by Phuong Trinh

Linh herself onto the sofa. Her high-heeled shoes partly slipped off her feet and partly clung to her toes. One of her bag straps dangled loosely on her finger and the other hung free. Teardrops trickled down her cold face. Now at the age of thirty-one, she had just ended an eight-year relationship. This evening her boyfriend took a pretty young woman to her home to introduce his new girlfriend to her. "Linh, this is my girlfriend. We first became friends a long time ago," he said, smiling.

Eight years! Eight years side by side was quite a long time. However, he had not promised her anything. He always came to her when he was in trouble or when he needed solace. Time and again, she had hinted about their future marriage, but he only replied, "I like you very much; nevertheless, I don’t want you to expect anything from me. So long as I’m unable to arrange my living conditions, I don’t dare to deal with our love affairs." From the bottom of her heart, she believed that he was serious and responsible and she silently waited and waited. She didn’t hold a grudge against him when she gave him her money, when necessary.

"You took me for your lover but I didn’t promise anything. When I tell you not to wait for me, that means that I never fell in love with you," he said to her. He also told her that from then on, he hoped they would remain friends.

When Linh woke up, she felt that she should say a few last words to him. She rang him up. Without waiting for his answer, she said in a nervous voice:

"I don’t criticise you; neither do I bear grudge upon you. But I only want to tell you the truth that I’m greatly hurt." Saying so, she burst into tears.

"Who’s made you that hurt?" a strange male voice asked.

She was startled. She realised that she had called the wrong number.

"Oh dear, I’m awfully sorry!" she apologised.

"Anyhow, what can I do for you, my dear?"

She fell silent. How considerate his voice was! It was already eleven at night. Obviously, the person at the other end was a stranger. She intended to say sorry, then put an end to the reluctant conversation, but she hesitated.

"What’s the matter with you? You’re making me very worried."

"Well, we’re total strangers, aren’t we?" she mumbled.

"But the law doesn’t prohibit strangers from helping each other."

She smiled and wished to tease him a bit. "If I told you that I would like to invite you to my place, what would you think?"

"Please give me your address first," replied the stranger. His sincere and enthusiastic voice prevented her from going on further.

"Sorry! I don’t want to bother you," she entreated.

"No, no troubles at all. If you don’t believe me…"

"No, that isn’t what I mean."

"I found your voice laden with tears and I think I can to do something to console you. If life gives you suffering, it also offers you solace. That’s the raison d’etre! Of course, I’ll come to you," he stated solemnly.

"Were things that simple?" she asked herself dubiously. But from her heart, she would feel very upset if she failed to meet this special guy. At last, she read her address slowly and clearly. Meanwhile, she could hear his pen running on paper.

***

She felt greatly confused. Would it be a memorable day? That was the end of her eight-year affection with her ex-lover and the beginning of her new relationship with a stranger. All was like a dream. Could it be a trick? Time went by slowly, second by second. "Whom have I been waiting for? How can I believe in such a stranger?" she asked herself. "Why’s he willing to spare his precious minutes to come to me? Obviously, this is only a joke and I’ll squander my time for nothing," she reproached herself. At once she turned off the light and went to bed.

All of a sudden, she heard an engine resounding louder and louder in the alley, then it died away. Immediately, she jumped out of bed, walked to the window opened it wide. It turned out to be one of her next-door neighbours coming back home late. However, she did not return to the bed at once, but instead she just stayed there in wait. "Maybe, tonight, I will hardly sleep a wink," she said to herself.

Suddenly, her phone rang. A message was being sent from an unknown phone.

"Please wait for me for a few more minutes and don’t be anxious," the strange voice said.

One hour had elapsed. "Why does God give me such an extraordinary guy?" she exclaimed. Scores of minutes passed by again, and again her telephone rang.

"Now, I’m standing in front of your house," he told her.

Linh went downstairs and opened the gate. Facing her was a thin and small young man with a nice face and bobbing hair. He seemed to be younger than her.

"Good evening!"

Without replying, she sat down on the luggage carrier of his motorbike. A sense of relief, like a dream, came to her. He took her away along a road lined with old trees and stopped by the river bank. Parking his vehicle, he sat down, looking at the waters and said, "Everything will pass like the current of this river. Maybe you’ve been tortured terribly, but it’s an inevitable part of life."

She sat down beside him.

"I feel a deep grief when I think of him borrowing my money to have a good time with his girlfriend, though this might be a product of my imagination. Actually, he’s always repaid me."

"I’ve come here not to judge, but to bring you peace of mind. Man isn’t irredeemable, neither is he an angel. I know your circumstance. It’s not easy to get over it. However, it’s useless to suffer forever. He might be leading a happy life. No matter how sad you are, he’ll be unable to get close to you and give you a moment of happiness. It’s easier to say than to do…" he persuaded her.

"I can do it," she answered promptly.

Both fell into silence, then both looked at each other. His caressing glance seemed to have eased her pangs of love.

"I’ll iron out my sufferings," she said resolutely.

"Think that you’re dreaming. Tomorrow, we’ll be strangers as before. I’ve come here to make sure you are safe and sound, that’s all," he said.

"Can people like you exist in real life? Going from one end of the city to the other just to help a young woman you’ve never met," she asked.

"On the contrary, turning a deaf ear to somebody else’s suffering is a shameful thing!"

All of a sudden, she placed a burning kiss on his forehead.

"Have you ever been kissed like this by any of those you’ve helped?" she asked him.

"Well, I never…" he answered calmly.

"So, I’ve kissed you on behalf of those who’ve ever been supported by you."

"Thanks a lot. I’ve never found anyone that’s so kind-hearted. Your affection speaks volumes," he confessed.

***

He took her home. She intended to ask his name at first, but on second thought she did not, for she believed that this was merely a beautiful dream. He wished her a nice sleep then rode away. Linh felt as if the wings of a heavenly messenger had shed golden light over her house before she returned to the real world.

***

At that moment, at the other end of the city, in a small house, a light was still on. Beside a window kept ajar, a young woman remained lulled her little child to sleep, waiting for her husband’s return. Soon she heard the loud noises caused by a motorbike engine. She stood up and unlocked the door.

"Where have you been?"

"At a sick person’s house who needed my help."

"Yesterday, you did the same as today: returning home very late…"

"Then try to go to sleep as usual. I’ve told you for the umpteenth time that you should give me another door key, darling."

"It’s unnecessary to make another key. How can I go to sleep when you are out?" she answered.

"I’m very tired. Tomorrow, I’ll have to change my phone number."

Then he took off his coat, tossed it onto the ground and dropped himself on to the bed. His wife picked up his clothes and lowered the mosquito net.

"Tomorrow, who will regard him as a heavenly messenger while I and my baby anxiously wait for him to come home?" she asked herself.