DIFFICULT TIMES

Year:  1986 - City of Nebraska

Cristal was a shy and distracted girl. She had curly, red and a little messy hair; she was chubby and her clothes were something out of place. He was the target of many jokes. Cristal was a girl who had suffered a lot, she had self-esteem problems and felt very lonely, but despite this, she had strong character, she was a little cynical, sarcastic and she didn't let anyone intimidate her. Cristal lived in a tiny House with her mother, her stepfather and her four brothers. The five shared a room.  Cristal's stepfather was an alcoholic and he had terrified to her family

Terry was a quiet guy and rather grumpy, he didn't have friends, he was a little weird and likes so much to read the comics, he has lived all his life in Nebraska so people respected him, or at least didn't bother him. He lived with his parents and his younger brother, he was from Asian and that is the reason by which he practiced Taekwondo.

One day in the school bus Cristal couldn´t find a place where sitting down and she felt as all of the students began to talk about her. Terry saw Cristal, he was tired of seeing that she stayed standing up and seeing that they would disturb her, he said Cristal: “sit down here close to me “. Since that moment Terry and Cristal started to share their seat for going and returning to their school every day. They took some classes together but never talked. Terry realized when Cristal quietly began to read his comics, when he was reading them in the bus.

Cristal felt Terry waited for her to finish the reading to continue next page, ashamed, I didn't know how to react. One day, astonished, Terry gave her his comics. Time later, when Cristal finished a comic, Terry gave him another. Nevertheless, they didn't even speak. One day Terry took courage and talked to her. When heart it, Cristal smiled and when she did it, Terry felt that his world disappeared, felt that something broke inside of him. Her smile was beautiful, and then began a beautiful friendship or maybe it was something else. Whenever they talked and shared more time together and knew each other, they felt that they were different but at the same time they fit. With the time, they got many things in common. When they looked at their eyes they felt many special things. Terry did not care about Cristal’s behaviour. He loved her; He just wanted to protect her and love her forever. Cristal loved the way in which Terry was, she felt that he was for her and they felt really well for going together to the school, but she was afraid to fall in love and he knew the way in which she lived, the problems of her family. She was afraid of losing him because she was not like the other girls. One day they went to school and Terry could not stand up and took the Cristal’s hand, they were trembling and her cheeks got red but it was until Cristal returned the handshake. They knew that after that gesture they would be not more friends. They fall in love, as the first shy love or those that take you by surprise. The days passed, Cristal and Terry showed more their relationship. Terry went with Cristal to her locker, to the door of her classes, they walked holding hands down the hall and they gave small kisses, Terry tried to hit those who insulted  Cristal but she didn’t let him.  Cristal told him each day more of her secrets, his family and his horrible life although it was not easy for her, she was afraid of losing him but for the happiness of Cristal he followed with her. The problems at the home of Cristal were frequently; his stepfather came home drunk and hit her mother.

One year later they continue with their relationship but nobody in their families knew it. When they were separated for any reason, she missed him as he to her, they interchanged their comics and Terry sometimes gave her his music. One day Cristal went to her home without realized that her stepfather was at home and he heart the cries and sobs of her mother.  So she called the police from her neighbour’s House when she was leaving her mother said  her that her stepfather knew about her relationship with Terry and she has to leave because he didn’t like it. At that time, his stepfather came out and saw to Cristal and she ran away. Suddenly she was in front of the house of Terry. It was night and if she would wake up him or go far away where his stepfather could not find her. But she knew Terry would help her. She went to the back yard and knocked at his room’s window, he saw Cristal. Cristal told him everything happened and explain the plan she had in mind. She would go to the House of his uncle’s house outside of the city she knew in that house his stepfather couldn’t do anything against her and knew that his uncle would receive her in his House, Terry with pain accepted her plan but he knew that he would not see her again. After a long truck way they arrived to the home of Cristal's uncle, they did not know how to say goodbye, so both just said good-bye, without a kiss on the lips, a simple and dry goodbye.

Many days passed, Terry was sad, he decided to send letters and called but Cristal never returned her letters or phone calls. Whenever Terry walked on the streets and saw girls with red hair, he remembered Cristal but it was always part of his imagination, he would never have any girl who had such beautiful hair as Cristal did. Cristal always received his letters, but never opened them and she didn’t answer them, she just kept them carefully in a box and sometimes pulled them, placing them on his bed and look at the envelopes for hours, Cristal tried to send him letters but she never knew how and what to write, she wrinkled the sheets of paper he holt them and throw them into the trashcan. Terry didn’t take the school bus again, he asked to her mother to pick him up to the school, he walked and lean back on his bed, he looked at the ceiling. Every day was in that way looked at the ceiling and thought in Cristal. It was a month ago since he had stopped sending her letters and made phone calls, he knew he would not get anything from her, when he was watching the ceiling his father came in and said: "You have received a card," and he threw it to Terry’s bed, Terry took the letter and read the name on the paper, with perfect penmanship. He opened it and inside he read two words that appeared on the sheet of paper: "I love you".

…SO, GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO MEET THOSE WHO ARE AROUND YOU, DO NOT LET THEM GO BECAUSE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS.  LOVE IS NOT EASY OR PERFECT, WE SHOULD RISK TO FEEL AND LIVE NEXT TO THAT PERSON THAT WE MAKE  TO FEEL SPECIAL, DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE, THAT INNOCENCE AND LOVE STILL EXIST IN THE SAME PLANET AND  EXTRAVAGANCES ARE NOT NECESSARY IF YOU OFFER SMALL AND SWEET DETAILS, ENOUGH TO STEAL HIS OR HER HEART…

Diana Puerto