A middle-aged stranger
After enjoying the movie, I dropped my friends in their place and I was driving the car to get back to my home. Ever since I was 12, I have been thinking about my father's detective office and I was ready to do anything to get that office but still not sure what to do.
Even though I was thinking about this, my focus on driving the car did not dissipate but suddenly I was panicked and stopped the car when a 45-year-old man was crossing that road thinking of something.
At the speed, I stopped the car, I jerked forward and dashed back to my seat. If I had hit him, he would not have been alive. I opened the door fast without delaying even a minute and went to him angrily.
“What do you do? If I thought for a moment to stop the car, you'd be dead.” I shouted at him furiously but he looked worriedly at me and then turned his gaze on the snow-covered trees.
“Hello!” I waved my hand before his eyes. “Look at me. I'm asking you. You are deaf?” My anger and tension were expressed in words.
He turned in shock. “Did you talk to me?” He asked skeptically, raised his eyebrows and it stunned me.
“Of course yes. What am I crazy about talking to myself?” I was irritated by the way he behaved.
“I can't believe it.” He smiled in surprise.
“Can't believe it? what?” Now I was confused and disgusted.
“You don't understand it. Anyway, I'm Michael.” He said cheerfully.
“Kevin.” I extended my hand to him.
“How is this possible?” I could hear him muttering to himself.
“What's possible?” I asked impatiently.
“You don't understand my situation and I can't say.” He mumbled again.
“Yes. I don't understand anything and I don't know why I'm talking to you.” I replied in confusion and also I don't want to leave him there.
“I don't know how to express my happiness. Great to meet you, Mr. Kevin.” He said brightly.
With so much joy, he forgot to shake my hand. I smiled, “Where are you going? I will drop you.” Before hearing his answer, I opened the door and waited for him because it was really hard for me to stand in that snow. When he got in the car, I closed the door.
“Why are you doing this to me?” When I sit in my seat, Mr. Michael asked suspiciously.
“I have seen you somewhere before but I don't know when and where..” I struggled in confusion.
“No one has seen me here for 17 years.” Mr. Michael replied suddenly.
“I don't understand any of your answers but I'm sure. I have seen you.” I kept thinking about him.
He smiled without saying a word.
“Well, Where do you want to go now?” Finally I asked before starting the engine.
“After a long time, I am going to visit my family.” He answered clearly.
“Where they are right now?” Suddenly, I don't know where it came from that the curiosity to know about his family.
“In the dark forest.” He replied with no emotion on his face.
“Dark Forest?” I was shocked. “When did you leave them there?” There was a sort of tension inside me. He was staring at me, when I asked him.
“17 years ago,” He answered patiently.
“What?” I asked with suspicion and nothing was understandable. “Will anyone leave the family for 17 years? How would they have lived without you?” I stacked up my questions.
These are the questions I asked, but there were many running through my mind.
“I was in big trouble and I couldn't find them. Only a week ago, I found out where they are staying.” Mr. Michael said miserably.
“If so, you are going to meet them after a long time? I think, this Christmas is going to be unforgettable for you and your family. Have you bought them gifts.” I don't understand why I care so much about Mr. Michael's family. Something was grabbing me. I was eager to go with him and visit his family but it's only 15 minutes before I meet Mr. Michael and how do I take this right to him? If he thinks something wrong about me?
I let myself relax a little and asked again, “I asked if you had bought gifts?” I reminded him of the gifts so that he could forget his worries.
“I forgot about the gifts and now I have no money.” After saying that, he was thinking something deeply.
“Don't worry, I'm ready to do whatever help you need.” I said this wholeheartedly because my mind kept telling me that only I can help him.
“Can you do this?” Mr. Michael asked.
I could see the joy in his face and a little tension in his speech.
“Hmm...” I nodded decisively.
“Okay stop the car right here.” He said suddenly.
When I heard what he said, I stopped the car and he told me to open the car door because he was hurt on his hands. He got out of the car and said that he had some work.
