It’s amazing how a note that carry a very important but never got delivered can cost someone a whole lot.
It was on a Saturday morning when I visited the library close by to return some of the books I had collected some days before. I made my way through the entrance, signed in, and headed to the shelves. After returning the books, I began to browse through other sections to see if I’d find a book of interest to me. In the process of checking I came across one book that was looking rather worn out. I started flipping through its pages. While doing so, a piece of folded paper fell out from it to the floor. I bent down and picked it up. I should have just placed the paper back in the book as I saw it, but I was curious to know what was inside. I unfolded the paper, it contained a note.
“Dear Bright,How are you doing? I know you probably don’t want to hear from me. My sincere expectation is that you find a place in your heart to forgive me. After what happened I didn’t have peace of mind because I just kept on wondering if I had done anything wrong. If you still remember me, I’ll be waiting for you at my usual spot on Sunday afternoon.
Yours,
Anna.”
The letter was dated as far back as 1998. That was almost thirty years ago.
“Hmm…interesting,” I muttered to myself.
I looked around to see if there was anyone I could call their attention to regarding the note I had just read. I saw the librarian at her chair but she was too busy conversing with some people. I waited for her to finish.
When she was done, I drew her attention to the note. At first she seemed uninterested, and collected the note absently minded. But the moment she saw the handwriting, her expression changed suddenly.
“Where did you get this from?” she asked.“Inside that old novel over there,” I replied, pointing at the novel.
She shook her head.
“This note was written by my sister.”
I was really surprised. Apparently, Anna had written this note many years to someone she had planned to get married to. But unfortunately, the guy never showed up and the marriage didn’t work out anymore. Anna had moved on with her life and gotten married to someone else and had children.
“But why was this note never delivered,” I asked.
The librarian shook her head.
“I honestly don’t know. My sister told me that she had written him several letters on various occasions but she never got any replies. Give me a minute.”
She went in and brought out a photograph.“That’s Bright,” she said, pointing at the young man standing beside her sister.On looking at the young man, his face look very familiar.“Wait a minute. Isn’t this the man that owns a pharmacy across the street?”
She nodded.
Apparently, Michael had returned back to town and neither of them were aware that the other was around.
The following Sunday the librarian asked me to accompany her to Bright’s store. She wanted to hand over the letter to him herself.When we arrived at the store, Bright seemed surprised to see the librarian. She then handed over the letter to him.
He read it and smiled slowly.“So Anna still remembers my name?” he asked.
The librarian nodded.“I honestly thought she had long forgotten me.”
Turned out Bright missed out on their meeting not because he didn’t want to see Anna, but because the letter was never delivered in the first place.
I couldn’t help but think how different things would have turned out between Bright and Anna if he had read that letter. But it didn’t matter now because this was all in the past and they had both moved on with their lives. Perhaps, that was how fate had planned for things to go between them.
Image is AI
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