The Deal

A chilly night in Southern California and a 9pm curfew couldn't stop Dante and Bea from spending their night together. Despite the restrictions from their families, they wanted to spend their last night together for as long as they could. The two snuck out of their houses late at night and met up at the barely lit golf course and set up a small picnic area. Dante wanted to bring comfort food and spend time with her, while Bea was more interested in the conversation she wanted to have with him. Once they set up their area Dante’s heart began to race. His emotions were getting the best of him and he began to get nervous and anxious having a conversation with someone who he finds as his best friend but possibly the love of his life. Bea's mind is filled with uncertainty and unease and did not necessarily want to have this conversation, but it was needed for the coming days.

Bea explained to Dante that she and her family were moving away, and she didn't know when she would be back. The look on Dante's face explained everything he was feeling, a face she would never forget. While Dante not only was in disbelief, he was hurt thinking to himself how she could leave him. However, before they parted ways Bea told him “let's make a deal.” Dante initially was hesitant to agree to a deal without knowing the terms but also keen on continuing to have a conversation with her to savor the moment and replies “like what?”. The deal was that if Bea had returned from her new home with her family that he would be the first person she sees. Not only did he agree to the terms he also wanted to add a condition. His condition was simple: he said, “if I’m going to be the first person you see then I’m going to be the first person to meet you back here on this golf course one day and marry you.” Bea’s initial reaction was shock. She didn't expect Dante to be so straightforward and that interested her. She agreed to the terms and said, “I will see you soon”. She left the golf course after that night and Dante was hurt. His best friend was gone, and he didn't know when he would see her. Once Dante made his way back home, he snuck back in only to find his sister up in his room waiting for him. She could immediately tell that he was upset and hurt but knew that now wasn't the time to confront him about it, now was the time to be there for him. While the two had finished their conversation and said their goodbyes, Bea wasn't completely honest with Dante. Bea had begun to feel ill, her energy seemed to be fading. She was always tired throughout the day and she felt off. Her parents moved to ensure that she was receiving the best of care, but how could she explain that to Dante and not have him worry? She stated “When i get back and see him at old kresge’s golf course back better than ever we could skip past the worries and go back to us being...US!” While this plan seemed logical at first it was one of the biggest mistakes Bea had ever made.

As time went on Dante had time to reflect on himself and realize the person he wants to be. He had graduated from high school, went to West Virginia University, and was maintaining a high GPA in his senior year. When it was time to go back home for winter break Dante was excited to enjoy time away from the books and be with his family. Throughout his years in college Dante had friends and some girlfriends but no one ever impacted him like Bea did. He hadn't heard from her since the last night at the golf course and would catch himself wondering how she was. Dante thought to himself “I bet she is as beautiful as ever!”

Once he made it back home his sister told him that he had a letter in the mail from Bea. When he heard that a bolt of electricity filled his heart and he was more excited than he has ever been. The woman that was his best friend wrote to him after all those years of no communication. Dante opened the letter and saw that she would be in town for winter break and the house immediately was filled with screams of happiness from the lovestruck boy. However, Dante's tone and his attitude quickly changed. He began to ponder if he was able to be the person she needs at this time in her life. He was so focused on becoming the person he wanted to be that Dante felt that he might not be ready to see Bea again. Dante was surrounded by his thoughts he didn't know how to feel knowing that Bea was back in town. “What if she doesn't like the new me? What if I don't like the new her?” Dante screams out. Then suddenly Dante’s sister walks into the room very calmly and says “you better go find her”. Initially he was confused why she would say that? His sister was never very invested in his life beyond the family so her speaking her mind caught him off guard until he looked in her eyes and she repeated herself. “You better go find her!” That small dialogue with his sister was all the motivation he needed to go and find Bea. He went to her old parents’ house and found himself reminiscing of the younger days but knew she wouldn't be there. He drove around places he thought she would be until nine o’clock struck and he knew exactly where she was. He drove straight for the golf course and walked to the exact spot that they last saw each other. When walking to the spot he noticed a whole picnic area was set up and Bea was there waiting for him. Dante was in awe, he felt so much joy but also uncertainty, his heart began to race like it did so many years ago. When he walked up to Bea, he noticed that she looked different, still just as beautiful but was off putting to him. However, he didn't want to say that to her because he wanted to enjoy the fact that she was there waiting for him. When they both locked eyes Dante was concerned. Her eyes didn't look like her eyes, the barely lit golf course lights didn't shine through her eyes like they did many years ago, in fact it looked like her eyes were dull lacking the energy it once had. Dante initially sat down with her and they both said their greetings and picked up right where they left off, laughing and enjoying their time with each other.

After the first hour of having fun talking with one another Bea began to cry. Dante was confused because he thought things were going so well and he confronted her and asked her what was wrong. She was blunt and responded, “I’m sick”. Dante was comforting and said “we all get sick sometimes you'll be okay.” Bea quickly replied to him and said, “No I’m actually really sick or I guess I was sick”. Dante, puzzled with the words coming out of her mouth, didn't know how to take the information given to him. Bea was diagnosed with stage three cancer a few years back. The news hit Dante like a truck. He was baffled and also in disbelief because it was Bea, she couldn’t be sick he was going to marry her. How can she get sick when he was going to be the one she spent her whole life with? Bea was crying and told him that she didn't have much time, but she needed to be there to see him. Dante began to cry, his heart felt like it was shattered in hundreds of places. He told Bea “How am i going to marry you now?” his voice cracked with pain as he felt mad at the world. Bea with a soft voice told him to not worry about her that he had so much life left to live. Dante didn't want her to die if he wasn't going to be by her side, but Bea had a strange presence to her that night. She said that she needed to see him before she went but she didn't know where she was going. He asked her if he could stay with her, but Bea explained to him that the place she is going he couldn't follow. She said “It's not your time.”Dante goes to reach for her hand to let her know that he is there for her and something shocking happened. His hand phased right through hers as is her hand was never really there in the first place. That's when Dante knew Bea was already dead. She explained to him that she couldn't pass through to the other side without her fulfilling the deal they made to each other. Bea had been dead for two weeks. Three days after she sent the letter to him in hopes that she would make it there.

Bea said she had one thing to say to him before she went. She said “Dante, I will always be with you, no matter what adventure, no matter what crisis I will be watching over you making sure that you become the best person you can be.” This made Dante cry with tears of joy for the fact that she was even in his life, and tears of sadness because his best friend was gone. Once Bea faded into the night, Dante felt hope. He knew that she was with him and he was with her. That's all he could have asked for; she had been through so much and it hurt him that he wasn't there with her, but he also understood that it was for the best. Everything turned out exactly like it was supposed to. He thought to himself that Bea wasn't meant to be on this earth for long, that her presence was too pure, and she was meant to be something greater. When he made his way home, he found that it was a trend to come back from that golf course with tears down his face, and like clockwork his sister was there ready to comfort him and help pick up the pieces. As time passed, Dante began to feel himself losing his grip on reality. He felt that he lost what made him Dante. He consistently felt that he was battling the good part of him that had hope and love and the bad part of him that was filled with sorrow and regret. Struggling with his identity Dante set off on a journey to find himself again but he knew that this journey he would have to walk alone. To overcome this pain he needed to understand it and needed to grow with it. That was the deal that Dante made with himself. A deal that could not be broken.