“Come tomorrow morning to the same place where you met me. I'll be waiting for you there.” He said softly.
I could not shift my gaze from him. I kept looking at him in silence and forgot to answer him.
“Okay now you go.” A few seconds later, he told me to leave.
I relaxed, started the engine and left. His behavior and actions were unfathomable and it made me think of him the whole night.
I woke up the next morning before my mom woke me up. I didn't care for the cold and also no desire to sleep. I didn't say anything to mom and also to my brother Joe.
I went to visit Mr. Michael, forgetting about the plan to go out with my friends.
Something was insisting me to respect his words and I drove the car fast, hoping to meet him again. From my early teens, I was interested in reading detective novels and wished to work in the detective field. Maybe it made me curious to know more about him.
He had been there before me. “You have arrived early.” I smiled.
He smiled calmly. When I opened the door, without saying a word, he got into the car. I took him to the shop to buy gifts for his family. He asked me to buy some clothes for his daughter but he didn't even know how much his daughter would grow up now. He stayed in the car because he said that he was sick. Without understanding what to do, I also went to the store and bought few dresses.
“I'll return your money back soon.” He said thankfully.
“It doesn't matter.” I replied casually.
“May I ask you something?” Mr. Michael asked impatiently.
“What?” I turned my head, looked at him once and shifted my gaze to the road.
“Are you in love?” There was some sort of tension in his voice.
I smiled and then proceeded. “I have never seen my favorite girl so far.”
When he heard my words, there was much joy on his face. I did not understand the meaning of that happiness seen on his face. We went quietly for a while.
“Will you marry my daughter?” Without any tension, he asked in a brave tone.
But I was shocked when he asked me to marry his daughter. How could he ask without knowing anything about me? It was all new to me.
After a moment of silence, I started to talk. “Are you kidding me? After a long time, now you are going to see your daughter and you know nothing about her. How can you ask me to marry her?” I ended up fast.
We both kept quiet for a while but he was staring at the road because he doesn't know what to talk to me. I asked him the questions that I had in my mind but didn't think it would hurt him.
I broke the silence to distract him. “Well, when are we going to the dark forest?” I asked curiously.
“What? Are you coming with me?” He asked in amazement.
“Of course yes. I want to see how they feel, when you visit your family after a long.” I was more interested in meeting his family than him. Going into the forest can be an adventurous ride.
Suddenly, I was shocked because I remember my mom. Yes I promised Mr. Michael without thinking of her. She would never agree to an adventurous trip like this. Not knowing what to do, I kept thinking about my mom.
Suddenly he interrupted, “Maybe, if you're coming with me tomorrow, you should come alone.” He said in a commanding voice.
“What is the reason? Why should I hide this from others?” I asked with confusion.
“Because I don't trust anyone and I can't trust anyone.” He responded bitterly and shifted his gaze.
Hearing what he said made me realize that he was suffering from something. I could understand the depth of his anxiety and also I could not ask him any more questions besides driving the car in silence.
I dropped him at the same place and went back tiredly.
Another surprise awaited me in my room. I went home with many confusions and it was my friends who were waiting for me.
When I saw them, I did not understand what to do. As if something was stuck, I rubbed my hand on my forehead.
Finally, I opened my mouth and said “Hey,” I smiled at the thought of calming them down but when they stared at me, I realized that they were very angry.
“What's your problem?” Amy asked gravely.
“Uh... Hmm... Nothing.” I shook my head but didn't meet them face to face.
“Talk to me.” Jake tapped me.
“What are you asking him? He does not remember us.” Rob shouted.
“Why don't you call us and didn't even pick up when we called?” Hannah asked furiously.
I was stunned not knowing what to answer for them. Anyway they are not going to let me go until I tell the truth and also, I can't lie to them.
“We need the truth, Kevin. You've never done anything like this before.” Rob spoke like he knew what I was thinking in my mind.
