Book of Love 爱神の书



Chapter 24


Do you believe in Fate or Chance in love?

Are you someone who believes that everyone in life is fated? Who our parents were and how we ended up recording our first love.

Fate is said to be beyond our control. In Greek legends, Fate is the name of three goddess who control the ruling of human destiny Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos.

Some people use fate to reject another’s love simply because they believe there’re better ones out there.

Chance on the other hand is a force which assumed to cause events that cannot be controlled or foreseen. A chance is the will of human to create and hope something better happens.

Whatever comes between the two of you, there’s elements of fate and chance in beneath.

Fate only brings two persons together for the first time. Chance recreates the opportunities to see the person again and again.

Everyday, as you travel to work or school. There’s bound to be the same group of people traveling with you. Out of the group of people, are there any whom you would take a second look?

If you do, then that’s fate. But you won’t know the person’s background, whether he/she is attached or not, whether he/she will like you or not and whether the two of you will hit it off or not.

That’s the chance you have to take.

The process of two persons knowing each other, the period of courtship and togetherness has a great deal of fate and chance in it.
It takes more than a million fate to find that someone. When you do, it takes another billion chance for you and that person to be together. So cherish him/her as he/she deserves.

Most importantly, don’t ever break off a relationship because of anything except the day when the love for each other dies. That’s the end of fate and chance.




Christine stared at her screen shell shocked.

“What for?” she replied.

“Nothing... just incase you want to know who I am?”

“You can just tell me here right?”

“Then it deplete all the elements of fun in it... tell me honestly... you don’t wanna know who am I?”

“Nope, I’m not interested.”

“Ok… even if I’m that person whom you’re in love with?”

“HEY! Who the hell are you?”
Christine was furious of that reply.

“You can find me at the Clark Quay tonight at 10pm.”

“Clark Quay is so damn big!! How do I know who are you?”

It was the end of the conversation as Eros did not reply since.

As Christine lay back on her bed, her mind was coming out with all the possible person that could view her blog.

Her medication took effect again and Christine fell asleep leaving to wonder in her dreams.

--------------------------------

Mark was getting ready for discharge. His father was at work and his mum was not feeling well after yesterday’s traumatic event.

“Oh well. I guess it’s not a big deal.”
Mark thought to himself as he packed his bag ready to go.

“Hello!~”
Sharon was waiting outside the door.

“Oh hi…what a pleasant surprise!~”
Mark was glad that someone did fetch him after all…
“Let me carry that for you?”
Sharon offered to carry his bag.

“Nah.. It’s too big for your small build..”

“Chey! I carried bigger cartons at work…”
Sharon tried to impress as they proceed to get his report and medical certificate. Mark was given two days off by the hospital.

“So.. How’s everything at your side?”

“Errr.. My aunt didn’t scold me. She just kept crying and hugging me and apologizing to my father and mother for not taking good care of me. For once I really felt loved in her arms. I call my supervisor at the café and everyone wants me to report to work tomorrow because they missed me.”

“Yup… you know… this world is really special. Love does not necessarily come from relationship or family alone. Friends and all around us can let us experience love too.”

Mark patted on her head as they walked out of the hospital.

“You got any plans later?”
Mark asked.

“I don’t think so…”

“Come to my house for dinner!~ My family is very accommodating”
Mark offered.

“Well… I…”

“Aiyah just go lah…”
Mark hailed the taxi and hurried her in.

--------------------------------------

“Hello Auntie…”

Sharon put on her sweetest smile when Mark’s mother opened the door.


“Oh.. hi, you were that girl yesterday night…”

Sharon nodded religiously.

“Come on in.”
She ushered.

“Auntie, my name is Sharon.. nice to meet you again.”

“Ok Sharon, feel free to make yourself at home..”
Mark’s mother had gotten better after a long rest was currently preparing dinner.

“Luckily she didn’t know I jumped because of her…”
Mark thought as he enters his room to change.

Sharon was feeling bored at the living room so she knocked on Mark’s room.

“Yeah?”
Mark opened after changing.

“I wanna see your room..”
Sharon walked in before Mark could prevent.

“Wow.. not bad for a guy’s room. Very neat.”
Sharon jumped and sat on his bed.

“Yeah… get up from that bed please…?”
Mark ordered.

“Ok.. ok.. big deal…”
As Sharon rose from the bed, she saw a photo frame behind his door.

“What is that?”
She flipped the door and saw the photo of Mark and his previous girlfriend.

“That was my previous girlfriend… Jade. She died at sea few years ago.”

“You must have really loved her… You were calling out her name a few times on the way to the hospital.”

“I did?”

“Yeah… there was another name you called out.”

“Yours?”
Sharon shrugged.

“Then?”

“Don’t wanna tell you…”
Sharon sticks out her tongue and went into the living room once more.

Mark’s father came home and dinner was served shortly after.

