When Hana and Valery arrive in Mario's home, Hana surprisingly finds out that his guests are only them and another couple. Mario welcomes them with a sweet smile. His house is located in north of Dallas; and his open back yard faces a man- made lake. A big, bright kitchen combined with a den, and a formal and casual living area enhance the beauty of this well constructed house. Everything there shows the tidiness of the person who lives there and the pride he has for his house.
Mario's other guests besides Valery and Hana are a married couple. Hana finds out later that Mario and Robert have been friends since high school and they have always kept their deep seeded friendship going even though sometimes in past some stormy situation might have caused the breakage of that beautiful friendship. However, the two faithful friends have never allowed any pity, little differences come between them.
At the dinner table, Robert vehemently talks about Mario's daughter, Antonio, whom he had held when she was born and had the honor of being her godfather. In exchange, Mario has been Robert's son's and daughter's godfather. The depth of their friendship reminds Hana of Behroz, her dead uncle, whom she felt more as a friend than an uncle.
Sitting there in silence and shyness, when she can not finish her food being afraid she is being watched, she introspects. However, old days are gone, old places are destroyed, and old friends do not exist anymore. She investigates her reason for accepting Mario's invitation. Was it for curiosity or for a lost feeling of being desirable, or may be for finding a new friend? Those obscure and mixed thoughts and feelings make her to lose her concentration, and she almost forgets that she is not at home, and she must act in a certain way as a guest. When she is asked her opinion about friendship by Mario, she is so confused that she hates to admit her lack of attentiveness; nonetheless, all those curious eyes are piercing her through for a respond which leaves her no choice but to be honest:
"I am sorry, I wasn't following your conversation."
While each person there empathized with this sad, mysterious woman, Mario comes to her rescue.
"We were talking about friendship. How do you feel about it? have you ever had a special friend in your life?"
Hana first looks at Mario, who is sitting across from her and then to others and see how much they expect her to talk.
"Yes, my uncle. He was my best friend. He was my only friend. We grew up together."
"Was! What do you mean by was? Is he not your friend anymore?" Kim, Robert's wife asks.
"He's dead." Hana says in a more dead voice than alive. A long silence ensues while everyone stops eating. Hana is so upset that she has caused that sad ambiance that she wishes to vanish, disappear, and vaporize. She realized that her permanent sorrow has to stay home if she wants to socialized. That confession to herself forces her to say something:
"I'm sorry that I cause you anguish. Please forgive me."
"Oh, it's perfectly all right. You didn't do anything wrong." Valery gently caresses her back.
Meanwhile others are very inquiring to know more about this Persian woman who speaks English with a beautiful accent, yet very correct and without mistake.
"My uncle and I grow up together and we became close when we were only children. We were very much alike, yet we had our difference, too. He gave up, I fought, he chose a solitary life, I married, he drew away from everything, I got involved, he is dead, and I am alive." She stops and looks around to see the four people around the table are all ears to hear some more while the computerized music of a video game John, Valery's son, is playing in another room, is the only sound.
"How did your uncle die? May I know?" Mario asks.
"I don't know. I was here when he died. They tell me it was an accident, but I never believe it."
Every one's chain of thought breaks at this moment when the phone rings. Mario, reluctantly, gets up to answer the phone and leaves his guests for a few minutes in their deadly silence. Hana overhears one word of Mario's conversation in the other room: "sweetheart,". When Mario comes back to the dining room, he has a pleasant smile on his face.
To Be Continued
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