The afternoon sunlight upsets upon the sunshade. Waiter just serves the mocha and leaves. Gabriel takes out a saltcellar from his pack peck, and sprinkles some white powder into his coffee. He takes a deep breath and sips; somehow he smiles weakly and exhaustedly. Gabriel gazes at the streets and people beside the café: colonnades gently whispers to each other; sunlight is sifted over the sidewalks when people pass through; sometimes people will notice the snowing leaves which has drifted over the sidewalks. Treetops begin to yellow. Sunlight insensibly smoothes its glare, and dyes the streets to gold. Like a farmer, Gabriel’s face is dyed in tan; his hair is dyed in brown, and his eyes shine with amber light. No more words can describe his handsome or even beauty.
But he feels himself like the wind in the air, slowly withers.
He sighs. Stirring his coffee, he finds it’s cooling. But he drains the cup of coffee.
The cell phone quietly lies on desk like a vegetable. And he is waiting for a miracle that this vegetable will say something to him. Gabriel understands him and habits of the old days: he will make a call to him when he comes. It’s been a long time, really. He nearly forgets the complex feeling of waiting him. The twisted anxious, exciting, cheering, and disappointing feeling seems only exists in deep layer of memories. But what’s more shocking is what he did this morning, which he surprised himself too. He dealt a number to him. Amazingly, he actually remembers the number—that should have been abandoned one year ago.
“One year…till today, I know I never forget you…”
He loses in thoughts a while, and the sudden phone ring flushed him from daydreaming.
Confused, he doesn’t know how to answer the phone. Or more correctly to say, he doesn’t know what to say. But in chaos he pushes the speak bottom.
“Hello, it’s me. Brian.”
The soft and still voice sounds so familiar. He is not sure whether the thrilling thing is his hand, his voice, or his heart?
“Umm…where are you right now…?” He tries not to speak in trembling and telling himself again and again: ‘Calm down and be brave.’
“I’m walking to there. About 5 minutes yet.”
Gabriel pays the bill, and walks out the café. He stands under a colonnade tree waiting Brian. His feeling is complicated.
“Is five minutes so long?” He asked himself. When he raises his left hand and sees the watch, there is a tip on his shoulder.
Gabriel turns—standing there is a tall, handsome, and sportsman like middle-age man. He is smiling with the eyes full of mischief.
Gabriel suddenly becomes speechless. He tries very hard to speak something, but no voice comes out of his throat. His mind is blank, but his ears are echoing with thousands of calling: “Gabriel…Gabriel…Gabriel…”
Brian also gazes at Gabriel; he observes this boy from his hair to his shoes. Brian claps him on his head and says: “you grow up.” Gabriel raises eyebrows, “you sure?” “Yeah, I’m very sure. Hay! Don’t forget I watched you growing up since…” “Since I was an infant.” Gabriel continues Brian’s words. “Oh, how did you tell me from others? At that time, you were just a little baby.” Brian winks his left eye. Gabriel smiles and winks to Brian either. “Because I remember there’s a youngster often visited my room, looked me and played with me. And I even know that sometimes he would sing me the cradle.” Brian is wide opening his eyes and mouth. Gabriel bursts into laughter for Brian’s funny expression. “Yeah, yeah, you win this time.” Hearing Brian’s oppressive complaining, he is even sure that this man is that Brian he knows. He didn’t change. Gabriel laughs by heart.
Last patch of light sink in horizon, the streetlights lighten all in a moment. They walk shoulder by shoulder under the lightening of slowly rising moon. Without hesitation, Brian takes over Gabriel’s shopping bags, which are filled with vegetables and flavorings. Gabriel just smiles silently. On the way toward Gabriel’s place, they talk little. But they’re often looking and smiling to each other. Brian always walks in the side of road, no matter how small the crossing is, he will pull Gabriel close to him. Gabriel sometimes will knead Brian’s strained upper arms when waiting the traffic lights. There seems an invisible bridge between their minds, which has been there many years ago.
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