Sheila opened a letter from France.(My dearest Sheila,
I saw your eyes sad in France. That sad eyes wished me to see you again, so I drew your face and hanged the portrait in my room. In that way, I won"t forget how you look like. At my cousin"s wedding, my wish came true. I"m in love with you. Be my wife.
Hugh Bisset)
"OMG. Who is this?" Sheila couldn"t believe what she read.
She tried to recall the names and faces at the wedding. Clarence had relatives from other countries but wasn"t sure if there"s anyone from France. She couldn"t tell.
She opened her phone and looked at everyone"s faces in their photos. She couldn"t pinpoint on who was this Hugh. The only man attracted her attention was Clarence almost look-alike cousin doctor, aside from the hair and a slight difference, whom everyone called big brother Lucien. However, she forgot where he came from.
He was overly friendly with her that he showered her with praises and gave her his full attention. He was the one placing food on her plate and willing to bring her whatever she wanted. A smile danced on her lips. "What a guy. Why didn"t you send even a single message as you promised?" She looked heavenward with moisty eyes.
She opened their photos smiling closed together at the wedding.
"What I"m doing? I can"t believe I hoped to hear from him." She wiped a tear.
"Never mind, why am I worked up with this single letter?" The sentences, "I"m in love with you. Be my wife." caught her eye.
She was now 25 years old. After her heartbreaking experience with Clarence, she chose to focus on her career and didn"t date any guy. Her parents and friends planned some blind dates but she refused them. The only thing she had in mind was to become a certified Michelin chef. Love would come later, she believed.
She felt tempted to call Clarence to ask about this certain Hugh, but shame overpowered all reasonings.
"Who are you, Hugh Bisset? Why are you not Lucien?" She took the letter and burned it.
The next day, a bouquet of fresh and unique flowers arrived from France.
"Big Sis, you have a lover from France? Hey! Fill us in, who is this Hugh Bisset?" Bernard brought the bouquet to her in front of her parents.
"Bernard, where did you get that?" Their mother asked while brus.h.i.+ng the flour from her ap.r.o.n.
Sheila panicked. "Bernard, you busybody, throw that away. I don"t know that guy."
"Oh, a stalker?" Bernard looked at the beautiful flowers and the card. "I don"t believe he"s a stalker. This was delivered from France and the card says, to my beloved Sheila, I"m coming for you. Wish to see you soon." He said the words from the card using a charming and wooing voice then his eyes twinkled.
"Oh, it"s nice to have a French son-in-law." Their father joked while playing his fingers on the beard on his chin.
Sheila balled his fist and loudly said, "Papa, don"t ever think of that."
"Why not?" The parents and Bernard said in chorus.
"Hmm, because...because...ahh, never mind. I don"t know but don"t ever think of that as a possibility." She was exasperated with the thought but felt lost on why she shouted and said that to her father.
"Sorry for shouting at you, Pa. I"m going to my room. Excuse me." She ran away fast, afraid to be questioned again.
"The flowers?" Bernard shouted.
"Throw it away." She shouted back.
Bernard looked at his parents. His mother placed her finger on her lips and took the bouquet from his hand. She left giggling.
"Where would Mama bring that?" Bernard looked at his father. The old man shrugged.
"Hehe, am I going to have a French brother-in-law? Love the idea." He opened his phone and went to google translator, wrote "h.e.l.lo, brother in law", and clicked the sound b.u.t.ton. A woman"s voice said the phrase in French. "Bonjour, beau-frère. Wahaha, love the sound."
. . . . .
"h.e.l.lo, anybody home?" Clarence walked into Mother"s Best restaurant.
"Clarence? Whoa! h.e.l.lo, how"s married life?" Sheila"s father came to meet them with a floured ap.r.o.n on.
"h.e.l.lo, Uncle. Nice to see you again. Happily married. Look at my smile." He showed a smile with teeth exposed as he shook hands with the old man.
"Hehe, Good, good." His eyes moved at the person behind Clarence. The guy almost looked like Clarence but maturer and blond haired holding a flower bouquet same as yesterday.
Clarence placed his hand on Hugh"s shoulder. "Oh, Uncle, this is Doctor Hugh Bisset, my cousin living in France. Well, to make it clear, one of my father"s sisters married a French man and he is their son."
"Oh, no wonder, you almost look like twins but with blond hair and hmm..." Sheila"s father looked up and down on Hugh"s body. "I take that back. I think he"s more handsome than you."
"No way, I won"t accept that." Clarence pushed Hugh at the side.
"Cuz, excuse me, don"t forget our purpose here."
"Oh boy, sorry. I almost forgot." He faced the old man again. "Uncle, he wants to meet Sheila."
"Correction, I came for Sheila"s hand in marriage."
"What?" Sheila"s voice was so loud that everyone, even those outside the restaurant, turned their heads. She couldn"t believe his statement. Most of all, she couldn"t even comprehend that Lucien and Hugh was one. Was Cupid playing a joke on her?
"Sheila, for you." Hugh walked fast and extended the bouquet.
Sheila stepped back, avoiding it. "Everyone called you Lucien. How come you are Hugh?"
"Oh, allow me to explain. My full name is Lucien Hugh Bisset but I seldom use my French name, Lucien. Only my cousins call me that."
"Why didn"t you say that at the wedding?" Her eyes started to get wet.
"I didn"t mean to hide it from you. I thought you knew. I"m sorry, I was a.s.suming coz it was the name written in the wedding card." He tried to give the flower to her again in earnest appealing eyes.
Sheila sat and received the flower, crying. "I waited for you to send a message after you left but you didn"t. I thought you won"t keep your promise, so I tried to forget you. But...d.a.m.n it, I can"t forget you." She threw the flower on the table and hugged him, sobbing.
He embraced her back. "I"m sorry, I don"t want letters. I only want for us to be together but work prevented me. I should have come sooner."
"You should have sent me a letter to explain." She cried her heart out.
An hour after.
She let go, stood back, and looked around. She saw no one and the restaurant"s door was closed.
"Everyone left to give us some privacy," said Hugh.
"I"m sorry for crying like a little girl." She drooped her head and felt shy to face him.
"No, no, I don"t think you were acting like one. I thought that was an honest display of your emotion and it"s not wrong." He held her chin and softly said, "Are you ready to hear from me now?"
"Did you really come to ask to marry me?" Her pupils dilated, staring at him with antic.i.p.ation.
"Wait, allow me to be a gentleman here." He took a small box from his backpack. He knelt down with one knee, opened the box, and said, "Sheila, will you marry me?"
"Yes, absolutely yes!" She was so happy that she jumped on him. He fell on his back while she was in his arms.
"Let me put it in your hand." They stood as he took her ring finger and slipped in a s.h.i.+ny ruby ring.
She raised her finger. "This is beautiful."
"You are more beautiful. I love you, Sheila."
"I love you, too, Lucien."
He cupped her face and kissed her softly.