Sumario

11. IN SEARCH OF NINA

Nina's mother could not hide her concern when they announced the landing of the flight her ex-husband was arriving.

“I can't be honest. If I tell him the real reason why Nina ran away, he will reject me too. I have to think of something that he can believe, and that will not shock him. I will tell him that Nina ran away because she did not tolerate me inviting a good friend to spend a few days with us in our apartment. Yes, that seems reasonable. I cannot mention the existence of the photographs to him; he would be scandalized and run away from me as well, as Nina has done.”

While waiting for the flight to arrive, he nostalgically recalled the first happy years of his marriage. They had known each other since they were children because they lived in the same neighborhood. He had a very peculiar way of declaring himself because they both had a great sense of humor and seriously took a few things.

It was during a Sunday on the beach of a populous coastal town, north of his city. By then, he was a brand-new lawyer in his 30s and had landed a lucrative job at a large multinational.

She had turned 26 and had a cheerful and friendly character. Nobody could get bored next to her.

He had gone to buy two large strawberry ice creams and was coming back with them when he tripped on his towel, and both ice creams fell on the neckline of her bikini. He tried to retrieve the ice creams and put them back inside their empty cones but to no avail. Laura did not get angry, and after recovering from the impression, she said, “Good service! Thanks for the ice cream, but next time you don't need to use the express service.”

He also had a great sense of humor and followed that crazy conversation.

“I didn't bring them to eat, but to refresh you!”

“Well, come back for two more, but vanilla and chocolate, because the strawberry ones have already refreshed me enough.”

“I can't go back ...”

“Why?”

“Because I promised myself since I was a child that if I ever clumsily dropped a strawberry ice cream on a woman, I would have to marry her.”

“Are you asking me to marry you, or is it an excuse not to go get the ice cream?”

“Did I say that? But since you insist, okay, I'll marry you!”

To which she replied:

“Hasn't your mother taught you that women are not conquered just with ice cream?”

“Yes, it has taught me that women are like ice cream when they heat up, they melt!”

“You have a very wise mother, it wouldn't be bad to have her as a mother-in-law.

“That has an easy solution, and it will only cost you two words: “Yes, I do.”

“And if I do not want to?

“There will be no vanilla and chocolate ice cream!”

“I think you would be a ruthless husband!”

“I'll only torture you on Saturdays, at game time!”

“And what will you do at night?”

“You mean that!”

“Yes, to that!”

“What everyone does.”

“And what does everyone do?”

“Make sure there are always people in the world!”

“Okay, you've convinced me: I'll take that vanilla and chocolate ice cream, but no express delivery!”

It was in this casual way that he declared himself to Laura. For them, life was a fun game, and there were few things that they took seriously. When they got married, and the priest asked her if she accepted him as a husband, she said:

“Yes, I do, but let it be a secret between the three of them.”

“Why? Asked the amazed priest.”

“You don't want my husband to know?”

To which he replied,

“Ignore her, father; she just wants to make me jealous!”

Laura still smiled when she remembered those happy times, but the plane's arrival notice brought her back to the real world, which was no longer happy or funny.

The plane passengers had already disembarked, and the first ones were beginning to leave through the boarding gate. Laura fixed her hair with an uncontrolled gesture. She was afraid he wouldn't recognize her because those years would have left the traces of time on her face. And what would he look like? Would you recognize it? She was so engrossed in these thoughts that she was not aware of her ex-husband's presence until he was in front of her.

“Laura, do you no longer remember me?” Don't I even deserve a hello?”

Laura came to herself, but her ex-husband's new look caused such an impression on her that she was unable to react and return the greeting for a few moments.

“Sorry, I was distracted!” How are you?”

“I'm anxious about Nina.” I still can't believe he got away.”

“Yes, I can't believe it either ...”

“Do you know the boy who accompanies her?”

“Yes, I know him, he's a great musician and a responsible young man. I can't believe he was the one who convinced Nina to run away.”

“They were a couple?”

“Nina admires him, and they were planning to form a duo. I think she was in love with him, and he's her first love!”

“That is not a reason to risk such a dangerous adventure. Something more serious must have happened!”

Nina's mother sensed that her ex-husband expected something more from her for Nina to make that dramatic decision. Still, she felt unable to open up and tell him the true cause and explained why she had anticipated.

“I think it was because I invited a friend of mine to spend a few days with us. It's my fault, she didn't want to come, but I thought a few days off on the beach would do her… ”

“Okay, let's stop complaining now. I, too, am partly to blame. Children of divorcees always suffer from trauma, Nina is no exception!”

Laura felt insignificant and wicked next to her ex-husband. There was not the slightest trace of the man she divorced him. He had acquired a respectable, self-assured, and tolerant appearance. His physical appearance had also been transformed. He still had plenty of hair, but it was silver at the temples, he seemed more robust, and his movements were agile and precise. He was even impressed by their dressing style, with clothes of casual style, but perfectly combined. He looked like a person in charge of great professional responsibilities. He thought that this amazing transformation must have been the result of his reincorporation to his profession's practice, after two destructive years of unemployment.

Concern for Nina's whereabouts kept her from being interested in more trivial and personal matters, but Laura wanted to know the cause of all those amazing changes.

“We can't do anything tonight,” he commented, “we'll start the search tomorrow. I have brought some photos of Nina, but they are not recent.”

“I have some photos on my cell phone that I took of her during her performance.

“Performance?”

“Yes, your daughter will be a great singer and songwriter. With the help of his friend Nano, he had a huge success with one of his first songs, in a performance in a piano-bar in the town where we spend the summer.”

“Then we already have a clue: we will have to look in places where musicians perform. They may have thought of making a living from street performances.

“Of course, he hasn't inherited anything from us!” Nina is like my mother. In her youth, she came to sing at all the neighborhood celebrations. Nina adores her grandmother!”

“We'll have time to talk about Nina and think about her future, but now we have to find a hotel for tonight.”

“We're only a few miles from the town where I still have a rented apartment. We can spend time there tonight.

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