There was a round object rolling toward me, but I didn’t notice it. Thus, I stepped on it and started toppling forward. However, the man next to me quickly pulled me back. I held his hand, which felt cool and smooth. Immediately, I thought of Christopher.
Perhaps, I really miss him too much. If not, why do I think of him every time there is a man nearby. Besides, Christopher would never let anyone call him a mute.
I could feel that the man was furious because he had kicked away the thing that made me lose my footing almost instantly. I didn’t know how scary the expression on his face was, but the boy who came chasing for his ball suddenly stopped in his tracks and cried.
As soon as I heard the kid wailing, I tugged at the man’s sleeve. “Don’t be so hostile. He’s just a child. Besides, I’m not hurt.”
Remaining silent, the man just took my walking stick from me, held my hand, and continued to walk forward, almost as if thinking that this way was the safest. What a considerate man—gentle and thoughtful, just like Christopher. Perhaps something huge had happened at home, and it molded him into the wandering vagabond that he was today.
I held his hand tightly, imagining that I was holding Christopher’s hand and naturally leaning toward him. We were really close to each other, and I thought that a tough man like him would push me away or distant himself, but he did not say a word. Instead, he pulled me closer so that my shoulder was against his arm.
We walked side by side, holding hands, into the sunset and toward the beach. After walking for a while, I said to him, “You are very similar to my husband. He can cook, too, but the food he cooks is not as delicious as yours. Yet, in my opinion, it is the best food I have eaten in my life.”
The man suddenly stopped, and I could feel that he was looking at me again. I smiled and said, “Jenny told me that you’re handsome, but you’re definitely not as handsome as my husband. He’s the most handsome and attractive man I’ve ever seen in my life.
“He’s as thoughtful as you are. He always thinks ahead and remembers things that I couldn’t recall. He takes care of me in every way and spoils me. Sometimes, it seems to me he’s treating me like a child.”
As I talked, my eyes became dry, and they felt really painful under the gauze bandages. Recently, the dosages for the medication became more and more that it made me so uncomfortable. I then crouched down and clutched at my forehead while biting my lips in agony. “Please comfort me and don’t let me cry. I mustn’t cry.”
He patted the back of my hand gently a few times in rhythm and then took my hand and pointed toward the distant sunset. I was still feeling bad, and I whimpered, “I miss him so much all the time. There is not a single moment that I do not think about him. Every day, I count the days to see how much longer I can live. Then I think about how much longer I will miss him. Even though those are just thoughts of him, they still make me happy. Even so, I feel like crying because I really want to see him so badly.
Out of nowhere, he put a stalk of flower into my hands. I sniffed the soothing fragrance from the rose and calmed down. Right at that moment, I remembered that everything was cheap in this town, all except for roses. Where did he get the rose from?
“Sir, you have taken a rose from me, and it costs one hundred. But since you treat your wife so well, I shall give you a 20% discount. Please pay me eighty because I have to replace it. I need it to propose to my girlfriend.”
Only then did I understand that this man actually got flowers from a passerby to comfort me. Upon that, I chuckled out loud. He was adorable, just like Christopher.
Then, I took out a one hundred note from my pocket and handed it to the passerby. Smiling, I said, “Sorry, here’s one hundred. Please keep it. I wish you success in your marriage proposal.”
On the third day of his arrival, I decided to give him a nickname, “Silas,” because he was always silent. I told him about this, and the man neither agreed nor disagreed. Anyway, whenever I called the name “Silas,” he would come.
When Lucas came as a guest, I told him, “He is an excellent bodyguard. He is tough enough to do repair jobs like plumbing and gentle enough to cook exquisite dishes. Strangely, you allow him to stay here with me. If you discover what he is capable of, you will surely regret.”
Oddly though, after I said that, Lucas laughed aloud in quite an awkward manner and said, “I can’t afford that. Besides, it’s better for you to discover them so that you can use his services. Oh, and don’t forget to pay him. Haha…”
