situations, found love, lost love, and finally reunited. Together, they discovered that true loves never die, never end, they last infinitely…” I take a sip of my juice and look at them. “I love these two books, they're my favorites, and now…” I opened the messaging app and created the reading group, adding a photo that Romolo took of us, all lying on my bed.
That night, we sent Romolo to his parents' house and had our private party, eating junk food, watching movies, series, and, of course, the reading couldn't be missed. I send the link and hear everyone's phones ringing. Shortly after, they send the links to their stories, and we continue chatting until it's time to go to the airport.