"Mr. Smith!" Karluk's voice reverberated through the courtyard, catching the attention of the Englishman. "There's someone here to see you!"
Mr. Smith, a bit perplexed, approached the gate to find a formidable man standing before him. The stranger's stern countenance and dark beard added an air of mystery, while his turban hinted at his unfamiliarity with the city. Curiosity stirred within the onlookers who had gathered, their whispers and hushed conversations filling the air.
"Ah, there he is! If you're searching for a Western researcher in these parts, that's your man!" exclaimed a helpful bystander, pointing in Mr. Smith's direction.
The stranger's gaze locked onto Mr. Smith, his eyes filled with purpose as he posed his question in a deep, resonant voice, "Pardon me, sir. Are you Mr. Schmidt?"
Mr. Smith, taken aback by the misidentification, shifted awkwardly, his smile tinged with a touch of embarrassment. "Um, no, actually. It's Smith, not Schmidt. I'm Mr. Smith," he clarified, chuckling softly at the mix-up, while inwardly wondering what had brought this enigmatic visitor to seek him out.
The stranger, undeterred by the growing crowd, approached Mr. Smith with purpose. "Pardon me, sir. I have been entrusted with a task to deliver these letters to you."
Mr. Smith received the stack of letters, his curiosity piqued by their origin and the significance they held. The Khivan men, intrigued by the unexpected delivery, resumed their animated chatter, exchanging tidbits of information about the far-flung land from which the letters had come.
"This guy brought them all the way from Macedonia! Can you believe it? That's a journey across continents!" remarked one Khivan man, awe lacing his voice.
"Macedonia? That's beyond the vast oceans!" added another, his eyes widening with wonder.
Caught up in the allure of the mysterious mailman and the letters from Macedonia, Mr. Smith couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. "Ah, yes, Mr. Hawkins. I remember him now," he confessed, a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. "Tell me, my good sir, how is he faring?"
The mailman's eyes gleamed with a sense of shared connection. "Mr. Hawkins is currently in Salonica, in Macedonia.
YOU ARE READING
A Bride's Story
RomanceIn a rural town near the Caspian Sea during the Russian conquest of Central Asia in the late 19th century, Amira travels across the mountains to marry Karluk, a young boy eight years her junior.
