"Melancholy Euphoria" from A Mysterious Evening in Vienna

Today was the day the two lovers would part. Sam and Luisa planned to meet at the dock where she would board the ship back to São Paulo. Sam was going to miss her with all his heart. They may never be in the same country again. It was 1917 and the world was at war. Nothing was certain except one thing: she was as beautiful as the first night he met her. Luisa’s long black hair gently cascaded down her shoulders. She was thin, yet she had curves in every place that would melt any man’s heart. Talk about heart, she had the heart – the very soul – of life. The spirit of Brazilian Carnival. The unending joy that never ceases. The dance that keeps dancing. The emotion that melts the minds of men.

Luisa, with suitcase in hand, approached her lover. “Samuel,” she said with a seductive Portuguese accent, “I don’t think I will ever forget you no matter how far I go.”

“Will you come back to visit?” he asked.

There was a pause. In lieu of words, Luisa approached Sam and planted a luscious kiss on his lips. They embraced, and for a moment their two souls were one.

The steam ship’s whistle blew, indicating it was time to board.

“Samuel, I love you,” she said.

And with that she vanished into the shadows.

What did Sam feel? What did he do? He was madly in love with Luisa. He did not do, he just felt. He stood there, a million thoughts going through his head. Despair, hope, love, grief, melancholy euphoria. The lover who was loved and will have a memory for the rest of his life.

Some moments in life are better as starry-eyed memories. The emotion – the joy – of love is forever preserved, like a fossil in amber. There is no wedding-planning drama, no divorce fights, no in-laws, no terrible two’s. Just a memory that will be forever shining bright in his heart.

That is what Sam thought. That is what Sam felt. But what did he do?

Sam went for a walk alone on the pier. The steam from the steam ships created a dreamy ambiance, the claire-obscure nature of Sam’s emotions.

What did he miss most? The kiss? Her heart of gold? Her curves? Her radiant personality? If he could buy jewelry for her – all the diamonds in the world – her personality would shine no more than it already shines. She radiates life itself.

What does one do? The two lovers will probably never see each other again. Post cards can fulfill the proverbial “Don’t forget to write.” But what about more? What about the euphoria and joy of love? The feeling of caring compassion? What can fulfill that need for being together?

The steam ship, with Luisa on board, headed towards the horizon – beyond the reaches of the human senses. She would soon be out of sight. The horizon is the limit that separates our visible world from our imagination.

She may have been thousands and thousands of miles away from him, but Luisa would always be near to Sam’s heart.

Want to read more? Click here to read the author's Note on Melancholy Euphoria.

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A Mysterious Evening in Vienna
By John R. Teevan III
ISBN 9781548922870