Flamingos and Happy Stars

When I asked Captain Alex about love he seemed rather amused at the subject.

"Love is a silly thing. I never personally experienced anything that convinced me that there was any 'love' like that described in books or movies. I am positive it exists though because my friend Solomon convinced me of it. He fell in love with this one girl at a pretty young age. Before his twenties I believe. I can't really remember her name now that I think about, although he must have told me hundreds of times. It started with an A or an S or something. Anyway, this girl must have been something else the way Sol talked about her. Night after night he would put me to sleep describing how beautiful her smile was. Course this wasn't until I had been traveling with him for over a year. He never even mentioned her to me or, anyone else for that matter, until I pestered him about that book he was always scribbling in. Always would just say 'nothing' in that boring voice of his when I'd ask him what he was writing about. First few times I asked I didn't really care, just thought I'd try to make conversation with the guy. After about 35 'nothings' I really became interested though. He'd get this face whenever he'd write in that book. Something like he knew it was all pointless. You, me, everything that we did was just an unavailing sequence of events that served no true purpose. I never agreed with the idea that our lives were pointless, but then again I achieved what I wanted. I think he just did what people expected of him."

"Anyway, back to my point. After a few months of asking him what he was writing about in his book he told me it mainly was about this girl he used to know. I asked him if he had gotten her pregnant, and I will never forget the look he gave me. It was a mixture of disgust and sorrow. Of course this only lasted for a second before he made his little smile and said 'No, it's not like that. I love her though.' This was a little surprising considering that I had never heard him even mention anything from his past the entire time I had been with him. How could he supposedly love a girl that he hadn't had any contact with for so long? I assumed it must have been his old girlfriend or maybe even wife, so I asked him how long they were together. He gave a little snort at this and simply responded, 'Not long enough.' That was all I got out of him that night and usually I would have lost interest, seeing as how love stories tend to bore me, but Sol had a way of making you want to know more. And you could tell he really wanted someone to talk to about it too.

"So that girl you're always writing about, what's she like?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know? You seem to have a lot to say about her when you're writing every night. Can I see that book?"

"I already told you no. There's not much to say really? She's just another person."

"Mmmhmm. Does she write about you?"

"No."

"Is she still alive."

"Far as I know."

"And you love her?"

"Yes."

"But you never see her or talk to her?"

"Right."

"I don't understand."

"Didn't expect you to."

"What's she like?"

"Perfect"


"Sol wasn't really much of a talker. I'd sometimes ask him if he ever thought about finding another girl, and he'd always say yes. I knew he never would though. Sol was stubborn, probably the most stubborn person I've ever met on this planet. He had it set in his mind that this girl was the perfect girl for him. Best in the world, and he would not settle for anything less. I know he wouldn't have been truly happy if he had either. I always thought that some day he would meet her again. The moment it would happen he would turn to me and smile and not say anything. He wouldn't need to say anything. Then he would turn and leave with her and he'd finally be happy. I didn't just think this would happen, I KNEW it would happen. How could it not? How could a guy like Sol possibly deserve anything less? But of course sometimes things just don't go how they should despite all logical reasoning."