The Longest Weekend [Part 1]

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This is Part 1 of a Short Story about a chance encounter between two wounded souls over an enchanting weekend

How can someone hope while wearing a still-bleeding scar?

Prologue

Beneath the fading light of the afternoon sun, she found herself engaged in the peculiar task of counting starfishes along the shoreline. Despite the minutes slipping away, she remained rooted to her spot, unable to summon the will to depart from the tranquility of the beach. Even her once-refreshing lemonade had succumbed to lukewarm indifference in her hand.

With a vacant gaze fixed upon the sea, she felt the playful caress of daring waves tickling her toes, eliciting almost involuntary gasps of amusement. This nightly ritual, witnessing the grandeur of the sunset, held a steadfast grip on her heart, drawing her to this very stretch of beach since her arrival two days prior — a ritual now tinged with the knowledge that tonight marked her farewell.

As twilight crept in, a chill breeze enveloped her, penetrating even the comforting layers of her favorite coat atop her sundress. The cold served as a relentless reminder of her solitude, prompting her to squeeze her eyes shut in a desperate bid to summon inner warmth. Clutching herself tightly, she sought solace in the faint flicker of heat stirring within — a warmth that had lain dormant within her, despite her attempts to bury it in the deepest recesses of her soul.

Here, on this very spot, at this precise moment, two and a half years prior, she had experienced the pinnacle of human emotion — a memory that, despite her efforts to conceal, persisted in resurfacing, unfurling like a delicate blossom in the garden of her mind.

June 20, 2010, proclaimed the large digital calendar at the reception area. “You have quite a nice place,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, much to Tricia’s delight.

“We are very glad that you like our place, Ma’am. Have you already made reservations, or would you like me to arrange one for you now?”

“Oh… here,” she said, retrieving a red card from her purse and handing it to the pretty receptionist. It was a silky almost plastic-like dainty-looking card with her name written prettily in cursive. With a smile, Tricia promptly provided her with the key to her room. The red cards were reserved for special guests of the resort’s owners.

“Oh, Ms. Andres, we have been eagerly anticipating your arrival. The owners have ensured that we provide you with nothing but the best service. Here’s Paolo to assist you with your luggage and lead you to your villa. We can assure you that you will love your stay, Ma’am! And remember, you can always call me. Just dial ‘0’ if you need anything.”

“I will surely do… thank you, Tricia,” she replied shyly, pondering how much more pampering she could endure. People had been so kind to her over the past few months. Would they remain so if things didn’t unfold as expected?

The resort appeared grander than she had expected. A villa? She had heard from her best friend that the hotel boasted special rooms that could easily cost more than her month’s salary per night, but she never imagined he would arrange for her to stay in a single detached room. As she ventured further, with Paolo graciously leading the way and offering tidbits of information about the resort, which had only opened a year ago, she began to detect a familiar scent in the air — salty, airy, mysterious — it felt like home. They strolled past a charming, almost whimsical garden adorned with water features and intricate stone formations reminiscent of those she had admired in her collection of interior design and landscaping magazines. And then they reached it.

Ten quaint cabin-like houses, constructed of wood, stone, and brick, stood scattered across the landscape, each separate from the others. They bore a striking resemblance to the houses of Hobbits from her favorite fantasy tales.

“Here, Ma’am…” she heard Paolo gesture towards the very last cabin in sight. “…will be your home for the next few days.” Standing before it, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she might be dreaming. However, as she caught the sound of nearby waves and laid her eyes upon the endless expanse of the sea, she knew in her heart that this was real. Dream or not, she knew this was where she wanted to be.

“Thank you so much!” she exclaimed to the other end of the call, unable to contain her excitement as she continued to marvel at every detail of the room.

“Oh, so you’ve arrived! Thank God! I was scared you’d back out at the last minute,” came the voice from the other end of the line. It was her best friend, who had recently married his first-ever real girlfriend a month ago and was part-owner of the resort she was staying in. He had never stopped looking out for her.

“You were right all along. It’s heaven in here. But you could’ve just tossed me onto the beach with a tent and some food, and I would’ve been fine!”

“Hush now, stop it right there, little lady. Rickie, my dad, would kill me if I did that! Anyway, you got the cabin I reserved, right? How is it? I actually…” She cut him off before he could launch into a spiel about his work of art.

“Yeah, I know, you designed it, picked all the materials yourself, and even planted the lilies and roses that surround it. It’s beautiful, Nick. I’m so proud of you… always have been.”

“Aww, don’t mention it… I already know… haha! But I’m sure you’d have done a way better job.”

“Oh, please… Anyway, I’m loving it, and please tell your mom and dad how grateful I am for all this. This is too much. Would you care to join me here instead? Bring Carol with you,” she invited.

