A Fork in the Road - Conclusion

Ash and Ziya had been best friends for life.  Their day started with each other and ended together.  Most of their school years living next door to each other, days glided like the geese flocks flying high in the sky.  It was a friendship often misunderstood as they hit teen years.  Undeterred their bond resisted social pressures until the unthinkable happened.

Ash’s family broke apart as his parents split and his mother carted him clear across the ocean to another continent.  Over time, they lost contact, grew up and grew apart.  Ziya acquired a loving husband, a fulfilling career, and her life was complete once again, until now…

In the dim bar, Ash set his vertically folded magazine down, turned towards the voice and gazed into familiar eyes.  Kicking back his chair, he stood and the two long lost friends fell into enthusiastic embrace.  Peeling away from each other, they settled into their seats and proceeded to catch up on the lost years together. Ziya learned that Ash ran a successful business which took him all over the world.  Having spent all of his young adult life in starting and building up his company, he found no time for attachments.  Single, he roamed the world freely.  His current trip scheduled for two days but upon learning of Ziya’s stay length, he changed his plans.

Weekdays at work dragged as Ziya anxiously waited for the evening when they hit various restaurants and talked into the night.  As weekend hit they decided to drive off into the mountains, away from the city.  Ash had made reservations for two rooms at a resort from where they took short driving trips, walks, explored some winter sports, sampled various cuisines and local delicacies including some as daring as rattlesnake and boar.

Their friendship picked up naturally as if there had never been a seam.  Ziya loved her husband, but she began to realize that she found more comfort in Ash’s company than she did with her husband.  She discovered she could be completely herself and be a kid again with Ash.  As the weekend came to a close and they drove back to the city, Ziya’s mind raced.  There was no question that she loved her husband deeply, but her friendship with Ash was special.  Are love and friendship two sides of the same coin?  She glanced towards her friend and looked at his smiling face.  His eyes had twinkled with delight at the sight of her and hadn’t stopped twinkling since.  He was a good friend, she declared to herself.  Was she at a fork or can she walk two paths?  Her mind continued to twirl and tangle in this web of questions.  Putting them aside for now, she took delight in the company of her companion for one more evening before they part their ways.  At least, until their paths cross again…

The End