My friend Carla has had a very difficult couple of months, it all started since her boyfriend Pupo left the island to go back to his own country Cuba. They had been together for almost a year and they were madly in love with each other, they did everything together and you could never see one without the other, they were the perfect couple.

I remember that day like it was yesterday, that day when Pupo told her he had to leave the island for being an illegal immigrant and was being sent back to Cuba. As soon as he told her, she called me and urged me to come see her, I could sense that there was something wrong with her just by hearing the tone of her voice. When I got to Carla's house, I found her crying in the bedroom, she was the saddest that I've ever seen her be. I felt so sorry for her and so angry with myself for not being able to do anything for her, they were so perfect for each other and now he had to leave. A couple of days went by and Pupo was leaving for Cuba, before leaving he promised Carla that he would come back and till then they could do a long-distance relationship, she agreed and promised to never forget him. I knew it would be tough on them both but I though that if anybody can make a long-distance relationship work it would be them two.

As time gone by Carla still felt like there was something missing, I tried to cheer her up by organizing a surprise party, it was a big mistake. The party was going great until Carla drank too much and started being angry with everyone and left, I was worried sick trying to find her, God knows what she could do. The next day police called me, Carla committed suicide, at that moment I realized that long-distance relationships don’t work, they could not work because the relationship is just not strong enough and people start to cheat or you miss your partner just too much.

Joseph James Gough