Shattered Dreams

Louis's eyes were glued to his mobile screen. Instead of blood, joy coursed through his veins. Every part of him was smiling. Whenever the message tone rang, a ticklish feeling stirred in his heart, and he became elated.

Today, it was his old friend Jennifer on WhatsApp. Jennifer was the friend he cherished most in college. Time and again, seeing her would make love's bell toll in Louis's heart, but he could never find the words to express it. It was incredibly difficult to suppress the feelings that swelled within him. Louis often said that holding back a word before it reaches its addressee is easier than containing the flood of emotions bubbling in one’s heart.

To him, Jennifer was like the embodiment of morning. The first ray of hope, a metaphor for light, golden and enchanting like the dawn's beams. Whenever morning broke, Louis would begin his worship of love. Jennifer was not extraordinarily beautiful enough to be worshipped by lovers, but oh, the thirst of youth is so intense in the desert of virginity that even a mirage appears as fine wine.

But Jennifer was certainly not a mirage. In the eyes of her lover, she was a magical chalice. Had she been dark-skinned, he would have regarded her as a statue worthy of kisses, but she was fair, as white as a palace. In that palace, Louis sought only his own reign. It felt as though his hopes had come true today. In Jennifer's WhatsApp messages, he could see her reflection.

Their conversation was becoming increasingly sweet. The sparkle in Louis's eyes hinted that he was sending some mischievous messages too. Evening was settling in, yet Louis remained focused solely on his mobile screen. The encroaching darkness of night was vanquished by the light of his hopes. Perhaps their conversation was particularly captivating. After all, words from a beloved are always intriguing.

While chatting with Jennifer, Louis lost all sense of time. But then, a message appeared on his screen: "Okay, Louis! It was really nice talking to you. I saw your message in the college group and thought I’d chat a bit. My husband is coming home soon.

See you, bye!"

This message struck like lightning upon the palace of his dreams, reducing it to dust. The phone slipped from Louis's hand and fell to the floor with a "thud." Who knows if it was the sound of his heart breaking or that of the phone screen? The screen shattered into fragments, spreading across the floor like thorns, while Louis's heart lay shattered into ten thousand pieces.