It was after 18:30 in LA. Derek Malone was exhausted. The day had been long. All employees of the publisher arrived at 9:00 in the morning. By then, he already had more than three hours working. But it was normal, he was a founding member of the Corporation, and majority shareholder of the publisher that had recently acquired. Although it was difficult for him because of the warm weather of LA, he self-discipline was imposed, and went to work before anyone else, and came last of everyone.
Now he was in the garage where the skyscraper headquarters of publisher was located. He was tired and wanted to disconnect. He looked in the front passenger seat of his car to "Snow", his Maltese bichon, who also was tired from the endless hours. Derek was thirsty. He wanted a cold beer.
-Guess what "Snow"?- the Puppy looked to his owner- 'Let's go to' Home Run '.
"Snow" barked cheerful; it seemed an acceptance to Derek´s plan.
Upon arriving at the bar, he saw the tall, slender figure of his brother in action, preparing cocktails, conducting his business with expertise ... At that time, Sam realized that his brother with his dog entered the bar.
-Hi Derek!Welcome! -Sam greeting happy and proud.
-Hi Sam! How's the family?.
-All right, you know. What'll you have?.
-A Bloody Mary, please, Sam.
-Marching!.
At that time, "Snow" had gone to the office of Sam. The puppy hoped a basket and a bowl for dogs where it rested and drank. When "Snow" arrived to the family, Sam sought comfort for the puppy with those little details. That helped Derek to become a regular customer of the bar of his brother. Even often they ended having dinner at the home of Sam and Diane. At other times was Derek who invited to dinner at his brother and sister in law. How things had changed between them! -Derek-thought- What a pity! Wasted time!...
One afternoon, Sam saw his brother sitting on his table, surreptitiously looking through the glass pane of the bar towards the street. The look of his brother, although he tried to hide, it was so intense and insistent that it aroused the curiosity of Sam.
-What are you looking so insistently? Sam asked his brother by surprise.
-Ah! are you!? -Derek replied- No, nothing.
-Well, "nothing" is calling your attention for days, -said Sam with much banter in his tone, with a slight smile.
Derek smiled amused with the sarcasm of his brother. It was clear that he could not deceive to him. He decided to tell the truth. After all, he was his brother.
-Look there! There is a red-haired woman, slender, about the age of Diane, walking from side to side of the sidewalk ... Do you see?.
-Well! You have good taste!, you know her?.
-Yes, Sam. We almost got married over twenty years ago in Seattle,- Derek said bitterly. -
-What do you mean? Sam was not expecting that answer.
- Her name is Jane Ann Norton. She was attorney for the Corporation. She was smart, pretty, nice, and a great conversationalist and cultured.
-What happened? -Sam asked curiously.
-We fell in love. What at first seemed a flirtation or a romantic adventure, turned into something more serious. It was delightful to wake up and feel that she was there beside me every morning Oh, God!It was fantastic!…
Sam began to feel very identified with what his brother told him, he experienced the same feeling with Diane from the beginning, until she became as essential to him as the air he breathed ... and the six years they were apart, were for Sam the toughest of his life, was convinced of it …
-... We came to think of marriage. But when we were about to get married, I got a very tempting job offer, that demanded me a geographical move to Japan for an indefinite period. I was afraid of losing everything I had worked so hard. So I took the job offered me the Corporation, and I left Jane.
-How could you do that? -Sam asked incredulously. Unlike Derek, Sam hadn´t done that with Diane. On the contrary, what happened between them was a waiver by love of Sam towards her, in pursuit of what Sam thought would make her happier.-
-I know, -Derek said to Sam bitterly- I've always regretted it. Besides, I wasn´t very knight with her. I left her without explanation. I behaved like a pig.
-Why? -Sam was astonished.
Because I was afraid to face her beautiful blue eyes, I was afraid that my will would be weakened before her, I was so in love ... You must believe me.
Sam looked Derek with pity. In the eyes of the world, Derek was the picture of triumph, but for Sam, his brother had walked through life as a labor´s slave and the desire for power.
-Let´s go to pick "Snow" and we go to my house. I invite you to dinner...
... David, Julia...,I´m going to my house. Till Tomorrow…
Will continue…
