Greatest Liar

 

She was 22 while he was 21.

 

They met each other in a literary salon. The boy was a policeman while the girl was still in college. He looked very gentle and traditionally bookish. She was slender and graceful. His sensitive nature entranced her. Her comeliness overwhelmed him. Both of them were astonished that their love for each other exploded like a split atom. They were deeply in love and desired to live happily ever after.

 

“He would write me a poem when he looked out of the window. He had great handwriting. When I was walking in countryside, he would take a photo my back.  He was tall with a lean figure, high height. Stay close besides him made me feel safe and protected. Actually he would be a kid when there was just he and I, becoming dependent and attached to me. It was a great period of time.”

 

He was going to pick her up from school as usual. However, she was not there, so he went to her apartment to find her. She was actually having a chat in her neighbor’s room. He was afraid he would miss her. There was no phone or other ways that they could connect with each other, so he moved back and forth looking for her. Finally, he found her sitting inside of the neighbor’s room with more than a little relief.

 

“He blamed me because I did not tell him I was there, which made him nervous and anxious. Then he sat down and said, ‘I am a little tired.’ ”

 

Suddenly, he fell to the ground went into convulsions. His eyes became scrunched.

 

She and her friend were shocked by his abnormal behavior. She stood there watching like she was bolted to the floor, feeling transfixed at a loss. Her friend reacted first, rushing out to ask help from others.

 

There was a young man just passing by their door. He picked him up, running out without saying a word. Because during that time all the people living in a same community would share an entertainment area together, a lot of people came to help them. A middle-aged man pedaled a bicycle cart, carrying him to the hospital. She sat inside together with him and held him tightly in her embrace. She was eerily quiet, and tears were streaming down her face.

 

“I have always thought people were warmhearted and selfless. They all ran to the Provincial People’s Hospital with us. You know how far it is.”

 

Almost all of the people in her community flooded into the hospital. He was rushed to the emergency room. Because everyone left in such a hurry, the money was far from enough to give to the hospital even when everybody contributes their money. A man took off his watch at once, and said he would like to use it as collateral. Almost immediately a elderly women took her ring from her finger, and gave it to the nurse.

 

“When I heard the result, I was actually thinking nothing. My mind went blank. I was hollowed out at that moment.”

 

She stood outside of the emergency room, watching doctors put all kinds of electric instrument on his body. Then she turned and crouched down with her back towards the door. She only remembered it was an extremely long surgery, which seemed like years for her. She cannot remember how she spent those several hours. The only thing she still wonders now is how one person could have so many tears.

 

The doctor tried their best, but all rescue measures proved ineffectual. He died.

 

A few days later, his funeral came as scheduled. All of his family and his colleagues mourned, because he was such a young and gentle person. His sister was almost crushed. She emerged, screaming and crying in anguish. Most of his family anger was directed at her.

 

She stood in a corner feeling small and hopeless. She did not know how to respond to complains and anger, so she was just staring at him, who was lying in the middle of the mourning hall motionless.

 

“I brought some small items he always carried: the chocolate and his pills. Put them in his breast pocket. I hope they could accompany him. I also attached a photo of mine, which was his favorite. ”

 

Everyone passed by his body and said their last words to him. She walked as slow as she could. He was going to be cremated, and she would never see his face again.

 

While she was walking around him, she talked quietly like whispering to him, “Take me along with you.”

 

In a twinkling of an eye, 30 years passed.

 

“I used to believe I would NEVER forget that feeling of being heart-stricken,” she frowns. “The truth is, lots of feelings are no longer that clear at all.”

 

“Sometimes, things happen to make people think they are going to die of grief,” after a gap of several seconds, she relaxed but calmly says. “Sadly, time is a thief, and the only thing you can do is watch it stealing things away.”

 

“However, this thief steals to help sometimes.” she heaves a sigh and smiles.

 

My grandmother sitting besides her mutters to me, “Time is the Greatest Liar, ever.”

 

On a side note: this girl in the story is my mother, and the first man who participated in that rescue is my father.