The Stranger in the Park

The Meeting

"Hi!"

I was surprised when I heard the word. I thought I was all alone in this park enveloped in dear silence when I saw this stranger right in front of me and then he occupied the space beside me.

"Alone?" he asked.

"Yeah," I answered him.

He smiled. Then there's that sudden feeling that I already met this man somewhere.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

I just stared at him. Then I returned looking at my pen and paper.

"Writing," I simply answered.

"About what?"

"I don't know. I want to write but I do not know what to write," I said and gave him a sigh.

Silence.

"Would you like me to help you?"

His words caught my attention.

"Are you a writer?"

He smiled. And I admit he owns the sweetest smile in this world.

"No. But I would like you to know someone. We can begin with her."

"Who is she?"

"Someone... very dear to me," he said looking me in the eyes.

Then there's that strange feeling again. A feeling I cannot put into words. A feeling with no clue.

"Uhm, mind telling me about her?" I asked.

He smiled then he sighed.

"She's just a simple woman, I should say. She's not ambitious but she has big dreams. There are times people laugh and mock her of her dreams. They say they are too big to carry and too high to reach that at the end, she'll just end up a failure. She's a very emotional person that she'll end up crying after hearing such words from them.

She loves her friends. They make her smile and laugh. And she hates it when they are not in good terms. Life has already given her the sorrows and sadness of this world. And to find another from them is too much.

She's not Atlas but she carries the world. Thus, she looks for happiness for she always wanted to be happy and for her not to feel the world she carries alone.

But I believe she's one of those who see opportunity in every difficulty. She cries but she never quits. Whatever happens, it will serve as her motivation to continue.

She maybe weak outside but she's strong inside. Yeah. That's what she is."

He endowed a smile again. I smiled back. I do not know but I have this feeling I know the person too.

"How about that? She can be your main character."

I looked at him. Puzzled. But a beautiful story is slowly forming inside my head. Well, I would like to begin with him instead. The stranger in the park.

"Thanks," I simply uttered.

"Welcome. Shall we go?"

"Go? Us? To where?"

"Home. C'mon. I'll take you home. Then we'll talk about what you will write while we're on the way."

I did not bother to ask if he knows where I live. I just walked with him while telling him what will be the flow of my story. He's laughing and smiling - and they are genuine and real.

"Who is she?" I decided to ask.

"Who?"

"The one you shared. That woman dear to you."

He stared at me...