The Devil made his usual visit last night, and in the blink of an eye I found myself holding my poker cards again—a horrible hand as always.
“What is the reason we always play the same game?” He looked at me with his inquisitive eyes while the tip of his finger ran over his cards that were still on the table. “The same game you can't win,” he added.
“You know that most of the time, love means suffering and sacrifice,” I responded, avoiding his gaze.
"Yes I know. So why not surrender to the inevitable force of fate? No one will blame you for quitting, as everyone experiences the same thing.”
“Because I like to bet.” I answered with determination.
“Betting in circumstances where only doubt prevails?” His words echoed in my mind and reminded me that He knows me, more than my closest friends or family, with the precision of a mirror that reflects my image. “Can you bet blind?” He whispered directly into my soul as he approached me with a wicked smile.
“It could be—“ I answered with a hesitant voice, but I regained my confidence after a pause where I remembered my existence like a dying man watching the movie of his life on the threshold of death. “Because that tiny moment when love means glory is worth sacrificing your entire life.” I confirmed decided.
“How can you be so sure if you haven't reached the end of your life?” He asked intrigued.
My mind felt trapped, lost in emptiness with nowhere to go. After a deep breath, my being was invaded by an eloquent silence that led me to an inevitable reunion with my heart. The words came from the depths of my soul like birds fighting for their freedom.
“Because that is the only thing that death will not be able to take from me.”
The devil watched me motionless, petrified. “Very well, then so be it.”
He snatched his cards from the table and when he was ready to reveal them I opened my eyes displacing the darkness and revealing the ceiling of my room. As I tried to control my heavy breathing, my mind asked the same old question over and over again. But it doesn't matter anymore, because as long as the sun has the power to shine through my window, it will remind me of the sparkle in your eyes. Beautiful eyes.
M. Ch. Landa
