Act 1, Scene 14

FEDE

She took care of me, leaving me feeling strangely defenseless. I’ve never liked owing anything to anyone, a personal quirk I chalk up to me confusing acts of kindness for favors.

There was an immensity to Meli that would always cover me in its shadow. She was generous, sharing whenever she had something to share, but the “why” I wasn’t always sure of. As I still tend to do, I imagined the catastrophic scenario: that, on some level, she liked having somebody around to give her leftovers. A charity case.

I was quite embarrassed to have considered that possibility. I didn’t want her living with someone with that kind of paranoia. That’s how I decided to make it all level between us, we could finally see eye to eye then.

History is a war of the classes, that much I knew and couldn’t change. Still, it may have been possible for us to be on the same side.

I’d come out of college a successful man, whatever that might have meant.

Meli Muer had such effects on me, making me work hard out of love, and not out of mere survival.

            END OF SCENE