The Trouble With Tulio

The trouble with Tulio is he’s blind. Not physically mind you. Those keen blue eyes of his can see a gold coin lying in the dust a mile away. No, that’s not the kind of blindness I mean.

Tulio’s only blind when it comes to women.

And to me.

I’ve been his friend, his partner, for as long as I can remember. Since we were barely old enough to walk. We’ve gotten each other into trouble, and out of it again, more times than I can count.

Time and again I’ve stood by and watched him fall for someone else, someone new. Women who didn’t care any more for him than whatever coin he spent on gifts. Women who only intended to use him to make their husbands or lovers jealous. Women who wanted to use him for a moment’s pleasure.

They all cast him aside in the end, bereft and broken-hearted.

Only then would he come to me, and only to share a bottle and commiserate. Never once did he see the love shining in my eyes, the yearning to take him into my arms and show him what true caring, true loving, feels like. Never once did he see my longing to be the one he chased after, to be the one he swung into his arms, to hear him declare his undying love and devotion to me.

And so I wait. I wait and hope that one day, some day, Tulio will see.