The Mischievous Maria by Allen Henriquez

Part 3

Two people in love is a delicate and fragile event.  A trio in love is a triangle without any mathematical clarity or truth.  The first meeting between Valencia, Joseph and Maria was at an ice cream and frozen yogurt spot, after which they strolled along the boardwalk of RockawayBeach, with its rhythmic waves, seagulls and sand.  And it was a threesome in the true sense because Maria never left and they chatted and exchanged thoughts in Spanglish.  Joseph was surprised by the clear and concise English spoken byValencia when she was ready to reveal it.  He’d thought that Maria was needed because of some type of language barrier, but that wasn’t the case.  The second meeting was on a Sunday at the Bronx Zoo and that was good fun and filled with sun and laughter.  But the third meeting was at a movie theater but with a no show byValencia.  After a popcorn with snacks purchase and seated, Maria confessed thatValencia hadn’t been told about the date.  He, Joseph, had been lead to believe thatValencia would be there, but that wasn’t Maria’s plan.  And in her unveiling Maria advised Joseph thatValencia was married and that his best option was to focus his attention on her, Maria.  Joseph hearing this continued to eat popcorn, look up at the screen, and the theater’s coming attractions, while he wondered if he was trapped in some bizarre dream.

A bar of peanut chews rested on his lap and he impulsively unwrapped and began to devour it.  Maria mesmerized by the coming attraction of young vampires in love glanced at Joseph and observed him chomping away at the peanut chews as she casually stated, “You must be hungry,” and then returned her attention to the screen.  Joseph in his thoughts replied to her comments in his head, “No, I’m scared.”  Joseph having considered his thoughts replied to himself, “But you’ve been in situations during the war and almost got killed.  Why would you be afraid now? Two beautiful women in love with you and no one in any real danger, something joyful in your life.”

He knew now that he’d slipped into a path of delusions, lies, and unrealities.  He was presently driving blind and without brakes, but in it, at the moment, he was both exhilarated and frightened, so much so, to the point of extreme thirst.  He looked down at the Sprite they’d purchased and wished it was water.  However outwardly Joseph wiped the bits of popcorn and peanut chews from his mouth with a napkin and took a small sip of Sprite from a straw.  Maria in a romantic gesture took a sip from the straw he had just sipped from, while Joseph continued to pretend he was composed.  He, with the giant screen, and elevated sound system blasting the coming attractions, tried to remember what movie they had come to the theater to see, when at that moment Maria held his hand.

To be continued. . .