EL Camino — A Stanley Novel | Episode 4 🚗✨

February 5 – Morning (9:00 AM) 🌅

The next morning felt very quiet.

Jesse dropped Stanley at the supermarket and left.

Stanley walked inside slowly, arranged the products, cleaned the shelves, and sat down.

Silence.

He started thinking…

Those small happy moments…

The smiles… the talks… the comfort…

(Episode 1 & 2 memories) 💭

A small smile came.

But suddenly…

His face changed.

“Why Ramya didn’t came yesterday and today…?”

He looked around.

“She will come whenever I’m alone… but now…”

His voice broke.

“Ramya… Ramya…”

Nothing.

Suddenly… a memory came.

Her last words.

“Thanks for everything… goodbye.” 💔

Stanley froze.

His breathing became heavy.

Tears filled his eyes.

He slowly fell on his knees.

“Why you leave me…?”

He cried harder.

“Why you leave me…?” 😭

At that moment—

“Stanley!”

Rachel’s voice.

Stanley quickly stood up and wiped his tears.

Rachel came near.

“What happened? Why are you crying?”

Stanley turned away.

“No… nothing… let’s go work.”

Rachel didn’t move.

“No. You are hiding something from me. If you think me as your Close friend… tell me. Otherwise… leave it.”

Stanley stayed silent.

Rachel sighed.

“Okay… alright. I’m going.”

“Rachel…” Stanley’s voice shook.

She stopped.

She turned.

Stanley saying

“I’m sorry…”

Tears again.

Slowly… he told everything.

His past.

His crime.

How he left the country.

How Jesse helped him.

How he changed.

And… Ramya.

“She comes once a day… talks to me… makes me happy…”

His voice broke.

“But now… she didn’t come…”

“The last time… she smiled and said goodbye…”

Stanley cried again.

Rachel listened quietly.

Then she said—

“She is just your imagination… move on. She is not real.”

Stanley shook his head.

“No… she loved me… cared me… raised me…”

Rachel looked at him.

“Then remember what she said last just closed your eyes and think it.”

Stanley closed his eyes.

Silence.

Ramya’s voice inside—

“Thanks for everything…

Keep going forward whatever happens…

Goodbye.”

Stanley opened his eyes.

He said it slowly.

Rachel gave a small smile.

“That’s it. She wants you to move on… to live in reality.” ✨

Stanley cried silently.

Rachel came closer.

“Stanley… look at me.”

He looked at her and she say.

“I will always be with you. Whatever happens… I will be with you.” 🤍

Stanley stayed silent.

“I want to heal you… care you… love you… I will stay in your life.”

He was confused… but calm.

“She left because you need to live your life.”

Pause.

“If you want Ramya… see me in that place. I will try to heal you… care you… love you… like her.”

They looked at each other.

Suddenly—

A customer came.

Both returned to work.

Afternoon (2:00 PM) ☀️

Stanley went to Rachel.

“Sorry… I got emotional…”

Pause.

“What you said is right. She wants me to move on.”

He looked at her and say.

“Will you really stay with me?”

Rachel smiled.

“Yes.” 😊

Stanley nodded.

“Thanks.”

Customers came again.

Time passed.

Evening – Closing Time (5:00 PM) 🌇

Rachel looked at Stanley.

“Wait… let’s go home together.”

Stanley said—

“No… Jesse bro will come for pickup.”

Rachel smiled.

“Just tell him to go… I’ll take you.”

Stanley said—

“Okay…”

Jesse arrived.

Stanley went to him.

“Bro… I’ll come with Rachel. She asked me… so I’ll go with her. Sorry bro.”

Jesse smiled.

“No problem.”

He asked with a smile—

“She… something?” 😉

Stanley smiled.

“No… she is my friend. Like you.”

Jesse laughed.

“Everything will start from here.” 😉

He left.

Stanley went back.

Rachel said—

“Lock the store… come.”

He locked it.

Both started walking.

Cool breeze.

Street lights.

Rachel notices Stanley and feels tense.”

She said—

“I will always be with you.” 💫

Stanley just smiled.

They walked through Maple Street…

Then Riverwalk Road…

They went to Blue Cup Café ☕.

They sat, talked, and spent time.

After that, they went to Green Leaf Park 🌿.

They sat on a bench.

Watched people.

Talked small things.

Laughed.

Rachel tried to make him happy.

Slowly…

Stanley felt better 😊

Both had lunch at a hotel 🍽️

Night (9:00 PM) 🌙

They called a taxi 🚕.

Both reached home.

February 6 – Morning (9:00 AM) 🌅

Jesse dropped Stanley.

Stanley enter supermarket and say 

“Good morning ma'am.” to Allen

“Good morning Stanley,” Allen replied.

Work started.

After some time, Rachel came.

Everything looked normal.

But something inside Stanley had changed.

Stanley asked—

“Ma’am… I want to ask you something.”

Allen said—

“Yes?”

“I want to know about Rachel.”

Allen smiled.

“Why are you asking this?”

Stanley said—

“We are good friends now… but I don’t know about her.”

Allen stayed quiet.

Then said—

“She is my adopted daughter.”

Stanley got shocked.

Allen continued—

“She was travelling with her family in Alaska. It was in 2016, on the Glenn Highway near Anchorage… Then a road accident happened. Her whole family died. She was in a coma for two months. I am her mom’s close friend… and I saw her in the hospital. I asked the doctor… they said… she lost her memory.”

Pause.

“But…, that accident removed everything from her. She doesn’t remember her past. I told her… I am her mother. That lie saved her… and that became her truth.”

Allen looked serious.

“Stanley, please… this truth should never be known by Rachel. If she knows… she will feel bad.”

Stanley stood silent.

A heavy feeling stayed inside him.

For a moment, he didn’t speak.

He slowly understood one thing—

Just like he hid his past from the world…

Rachel’s past was hidden from herself.

He looked calm outside…

But inside, something changed.

A quiet decision.

Stanley asked—

“Ma’am… when is her birthday?”

Allen said—

“February 7, 2003.”

Stanley and Allen realised.

Allen said—

“Tomorrow is her birthday… I will go buy something for her. You take care of the store.”

Stanley nodded.

He stood there silently…

And saw Rachel working at the billing counter among customers, smiling happily.

Stanley smiled as he looked at her…

And said to himself—

“Rachel, I promise…

I will always be with you. ❤️”

To Be Continued...

Story & Created by

Salomon Raj ✍🏽✨