PRESENT CHAPTER 2: LUCKY DIANA “Here we are,” I said, as I arrived home, carrying a cat carrier in one hand and a shopping bag in the other. “Welcome home, Lucky.” I carefully set the carrier down and zipped it open, gently pulling the cat out. He may be “lucky” (hence his new name) to be alive, but his healing wound would need to be treated with care for the next few weeks. An injury like the one he had is no joke. I felt a stabbing pang of gratefulness for the stranger who so kindly offered to stitch him up. He really showed up like a guardian angel of sorts. What were the odds that a med student just appeared out of nowhere in that very instant? “Yes, we are very lucky indeed,” I said out loud, scratching my new furry friend behind the ears. I couldn’t help but continue to wonder about that stranger with the ancient name. Gualtiero. It is certainly not a common name, but I found myself enjoying the way it sounds. Then again, I thought as I pulled a vintage cat collar out of the shopping bag, I do have an affinity for all things old. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself as I hooked the collar around Lucky’s neck. He purred and lovingly rubbed his body against my legs. As an animal lover, it made my heart melt completely and I knew right then that I made the right decision in bringing this cutie home with me. “What the hell is that thing?” Although I clearly failed to think about how others would feel about my decision. I looked up at my best friend, Anastasia’s disgusted face, a timid smile on my own. I guess not everyone is an animal lover. “Tell me you didn’t bring in a stray, Diana,” she said with narrowed eyes. “Sorry, can’t do that…” I said, shrugging. “Diana!” she scolded. “Gross, get that thing out of here.” “I can’t!” I protested, pointing at his bandaged wound. “He’s been injured and he’s still recovering. If I set him back out into the wild, he’ll be easy prey, probably for whatever creature hurt him in the first place.” “That’s not our problem,” Anastasia said, crossing her arms stubbornly. “You can take him to a shelter for that.” “Come on, Anastasia. He’s as good as dead if he goes to a shelter. You know they kill the animals if no one adopts them quickly.” “What if he kills us?” Now it was my turn to narrow my eyes, “He’s just a cat…” “He could have rabies, or whatever other cat disease strays carry,” she replied in disgust. “He doesn’t,” I said, scratching Lucky behind the ears. “He could have fleas,” she continued. “He doesn’t” I repeated. “When I found him, he was badly wounded. Someone helped me patch him up, but I still took him to the vet before bringing him home to make sure he isn’t carrying any diseases. He’s safe, Anastasia,” I said with a smile. Anastasia pauses, unsure what to protest with next. “I just don’t want a cat,” she finally said. “Come on, please?” I begged. “He’s very sweet and I promise he won’t get in your way. I just can’t bear to send him back out there knowing what will happen. I can’t handle any more death right now.” Anastasia’s expression immediately softened. Way to play the death card, Diana, I thought to myself. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that simply to get my way, but it’s not like it isn’t true anyway. I really can’t handle any more death. My parents died in a horrible accident a few months ago and it’s been extremely difficult for me to move on from it. I couldn’t have done it without Anastasia. Not only did she take me in and let me live with her, but she has lent me an endless amount of support. Not a day goes by that I am not grateful for her kindness. She was my best friend before I lost my family, now she is my family. “Okay, fine,” she said, sighing in defeat, “he can stay.” “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I exclaimed, leaping up and throwing my arms around her. “But please hurry and sort out your parents’ things. I mean….” she trailed off, her cheeks reddening a bit. I knew it was awkward for her and she didn’t like to put pressure on me about it. “There are just so many boxes around. It’s getting kind of cramped in here, Di. And now with a cat too…” “I promise I’ll have everything sorted out by the end of the week,” I said sincerely. “In fact, I will work on some of it right now.” “Thanks, I appreciate that,” she said. “But don’t go to bed too late. We have class in the morning.” I felt another gush of gratitude for her. She is always taking care of me. I really do owe her a lot. “I won’t,” I replied. “Okay, goodnight,” she said and headed for the stairs. When she reached the landing, she stopped and turned to look at me once more. “Who helped you, by the way?” “What?” “Stitch up the cat. You said someone helped you.” “Oh, just some guy. I don’t actually know him. He was just kind of there and happened to know what to do. He said he was a med student, so…” “Hm,” said Anastasia, raising an eyebrow. “He must have been some guy; with the way you’re blushing