He stared at the table before him, contemplating what she had said to him moments before she left. The past one hour or so had been nothing that he had expected, and when she left him with those words and in that kind of manner, he couldn't even find the strength to get up and walk back to the infirmary. If his kind of hurting was in a way similar to Elena's, then he knew why she was the way she was right now.
"Son, get up." The earlier strong male black voice shook him up from where he had lost his concentration to.
Ethan dug himself out from his lone moment and looked at the chair across from him. A few minutes ago she was here. She wasn't by his side but at least she was here. And now… He wiped trails of tears embedded on his face, not minding the stares from others present in the long hall. He was a human being with feelings and when he felt hurt, he found himself crying. He took the crutches from the helping hand of the officer and adjusted them on his hands when he finally got up. He turned around and found Derreiro talking to the older woman across from him. Derreiro didn't seem happy now too when his eyes landed on Ethan.
Slowly walking away once again, the thought of his absent parents rushed into his mind. He asked the officer who was with him when they headed to the infirmary what the time was. 3:47 pm. Visiting hours were almost up and his parents seemed like they were not going to show up. His parents on the other hand had promised to be here, and the fact that they weren't made him feel low. With Elena's little episode added on top, he felt like he was lost. She had broken him apart and whatever little happiness of his that had remained surely would be deemed to have evaporated away. If causing pain was what she wanted to inflict on him, then she had achieved her goal.
As he slowly approached his bed in the infirmary, his mind brought him back to the cruel and harsh world he was living in. He knew that he didn't force himself on her; that something happened to him that night. He wished that she could see he was telling the truth, but the amount of evidence against him spoke another language. There was no way she was going to believe him and he had to prove it fifteen years later if he still wanted her. He helped himself on the bed and stared at the ceiling once again when he had his back rested on it. He searched for answers from the depths of his mind of how things went wrong that day. He scoffed later when all his thoughts led him nowhere. This was the worst birthday ever! He felt a soft push on his right hand and opened his eyes to see Derreiro who was looking at him, sad emotions crusted on his face.
"How are you man?" Derreiro asked. Ethan shrugged in response. Derreiro found a stool close to his bed. He dragged it closer and sat on it. "Come on papi¸ I saw what happened. It's her? She's Elena… right?"
Ethan struggled to get into a seating posture. When he was finally successful, his legs hang close to the floor. He nodded to his latter's earlier question.
"Shit man papi. I'm so sorry." Derreiro told him in a slow low tone.
"How could I ever hurt a woman like her?" He asked himself as he cracked his fingers. "How could I?"
If he knew what to say sooner, Derreiro would probably answer him, but he had nothing to say. R*pe is r*pe, and if the evidence proved it, you can't do anything about it. Derreiro knew that.
"I don't know," Derreiro mumbled after a moment of deep thought. "But damn… she's so pretty. I'll give you that."
"I know right." Ethan chuckled and smiled. "She's the most amazing woman I've ever lay my eyes on."
Derreiro's eyes furrowed in a sudden confusion state. Was this actually happening? Was Ethan actually talking about Elena? After all this time?
"Can I assume that you're actually fine with talking about her?" Derreiro asked. Ethan nodded after he had taken a long look at him. "Come on then man, fill me in on everything." He muttered happily, cocking his head.
Ethan afforded a smile despite his mind remembering how his conversation with Elena had ended. "Elena's the most amazing woman I've ever seen. I was already in love with her the moment I saw her, I hardly doubt that. She was hard on me at times but that was just her. And we had a lot of memories that we shared down these years. But somewhere last year I messed up so bad. I hurt her so bad man. She didn't deserve to be treated that way." There was worry in his voice. "But even after all that, I cannot see myself ever falling for another girl."
"Why?"
"She's beautiful, and bright… she's sexy and attractive. She's compassionate and understanding, ruthless when provoked and courageous when she needs to be, fun and loving... man, she's everything! But most of all, she's the mother of my kid."
"Mother of your kid?" Derreiro inquired.
"Do I really need to fill in the blanks Derreiro?"
"Oh…"Derreiro muttered as he finally understood his statement. Prior to this moment, he knew Elena as the woman who was raped by Ethan on the night of the farewell party. This new information was a whole new world he had never heard of.
