“ Wait... You said that you are more than three months without a sex relation?”
“ Yes....
“ Uau...So, tell me...how was the relationship of yours ...”
“Different. At first I thought he was a little embarrassed, so then I started feel something strange. Maybe he is bisexual... Or homosexual...Oh my GOD!!! I don't know...
Flavio was in silent. He knew the advertising and artistic world, and knew that many people from this area was very open mind, and knew about somethings that was listen about Mark. But didn´t want to take a radical view.
“ Well... If he is gay you should get out now. There are men who do this to disguise the mistrust of your friends, family and the society. Marry with beautiful women to divert attention. But they cann´t keep the situation for a long time. Where is he now?”
“ In Rio!”
“ Again?? And why are not you with him?”
“He said he went to work ... again.”
“Think about it! I think this relationship is hurting you. Would like that I will pick up you now ?
“Thank you. But let's wait when he arrives.”
“Honey, I know the advertising world more than 10 years, and I know about the gay mens. . I know that have wonderful people, but if he is gay, and was doing it with you, he is bad, and you are in danger... because you will hurt even more!”
“Tomorrow he comes back, and I'm going out. But before, I need to talk with him .”
“ You know what is better for you. But if you need anything, call me.”
“ Thanks for everything.”
“ Take care !”
Isadora hung up the phone more lost than ever. One movie was going through your head. The conversations of Marcos with your friends on the telephone, the travels, the vanity and the criticism. She was packing the bag and then went to sleep. The next morning, called to her sister asking if was possible stay a few days in her home and she agreed. In the next day, on the afternoon Marcos came back, and Isadora was in the room with the bags packed .
“ Hi love!” - said Marcos, while open the door, and trying to kiss the mouth of Isadora.
“ Hi, how are you? How was your trip?” - She said, while turn her face.
While Mark was getting ready to answer your question, saw the bags packed near the couch.
“ What is this?”
“ It's what you're seeing. I'm leaving!”
“ What did I do?”
“ Don't you have consciousness, or simply lost your consciousness voice ? Just think, you are an intelligent man. I don´t want be here anymore!”
“Let's talk!”
“Don´t want to talk! I'm tired of it all!”
Marcos insisted on a conversation but Isadora just wanted to leave that house.
“ I cann´t stand this relationship. You're driving me crazy, I do not know who you are! If I don't leave here now, I'll end to killing me!” - said Isadora , holding back your tears, running his hand through her hairs.
“ Calm down, let's try some more time, I promise...I will improve.”
“ I need some time. Let me in my sister's house, please!”
Marcos took Isadora to the sister home. When they arrived he tried to kiss her, but she walked away. She opened the door and stood there, looking at everything. Entered, left the bags down and sat on the bed. She lowered her head and started crying, sobbing.
“ I need to forget this man ... and I need to forget him very fast! I must be remembered that I exist!” - told to herself.
In the silence of the house, Isadora begins to pray. God was the only one who could help her overcome that suffering. She needed to find herself. She need to get out of that situation. Needed her life back!
“ As I was able to let him manipulate me that way, that I'm feeling like a nothing! The worst is that it's my fault for believing in everything he said and have given my life in the hands of a handler!” - talked to herself.
She loves Marcos yet... but the end was right.
The phone rings.
III
THE DEATH
There is no good that lasts forever, neither bad that lasts too.
The end of something provides
the beginning of a new cycle.
The changes are necessary for you
to follow the way...it is necessary
to break free of the past.
You must accept the changes,
just so is possible evolve.
Life goes on!
Fernanda was a great friend who lived in Europe and Isadora don't seen for some years. For her surprise , Fernanda was coming to Brazil in a week to address some things and would like to see her.
While she waiting to see her old friend, prepared two paitings for the Flavio exposition. She needed sell the paitings...she needs money.
A week went by, Isadora gave the paitings to Flavio and found her friend on the airport. They hugged for a long time. They was very happy to find each other, and had too much things to talk, had many years that don't see each other. Fernanda saw the suffering on the your friend's face.
“ It was with great nostalgia! Tell me, what happened, why are you sad.”
“ I´m broke up with Marcos and I need to forget him, anyway...”
“ Do you still love him... is not it?”
“ I love...but I can´t love anymore...”
