Past Is Past Novels & Stories

On the seventh year after the breakup, I receive a package from Clarence Fraser. All 44 pounds of said package consist of the stacks of chat history I have with him in the past. Soon, Clarence's text appears on my phone screen. "Wanna meet up? I'd like to tell you something." I pause momentarily before responding with a "1". That number signifies rejection. Then, I turn my phone off. After wiping my sweat off with a towel, I pick up another crate of fruits and continue promoting them to the customers loudly, as though nothing has happened. It's been so many years, and I don't know why Clarence decides to text me all of a sudden. Similarly, he doesn't know that I've already become so

What mattered to me was that he gave everything I wanted to Michelle. Maybe before that night, I would have been moved by his gesture, but now, looking at Ryan, all I could think of were those words: “Late affection is as meaningless as a fleeting trend. If you don't act when it counts, it loses its relevance later on.” … I looked at him, offering a cold smile. “Mr. Patel, that’s all in the past now.” When old flames meet, I couldn’t pretend to be friends after a breakup, nor could I bury the past.

"Ari⁠a, if I cannot speak‍ of the pas‌t or the future.‍.. w⁠hat is left?" "The p‌resent," I‌ said‌, leaning forward. "The way this‍ terrible⁠ pasta tastes⁠. The sound of the wind outside. The fact that you‌ have flou‍r o‍n‍ your ear." He immediately r‍eached u‍p, r‍ub‌bing h‌is‌ ear with a sheepish grin. "It’s ha⁠rder th‌a‍n it sounds. My entire life has been a series of post-mortems and‍ five-year projections‌. Living in the 'now' feels... quiet."

Instead of going forward, they were going backward. To fix the past that was beyond any redemption.

He smiled as he pecked my forehead. Just then Grandma walked in and saw us smiling as she asked-" what do father and daughter discuss here without me huh?" She noticed dried tears on our cheeks. She understood what topic we must be discussing. She smiled as she said-" Remember my dear, the Past is history, we must accept the history and live with it, tomorrow is a mystery, not in our hands to control. So we have today, we must cherish it with all the happiness, as it is why called as a present."

I was saying and I almost got caught up in the past. “You have told me severally!” Smith exclaimed. “If you continue like this, I might hate that other man and wish to kill him. I want to be the only man in your history.” “I know, but it’s too late already…” I said slowly. Smith held me and made me face him. “Your past is your past but it’s all gone down the drain. I am your present and I will be your future. Focus on me and answer the question…” Smith held me. This instantly cleared my head.

The past was behind them, and the future was theirs to shape. To forever and beyond…

It was kind of ridiculous when we thought about it now. "I should have sue them for playing with my emotions like that." I stated and she rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh please.. you can't sue someone who just mistakenly use the word passed away instead of passed out." She told and I gave her a flat look, tilting my head to one side. "Not mistakenly, my love." I remarked and she smiled, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Come what may, we are together now. That's all that matters." She told and I nodded, giving her a faint smile.

It happened years ago so the real reason for it didn’t really matter anymore. He flicked his hand, waving Alvarez's comment away, "It doesn't matter now. Whatever reason she had to break up with me doesn’t seem… Look I don’t even know what to say right now.” He paused and added, “It's all in the past now, and you know what they say about it. The past is the past."

“How so?” Xavier clenched his jaw. “You’re making this more complicated than it has to be. We went over this already...I told you that I was trying. What the f*ck more do you want to hear? You’re always going off about what happened back then, it’s different now...why are you still living in the past?” “Haven’t you heard it? Your past defines your future and that’s what happened to you. You shouldn’t have done it, Xavier... should’ve known it’d come back to haunt you.”