Julian, stay here, please don't go... she said with tears of sadness in her eyes.
It was a strange hug; she didn't want him to leave her.
But Julian made up his mind and chose to go.
This dream had always haunted him.
He picked up his bag and chased his dreams. After years of patience, the moment he had been waiting for had arrived. He got on the bus, and an hour later he met his friend Marcus, who was waiting for him at a café near the train station.
Marcus said:
Julian, this is unbelievable! What's with all this delay? There are only five minutes left before the train leaves, hurry up!
They headed for their seats. It was a long journey, and the police academy was far away, but the dream that had seemed so distant was now within reach.
From the train window, Julian saw a girl saying goodbye to her parents and boarding the train. He couldn't take his eyes off her and kept watching her until she sat down next to him.
Marcus was talking on the phone with his mother, who worked in a restaurant near his home, after his father had died in a car accident.
Going back a little, to the day Julian met Marcus, it was during the police academy entrance exam.
Julian was very nervous at the time, afraid that he would fail to get into the academy. Marcus, on the other hand, was completely indifferent, but he loved challenges and difficulties.
Marcus noticed Julian sitting alone, so he approached him, sat down next to him, and said:
I don't think police work is for you.
Julian looked at him and said:
Is it right for someone like you?
Marcus laughed and said:
Not for me either.
Then he added:
I saw you come in second on the physical test, which is very good. It will increase your chances of being accepted. As for me, I finished the physical test in second to last place.
He said with a laugh:
Maybe I'll go back to washing dishes with my mother at the restaurant.
Julian said seriously:
I have to succeed, there is no other option.
He kept thinking about his mother in the hospital, who had dreamed of seeing her son wearing a police uniform.
At the end of the day, one of the officers came with a piece of paper listing the names of those who had passed the tests. Julian's name was at the top of the list; he had passed the test with flying colors.
His feelings at that moment were indescribable. He kept looking around, waiting for the officer to call Marcus's name, but he didn't. Marcus's name was not on the list.
But this was the first group, the people who met certain requirements. Julian left with the successful group, and Marcus stayed with the group that would undergo another test.
Julian didn't leave, but sat in front of the test site waiting. After a short while, he saw Marcus leaving. He approached him and asked:
What happened?
Marcus looked at him, laughing loudly, and said:
To the academy! Did you think you were going without me?
Julian was not someone who had a large group of friends, but Marcus, with his spontaneity and unpredictable behavior, which Julian found illogical, made them friends. Despite the great distance between them and their different goals and motivations, the same train would carry them together.
Marcus lived near the test site. His mother was waiting for him, and when he saw her, he shouted:
Mom! I did it, I'm going to be a cop!
She hugged him, tears of joy in her eyes. He introduced her to Julian and invited them to dinner at their house. Julian refused the invitation at first, but Marcus' insistence made him pick up the phone and call his father, who did not answer.
They went home. It was a modest house in a neighborhood near the park. Dinner was delicious.
In the morning, Julian had to go home. He had to say goodbye to the house where he had grown up. The time had come. His father was asleep.
He gathered his belongings and prepared to travel to the police academy in the capital.
Suddenly, his father woke up, exhausted and tired, with traces of blood on his face. But this was normal for Julian, as his father was an alcoholic and often got into fights.
Julian looked at him and said:
Dad, I'm going to the capital. I'm going to be a police officer.
These words had a profound effect on his father.
My son has grown up... My little boy has become a man. My son will achieve the dream he has been studying for.
But he sat down on the floor, and his eyes began to fill with tears as he said to him:
I'm sorry, son, I wasn't the perfect father for you. Please forgive me.
Julian loved his father very much, even though his father drank heavily.
Julian told his father that he would be away for a long time, but that he would definitely keep in touch with him by phone.
He finished packing his things and left the house to wait for a taxi to take him to the train station.
Marcus had also packed his things, and his mother had urged him to be sensible, stay out of trouble, and call her every day.
Back on the train, Julian and Marcus were heading to the capital to join the police academy. The train was crowded, and Julian's eyes were fixed on a beautiful girl who was looking for a seat. But she noticed Julian and Marcus, and their distinctive uniforms made her realize that they were going to the police academy.
She walked over to them and asked:
Is this seat empty?
Markus replied:
Yes, go ahead.
She said:
My name is Kayla.
Markus said:
Hi Kayla, I'm Markus, and this is my friend Julian. We're going to the capital.
Kayla said:
Great, I'm going to the capital too. I'm going to attend a medical school.
Marcus said:
Great! We're going to join the police academy.
Kayla said:
Good. Have you ever been to the capital?
Marcus said:
No.
Julian said:
Yes, I went there not long ago.
Kayla said:
Good. Do you know of a hotel near the medical institute?
Julian said:
Yes, the institute is near the central hospital that I visited with my parents five years ago.
Kayla noticed deep pain and sadness in Julian's eyes, so she said:
Why did you visit the central hospital?
Julian said:
My mother had a malignant tumor. Unfortunately, her health deteriorated significantly. One night, she suddenly lost consciousness and had to be transferred from the hospital in our city to the central hospital, but sadly her condition worsened and she passed away before arriving.
Marcus felt great pain because his mother was sick, and he was afraid of losing her, so he said:
I'm sorry, my friend. Losing a mother is something difficult to bear.
Kayla said:
I'm sorry to remind you of that painful event.
Julian said, trying to hide his feelings:
It's okay, it was a long time ago.
He added that the police academy was close to the medical institute.
Kayla said:
Excellent, then we'll definitely meet.
Marcus said:
Yes, very good. We'll definitely meet again. Study hard, we'll need your expertise as a doctor to treat patients. Maybe you'll treat my mother.
Kayla said:
It would be my pleasure. My dream is to help patients and save lives.
Markus said:
Great, give me your number, I'll call you.
Julian said:
Looks like we're here.
The three got off the train.
Markus went to get some water and food, while Julian and Kayla sat in the cafe next to the train station.
Julian had been shy since childhood. He always knew what he wanted, but his shyness had cost him many opportunities. This time, he decided to break out of the cycle that made him invisible despite his presence.
He knew for sure that he had fallen in love with this girl, and he also knew for sure that he had to tell her... but he didn't.
Kayla told her family that she had arrived in the capital. She was supposed to go to her cousin's house, but she insisted on spending the night in a hotel next to the institute where she would be training.
After the café, they headed to the hotel. After the break, Kayla asked Marcus and Julian to go with her to visit the institute and take a tour.
They agreed and went to the institute, even though it was already past midnight.
As they left the hotel, they met someone near the hotel who looked at them with awe.
Marcus approached him and said:
What's wrong with you? Why are you looking at us like that?
The man said, terror in his eyes:
Leave... leave! You shouldn't have come!
Then he ran away.
Marcus returned to his friend, and Julian said to him:
What's wrong with that man? What did he say to you?
Marcus replied:
He's crazy... Let's go.
As they passed by the institute, Kayla said:
Markus, I want to see the inside of the institute.
Julian replied:
No, that's not possible. We can't go in through the door.
Markus said:
Who said we're going to go in through the door?
Kayla laughed, and Markus laughed with a laugh that sounded evil.
Julian didn't agree, but they jumped over the wall and entered the institute...
But they shouldn't have gone in.