It is a muggy evening. The red sky at sundown lights up the crowded streets. Those who can not stand the heat overflow the streets so as to forget the heat. He is one who just got out of his house and joined the crowd to forget the heat. Eduardo is a choosy old mathematician.
As he does not have any lecture on Friday except one in the afternoon, he got home early today, so he sallied forth on taking a walk. Eduardo is 57 years old, and has already had a potbelly. He is somewhat small and his face implies fastidious. Today he wears well-pressed shirt and a pair of trousers. As Eduardo feels good, as is unusual with him, he is vigorously walking down the street with light steps.
While he was passing by the crowd, he got wet with perspiration as if he were caught in torrents. He has given no heed to it awhile. A cascade of sweat, however, was streaming down his face. Sometimes, sweat ran into his eyes, but Eduardo knew that he forgot to take a handkerchief with him today. Then, he, in feigning to look for in his pockets, stopped to say loudly, "Oh! She forgot to hand me a handkerchief. I instructed her not to forget, though." And then, he, on the sly, wiped perspiration from his brow with sleeves. Eduardo repeated those phrases and wiped sweat in every block because he sweats a lot. Before he has walked five blocks, the sleeves got wet. Now the well-pressed shirt became shabby. "It is at least better to stay at home rather than to walk around, although I went out to cool off." He was walking in wiping and murmuring. Fortunately, Eduardo came across a coffee shop faced a main square. He rushed in there. "Oh! Thank God!" Those words jumped out of his mouth involuntarily.
The coffee shop was cooled well. He seated himself at the window. He could see the main square from that seat. He ordered a chocolate frosted vanilla ice cream. While he was waiting the ice cream, Eduardo remembered his first love. The square lit up with the red sky reminded him of gay and flourishing days, because he met her there and always he arranged to meet her there when stores' windows reflected the bright colors of the sunset. He met her when he was a 24-year-old. She was his first girlfriend. He had devoted all his energies to studying in the university before he met her. When he wore cap and gown at the age of 29, he proposed marriage to her. They have put in happy married life though they argued almost everyday with trifles.
He did love her. And he still...
A young waitress brought him the ice cream. While she was putting the ice cream and a spoon on the table, he glanced up at her and he was stunned by her figure. Her appearance resembled what his wife was young. Eduardo stared that waitress in the face and gazed the retreating figure of her. While tasting the ice cream, he sometimes stole a sideways glance at her serving another. He ate up the ice cream speedily and went out of the coffee shop.
"What a nice day it is! Maybe, something good would happen to me," thought he. "Oh, as today is fine, I'd better share my feelings with her. I guess it is a good idea to buy some flowers for her. Yeah, it could be!" He walked muttering to himself.
The sun, with stifling yawns, is waiting the time it's duty is up in the west, while some impatient stars begin to appear in the east. The sun is still beating on people, but frequent breeze cools their flushed faces. Eduardo headed for a flower shop. He walked a few blocks, and his shabby shirt got wet again even though the breeze tried to wipe his sweat. Again, he stopped to wipe perspiration from his brow in every half block under the cloak of the crowd. An old woman approached with smile and was about to hand him a handkerchief when he was embarrassed with dripping sleeves.
"You forgot a handkerchief, didn't you, Eduar?" Eduardo was startled at her voice and the way she called him. Her name is Luisa. Only she called him Eduar. "You are soaking with sweat as before. Eduar, you shouldn't forget to take your handkerchief with you. Always two when you go out. I had never forgotten to hand you two handkerchiefs when you went. How is your new wife? Did she forget? But you had better do that by yourself because you're no longer young." Eduardo just listened silently as he wiped with the handkerchief. "Eduar, I'm going to marry again. He is a carpenter. He isn't an educated man like you, but he doesn't complain about trifles like you. Because you were always angry with something at that time," said Luisa as she heaved with sobs. "Always! You always do this. Please, don't show me tears. That doesn't let me say anything," whispered Eduardo as giving people a glance. She continued, "I'm sorry, but I'm happy. I'm doing well. Everything goes well. You, Eduar?"
"Well, during our married life, you were always angry at me for putting cigarette ends into a teacup, entering the house with miry shoes, or picking my nose without tissues. I can't count your complaints. Anyway, after we divorced, I did whatever I wanted. I put cigarette ends into a teacup. I entered the house with miry shoes. I picked my nose and flicked snot everywhere. That was pleasant. I was glad." He continued, "Besides, my new wife doesn't complain about it. The house, however, is always clean. She has never complained." Luisa faced upward with her big smile and said, "Well, I'm so glad to hear that. Because I'm going to marry again, and I would feel sorry if you couldn't do well with your new wife. Moreover, I figured out, now. We are really incompatible in temperament, aren't we? Nonetheless, I loved you. I did love you. I wish you could spend good times with her for the rest of your life."
While Luisa was talking to him, Eduardo just listened to her expressionlessly. She continued, "I've got to go, now, Eduar. I need to buy a bottle of a red wine. I'll have dinner with him tonight. It is a nice day, isn't it? I'm glad to see you today in order to tell you about my marriage. Take care of yourself, OK Eduar? Ah, you can keep the handkerchief. Don't forget them next time. So long." Luisa disappeared in the crowd as she waved with a big smile.
Eduardo was standing there for a little while with grasping the handkerchief tightly. He heaved a sigh and faced upward the sky aglow with the setting sun.
Eduardo started walking.
He went into a flower shop and bought some pink roses that his wife liked. Then, he headed for the house as he sometimes stopped to wipe his blow with that handkerchief.
It was already dark when he got home. The house in which his wife was supposed to be was totally covered with pitch-darkness. He opened the door and loudly said, "I'm home!" Eduardo walked joyfully and entered a back room. He put a bunch of roses on a table, and gently said, "Look, Luisa! It was a nice day, today. Since it was so fine, I bought those roses for you. You like pink roses, don't you?" Eduardo talked to a photo stand in which a photo of Luisa when she was young.