Isadora told all that had passed in those last months, mistrust and professional problems that she was facing.
“ Why don´t you come with me to Spain?”
“ Have a long time that I´m not participate in exhibitions and I don't seeing my paitings for some time. Until one week, I will participate in an exhibition, I hope that I can selling them. The problem is that I'm with low esteem and uninspired to painting ... ”
“ What is the problem? You are talented, always had sucess !”
“ Let me take for the opinions the Marcos, and I ended up loving someone who did not believed in me, and I just believed in him ...”
“ He thought wrong, because you have talent!”
“ Thank you!”
“ You must raises your head. I have friends in Spain, but I can´t promise to you a job immediately in fine arts, but could get there otherwise. Would you like to work in a coffee shopp? There are many people who start the life again working like this, then, the opportunities are growing. And it's a chance you'll get away from it and forget it. What do you think?” - Fernanda said, trying to find a way to help her friend.
“ I need to sell the paintings, I will achieve! But there's one more thing ... I don´t speak any word in Spanish...”
“ Rest assured, you learn. Starts working there, raise some money and then invest in your career, you can spread your work out there. Europe is perfect for this, the greatest artists were out there.”
“ I'll wait for the exposition, if I get money I will!”
“ If you need, I can lending for you. You can count on me!”
“ Thank you!”
The day of the exhibition, Flavio was happy to see her friend coming back to work.
“ I love see that you back again !”
“ And I feel good about it!”
“ Is this painting that he criticized ?”
“ No, I did not dare to expose ...”
“Why not?”
“ Because Marcos laughed at my painting .”
“ I want to see it, and I want to see like this painting is now , I insist!”
“ Okay, but I don´t guarantee that is good.”
“ Please, I want to see it. Tomorrow I´m going to your home... all right?”
“ I'm agreed. But, I already told you... that it can be improved.”
“ Tomorrow we talk about it ...”
The night is over, and the exposition was a success, a lot of painting were sold. Her friends greeted, but she felt needed to improve her work, and needed win more money.
The next day Flávio was see the painting in the Isado
ra's house.
“ Tell me honestly ... what you think of the exhibition screens the yesterday?”
“ I love your work, and I know that you have much more talent than announced yesterday. Just need to resurrect it ...”
“ I need inspiration and get my heart ... and my soul. I feel me a bit lost, and without my heart, my talent is lost.”
“ You need to have patience with yourself, you are an artist! Now, let me see those screen.”
Isadora took his friend into the room where was the screen, covered with a white sheet. She lifted the cloth and showed the painting, afraid.
“ Here!”
Isadora shows the painting to Flavio. He stares at the picture for some minutes with a very serious expression, and then, looked at Isadora.
“ I want to take this painting, how it is! This dancer is a spectacle! I think that this eyes crying, amazing! You managed to express the beauty, the suffering ... and the colors are perfect. The tears producing the testimony of tragic sadness ... I want the screen! I will put in the largest exhibition in December! This work can redo your name!”
“ Imagine, you're overreacting ...”
“ I'll prove that you can! You need to believe more in yourself! Forget what Marcos said to you, he was very wrong! Now, come on, help me to take it to the car.”
Isadora helped Flavio with the screen, was a large project. After, Isadora get into the house, sat on the couch and thought about the invitation of her friend.
" It could be an opportunity." - she thought.
In the next day, Marcos was call to Isadora, and invite her to dinner, but she knew that will be dangerous...she could have a relapses. But, she accept and, when Marcos see to Isadora, was surprised at her recovery, and that the paintings of the last exposition was a success.
“ Congratulations on your paintings! But I still think you should move to another area ...”
“ Yes, the exhibition was a success. People really liked the screens, all the works of the all artists were beautiful. And ...I don´t think about changing area!”
Isadora told him about the details of exposure, when crossed beside of the table a very handsome boy and Mark didn´t hide his admiration. Isadora stared at Marcos and thought.
“ My intuition was...certain !”
Isadora asked to Marcos to take her home, and he didn´t understand the reaction of Isadora, but agreed. They say good bye, and when Isadora entered the house, think on the Fernanda's proposal, and call to her.
“ Hi! Your proposal still standing?”
“ It is, of course!”
“ You can buy the ticket. Let's go to Spain! I can not stay here anymore!”
