Page 9 of Shattered Echoes

“Oh, makes sense. Anyway, I’m Antonio Amato.”

Elias’s eyes widen. “Antonio Amato? No way, dude! You mean The Amato family?”

“Yeah.” I smile awkwardly

“You weren't kidding when you said you're not new in town, huh? You’re pretty famous around here. Your family, I mean.”

I swallow hard, knowing what he means by that. The Amatos are the wealthiest family from this small town, but there are a lot of other things we were famous for.

I just give him a small nod as I press my lips together. I shouldn't have divulged my last name like that. It didn't cross my mind that we’re known here. I'm trying to remain low key, but who am I kidding? Word will soon get around that I'm back. I'm sure there are speculations already.

“So, what brings you back here? Last I heard, you were out there doing big things,” he probes.

I shift uncomfortably, offering a tight-lipped smile. He must have read my countenance and saw that I wasn't ready to say anymore. So, he backs off.

“Umm- it’s a pleasure to meet you, dude,” he says as he pats me on the arm.

We resume running, but now side by side in silence. It’s a welcomed silence.

After a while, Elias finally breaks it. “You know, I just moved here like what? Five years ago. Wow! I can't believe it's been that long.”

“Hmm. Care to tell me why you moved here to this small town in the middle of nowhere, of all places you could’ve possibly moved to?” I ask, a little curious.

He pauses and looks at me questionably, probably because I'd refused to talk about myself, yet I'm asking him the same question he asked me.

His face looks like he is in deep thoughts, but he doesn’t take too long before he answers, “Well… I’ve always been passionate about helping people, especially local communities like this one.”

“Oh?” I say, hoping it nudges him to keep talking.

“I always wanted to make a difference in my community. So, I started this Non-Governmental Organization that uh…We set up counseling centers that provide support for mental health and social issues,” he says.

I look over at him, quite impressed by his selflessness. “Dude, that's amazing.”

“Yeah, so we started here and plan to branch out to other communities with time.” His eyes lighten up as he says each sentence. I could tell he was proud of himself and very passionate about his mission.

I smile. “I'm sure you're great at what you do.”

He gives a knowing nod. “So yeah, that's me. That's a summary of why I'm here.”

I know it’s unfair of me to pry into his life, getting him to talk about himself without doing the same. But I'm not ready to unpack all my problems onto a total stranger who I’d just met.

Thankfully, he doesn't seem too bothered by it.

We talk about several other things, like how his stay has been so far, the newest happenings in town. The conversation just flows naturally.

“…Interesting,” I say, laughing at a joke he made.

We are now approaching the end of my route when he says, “I’d love to keep this up, but I’m afraid this is where I leave you.”

“All good, buddy,” I say to him. “And thanks for looking out for the newcomers in town.”

“I’m merely doing what I can to make the transition to a new place easier,” he shrugs. “See you around?”

“Sure.”

He makes his way back across the road after giving me a fist bump and runs off.

Honestly, it feels refreshing talking to someone who isn't treating me like an egg that would crack at the slightest discomfort.

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