You Have Many Options

“Are you coming tonight?” I asked.

I have always been asking you the same question, because I am afraid you would get bored somehow at home. I have prepared so many events for your selection.

I remember you told me that, you loved playing chess when you were in high school, and you were in the competition with a lot of Masters during your young age. I was impressed when we were playing games on chess.com and your tactics were splendid when you could always beat me in a few moves. I joined our chess club of our school and signed up to become a vice-president of the club, just to prove that I am a person who can improve in my chess skill. We usually have meetings and tournaments with National Masters who would come to our club and visit and teach us many strategies to win a game in a logical way. I always love you to come to our club and maybe you could show off your intelligence as well.

I remember you told me that, you loved watching war movies. I have prepared so many of them just for you. There are “Burnt By the Sun”, “Den of Thieves”, “The Last Bullet” and “Savage Dog”. They are mostly action movies and I am sure you would love them. Despite the fact that, you as a retired soldier, you always said these movies are very not real, and then you would point out where in the movies are fake. “These fakes are too obvious”, you often said. I know, you as a soldier in many battlefields, holding a map in the middle of dust and deserts, driving tanks and airplanes to go to work, negotiating with terrorists, fighting in the frontline with great intelligence and courage, risking your own life for the peace and liberation of countries, all these are never comparing to those artificial scenes in the movie.

I remember you told me that, you loved watching interesting mindless television series. “Kim’s Convenience” is your favourite, and also a police television show. I had prepared all of them for you. I know you like them because you find these policemen and the convenient store man is kind of assembling you. I totally get it. You as a police officer, a computer store technician, always keeping your smile to customers and people, soldiers and your buddies, but you always look like a very friendly convenient store man who seems very innocent, and you never look like someone with military experience. I sometimes love watching you munching your peanuts on your coach and watching television. You look so adorable when you are lazy and doing nothing. I mean who can imaging, the man right in front of me being lazy, was called a great National Hero who won many medals from our PMs and National Defense events?

I remember you told me that, you loved reading books before bed. I have a bookshelf full of your favourite adventurous fiction. Your favourite book, “Moby Dick”, is ready for you. We can read about how this sailor man took revenge of this white whale and you can talk to me about how he assembles your courage and intelligence in the battle with the whale. Sometimes you would talk to me about how difficult the life on the ocean could be, and how terrible the weather on the sea could be on your favourite boat that you built. You were so proud of your boat and always love sailing it in the middle of the summer. I always love seeing you, in the summer breeze brushing your soft and smooth hair, in the middle of the lake, playing with fishes underneath, with your hands in the cold water of the lake, in the rays and light of the lovely Sun. You would make the canvas in the wind, let it flow in the direction with the waves of the water, you would pedal about the water so it can move calmly in the middle of the wind. The sea and the ocean just like you, always be calm, and always be tranquil. This is an excellent sport and it is very peaceful. I always love listening to you while you were talking about what had happened on the lake, and how you would teach me how I could survive if I were in the water somehow. Maybe we could do it tonight.

I remember you told me that, you loved the environment in the woods. Maybe it is too dangerous in the woods at night, we could get kidnapped and robbed you know. Therefore, I set up a tent at the back of my house, and we could have a lot of good time in the tent together like old times. We could set a nice television inside, baking marshmallows next to the fire place and chat with all kinds of squirrels, raccoons and rabbits in the middle of the night, lying on the grass so we can count the shining stars above our head, to feel the breeze in this cool and quiet evening, to listen to the voice from the Nature and humming birds, to eat the dishes that we just made together, to taste the wine and sparkling water that we brew, to cover ourselves in the warm fleece blanket that I knitted and to talk about your future goals to save more lives.

I remember you told me that, you loved just being puttering in the evening. Me too. We could do anything together, as long as I am with you. I can write you a song with my piano and violin, I can write you poems and short stories like we always do, we can play guitar like those times back in school, we paint some drawings so we can capture the moments between you and me, and we can just cuddle with each other and let time flies. Anything is possible, as long as it is with you.

So, are you coming tonight?