“ Tomorrow I will see the flights, and talking with you to give a date more certain . Are you sure you're prepared for the new life?”
“ Yes! Now I having a few exhibitions, but the money of the latter is little, but it can help me to travel. I need more income to return to the art market. I know that working in a coffee shop is not the best job in the world, but it can help me financially and develop my artistic hand. I need work. I need inspiration, and here it is not possible. I need see the light again! ”
“ I see it and call you tomorrow!”
Isadora hung up and kept thinking about all that lived in that house with Marcos, increasing the possibility of him being gay and the reasons that led her to choose it to close a hole. Crying, she sits down and puts her hands on her head, choked by the thoughts of guilt and despair for having believed in a lie and what was feeling at that moment. On the pit!
Tired of crying, and without tears, stood in the dark silence of that room for hours. Thoughtful, wiped the tears. She stood up, turned on the light and looked for a mirror. She ran the hands through the hair and looking very serious at herself, said:
“ I will not be the victim! I need to find to myself! From here I'm just going forward ... and that's a promise!
Her eyes were tired and red. She gently ran the hands on her face, and looking deeply into the mirror, said :
“The light must go back!”
IV
THE END JUDGEMENT
Free, the spirit expands into the Universe.
Important decisions must be taken, new opportunities from a new point of view.
The new cycle, everything is
different than before.
Accept the past, let it go and accept the new.
Go on, with an open heart ... without fear!
"What does not kill me... strengthens me" - she said to herself, while he painted another painting. The phone stops her work.
“ Hi! Do you is prepared for the news?”
“ Tell me!”
“ We going within 15 days, is good for you?”
“ Perfect! I organize things and will talked with my friend, I have to receive money from my paintings and I pay to you my ticket.”
“ Don´t worry, you pay me when you get there, and when you get up. Keep this money for an emergency and for what you need buy now.”
“ Thank you. I'll call you later, I will solve my things here.”
Isadora talk with Flavio and told the news. He did not like much at first, but knowing about the situation of her friend, could be concluded that was the best solution to forget Mark and recover herself, get stronger and gain inspiration for their work. They was dinner at the night. When Flavio saw Isadora, he feeling more happy.
“ You are so beautiful! This is Isadora that I know!”
“ Thank you, but you are my friend, you always told that I'm beautiful. ”
“ This opinion is worth, friends who are friends speak the truth. You can be sure of that!”
“ It's true!”
“ Is determined to cross the ocean right?”
“ More than ever! I told you about my dinner with Marcos ?”
“ Told me! It seems that it actually, he has at least two sides.”
“ I can not stay here, I must leave the country to forget this history, to find myself, and I feel that there is the best place for this. Spain is magical, say the wise.”
“ You'll like it. Don´t forget that at the end of the year we have a display and can be your checkmate like a artist! Stay the time that will necessary....”
“ I don´t think of staying so long ...
“ You don´t know ... and I think that three months is not enough to heal a wound. Go and take your time to forget this story! But don´t forget your friends!”
“ Of course, who can forget you ...”
Flavio and Isadora left the restaurant, and he took her in home. When they arrived he delivers an envelope.
“ Here is the money of the frames.”
“ Thank you! - He opened the envelope and it contained more than was agreed.”
“ Here's more! - showing the said money.”
“ It is one gift, you need money to travel.”
“ I can not accept!”
“ Accept! The paintings in my exhibition help me a lot, I also gained from them. This money is important to you now!”
“ Thank you! You're an angel!”
“ I'm just your friend! See you next week, if you want , I leave you in the airport.”
“ I'll talk to Fernanda, and talk with you.
“ Combined!”
Isadora stop for one moment, and look to Flavio.
“ Do you really think this trip will be good for me?”
“ If not try ... you will not know! And life is just a try!”
“ Thank you!”
Flavio and Isadora parted with a hug. She comes home and starts packing his things. Isadora told and her sister about the news, and expectations related to travel. His sister thought it was a great idea that she could forget Mark and resume your life. Isadora was happy with the support of friends and family. She had called her parents, and told them about the travel, and they supported it.
"When we truly want something, the universe conspires in our favor! " - she thought.
She feel the sensation that was doing the right thing.
V
SIX OF SWORDS
The Priestess (The Way in marked cards #1) Page 2