Chapter 4 “A Turn of Fate”

The next day, I woke up with my mind made up to find her, go to her house and talk to her, tell her how I felt, tell her that I thought that I was in love with her.  I had started towards the door when my mother entered, a letter in her hands and tears in her eyes.     

“It’s your brother, Roland.  He’s been hurt!”

My older brother was on the front lines of the war, very far from home.  He had been shot, and that the doctors had had to amputate half of his left arm.  It appeared that thanks to him, they had been able to save the lives of many of his platoon.  For this, he had been awarded a medal of valor and was going to be sent home as soon as he was stable and ready to travel.  After receiving this news, both of us were completely taken aback and the courage I had felt that morning disappeared.

However, I was once again surprised that same afternoon as I leaned dejected on the sill of my bedroom window.  As I looked out, I saw Nassay coming towards my house.  I leaped down the stairs in a single bound and threw open the door as if the house was on fire.

“Hello, Daniel.  Would you care to take a walk with me?”

I couldn’t believe my luck!  I, the lone wolf, the strange one, perhaps different from the rest and there in front of me was the most beautiful and most desired women in the whole village, asking for my company.  It was unbelievable.  Could I believe that, just maybe, what had happened at the party was real?

“Of course I’ll come with you, to the end of world if necessary!” I exclaimed, bringing a beautiful smile to her face.

And so, we began to walk, heading toward the shore of the lake, both us with heads bowed, gazing at nothing.  After a time, we both spoke at the same moment.  I motioned for her to speak.

“You first,” I said.

“No, you,” she insisted.

“Look, Nassay, I realize that you’re a girl with a very promising future and that I’m just a poor orphan boy who doesn’t even know his real parents, so I’d understand perfectly if what happened last night at the party was just the moment or a thank you.  I could try to forget it, even though it would be very hard for me.”

“Daniel, none of that matters.  I know you are a good man, and your past is not your fault.  Besides, you’re not that bad looking, you know.”  She smiled, and then continued, “I’ve always felt attracted to you and I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time, but I never could.  The custom is, you know, that the boy should make the first move not the other way around.  It’s not proper around here, but I can’t hold out any longer.”

And the world stopped, and the birds were still, and the silence all around was complete, but for one sound; one voice.

“I love you, Daniel.”