"Elena's a queen if not a goddess Derreiro. And she deserves to be treated with respect. I don't deserve her, and I think that I also need to let her go… lest the guilt will torment me forever."
"No, no, no!" Derreiro seamed immediately. "If you believe that you are innocent then you should hold onto your claim."
He scoffed as a wrinkle formed on his face. "Hold onto my claim? I thought that you told me to accept this new reality."
Derreiro shrugged. "I know what I said, Ethan. And I'm not changing my statement. I told you that this was your reality. The reality where she lives out there without you while you are stuck in here because you 'raped' her. I'm not telling you to forget that reality. That is the reality."
He looked at Derreiro confused as he brushed back his hair. "So what are you saying?"
"That um… make it to yourself that you're gonna prove that this reality happened even though you are innocent. You accept this reality, though it's not out of your own doing. Make it to yourself that you will continue to hold onto her and her memories… and when you get out of here one day, you're gonna prove it to her."
"Prove what?" Ethan asked.
"That this reality happened, and you were its victim too," Derreiro answered him boldly.
Ethan's eyes widened to Derreiro's little motivational talk. He thought of the words as they raced back and forth in his mind. That he was a victim of circumstance. Derreiro could sound serious when he ought to and today was just another example of him.
"You're not a rapist Ethan, and now I believe that." Derreiro added later on.
"You, you do? You really believe that?" Ethan asked, shocked by Derreiro's statement.
"I've never seen a man crying out to a woman like that… like the way you did. Never." He shook his head. "The way you begged for her forgiveness, Ethan it was so sincere and straight from your heart. You're an innocent man Ethan. I saw it then, in the visiting bay, and I see it now. I don't know how you ended in here papi… I have no clue."
"Wait. Who was the woman you were speaking to?" Ethan removed the focus from himself for a while.
"Oh, that's my mother," Derreiro told him. "She'd come to tell me of how everyone is waiting for me back in Mexico. They are waiting for me." A smile formed on his face. "I can't wait!"
"Lucky bastard, aren't you Derreiro?" Ethan teased.
"It's been a long time in here man," Derreiro began once again. "I hate that we had never met sooner. Talk to your dad Ethan, and see how he can help you get out of here."
"I dunno Derreiro... he tried to help me and failed terribly."
"Because that was the illegal way. Talk to him when he comes and see what he can do to get you out of here, the right way."
"You don't know my father. He just won't help. I tried telling him the first time and he told me to just plead guilty and be done with this." The thought of his dad reminded him they weren't here yet. He checked the wall clock. 4:30 pm. Where the hell are they? He asked himself internally with a lot of worries.
"Then talk to your mother." He said immediately.
Ethan shrugged. "My mother is not a lawyer, Derreiro."
"Perfect! She's not a lawyer. She's your mother! And if I know one thing, a mother's love is way bound and big compared to a father's. It's what mothers do best. Come on, don't give up on yourself papi." Derreiro stressed out.
"I'll try," Ethan said after a deep thought.
"Good. I'm leaving this place and it troubles me to see that you will be here all alone." Derreiro muttered. "I'd really like it if you came out soon too."
Ethan afforded a weak smile at Derreiro. He really took him more than a friend. He took him as his older brother. "I'm gonna miss you man." Ethan told him before he sighed.
Derreiro opened his jacket and removed a silver necklace with a cross from his neck. "Here take this." He said as he handed Ethan the necklace.
"What's this for?" Ethan asked, stuttered.
"Every time you look at it, you'll remember me. And even most importantly, it will protect you. God will protect you."
"I didn't know you were this religious."
"Some things happen and in the end, we have one person who we can ask for help." Derreiro told him as he watched Ethan graze his eyes at the necklace.
A male officer walked into the ward, handcuffs in hand. "Yo, Derreiro!" He started. "It's time to get back to your cell."
"Oh. Coming right away boss." He told the prison officer before he turned to Ethan. "Get some rest papi. And happy birthday once again."
Ethan nodded slightly as they shook hands with him. After the handshake, he turned and headed for the door. He was handcuffed and the two walked out. Ethan looked at the necklace once again. In his mind, he had a plan for tomorrow.