by John Sarkis

Created on: November 25, 2010   Last Updated: April 02, 2011

As usual, Mario Estevez was off to visit his parents in Greenness, Oregon, where he was originally from for the Christmas Holiday Season.   Mario had graduated top of his class - he had gotten straight A's since birth, and nothing had stood in his way.  He was now a big deal attorney living in New York City, he was 28 years old.  The town in Oregon where Mario was from, had no official name, but people would refer to it as: "Greenness."  How do you like that?  No name town.  The name was simply a noun adjective describing a color!

"Mom and dad, I'm home," Mario said as he entered his parent's world.  Yes, his parent's world, because Mario thought very little of Oregon these days, in fact; He felt, the best thing he'd ever done in his entire life wasn't graduating from Harvard, but leaving Greenness, Oregon.  "Son, I've made you some beef stew," his mother says.  "Mom, you know I've been a vegetarian ever since I left Oregon, so please do not tempt me,” he replied towards his mother in a civil, though bordering rude manner. 

After a big supper (with tofu replacement of course), Mario decided to call it a night, when suddenly, a knock at the door changes his plans.   His mother answers the front door.  “Hello Mrs. Estevez,” a beautiful young lady stands at the front of her house.  “Hi Maria,” Mario’s mother replies to her guest.  “Maria!” Mario says from the top of the stairs, as he was headed towards his old bedroom to camp for the night.  “What—I thought you said you would never return to Greenness after you graduated from Yale.  Aren’t you practicing law in Los Angeles?” Mario asked Maria.  “—No, you know, I left Greenness, but Greenness never really left me - I missed it too much, so I came back,” Maria replied.  “I found myself in Los Angeles; Los Angeles has the ugliest green color, like you'd expect to find in a place where it never rains,” Maria chuckles after she said that.  “Well, the expensive jewelry shops in Los Angeles and New York can replicate the green color in Greenness any old day of the week!” Mario replies right back to her.  “Son, Maria has decided to run for the job of Governor of Oregon.  What do you think about that?”  Mario’s mother says.  “Well, she’s certainly qualified for the job,” Mario replies, afterwards, he asks Maria to take an evening stroll with him.

“Are you seeing anyone?” Maria asks Mario.  “No, well—I was, but it didn’t work out for me.  How about you?” he asked Maria.  “I was, but it didn’t work out for me either.  “I don’t have to return to New York until after the first of the year, so we have plenty of time to see each other and chat over old times.  I must confess, I never really got over you.  I think the real reason I never liked returning back to this town, was because it reminded me of you.  But now that you’re living back here again, well, I think I’ll visit ‘Greenness’ more often  “Let’s go out tomorrow evening for dinner,” he said.  “Sure, I’d love to—yeah! She replied"...  Perhaps this was the start of something old?....

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