“Oh, you know you need to be alone, and besides, we’re going somewhere else tonight… and she’s calling me out now. Listen, Ms. Ericka Andres, I love you, okay? And I want you to enjoy it. But… I’m going to be on the lookout, and if I hear that you cried again, I swear I’m going to hate you forever. Call me anytime, okay?” Hearing those words, she knew she would probably cry again, but her friend was right. It was high time for her to smile. And with all the beauty around her, what was there not to smile about? She assured her friend that she would do as he asked before ending the call. Traveling wasn’t something she was proud to be equipped for, especially not when she was alone… still lost and felt as if every glance around her presented a crossroads.

Slipping into her favorite jeans and knitted blouse, she decided to take a leisurely walk before heading to dinner. The thought of indulging in a rich hot chocolate, as advertised in the menu booklet on her nightstand earlier, appealed to her. Closing the door behind her, she marveled at the sight that would greet her every day from now on. The night air was neither windy nor too cold, but she relished how her body’s warmth contrasted with the coolness around her. She spotted a few people on the beach — some strolling along the shore, others seated on the sand, and one person playing with a puppy. She smiled at the random sights she encountered and continued walking toward the shore.

Playfully hopping on the flagstones, she made sure to step only on the green ones that led her toward the beach. However, her enjoyment was short-lived as she twisted her right ankle and lost her balance, feeling her eyes close as she heard a soft thud from her fall. She attempted to stand up immediately, albeit carefully, but the pain shooting from her ankle made her emit a soft cry.

“Are you alright, Miss?” A surge of embarrassment washed over her as she realized someone had witnessed her mishap. Still facing down, she noticed the voice approaching.

“No, don’t try to stand up yet. Let me help you…” The stranger, still faceless, bent down and effortlessly lifted her as if she weighed nothing. As he carried her, she finally saw his eyes for the first time.

Gray… They resembled the sky just before a gentle rain. He met her gaze with a warm smile as he carried her toward a nearby rock where she could rest her foot. Confusion mingled with embarrassment and fear as she wondered, What is this tall, foreign guy doing to me?

“Hi…I’m Derek” and he did that smile thing again.

“Here… you need to rest your feet for a while,” he said gently, guiding her to sit on the rock without releasing her right leg yet, resting it on his knee. She still felt the pain in her ankle, but the sight of the handsome foreigner on his knees, delicately removing her sandal and massaging her ankle, made her oblivious to everything else. “My mom is so used to doing this since we were kids. Yeah, I was always moving around too much,” he said, fighting back soft giggles as he reminisced about his childhood and met her gaze. “…but it was nothing like the cute thing you did before you fell,” he teased, recalling her silly hopping on the flagstones. He had been watching her all along, she realized, causing her cheeks to flush.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you or anything. I was just on my way to the beach when you were right ahead of me. It’s my second day here, and I’m starting to love it. I’ve never been to this kind of place before…” She was surprised at how the pain seemed to dissipate while he massaged her foot.

“Ahh… I guess you’re all better now, aren’t you? Oh my… um, did you… um, understand me?” He seemed to remember that he was in a different place. “I’m sorry, I forgot that…”

“Yes, I do understand you… and thanks for helping me out,” she said, smiling as she tried to sit up straight. He seemed satisfied with his handiwork on her foot.

“Oh, great! So… let’s see if you can walk now,” he said as he helped her try to stand, towering over her. She moved her foot around and walked back and forth in the same spot.

“Good that you’re okay. I’m pretty sure you’re so thankful that I was around at that time,” he chuckled a little before retracting his statement. “Nah, I’m just kidding.”

“Hmm, I really am thankful. Is there anything I can do for you to at least repay you?” she shyly offered, brushing some sand off her pants.

“Can I take you to dinner?” Before she could refuse, he extended his hand to lead her in the direction. “…actually, I won’t take ‘No’ for an answer,” he added with his ever-so-kind smile, assuring her that everything would be fine.

That was Part 1 of this short story. Click below to read part 2.

Read again the Chapters below:

Part 1 https://readmedium.com/the-longest-weekend-part-1-7d785f0ac795 Part 2 https://readmedium.com/the-longest-weekend-part-2-83e6b159132c Part 3 https://readmedium.com/the-longest-weekend-part-3-60cadeec1234 Part 4 https://readmedium.com/the-longest-weekend-part-4-8714f1493c86 Part 5 https://readmedium.com/the-longest-weekend-part-5-da3bb449ce26 Part 6 https://readmedium.com/the-longest-weekend-part-6-46451d86c128 Part 7 https://readmedium.com/the-longest-weekend-part-7-79fc67a10613 Part 8 https://readmedium.com/the-longest-weekend-part-8-b4948aaed201