Ayearwentby,anditwashardtolivewithouthermate.Withlonelinessandsolitude,thathadbecomeherfate.Then,theveryhour,asonValentinesbefore,thedoor-bellrang,andtherewereroses,sittingbyherdoor.Shebroughttherosesin,andthenjustlookedattheminshock.Then,wenttogetthetelephone,tocallthefloristshop.Theowneranswered,andsheaskedhim,ifhewouldexplain,whywouldsomeonedothistoher,causinghersuchpain?
「Iknowyourhusbandpassedaway,morethanayearago,」Theownersaid,「Iknewyou』dcall,andyouwouldwanttoknow.」「Theflowersyoureceivedtodaywerepaidforinadvance.」「Yourhusbandalwaysplannedahead,heleftnothingtochance.」
「ThereisastandingorderthatIhaveonfiledownhere.Andhehaspaid,wellinadvance,you』llgetthemeveryyear.TherealsoisanotherthingthatIthinkyoushouldknow.Hewroteaspeciallittlecardhedidthismanyyearsago.」
「Then,shouldever,Ifindoutthathe'snolongerhere.That』sthecard…thatshouldbesent,toyouthefollowingyear.「
Shethankedhimandhungupthephone,hertearsnowflowinghard.Herfingersshaking,assheslowlyreachedtogetthecard.Insidethecard,shesawthathehadwrittenheranote.Then,asshestaredintotalsilence,thisiswhathewrote:」Hellomylove,Iknowit』sbeenayearsinceI』vebeengone,Ihopeithasn』tbeentoohardforyoutoovercome.「Iknowitmustbelonely,andthepainisveryreal.Forifitwastheotherway,IknowhowIwouldfeel.Thelovewesharedmadeeverythingsobeautifulinlife.Ilovedyoumorethanwordscansay,youweretheperfectwife.」
「Youweremyfriendandlover,youfulfilledmyeveryneed.Iknowit'sonlybeenayear,butpleasetrynottogrieve.Iwantyoutobehappy,evenwhenyoushedyourtears.Thatiswhytheroseswillbesenttoyouforyears.
「Whenyougettheseroses,thinkofallthehappinessthatwehadtogether,andhowbothofuswereblessed.IhavealwayslovedyouandIknowIalwayswill.But,mylove,youmustgoon,youhavesomelivingstill.
「Please…trytofindhappiness,whilelivingoutyourdays.Iknowitisnoteasy,butIhopeyoufindsomeways.Theroseswillcomeeveryyear,andtheywillonlystopwhenyourdoor』snotanswered,whenthefloriststopstoknock.
「Hewillcomefivetimesthatday,incaseyouhavegoneout.Butafterhislastvisit,hewillknowwithoutadoubt.Totaketherosestotheplace,whereI』veinstructedhim,andplacetherosewhereweare,togetheronceagain.」
紅玫瑰花是她的最愛,她的名字也叫Rose。每年她的丈夫都要送她打了可愛蝴蝶結的紅玫瑰。他去世的那年,玫瑰花送到了她的門口,卡片上寫著:「我的情人節禮物」,跟往年一樣。
每年他為她送紅玫瑰,卡片上總這樣說:「我今年更愛你,比去年的今天更愛。」「隨著逝去的歲月,我對你的愛一直在增長。」她知道這將是最後一次收到玫瑰花。她想,他是提前訂了玫瑰花。她親愛的丈夫不知道,他將走了。他總喜歡把事情做在前頭,這樣,如果他很忙的話,每件事都照樣做得妥妥當當。她整理好花莖,把它們插進一個特別的花瓶,然後,將花瓶放在他滿臉笑容的像片旁,她會在她丈夫喜歡的椅子上坐上好幾個小時,看著他的相片,玫瑰花放在那兒。
一年過去了,沒有他的日子很難過。孤獨和寂寞,成了她的命運。然而,在情人節這天,跟以往送花的時間相同,門鈴響了,在她的門口放著玫瑰花。她將玫瑰拿進屋,吃驚地看著它們。然後,撥通了花店的電話。她問店主能否向她解釋一下,為什麼有人要這麼做,引起她的痛苦?
