I was doing my first Friday evening jog at the park, a stone throw away from my house. There were many people there, mostly strangers to me. I was doing my running till a young guy caught my attention. He was sitting on a park bench, under the tree. He was dressed smartly as though he was going to attend a formal function. Beside him, was a bouquet of roses, an umbrella and a box a gift, which I guessed is a chocolate. He has a plain look, not too handsome but enough to attract girls. ‘Must be waiting for his girlfriend,’ I thought.
Since busybody is not so much of my nature, I carried on with my jog.
One round about the park took about half an hour. I did about three round that day. And, each time of my round, I saw the guy sitting at the same place, same position as I saw him earlier as though he did not moved a muscle. He was looking a a place far away, ignorance of his surrounding. I ended my jog about 7pm, and he was still there.
The next evening, I went to the park again. This time, I was half expecting to see if the young guy is still there. Surprisingly, he was! I dutifully went on with my initial plan: to jog.
Feeling fatigue, I stopped for a rest near the guy. Almost 15 feet away behind him, I was panting while looking at him. Odd, is that he was looking at a house far ahead. I kept on looking at him. Smart attire, different suit from yesterday.
“Usually people just mind their own business,” a girl’s voice came from behind.
Startled, I look back and saw an attractive young lady behind me. I blushed instantly, not because of her presence but of what she said that made me feel bad.
“Sorry, I didn’t..,”
“Didn’t know I was here?,”she continued.
“Yeah..,”I replied. She was quite rude to act such way to me, a stranger. Maybe the guy is her friend and she is defending him.
“Erm… U know him?,” I asked, pointing at the guy.
“Yes.”
Suddenly, putting my manners behind, I have the caprice to ask. “Is he always here everyday? From morning to night?”
“Well, he is here everyday but not from morning till night. He come and sit here everyday after work.”
“Is he psychopathic of something?”
“Hah! No,” She grinned.
“Then why is he always sitting there like a dummy?”
“That’s because he is waiting for someone.”
“Someone? Who?”
“His ex-girlfriend.”
“Why.. Has he done something wrong? And does the girl live in that house he is staring?”
“No, he has done nothing wrong. And yes, the girl live there.”
I was just about to ask another question when she continued.
“You must understand, this doesn’t happen to him just recently. But a long time ago, his ex broke with him. And he has been sitting there routinely everyday since then.”
“How long ago was that?” I asked.
“Four years ago.”
“What?!! So long ago.. Why did she broke up with him?”
“They met when they were in secondary school. But they girl left to study abroad. They promised to return to each other again after the girl finishes her tertiary education. He was faithfully waiting for her. However, the girl found a new guy abroad, and decided to break up with him.
“Does he know that the girl found a new guy? He doesn’t know right? That’s why he is still sitting there.”
“No.” she continued, “He does know. His ex gave him a ring to tell him she wanted to break up with him. He just said he will wait for her to come back to him. looks like he mean it literally.”
“Then? Does his ex knows that his is sitting here waiting for her?”
“Yes. She does know about him waiting for her here. But she refused to see him or care for him anymore ever since she broke up with him. At first he waited at her house gate. But the girl phoned the cop to bring him in. So, since then, he have been sitting here after work.”
Realising that this girl knows a lot about him, I began to wonder who is she. So, I asked,”Who are you? How come you know a lot about him?”
Reluctantly, she replied,”I am that girl who left him.”
Originally by sootiong
*This story is mere fiction. If it coincides with any real life event(s), its merely a coincidence.