I shared a silent look for a while and then I slowly lay down on my bed. The thought of telling them the truth or not was running through my mind.
After a while my thoughts came to a conclusion that I must tell the truth. I began to tell them what had happened after I met Mr. Michael. They haven't spoken anything since I started saying it.
To find out their expression, I looked up but they were quietly thinking.
“This is not good, Kevin.” Hannah spoke out loud.
“You never know who he is and how did you do so much for him? I'm so confused.” Jake stumbled.
“You're going to run the detective office in the future. Don't you know that it is foolish to go into the Dark Forest without trusting someone?” Amy reminded me of my ambition.
“His father was right, of course, he refused to give him the detective office.” Jake poured out his words in anger.
I waited quietly for their anger to subside. They are afraid that any danger will come to me but I was afraid that maybe they would tell this to my mom.
“You shouldn't go to that forest.” Hannah said sternly. “We keep talking but you are just watching quietly.” Her anger was growing. “Rob, Say something.” She turned and looked at him.
“Who am I to stop him.?” Rob said in disgust.
I started to talk because the problem was too much and it would not work if I kept quiet. “I had promised to help him but I'm going to break that promise for my friends.” I said with regret.
I know they won't let me live in guilt and so I was waiting for their response. They were wondering what to say but finally Rob opened his mouth. “Well you can do whatever you like but not without us.” He demanded.
I find no way to refuse what Rob said and it came to my mind that Mr. Michael told me not to tell anyone. What can I do? The struggle was going on in my mind whether Mr. Michael or my friends. In the end, my friends just won and I have decided to take them with me into the Dark Forest.
“Okay. Get ready for tomorrow.” I said half-heartedly.
They all agreed and left.
I woke up early in the morning and got ready. When I opened the window, morning cold breeze touched my face, the rising snowfall has confirmed that the month December is going to born in two days.
I closed the window door and slowly went down with my bag. I was more and more worried about what he would think of me but I took my friends and went to the place where I met Mr. Michael.
Everyone was eager to meet him. He usually waits there before me, but today he doesn't come after I arrived. It embarrassed me.
We couldn't get out of the car because it was 8am and the snow was so high. An hour went but Mr. Michael hasn't arrived yet. I was worried that there was any danger to him but waiting for somebody was annoying to my friends.
Regardless of the snowfall, I got down from the car and waited for him.
“He will not come.” Amy's voice distracted me from thinking about Mr. Michael.
“He will come.” I said strongly and turned my face away.
“What happened to you, Kevin?” Jake got down, closed the car door fast and shouted.
“Nothing.” I shrugged.
“If so, get in the car. We have to leave this place.” Jake spoke out loud again.
I was standing there like ignoring what he said and I understood that my behavior would make my friends angry.
“What's between you two?” Rob asked.
“Nothing.” I shrugged again.
“You are struggling like a fish lying outside the water.” said Amy.
“Okay relax. Well we can look for him.” Hannah tried to console me.
“How long have we been waiting here? We don't know who he is and where to find him?” said Jake and he couldn't keep quiet.
“Don't say anything to appease him because we cannot seek him.” said Rob.
Rob realistically told the truth because even I know they cannot seek Mr. Michael without knowing who he is and where he came from.
“Let's leave now.” Hannah persisted.
It came to my mind that she was right because I didn't want to bother my friends. Mr. Michael didn't save his words but he told me not to tell anyone, I guess he didn't come because I told my friends. I can't understand who's at fault. Without saying a word I got into the car.
Jake started the engine. I could never forget his face, his voice and his problem. He was an innocent man and I had promised him that I would take him to his family.
I had to spend that day with my friends.
Then I reluctantly drove the car and came home. When I got out of the car and opened the back door to pick up my bag, I saw the gifts Mr. Michael had bought for his family.
I felt very frustrated and without talking to anyone in my family, I went upstairs. Even though I was tired, I couldn't sleep and watching when the night was over. I was lying in bed without sleep all night.
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