Students (Part II)

Raimundo began to live a stage of his life where all his certainties were altered and his perspective on life and the world changed. What once seemed normal to him now seemed absurd. And there was no longer boredom, but he didn't feel fulfilled either, instead, he was in a constant state of questioning and unease.

Everything now challenged him and he was forced to make decisions, many of which bothered him and others made him uneasy.

His fears and anxieties increased, although so did his joy and enthusiasm. It was all so paradoxical that it irritated and discomforted him.

Since that quick and uncomfortable encounter, Raimundo had only seen Cristián in the courtyards of the Central House of the university, although he looked for him, Cristián didn't seem interested in talking to him. He wanted to send him a message on WhatsApp, but he regretted it several times. His natural shyness prevented him from taking the initiative. That's why he was surprised to have asked for his contact that afternoon in the library.

He went from euphoria to despair when in two days there was no communication or hint of a response.

A deep sadness caught up with him and he wanted to resign himself, but he couldn't. He even felt anger and in a fit of rage, he deleted the contact and the chat. Less than three hours had passed when he received a message on WhatsApp "Hello, shall we meet tomorrow?".

Raimundo didn't take long to respond, greeting and indicating "yes, of course". He felt a deep and sincere joy in those few words.

They were going to go for a hike in the Metropolitan Park the next day - said Cristián through the chat - at 10:00 AM, through the Pedro de Valdivia Norte access, right where the bronze model is.

The instructions couldn't be clearer and Raimundo only managed to say "Ok, see you".

He returned home almost euphoric, to the surprise of his brothers and mother, who had gotten used to his withdrawn and almost melancholic attitude. That night he was supposed to go out to dinner with his brothers and parents, he wanted to avoid it, but they didn't let him. He ate very little, he just wanted to be alone in his room and masturbate while looking at Cristián's Instagram.

When he arrived home, he did what he had planned, he fell asleep pleased and woke up very early to be on time at the meeting point.

The Metropolitan Park is a huge green area formed by a mountainous spur that detaches from the Andes mountain range and divides the Santiago valley, culminating in a hill about 600 meters high, called San Cristóbal, crowned by an image of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. It has an extension of more than 700 hectares and includes trails, plazas, gardens, forests, event centers, pools, theaters, restaurants, roads, monuments, viewpoints, picnic areas, trekking routes, lagoons, cable cars, and religious precincts. It has been progressively forested over sectors that ...