talking about him right now.” She threw me a knowing smirk. I hadn’t realized I was blushing before, but there was no denying that anymore. I could feel my cheeks burn red hot. She noticed and laughed hard. “I want to hear more about this mystery guy tomorrow,” she said with a wink. “There’s really nothing to tell…” I said, feeling a bit self-conscious. “Sure, there isn’t,” she replied while heading up the stairs, then added in a singsong voice, “goodnight, Diana.” *** I still felt a warmth in my cheeks fifteen minutes later as I sat in the living room sifting through some boxes. Why did the mere mention of Gualtiero make me blush? And why did I keep checking my phone to see if he’s messaged already? I felt so utterly disappointed that he hadn’t. I sighed heavily, pulling a stack of dusty old books out one of the boxes. Duh, Diana, it’s because the guy is built like a Roman God and has a face to match. But surely, I am not that vain, right? No. There was something more to him that was making me feel something. He seems different than anyone I’ve known before and not just because he has a funny way of expressing himself. There was something else there, I just don’t know what it is yet. I’d be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t aching to find out what. I pushed the thoughts of Gualtiero away and focused on my current task. My parents’ personal belongings, all reduced down to a few dozen boxes. As a college student with a low income, I couldn’t afford to pay the mortgage on our family home after my parents died, which was why I had to sell the house and come live with Anastasia. I brought all of my parents’ stuff along with me and have been slowly sorting through everything to see what I will keep and what I won’t. Unfortunately, I’ve been a little too slow. I’m not lazy or anything, it’s just really hard for me to see their lives packed away in boxes. The only things left of them in this world. I tossed a few of the books into the throwaway box and then saw one that catches my eye. A vintage, almost ancient looking journal. “Whoa,” I said out loud. “It is so beautiful.” Lucky seemed to agree because he jumped up on top of one of the boxes and meowed, watching as I very carefully opened the book. I was instantly captivated by the handwriting inside. Although very old and somewhat faded, it was mostly still legible. I traced my finger along the name and year written at the top of the page. Iosif Michea. Michea? That’s my middle name. When I asked my parents where they got it from, they said it was from nowhere in particular, they just thought it sounded pretty. Something about them having the journal told me that they may not have been totally truthful with me. Who are you, Iosif? I pondered. I began turning to the next page when my phone vibrated. With my heart leaping inside my chest and the ancient journal temporarily forgotten, I reached for it and checked the message on my screen: Gualtiero is leaving this message for Diana. I stared at the message for a moment and then burst out laughing. He really does have an interesting way with words. I started to message back but changed my mind and decide to call instead. I’m still smiling as I raised the phone to my ear. He answered on the first ring. “Hello,” he answered. The sound of his voice sent a chill down my spine. A good chill. “Hello, this is Diana calling Gualtiero on his cellular phone,” I said, stifling my laugh with my hand. “Yes, I saw your name appear upon the screen,” he replied, my mocking joke seemingly lost on him. “Erm…. how is the cat?” “He’s doing great, thank you for asking. Is it cool that I called you? I am not really a text message kind of girl. Weird, I know, in this day and age,” I chuckled at myself, “but I prefer more traditional forms of communication.” “Ah yes, I quite prefer more traditional forms of communication as well,” he said. I could detect a bit of something in his voice. Amusement, perhaps? Was he the one mocking me this time? “It delights me to hear that the cat is doing well. Should he need any more medical attention, I am happy to be of assistance.” A smile creeped across my lips. Was that his way of hinting that he wanted to see me again? Could he be…flirting? “Well, he does need his bandage changed regularly,” I said, playing along. “I’m a little nervous about doing that myself in case I accidentally hurt him. If you wouldn’t mind doing that for him tomorrow, I’d really appreciate your help.” “Absolutely. I wouldn’t mind that at all. I will see you tomorrow.” “Perfect,” I started to say, but then heard a click. Did he just hang up? I looked at my phone and saw that it was no longer connected to any call. I shook my head, smirking. What a strange man he is. What a strange, beautiful and intriguing man! I was still thinking about our short phone call as I grabbed the old journal and headed up to my room, suddenly too eager to go to sleep so that tomorrow will come quicker.