The lover
One night in 1786, he was walking alone through the city of Caracas. The air was thick with full moonlight, illuminating the city with his glow. Suddenly, from among the gloomy alleys, a mysterious figure appeared.
It was a woman, slender and beautiful, with a black wool cloak covering her body.
He stopped, captivated by that woman who seemed to come from another world. The woman approached him with a smile on her lips and said:
-Good evening, my name is Rosa María, I'm lost, could you help me return home?
He nodded, unable to utter a word.
He told her to tell him the name of the area where the house was located and she replied:
-I don't know, I just told you I'm lost, but there's a river nearby.
-There is a river, but it is not very close, do you want me to request a carriage to take you? He expressed trying to be helpful.
She refused, saying that she was very afraid and that he inspired her confidence, that she would prefer to walk with him.
These words inflated his ego and he couldn't contain a smile. He offered her his arm to lean on and she accepted immediately so that the two of them could start walking.
During the walk, they told each other stories, shared anecdotes and a strange bond began to grow between them until they arrived at her house. He was a little surprised, because he saw in her a woman of a fairly high social status, but her house seemed to be in ruins. The beauty of the woman had captivated him, that led him to overlook the detail of the house.
-Can I see you again? –He asked, showing that he was interested in her.
She answered him in the affirmative and they arranged a meeting for the following night. They didn't meet one night, there were several, and as those nights passed, their relationship grew stronger.
He fell more and more in love with her and sometimes, at night, they would escape to the gardens of some other big house to admire the moon. It made the adrenaline rush through his veins.
One night they met, she told him that the time for her departure was approaching, she had to return to her origins and that this disturbed her greatly.
He already felt that she would leave at any moment, that he could not stay, but his love for her did not allow him to assume that feeling, let alone comment on it.
He felt a deep pain at the thought that he would not be able to see her again. However, Rosa María confessed to him that her destiny was to return to her world and that, if he wished, he could meet her again.
He discovered that she was a ghost woman, a magical entity that did not belong to this world. He was so in love with her that he didn't care about her nature. Finally, the day of her departure arrived.
From that day on, he eagerly awaited his reunion with Rosa María. Until one night, he went to the same place where they had met, his heart pounding with excitement.
He arrived at the place and she was there, waiting for him. However, there was something different about her. Her eyes were dark gray, her lips had turned white, and her body was shrouded in a mist. She told him that it was the price she had paid for falling in love with her and returning to him.
He hugged her, trying to calm her fears, and told her that he would be by her side forever. Then, Rosa María approached him and whispered something in her ear. He froze.
-I can not stay. You must let me go. -She expressed.
He looked at her with tears in his eyes and told her that he would never leave. Then, she explained to him that her destiny was to leave this world, but that, if he wanted it, she would always be present in her heart. And with those words, Rosa María disappeared into the night.
He was left there, alone, heartbroken. He sighed and told himself that he would love her forever, even if she wasn't around.
And that's how he learned to love a ghost woman and everyone in town called him the lover.