The crown of life

Chapter Eight: The Journey to New York

I entered Central Park and started walking, trying to convince myself that this wasn't madness, but it was futile. I still believed it was complete craziness and that I would leave here with a broken heart. Nonetheless, I decided to enjoy these few hours of my stay in New York, in my hometown, as it might be my only chance to see it.

I took a deep breath of the air around me. Everywhere I looked, I saw couples in love holding hands, and girls with red roses in their hands.

I was glad that none of them were paying attention to the right side of my face, which I had covered with my golden hair earlier in my apartment.

I walked and admired the beautiful and vast Central Park. Then I caught a whiff of a hot dog and suddenly felt a terrible hunger for food that I hadn't felt since dinner, which was, as usual, a box of vanilla ice cream.

I followed the smell and decided to buy a hot dog and enjoy it. I stood in a long line for the hot dog stand, which moved quickly, and in 10 minutes, I had my hot dog and ate it on a bench.

After tossing the bag in the trash, I went to the zoo to see some wild, yet trained animals.

A seal splashed me with water, ruining my purple long-sleeve shirt and jeans that I had worn this morning for my meeting with Richard. But I couldn't stay mad at that sweet animal, so I quickly extended a peace offering hand, which it touched with its fin.

I didn't enter the house with snakes and other insects because I'm afraid of them.

A giraffe touched my head with its tongue and made me laugh heartily.

When I finally reached the king of the animals, I bowed to him, and when I looked up and met the lion's eyes, I saw that he had a scar on the left side of his face. For a moment, I wondered if he had fought for his lioness or defended her from other lions, earning that scar, or if it was something entirely different.

After I finally left the zoo, it was already half past one on my phone, and I was getting a bit nervous about meeting him.

An hour and a half later:

My phone showed three o'clock, and my heart was racing as I sat on a bench, looking around. I stood up and looked around once more. But there was no one with a rose in hand.

My heart was about to explode from the strong beats. I took a deep breath, put my phone in my bag, and headed towards the Central Park exit.

But just as I was about to leave, I saw a man with a purple rose in his hand. He was facing the fountain and looking at something, something like a photograph.

I stood a meter away from him but was afraid to call out because I thought it might not be him.

I saw him put the paper into his white suit pocket and turn towards me, and I lost my breath as I saw Dr. Gabriel Day, the one who had left me alone in this cruel world.

In an instant, I wanted to yell at him, attack him because he had promised in numerous letters that he would never leave me alone without anyone of mine, but he had done just that. Yet, in the next moment, I wanted to hug him and never let go.

"Dr. Gabriel Day?" – I called out instead of the two unacceptable and rude options.

The man with the purple rose in his hand slowly and silently approached me, and when he got close, he gently took my right hand.

"Stephanie, let's sit on the bench, please." – said the unfamiliar man who looked incredibly like Dr. Day and knew my name.

I only nodded, but when we reached the bench, I refused to sit.