(A few miles from San Fernando)
     

The rivulets of rain dropped like an angry bullet over his windshield which barely made the road in front of him visible. He could almost feel the menacing whip of the wind seep inside his vehicle. Nathaniel shivered, despite the air-conditioning inside his car being turned off. The roar of thunder had him thinking of pulling over somewhere safe, but the importance of time forced him to keep driving.
     
He checked his phone for any call he might have missed while driving, he feared that the loud rumble from the sky dulled his hearing, which may have led him to miss the ring, which he dreaded to receive. If Valerie gave him a call, knowing that he was on the road, it could only mean one thing, Maria was dead. "Thank God," he whispered, upon seeing that no call was made.
                                                                    ***

(San Fernando Correctional: North Wing)
     

Warden Protacio used his blue long sleeve shirt to subdue the blood that continued to stream from the wound of Harold Sarmiento. The man had been stabbed on the side, probably a few inches deep. He also suffered a few cuts, which were littered all over his arms, along with abrasions on his neck and cheek. But what truly worried the warden, was the wound on the man's stomach. If the stab wound had reached any of his vital organs, it would not take long for the veteran to die.
     
Protacio noted acerbically that if he wanted to salvage the life of his comrade, he must get him to the South wing, where the infirmary was located. But that posed the question, how? Not only did he fear the inmate that they might encounter along the way, but he worried that moving the man might cause further damage to his body.
    
But after a few seconds of musing, he pushed all thoughts and dread aside, he lifted the man from the floor and carried him in his arms.
     
"Damn you Protacio!" Harold whispered amidst labored breathing.
     
"Well, it's not every day I get to carry a man bridal style," the warden answered, hiding his worries behind a chuckle.
     
"If any of the other guards see me like this, I will end you!" the bleeding man warned.
     
Protacio laughed at his companion's words while saying, "So, you're worried about your reputation and not your life huh?"
     
"Damn right, I am," Harold answered, but his tone failed to hide the dwindling essence of life inside of him.
                                                                      
***

(Somewhere along the hallways of the South Wing) :
     

Get on with it man! A rough voice commanded.
      
"Hey, it's been a while since I read something this long asshole!" Sebastian scoffed.
      
"I Want to know what happened," the big man on the floor whispered.
      
"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it," the man holding the letter answered.
                                                             

***

(Letter continuation)
     
I stood like a dumb, lost, and mute man on the side of the streets. Maria? was I never meant to be with you? I have been through hell and back just so I could stand in front of you and say I love you, to ask if you would consider spending the rest of your life with me.
     
My tears fell unashamed, they felt hotter than usual. I think the rivulets that fell off of my cheek were bigger than a normal tear. Maybe, my brain too was overwhelmed, unable to function properly.
      
I heard them say, that the engagement party is being held in a place called Villa Cassandra. I wanted to run towards it and scream the words I love you to your face, see if you would change your mind.
     
But Maria, you would probably find something like that weird and offending. It might hurt you or worst, make you lose face in front of your family and friends. So, I walked myself towards the playground we used to play at. I sat on a bench and cried. I cried until a middle-aged man walked up to me and asked if I was alright. I told him that I lost my heart and it hurt. It burns, it felt like I had nothing left to live for.
     
The man gazed at me with so much pity in his eyes, then he sat beside me and said, "I think I know what you mean, but if your heart had left you, doesn't that imply that you didn't treat it properly?"
     
What he said offended me, so I answered "No, I haven't done anything to hurt my heart."
     
Then he asked, does your heart know how much you treasure it, does it know that you're crying over it?"
     
His words were what brought me back to life. No, you were unaware Maria, all I needed to do was let you know, right? All I had to do was walk up to you and say I love you. But it struck me, I was too late to say those words. I was too damn late Maria, just like before, I couldn't save you, and finally, I could never be with you.
     
The man left after patting me on the shoulder. He walked away, towards the dense forest near the playground. I wondered who he was, I never got to know, but what he said made me leave the bench and willed my feet towards Villa Cassandra. I had to see you. I had to tell you how much I love you.
     
It was easy to get myself inside the reception area, I had good looks. So, despite the obvious puffiness of my eyes and the dirt on my pants, the person at the front desk assisted me to a table inside.
     
The people who were there had faces that brought back thousands of memories inside my head. Our grade school teacher Mrs. Loretta was there, she was wearing a pink dress with a puffed sleeve. Mr. Romualdo, the man who owned the sweets shop where you used to buy those gummy bears from, was also in attendance, he looked presentable, so formal, that my memory of him barely made it possible to recognize his visage. Then there was your mother, she was seated on the stage, looking like the proudest woman that had ever lived. She kept smiling and sneering at some people. It's as if her eyes were saying something between the lines of, I told you so, and thank you for coming. Why was she acting so stuck up to the others? I remember her to be such a sweet lady.
     
The stage was magnificent though, it had an arc in the back, covered with white and red roses. The stage itself was laden with a white carpet. There were bouquets of intricately designed flower arrangements on the side of the stage. Then, there were the huge letterings of a name positioned above the long table where your mother sat. It said, "Maria and Elvis, towards a bright future, don't keep us waiting."
     
That was the first time, I knew of your husband's name. As I sat alone, I mused what this Elvis guy looked like, was he handsome? Was he kind? Did he love you as much as I did? Will he do anything for you? How did you meet him? How did he get to be the person you're about to marry? The questions gave me a headache Maria, or maybe, it was due to the crying I had done before I came to the party? I didn't know, I couldn't care less.
     
At that time, what mattered was to see you and walk up to you. Get you to a corner, and confess my love for you.
     
A song, a lyric that was so familiar to me suddenly played in the background. It was Earth Angel, but it wasn't The Penguins who was singing, it was another man. He emerged from the side of the stage, and as he did, the slow clap which turned thunderous brought my eyes towards him. He was tall and had a medium-built body with a fair complexion. Even by the distance that separated me and the stage, I was able to see the features of his face. He had big blue eyes. His nose was straight and he had a smile that I envied so much. He was smiling while singing, his sight was pinned to the far right corner of the stage, where a door was positioned. So, I moved my gaze towards it.
     
Slowly, I saw the bottom of a pink dress emerge from the door. My eyes lingered further up, and I was greeted by a bright smile, one that would shame the sunlight. I gulped and allowed my sight to travel further. I found myself gazing at a set of eyes that held tears, but those tears did not hurt me like the previous ones. No, those tears were of happiness.
     
How remarkable it was, that the last time I saw those orbs, they were filled with unimaginable sadness, but were then, finally looked alive, joyful, and focused on one man in particular. As I followed your gaze Maria, one thing was made clear. The million things I planned and the thousand dreams I had for the both of us. The right to fulfill them ultimately belonged to another man.
     
Silently, I slipped out of the reception and dragged myself back to my small apartment. It was painful Maria. The cut was too deep.
     
Hi love! It's Christmas again. How are you? How are you spending your holidays this year? I hope you're happy Maria. As for me, I'm always here, always with a pen. Stay safe my love.

Love Forever

Your Silent Knight.
                                                                      ***
     
Sebastian arched his eyebrow when he finished reading the letter and found one of his companions with tears running down his cheek.
     
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he asked. The amazement and curiosity in his voice led the others to turn towards the big man on the floor. His eyes, filled with tears and his shoulders shaking from the amount of sniffling he made, had them questioning his state of mind.
     
"Had a Maria," the man on the floor answered.
     
"What?" the others asked collectively.
     
"I had a Maria," the man whispered again.