Nov 2012
We sat near the fire, hot and smoky and orange yellow, sea breeze blowing salty and wet on our backs, the guns we had acquired near our packs and boots, when we kissed. She tasted like bitter sweet *** with a drop of fresh butter and the way the light fell off and down from the stars and upon her brow, trickling down onto her dust dirtied blonde hair, slightly wet from the ocean she had so haphazardly dove into when we had arrived at our campsite safe and away from the prison she had known for so long, I knew that I would die for her if I had to without hesitation. I thought these things and felt these things as she pressed her warm, pore less cheek onto my dry chest, both of us breathing the freedom in and out.
"Is it over, Manuel?" she asked me.
"Is what over?" I returned, looking down into the soft mahogany pupils of her eyes.
"You play dumb to make me feel better," she told him, "You know what I'm talking about."
"The gun's are loaded," I said and nodded toward them, "We have them and they have us and they'll have to get through all four to get what they think they want."
"What do you think they want?" she asked, "Other than me?"
"Who knows..." I said, trailing off.
On the ocean's horizon, the crisp edge, black and sharp and perfect, rested atop the water like a razor blade. I took my matches out from my breast pocket and a rolled cigarette from behind my ear and scratched the match underneath the sole of my boot, bringing the flame up to my lips. The flame caught the loose paper and tobacco that dangled from my dry mouth and I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes, listening to Lisa's breath mix with the crashing of the waves against the rocks down on the shore. We'd stolen two sacks of gold, fifteen bars in each sack, and various jewels, rubies, and diamonds, that now rested silently and without violence that had once enveloped it. They sat near the horses, their breathing steady and strong, occasionally kicking back to stretch out their weary legs.
"Estelle?" I whispered.
"Yes."
"You know what it means now that you've come with me?"
"Of course I do," she said, holding me tighter, "My life is your life now. I would be an idiota if I didn't realize that before getting on that horse with you."
I nodded.
"I am with you now," she told me, "And you are with me until our love falls out from itself or death comes for you or me."
The horses neighed, startled from a loud crash down from the water. Their hooves stamped up and down, bringing up a large cloud of thick dust. I got up and quieted them down, patting their noses and whispering nothings into their ear. I didn't see Estelle looking at me, but I could feel her eyes on me, watching me care for her father's horse, me knowing that she had rode on them when she was a rich little girl since I had heard the story from her father only two nights ago. He was a nice man, but a selfish man as well; he wanted her only for him, but I wanted her as well and he was never going to give her the option to choose; he didn't seem to want anybody to choose anything when they were under his roof. So, I took her in the night, with the stars shining down upon our necks, with whatever we could get our hands on, us both full aware that our act of defiance and childish idiocy would be punishable by death.
"Is it over, Manuel?" she asked me.
"Is what over?" I returned, looking down into the soft mahogany pupils of her eyes.
"You play dumb to make me feel better," she told him, "You know what I'm talking about."
"The gun's are loaded," I said and nodded toward them, "We have them and they have us and they'll have to get through all four to get what they think they want."
"What do you think they want?" she asked, "Other than me?"
"Who knows..." I said, trailing off.
On the ocean's horizon, the crisp edge, black and sharp and perfect, rested atop the water like a razor blade. I took my matches out from my breast pocket and a rolled cigarette from behind my ear and scratched the match underneath the sole of my boot, bringing the flame up to my lips. The flame caught the loose paper and tobacco that dangled from my dry mouth and I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes, listening to Lisa's breath mix with the crashing of the waves against the rocks down on the shore. We'd stolen two sacks of gold, fifteen bars in each sack, and various jewels, rubies, and diamonds, that now rested silently and without violence that had once enveloped it. They sat near the horses, their breathing steady and strong, occasionally kicking back to stretch out their weary legs.
"Estelle?" I whispered.
"Yes."
"You know what it means now that you've come with me?"
"Of course I do," she said, holding me tighter, "My life is your life now. I would be an idiota if I didn't realize that before getting on that horse with you."
I nodded.
"I am with you now," she told me, "And you are with me until our love falls out from itself or death comes for you or me."
The horses neighed, startled from a loud crash down from the water. Their hooves stamped up and down, bringing up a large cloud of thick dust. I got up and quieted them down, patting their noses and whispering nothings into their ear. I didn't see Estelle looking at me, but I could feel her eyes on me, watching me care for her father's horse, me knowing that she had rode on them when she was a rich little girl since I had heard the story from her father only two nights ago. He was a nice man, but a selfish man as well; he wanted her only for him, but I wanted her as well and he was never going to give her the option to choose; he didn't seem to want anybody to choose anything when they were under his roof. So, I took her in the night, with the stars shining down upon our necks, with whatever we could get our hands on, us both full aware that our act of defiance and childish idiocy would be punishable by death.
