A Love Story

“Why are you so serious? Is the music here not suitable for you?” A slip of paper appears on the table of the pub where Rose sits alone. She turns around. “This is my first time to meet this boy, but I cannot call to mind who he is.” Rose is murmuring to herself when the boy buys her a cup of Margarita mix. He hides the cold and decent facial expression and gazes at Rose soulfully. Rose is not afraid of this strange boy as she is always afraid of strangers, because the boy’s face seems shining and warm. They have an animated talk from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. for two hours long. They chitchat from daily college life to families, even failed relationships and emotional experiences. Under the alcohol stimulation Rose feels extremely sleepy and her head becomes heavier and heavier, she is gonna close her eyes. “Hello, hello. Do you meet me before I fade away?” The voice of Jack is far away…A little bit tart and a little bit sugary. The taste of Margarita is just like the taste of love between Rose and Jack in later years.

Rose wakes up and finds herself sitting upon the swing. Jack stands behind her and pushes her to swing backwards and forwards. As night falls to 2 a.m., the silver moonlight sprinkled on the earth. There are few people in the street park. Patches of green spaces surrounds them. The wind blew and blew away the trifle tipsy. The drunk feeling is melting at Jack’s singing, a song named <I want you>. The airs seems to have solidified. Although she is acquainted with Jack less than three hours, she guesses this is the most romantic and comforting moment she could ever had in her period of difficulties and hardships.

Jack and Rose are students in Edinburgh University. Each day Jack meets Rose in diverse places, using eternal identity. None but Jack knows the fact that Rose has caught temporary amnesia since her breakup with ex-boyfriends. She meets a “new” Jack everyday due to she has forgotten the “old” Jack accompanies her yesterday. He is a strict leader in the student union during daytime, assign works to secretaries and organize meetings. However, he gives all his gentleness and blandness to Rose at night. He tells jokes, read poems and novels for her. The happiest moment for Jack is whenever Rose bursts out laughing.

“I heard that King Arthurs’ Seat is a wonderful place to watch the sunrise.” Rose suddenly says to Jack and grab his thoughts back to reality.

“Then go back to change your clothes and I will wait for you at the lounge downstairs your dormitory.” Jack replied.

Rose uses her shortest time to take a shower, put on makeup and sports shoes. The television in the lounge makes a loud noise, but Jack is sleeping quietly on the sofa. He is exhausted and drowsy after drinking and blowing a cold wind over. Rose doesn’t wake Jack up. She sits opposite down to him and observing his face. She tries so hard to memorize him. She paces up and down in the small lounge and studies the sleeping posture of Jack. They set out to the mountain after Jack’s one-hour sleep.

They go across the grass along the expressway side. There are no rock stairs on King Arthur’s Seat. There’s no road on the earth, and more people walk, they become roads. Jack and Rose follow the footsteps, climbing up the mountain step by step. Mountaineering is a kind of physical activity, so Rose breaths heavily.

“You can catch the tail of my jacket.” Jack says. Rose must be nervous to be with a stranger, Jack thinks secretly. Surprisingly, Rose holds Jack’s hand. It is like a sign to Jack, and he brace himself up to pull Rose to the top of the mountain in four o’clock in the morning. Small rocks, huge rocks, small sands, crabgrass are everywhere. Two young guys are panting and perspiring. Perseverance means victory. Finally, they reached the top of the mountain. What a great view to see the whole nightscape of Edinburgh city!

The sky is getting brighter and brighter, but the wind is getting stronger and stronger. It’s freezing cold. Rose and Jack sit back-to-back aside the compass on the mountain top, shivering and trembling. Tourists climb up during five to six o’clock and takes pictures with colorful gestures. Unluckily, the half night waiting is wasted. It is a typical rainy day in Scotland. The sun doesn’t rise in rainy days. Rose and Jack decided to go downhill at half past six. Although they didn’t see the sunrise, the unforgettable experience remains in Jack’s heart for so many years.

Rose spent her memorable and precious time with Jack. They first met accidentally. They played on the swing romantically. They climbed the mountain laboriously. They waited and blowing the wind on the hilltop miserably. They hold their hands sweetly. It is a special day for Rose, but it is also a normal day for Jack. Rose forgets Jack after her deep sleep later, and Jack keeps appearing in front of her as a “new” Jack. He accompanies Rose to do whatever she wants to do as a stranger each day, full of courage, full of excitement. The story is going on, but accompany is the longest confession of love.

Wish each one of us has the lucky to meet someone who is willing to accompany us to wander.