It’s 21.00, Thursday in the second week of December. Cold and windy night at the edge of city. Ah, December always brings this kind of atmosphere, cold. Sometimes, even in the country without winter season.  The capacity of vehicles on the road decreased 50% since one hour ago. Some stores and restaurants were about to close causing the scenery in this road overcastted a bit. People are on their way to the place where they feel most comfortable we called home. Same went to this teen girl named Ally. She was on her way home.

Ally tightened her jacket and put the hoodie on. Walked in normal speed heading  to one 24 hours store before going home. It’s just another ordinary lonely night for her, another busy and tiring day she had. She stepped into the store and went straight to instant noodle area, she took one and paid. Brewing and gobbling it in the corner of the store.

She never ate at home, she just lives with her father. She had one sister but the sister already had her own life with her little family. Ally’s mom was already in the best place, heaven. So, there’s no way she would eat  at home, her father can’t cook and had things to do. After having done eating, she made her way home.

There’s something weird she saw on the way, at first she saw a pair of shoes, as she walked closer, she figured that it’s not just shoes, there’s a guy lying on the street. Shocked, she covered , preventing herself from screaming. This guy was wearing blue jacket and blue jeans, but his face was so freaking pale. Ally sensed that this guy was still breathing. Frantically she bent down, she saw this guy breathed heavily.

“Help…”, the guy muttered softly.

Ally spontaneously reached out his forehead with his palm, and it’s burning. Much as a discipline girl she usually is, she has no heart to leave this guy just for the sake of coming home on time. But imagining how worried her father would be, knowing the only daughter she had hadn’t come yet sent chills to her spine. But she can’t just leave this guy.

“Can you sit first?” she said as she helped the guy sit, this guy was tall and heavy enough. After succeed helping the guy sit, Ally observed him a moment, he had this sort of angel face when the eyes closed, slowly the guy opened his eyes. Hastily, she leaded her vision to another direction other than his face and asked him to distract him from what she had just done a moment ago, “Can I know your name first? And how you end up lying here?”, Ally asked.

They headed to a bench nearby. With great difficulty the guy answered,” My name is Jiyong, apparently I’m not really feeling well today but I forced myself to go outside to buy food, and probably I collapsed on the way home, and I’m sorry I bothered you like this. Can you help me?”

“What can I help you with?”, Ally questioned him in doubt, remembering what time was it.

“I don’t think I can go home with this condition, can you please take me home by cab maybe, I’ll give my address and  pay the cab, after that you can go home by the same cab and I’ll give you the cost. Please?”

A long pause overwhelmed Ally. There was this moment of silence embraced them. Ally thought about what worst would happen if she came home late at night. In her anxiety, she heard the guy coughed a lot. What a pitty guy  she thought, unconsciously she nodded her head. And without further ado, they were already in one cab and Jiyong’s house is the destination.

“I want to thank you, but before that may I know your name first?”, Jiyong asked vaguely and slowly, his voice was raspy.

“Ally, my name is Ally”, Ally answered immediately.

“Thank you Ally, you’re like an angel God had sent to me from above. Thank you for helping me”

Ally was too busy with her own thoughts, she just smiled to Jiyong to respond what he just said. But ‘angel’ word is too overrated for her. I am way far from angel, I’m just ordinary girl, the true definition of ordinary  Ally told herself. After that, she drowned back to the thought of her father wrath. And again, she heard Jiyong coughed a lot distracting her from what she just thought. Okay, Ally get your act together, stop worrying and this guys indeed needs your help  Ally finally convinced her own heart.

They arrived in Jiyong’s house. It’s not big, it’s very simple yet very neat. “You alone Jiyong?”, Ally asked.

“Yeah, my parents happen to have business out of town since yesterday. Sir, please take this sweet girl home safely”, Jiyong told the chauffeur.

“Ah no Sir, you can go”, Ally said. Jiyong’s face was super pale now, even his eyes were half open, when Ally went home, Jiyong could just faint right away and he was alone  and Ally couldn’t bring herself to do so. The chauffeur drove off. Perhaps, it’s not just another usual night to Ally.

“Why?”, Jiyong needed explanation. They were in living room now.

