20 Days of Chill - Zurich

Day 15 of A 'lil HooHaa's 20 Days of Chill!

Today's prompt is 

Zurich

Early 2000s, one of Linda's last days in Switzerland before moving abroad. She and her best friend Jason were spending the day exploring the city. 

Well, part exploring, part saying goodbye. She grew up in the area and had never lived further away than a neighbour state. 

"That was great! Why didn't I ever go on a ferris wheel ride while I was living here?"

"I still can't believe you're really leaving" he said, trying to smile. 

"Don't start. I am not going to cry tonight. Promise you're not gonna make me cry, OK? I am really bad at saying goodbye. So once we reach my car, I'm just gonna give you a quick hug, say see ya, hop in and drive off."

"What are you gonna do about your car anyway?" her friend asked.

"Max is driving it for the next six months. If for some reason I move back to Switzerland, he'll return it, otherwise he'll buy it from me."

"I think it's amazing how amicably the whole thing is going down between the two of you. Is he really clearing out and cleaning the apartment after you leave?"

Rewind a couple of months when Linda called Jason, sobbing so hard she could barely speak. Between the crying and the sniffling he heard "Australia", "break up" and "other woman".

Linda and her boyfriend Max had been together for a couple of years, and everybody knew they were going to get married, being the perfect couple and all. As soon as he checked that South America backpacking trip off his bucket list. 

As it turned out an old friend joined him in Argentina, purely platonic friendship, nothing to worry about.

Linda was not the jealous type, but she had a bad feeling about this. She actually had a dream about her boyfriend and that girl. So she worried. 

Max didn't call, text or e-mail for a while. He had fled to Australia for some surfing and soul searching. Linda pretty much ordered him to come home and sort things out. He promptly flew back, moved out of their apartment and moved in with this parents. He felt guilty, but he had made up his mind. 

Linda was heartbroken. Not only had she been dumped by her boyfriend, things went South at her job as well. She wouldn't be able to pay for the fancy apartment anymore, so she had to job and flat hunt at the same time. How could her formerly perfect live be in such shambles all of a sudden?

It wouldn't be Linda if she didn't see an opportunity in her situation, though. She always wanted to live and work in California, but a great job, a nice apartment and / or a - seemingly - perfect boyfriend always prevented her from packing up and leaving. Until now. 

"What if you meet a guy in San Diego, and you get married and have kids - I'll never see you again?" Jason was being melodramatic, she thought. 

"Well, I wouldn't mind if that happened when the time is right. For now I need to be alone and find my own way. You can always visit, and I'll be back in Switzerland for Christmas either way. Spend time with my family and renew my visa."

Linda and Jason had become close friends, and both knew this was all they were ever going to be. Linda wanted kids one day, Jason didn't. Maybe it was this fact that made their friendship so strong. 

She sure was gonna miss him. And of course tears were streaming down her face on her way to her almost empty apartment.

Did you know Zurich is one of the best Cities in the World?

Head over to check out my fellow writer's Zurich stories. We're going to take a break from posting. Hope to see you back on Monday. While in Switzerland get some Cheese!