The meal was simple, a few dishes with chicken, fish and vegetables. But to a person who had never experience the warmest of family relationships, a simple meal with all the family members sitting round the table and joked around was what Sharon really needs.

“Auntie, your cooking is great! I haven’t had such nice home cooked meal for a long long time.”
Sharon tried to hold back her tears.

“Then you eat more lah.. see your skinny build will know you haven’t been fed enough.”
Mark passed her some more chicken.

“Do join us for dinner next time… the more people sitting round the table the merrier it is to have dinner.”

Mark’s father added.

After the dinner, the whole family sat down to watch television. Sharon looked at her watch, it was 9pm already.

“Auntie, Uncle.. thanks for the meal, I got to be going already.”

Sharon walked towards the door.

Mark sent Sharon to the door but his father coughed as he was about to close the door.

“Shouldn’t you be sending her home?”
“No need uncle.. I can go home myself.”

Mark turned and frowned at his father.

“Take the car and send her home… why didn’t you develop my genes for being a gentleman?”

Mark’s father threw the keys at him.

Sharon was feeling a bit awkward as Mark asked her to wait for him to change up.

“It’s ok if you are tired you know…”

Sharon said as they took the lift down.

“Nah.. I can go for a drive…”
Mark tried to hide his tiredness.

“So where’s your aunt’s place?”
Mark asked as he started the engine to warm his car.

“Can I bring you to a place instead?”

“You sure? Your aunt won’t mind?”

“I already called her that I will be home late.. besides she can call me whenever she wants, I will pick up”

“So where is it that you want to go? Shopping? Clubbing?”

“Nope, it’s a place where I used to go whenever I have any problems that I can’t resolve.”

“Wow.. that mysterious..”

“Yup.. I will show you the way”

The car drove out of the car park and headed for town.

---------------------------------------

Christine was walking aimlessly at Clark Quay. It was almost ten and there was no sign of Eros or whoever that stalker was.

Christine chose to walk along the river side to be away from the crowds.

She came to the bridge across Clark Quay and was standing there admiring the night beauty of the skyscrapers. The wind blew gently across her face as she brushed her hair.

A quarter past ten and there was still no sign of Eros. Christine felt a little cheated by the fact that she actually believed someone online.

The feeling of anger and disappointment left Christine no choice but to step foot and head home. It was a wasted trip.

As she walks, Christine heard a familiar voice.

“Chris…”

She turned around and saw someone familiar.

“I’m Eros”
The voice came nearer to her and he advances.

“It’s not funny…”
Christine chose not to believe it.

“Why? Because I’m not the one you expecting?”
Christine just looked down.

“Why does it have to be you? Or all people?”
Christine refused to accept the fact.

“Why? Why? Why am I not Mark? Is that what you are asking?”

“Stop it.. Shaun…! please… I’m very tired of all these. If this is one of your lame joke.. you had me… so please end this.”

Shaun walked right in front of her.
“Didn’t you know I like you all these while?”

“I’m sorry… I don’t”

“It’s ok then… I’m just glad I got the chance to say it out. I know my chances are slim though.”

“Shaun, how did you know my blog? How did you manage to tag in my blog?”

“Oh… that was a coincidence. Remember you were in Shanghai with Mark? One night I came back to office to get my files then I realized your computer didn’t log out. Wanted to log out for you but saw you blog as it load… I sat down and read the whole blog all night… then I saw your latest post… So I decided to tag you.”

“And the time when Mark was admitted?”

“Yup… since the first time, I already used your ID to invite me as a reader.. so I can go to your blog anytime… I know that’s not very right of me… so I owe you an apology.”

Christine took a few steps away from Shaun.

“If you already know I like Mark… why do you want to tell me that you liked me now?”

“I don’t know… man.. Maybe I would stand a chance if I let you know.. I guess if I never then I might not have a chance again…”

“Shaun.. you should know the answer… I’m sorry..”
Christine quietly weeps.

“It’s ok… don’t worry about it.. ”
Shaun held her shoulders as Christine leaned forward to cry in his arms.

---------------------------

“See I told you this is a good place for thoughts right?”
Sharon excitedly giggled as she dragged Mark along.

“Yeah… this placfe is not bad"

“Wow… so romantic..”
Sharon suddenly gushed with envy.

“What’s so romantic about?”

“You see the couple over there…”

Mark took a closer look…

“Chris………………….? Shaun!!?”

The voice was frightening familiar to Christine’s ears. She had feared the worse as it was the truth.

“Mark?”
Christine opened her eyes as she pulled herself away from Shaun.

Shaun didn’t realized what had happen until he turned around.

“Shaun!!”
Sharon shouted.

“Sharon?!?! Wow… and Mark? Shit man!!”
Shaun exclaimed.

Christine looked at Shaun before turning her eyes to Sharon, the girl Mark risked his life in saving…

And so it begins,

Along the night skies under Clark Quay, a journey of an inevitable misunderstanding embarks.


[To be Cont]