“You are super sick, and I can’t just leave, if there is something happen to you I will feel terrible to myself for leaving you. I know we just met, and I don’t know if you have bad intention but seeing your condition like this, you even need more energy to have bad intention, beside I believe you’re good people. And I want to help”,  Ally finished explaining.

“Thank you Ally, thank you. Really thank you”, Jiyong thanked Ally again.

Ally helped Jiyong lied down on his bed. Ally prepared a bowl of cold water and small towel after asking Jiyong where she can get those things. Ally put the wet towel on Jiyong’s forehead. She then brewed another cup of instant noodle she bought earlier. Ally persuaded Jiyong to eat first.

“Sorry it’s the only thing I can make, and do you have paracetamol or any medicine to cool down your body temperature?”

“It’s okay Ally, I love noodle and yes you can find it on the left side of this bed in the middle drawer”, Jiyong replied warmly.

Jiyong ate the noodle and took the medicine, he lied down again and Ally put back the wet towel on his forehead.

“Where do you live, Ally?, Jiyong started conversation.

“I live in the small rent house 3 blocks away from the previous store where we met not too far from that”, Ally replied.

“Still high school Ally? Do you work part time?”

“Yes to both questions, I work to pay my tuition, my dad work to pay the rent house”.

“tired?” Jiyong asked and smiled.

“Sure”

“Are you happy?”, again, Jiyong question was a bit weird.

“I’m……. grateful”, Ally was not sure what to answer.

“I saw you are bothered back then. What was bothering you? You want to share?”

Ally was not sure if she wanted to share or not but worked faster than her brain.

“My father, he’s a super protective father.  He hates it when I come home late, I’m just afraid”

Jiyong stared at her softly and smiled.

“Your father loves you Ally, he doesn’t want something bad happen to you. Be good to your father. He will never do something exceeding capacity as a father, he never will. He’s just worried because you’re her daughter. You have to understand him. Whatever he said, just swallow it, it’s just temporary tantrum. He works hard to have a better future with you, he always thinks about you when working. It must be tired to school and work at the same time, anyway you’re younger than me. Hmm, never lose your dream. Just remember your dream when you feel tired. I believe you will eventually succeed catching your dream in the future. Just be strong Ally. Don’t forget to be nice to people, God will show something awesome to you when the time is right. Ally, you’re too bright, too interesting. You only get one life. It’s actually you duty to live it as fully as possible. Be happy Ally”, Jiyong finished his words and dozed off.

Ally knows exactly what she had to do with her life, she didn’t need those words, she knew she had to work hard as she just live with her father, that she can’t just ask and voila things that you want already here or that she had bicker with her father quite often, that she’d been anxious about her life. But hearing it from someone else, those encouraging words felt so good. It’s like it gave her more energy to face tomorrow.  It’s really pleasing to the ears, it felt so warm. She wanted to thank him, but he already fell asleep. Nice words Jiyong, thank you Ally said in her heart. Soon, she also dozed off, head on her own hand, sitting position at the edge of the bed.

Ally woke up the next morning, it’s Friday 5.30am, she saw Jiyong still slept soundly. She checked his temperature and thank goodness it’s down already. She wanted to leave note but she just can’t find any paper and pen. So she just went home without waking him up. She promised to herself that she would visit Jiyong again next time.

When she arrived home, she found that her father was not there, she was informed by her neighbor that her father had something to do out of town. It’s a good thing, though.

 After that night Ally ran her activities normally, she was happier than before, she smiled a lot more than before. All thanks to Jiyong. She decided to visit Jiyong today. Two weeks after that night. In the bright afternoon, warm and nice as the birds were chirping happily.

Jiyong’s house looked so empty, so quiet. Ally tried to ask Jiyong neighbor. But what Jiyong’s neighbor said really made Ally gawked, it’s truly unbelievable. She just can’t believe it.

“Oh sorry ms. But this house has been empty since 2 months ago, the family moved out of town”, said middle aged woman with curly hair.

Was she dreaming 2 weeks ago? Was that all unreal? Who’s Jiyong? Ally didn’t get the chance to ask his number before, but the fact that she just received was absurd. What was it exactly? Ally was supposed to be scared but surprisingly she’s not. She just thought that was one of blessed nights and Jiyong just an angel God had sent from heaven.

It’s really out of logic but it’s okay thank you Jiyong