Emiliano Mancilla

I woke up feeling like a child waiting for Christmas, like a nerd waiting for the amazon guy to give him his Star Wars toy. I had nothing to do until 5 that I was practicing again with the band. And all I wanted was to talk to her, although there was no reason to. Mariano and the easy yet too complicated world of communication, with everyone having their weird manners. At that time, I couldn’t send two consecutive messages in two different time periods, which left me in a difficult position as I was the last one saying “buenas noches”!

I would have to wait for the “good morning” or another type of conversation, which would be harder as the day passed by, because she would be discovering the city and then going to the parade. 

I suspect this rule of mine was created by the thought that things could go wrong if one was too persistent, too intense with people. There are some times when I feel so guilty to play it cool, as I feel I’m not being honest with my emotions, as if I am asphyxiating a part of me. Maybe to kill oneself, at least a little bit, is the price to pay in order to get what we want. 

And she didn’t say anything and I didn’t say anything, and my imagination whispered me that her message would come any time soon. 

The center of the city was one hour and a half from my place, but the rehearsal was at my friend Eddy’s house, which was 40 minutes away from the opposite direction. The practice was from 5 to 7, if once finished I went straight to see her I would be arriving around 9, but I needed to know if she wanted to see me or not, as the only reason to go there was to see her. Me and the constant worry to know if the girl I like still wants to have something with me. 

And the practice started and there was no message, and the songs passed by and there was still no message. I was being killed by the silence of an unknown platonically adventure. Until I betrayed my manners and pride and sent her one. 

“So how’s the parade going?”

And the songs kept playing until the rehearsal was over. 

On the way back I was giving Tony a ride home and obviously we reached the point to talk about beautiful Bonnie, and the every second smaller probability to see her. 

Besides her not wanting or not responding, my greatest fear was either her ending up telling me that she wanted to see me and being discouraged by me telling her that I would be there in 2 hours, or her saying that she was too tired and wanted to rest. 

“We agreed to meet, yesterday, but I haven’t heard of her yet, and the thing is that I know I like her, and I think she might like me too” I told him 

“Yes, I do think she likes you, if that wasn’t the case you wouldn’t had been messaging yesterday” He replied

“And the thing is that she is in a “dia de muertos” parade right now, with lots of people, I’m not even sure if she has even noticed I sent her a message”

“I think that might be the case, she should reply once she gets some data”

“But that’s what I fear, because if it is too late it will take me one hour and a half to get there, and I’m not sure if she’d like to wait for me”

“Damn, and the thing is that you would arrive in the middle of the night in any case”

…

“You know what? Fuck it, I’ll just go now” I said 

“Really?” Replied Tony surprised 

“Yes I will try my luck, I really want to see her and will be better if I receive her reply when I’m close so I can pick her up quickly, in the wonderful case she responds” 

“But what if she doesn’t?”

“Well it won’t be on my side then, besides, If I stay I probably will end up either eating, watching a movie or jerking up. The price of having an opportunity to be with her, is some gas, some calories and some time. I could have an unlimited win and the limited lose of not seeing her. It’s like a long call option.”

And as soon as I left Tony at his place, I held the wheel strong, stepped on the gas pedal and got in the highway to Mexico City at the rhythm of Inhaler by Foals.  

It was already dark and rainy, my car was a white ford fiesta forced by my James bond driving delusions. It was me and the highway, the highway and me, passing cars on the left, passing them on the right, focus always on the next mile. Sticks and stones, don’t break my bones, they’re make believe. Playing my soul in that sinuous road, checking my phone in every turn, it was lock and load, a dead end road, for destiny and me. 

I checked once… Nothing… and I kept driving. 

I checked again… Nothing… and I kept driving

I checked again… Nothing… and I kept driving

And just when I was about to get into the city I finally noticed a red notification on the top corner of the app. I opened and the name and photo I was expecting had a message for me and it said. 

“Ahhh sorry data is so bad in town, went good! Fireworks were class! Dead now but got my hands on a beer hahaha did you go in?” She sent some photos of the fireworks too. 