「我知道你的丈夫一年多前去世了,」店主說。「我知道你會打電話來,你想知道是怎麼回事。」「今天你收到的花,已經提前付了錢。」「你的丈夫總是提前計劃,他做事從來不碰運氣。」
「我的存檔裡有一個固定的訂單,他已經提前付了錢,你每年都會收到玫瑰花。還有另外一件事,我想你應該知道,他寫了一張特別的小卡片……他幾年前就寫好了的。」
「這樣,如果我發現他已不在人世的話,這張卡片……這張卡片將在下一年送給你。」
她謝了他,掛了電話,眼淚奪眶而出,當她慢慢地伸手去拿卡片時,她的手指在顫抖。在卡片裡,他看到了他寫給她的短信。她默默地看著,他是這樣寫的:「親愛的,我知道我離開你已經一年了,我希望你所度過的這段日子不是太難。」「我知道你肯定很孤獨,而且這種痛苦是如此的真切。因為如果這樣的事發生在我身上,我知道我會有怎樣的感受。我們分享的愛讓生命中的每件事都是那麼的美好,我對你的愛無法用言語表達,你是最完美的妻子。
「你是我的朋友和愛人,你總能滿足我的每一個需求。我知道才過了一年,但是請你盡可能不要悲傷。我希望你快樂,即使流著淚。這就是為什麼在今後的歲月裡每年都會送玫瑰給你?
「當你收到這些花時,請想想我們一起度過的所有的幸福時光,我們是怎樣受到祝福的。我一直愛著你,我知道我將永遠愛著。但是,親愛的,你必須繼續生活下去,你還有好多日子要過。
「請你……在你的生活中努力去尋找歡樂,我知道並不容易,但我希望你能找到一些方式。玫瑰每年都會送來,而且,只有當你不再應門時,只有當花店店主停止敲門時,它們才不會再來。
「這一天,以防你出門不在,他會來5次。你是否還在,他最後一次拜訪就會明瞭。他會將花送到我指定的地方,並將玫瑰放在我們再次相聚的地方。」
GoBackHome回家
AgentlebreezeblewthroughJennifer』shair.Thegoldenredsunwassetting.Shewasonthebeach,lookingupatthefieryball.Shewasamazedbyitscolor,deepredinthemiddle,softlyfadingintoyellow.Shecouldhearnothingbutthewavesandtheseagullsflyingupaboveinthesky.
Theatmosphererelaxedher.Afterallshehadbeenthrough,thisiswhatsheneeded.「It』sgettinglate,」shethought,「Imustgohome,myparentswillbewonderingwhereIam.」
Shewonderedhowherparentswouldreact,whenshegothomeafterthethreedaysshewasmissing.Shekeptonwalking,directingherselftobungalow163,whereshespenteverysummerholiday.Theroadwasdeserted.Shewalkedslowlyandsilently.Justinafewhundredmetersshewouldhavebeensafeinherhouse.
Itwasreallygettingdarknow,thesunhadsetafewminutesbeforeanditwasgettingcoldtoo.Shewishedshehadherfavoritejumperon:itkeptherreallywarm.Sheimaginedhavingitwithher.Thisthoughtdissipatedwhenshefinallysawherfrontdoor.Itseemeddifferent.Nobodyhadtakencareoftheoutsidegardenforafewdays.Shewasshocked:herfatherwasusuallysostrictaboutkeepingeverythingcleanandtidy,andnowItallseemeddeserted.Shecouldn'tunderstandwhatwasgoingon.
Sheenteredthehouse.First,shewentintothekitchenwhereshesawanotewrittenbyherfather.Itsaid,「DearEllen,thereissomecoffeeready,Iwentlooking.」Ellenwashermotherbut-wherewasshe?Ontherightsideofthehallwaywasherparents』room.Shewentin.Thenshesawher.Hermother,lyingonthebed,sleeping.Herfacelookedsotired,asifshehadn』tsleptfordays.Shewasreallypale.Jennywouldhavewantedtowakeherupbutshelookedtootiredtoforceher.SoJennyjustfellasleepbesideher.WhenJenniferwokeupsomethingwasdifferentshewasn』tinhermother'sroomandshewasn』twearingtheoldclothessheranawayin.Shewasinhercozybedinherpajamas.
Itfeltsowellbeingbackhome.Suddenlysheheardavoice.「Areyoufeelingbetternow,dear?Youknowyougotusvery,veryscared.」