Silence

  Silence pleasured Marilyn all the time. When there was noise around her, she would shift to a quite place. However, on usual lazy days, she would spend her day at the cemetery near her house. The place was deserted and is less likely to see anyone there. The relatives of the dead were just too busy to visit them, only one or two, but that’s rare. Marilyn never really had friends due to her weird personalities and liking. Until one day, everything changed.

  On a Saturday evening, she sat near the tombstone of her late grandfather’s as usual. She was the favorite of her grandfather and they spent the most time together. His death was a big shock of her life as he was her only friend and family.

  Sitting alone, she scribbles on her notes like she always does. While she was deep in her scribbles, suddenly a twig nearby cracked in a distance away from her. She ignored it, thinking it might be a squirrel. Few moments later, the same sound happened again and it’s closer this time. Out of curiosity, she stood up and began pacing slowly towards it. When she reached to where the sound came from, there wasn’t any living creature nearby. Everything seems normal and usual that she begin to think that she was just imagining stuff.

  Turning her back, something suddenly caught hold of her ankle. She gasped and was about to let out a scream until she saw someone lying on the ground. A young man was groaning in pain while his hand grabbed hold on her. Without hesitant, she quickly lend a hand and helped him up. There, she saw his face, although it’s covered in dirt and bruises, she can clearly see his feature. He had crystal blue eyes with brownish yellow hair. Despite his dirty appearance, she could say that he was quite a good-looking man. Scanning the weak guy, she found out that his arm was injured badly. Apparently he was shoot and it’s bleeding heavily. Immediately she took out her handkerchief to stop the bleeding. He thanked her with a weak smile.

  As he was weakened by the blood loss, Marilyn lent her strength and gently placed him near the tombstone for support. He was told to rest while she went to get some food supplies for him. He did as he was told.

  After a while, he woke up. It seems that he fall asleep with he was leaning against the stone. Marilyn sat beside him all the time, nursing his wound and gave him food. She did more than she needed to, for that he thanked her again. Seeing her kindness, he was really grateful that someone like her would aid him despite being in such a deserted place.

  As the sky was getting darker and the night starts to fall, she offered him a place to stay. Instead, he denied her and said that he prefers to stay here in the cemetery. She pleaded him many times and even told him that this place is dangerous at night, still he doesn’t seem bothered by that. Feeling helpless, she could only respect his decision and leave her warm sweater for him. As she made her way home, the young man could only look at her back and thanked her again silently.

  That night became long as she kept on thinking about him. She knew he was weak and he couldn’t protect himself if anything were set to happen. She turned her head towards the alarm clock by her bedside and the needles pointed one in the morning. She knew she had to wait until the sun is up but somehow the long hours seem like years to come. She looked out the window and looked at the cemetery’s direction, everything seems the same. Despite that, she doesn’t feel assured and she was so convinced to visit him again. Given in to her patience, she grabbed her sweater and began her trip to her destination.

  Walking towards the cemetery at night was not something she does. Thus, it looked scary and it was unusually quite, even for her. The night was unnaturally cold for a summer night and the fog got denser as she makes her step. Feeling unpleasant, she quickens her pace to check on the boy.

  Just before she reaches, she saw a light flickering in a distance. Determine to her concern, she ignored it and walked even faster. However, the closer she walked towards it, a figure came into a view. Feeling insecure, she immediately hid behind a few tombs away.

  She stared at the figure in disbelief. It was the young man she saved earlier in the afternoon. Although she isn’t superstitious, she had a feeling that he wasn’t from earth but from the other world. Without realizing, she experienced a supernatural event. He seems to be fading away as he walked towards the light. Just before he leaves, he turned and his eyes meet Marilyn’s.

  “Thank you for everything. You did great and don’t worry. Just be friendly. I know you will have a bright future, Marilyn” He said just before disappear for eternal.

  The next day, she had a high fever however the event last night still vividly runs in her mind. Still remembering his last words and voice, he seems familiar and closer than she thought he would. When her curiosity overwhelmed her, she searched through the old photo album and found out that he looked exactly like her grandfather during his younger days.

  Looking at the picture, tears flow down her cheek. She felt safe and happy that her beloved grandfather will always be watching her from above. She was lucky that she get to see him for the last time again. For that, she thanked her need of “silence”, as if wasn’t for that, she wouldn’t see him again.