“Hahaha yeah, wanna go for a drink” I replied and kept driving

“I’d love to, whereabouts are you now?”

“We’ll be headed towards Roma soon enough I’d say” she continued and send a photo of her watch saying she walked a lot today too. 

“Not again!” I replied to the photo

“Well, I’m in Santa Fe, see in Roma in like 20?” I continued

“We are 45 min walk hahaha, so definitely will be longer than 20 minutes”

“Hahaha where are you?” 

“I’m in the center, I might actually Uber home now though if I can get one, my legs are gone” 

And I started to fear she wouldn’t like to do much or that she would be falling asleep while we were together. And now my next mission was to make her not waste more energy.

“Let me know if you get it. If not, maybe I can pick you up in Reforma” 

“Trying, but not much luck” 

“Stay there, look for a bench”

“A bench? Hahaha”

“There’s loads of bars round here, how are you getting in?”

“I’ll pick you up there, I’ll be in 20”

“Perfect I’m in hells bar anyway so just text when you’re near and I’ll pop out”

And now I kept driving with even more motivation, little I knew and little google maps knew that because it was a big parade, most if not every street going to the center was closed. Submerged in a hellish pool reigned by an unbearable traffic, I fought with my hardest flame, taking every possible route that was being created, until I stopped listening and managed to improvise a little route to get as close as I could to the bar. I wasn’t supposed to be allowed to park in the street I did, but managed to convince the traffic officer to let me go for my girl. 

I ran some blocks while I was messaging her, she didn’t seem to understand what was going on, I wasn’t understanding either, but then I got into the last corner, turned left, and there she was, looking beautiful in denim shorts, green top and her always radiant deep blue eyes. 

We said hi and held each other from the hip… I was already going for it in the first corner. 

“So you’re a kisser” she said

I looked her in the eyes and bit my lip

“Yes I am” and I continued

Before going to any place, she wanted to go to the hostel to leave and pick some stuff. On our way we had a really nice chat adorned with a kiss in every red light. She was studying medicine and wanted to specialize in breast cancer, I was a musician with an accidental finance degree but ended up saying that I was a finance guy with an accidental hobby. And the night went on. 

We got to the hostel and I waited a long time for her in the lobby, hiding from Benny who was fucked up sitting in the couch next to a girl dressed as a Catrina. Once she came back we went to the exit but I just couldn’t help to kiss her, holding her against the entrance door, grabbing her hair and taking one of her legs up to my hips. 

We got out, and just when I was about to tell her about some places I was thinking to take her she said

“Take me wherever you want” 

And then I just changed plans, I looked for the closest motel, showed it to her and told her we could get some drinks. She agreed and we were on our way first to the seven eleven and then to the final destination. I found it funny at the store how people treat you as something superior when you have a beautiful girl by your side. 

We got some beers, got to the motel managed by a weird looking guy, I paid the fare and we got into the room. I opened one of the cans and hadn’t even given the first sip when she was over me, or I was over her, or we were over each other, any option is just as good. 

Everything was delightful until I felt that we were losing rhythm, we were losing connection. She was on top when I told her that maybe we should stop. She agreed, and laid on my chest, and we cuddled, her still above me, while I was giving her little kisses on her pretty forehead. 

“Ahh, the calming sense of protection” she said 

We set the alarm and went to sleep as she needed to be early in the hostel in order to take a tour to Teotihuacan. 

The sex the morning after before leaving was wonderful, I just died in her arms and was reborn from my ashes with a new addiction to the touch of her skin, the taste of her lips and the universe in her eyes. Her perfect silhouette was the new tattoo my mind acquired. 

I enjoyed our talk with all her jokes on our way back to the hostel. She hated cheesy quotes, so I recited as many as I could to make her cringe. She and Kelly needed to be in Reforma, so I gave them a ride. When she was about to leave I stole her a last kiss, she chuckled, left the car and said goodbye. I drove home with a smile from ear to ear that wouldn’t erase for the next days.