Why The Suffering?(Henry Vinicio Valerio Madriz) It was a sunny and beautiful weekend morning. The kind of weather that suits the kind of lovely towns where things and traditions remain the same. Everything in the right place!

The house’s walls were salmon-colored and decorated exquisitely. The front garden plants were selected carefully to always paint the home’s atmosphere with endless colors. You were also able to see the backyard fruit flowering trees from the 4 points of the compass, what a view! All neighbors envied how the garden was built, perfectly balanced.

Outside, some kids were playing hide-and-seek, some others were riding their bicycles. Some women were chatting about their house expenses and criticizing the Government for their bad economic and social policies… and how corrupted the Government members were, astute politicians but not real rulers nor good leaders. Some of them were preparing lunch. Some others were doing household chores. Some men were mowing the lawn. Some of them were helping their wives. Some others were just keeping the home maintenance.

Inside the salmon-colored house, an intimate conversation was taking place.

“Oh honey, I love you deeply.”

“Yes, darling. I’m sure of that, I’ve never doubted your love. And you know I do love you, too, right?!”

“You’re my sweetheart, I know… Always have. Since we were kids.”

“Yeah! We were 2 of a kind!”

“Come on, honey, don’t you start, please!”

“I know, I know… I’m sorry, so sorry!”

“What I meant was that we’ve been together for always!”

“Yes, you’re right. How many people can say that, right?”

“Our love can overcome everything. You’ll see…”

“I have always counted on you, and you only!”

“We were regular neighborhood kids going to school, swimming in the lake, fighting others when the ball game was not fair…”

“Do you remember Kimberly used to take her baseball when she was mad because her team was losing? Ha, ha. She was just funny!”

“And she’s not changed at all!”

Both laughed for a while. Childhood memories are always sweet and funny, aren’t they?

“What I remember the most is THE LOOK!”

“Oh yeah, honey, it was our beginning! How sweet!”

“You were always my crush. However, you never paid attention to me! You were…”

“An idiot! I know… I was just too young. I didn’t know how to feel, what to feel. Love was confusing at that time! And I wasn’t exactly a love expert…”

“I was teasing you… our first look, the look! I remember it was a day when we all (neighborhood kids) were riding our bikes all the way to the lake, and you fell off your bike. Poor darling! Your knee was bleeding lots.”

“But there he was… my knight in shining armor came to rescue me and then I knew! I realized I was in love… with… you!!! How romantic it was!”

Both of them were in love, sincerely in love. A love that just a few people have ever gained. A love that surpassed the limits. A love to remember…

For a moment, there was silence, only silence… endless silence. Matt was terrified outside the bathroom.

Suddenly, the wail of the Fire Engine´s siren riveted Matt’s attention. He reacted.

“Honey, are you still with me?”, Matt asked.

“Sure, sweetheart; here I am… the rest of me, what’s left!”

“Please don’t say so”, Matt begged.

“You still don’t get it, darling?!”

“How can I?” Matt reflected.

“It’s time to put an end to this relationship.”

“I don’t understand, we were so happy together, we are…”, Matt cried out.

“Yeah, I know that, for sure. But I already told you, that’s not enough for them… is it?”

One door separating two worlds of the same love. One door that was shut between them. Some more seconds without hearing anything from inside the bathroom. What an agony!

Police patrols’ and fire engines’ sirens were loudly heard in front of the salmon-colored house at this point. Some neighbors have approached, too. They wondered, maliciously, what was going on.

Matt rapidly ran to the front door, he opened it.

Two police officers and 3 firefighters were standing there.

“Is this Mr. Matthew O’Brian’s house?” A police officer interrogated.

“Yes, it is. I’m Matt. Come in. He is in the bathroom! He doesn’t want to open the door. I’ve tried but…”

The firefighters were already breaking the bathroom door down.

“We came as soon as we could.” The other police officer explained.

“I know…”, Matt told him as an automatic response, almost a reflex reaction since his mind was somewhere else.

Matt was paying close attention to the firefighters’ rescuing fight. He was praying to God they could make it to save his loved one.

After a couple of minutes of being in the rescue mission, one of the firefighters explained: “it was too late, I’m sorry to say…”

“Your friend bled out completely”, another firefighter added.

Matt wasn’t able to stand, his legs just couldn’t keep him on his feet. He kneeled. He began sobbing.

“Listen, I know it’s a bad time. But, before we can take the man´s body to the hospital, may I ask you some questions?” A police officer asked gently.

Matt didn’t answer back this time.

Both police officers looked at each other, then, they helped Matt up to have him sitting on the sofa. They walked him slowly back to the living room. Some neighbors, who never talked to Matt and Joe, were trying to find out any detail about what was going on inside the salmon-colored house, as they all called it to differentiate it from theirs. A couple of them even walked all the way to the front door to get a better look, not to help. Strangers in the same neighborhood, even though Matt and Joe were born and raised there.

“Sir, may I have the name of the suicide victim?”

The other police officer stared at the first one in disapproval and added:

“I’m sorry for your loss, I can see you were close… but may I have the victim’s name please? We need to know some personal information of his… as you may understand.”

Matt had so many things in his mind… so many! After considering his situation, all of the sudden, Matt’s mind was clear.

My husband’s name is… was Joseph Harrison…”

“I see…”, the police officers continued interrogating.

The firefighters went back to their station and the ambulance EMTs took Joe’s corpse to the local hospital’s morgue.

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