Just him

Goodbye, a word that is stronger than love. Stronger than life. And that's something everyone needs to accept.

"Goodbye?" Adelard asked, but it was too late.

Nothing is too late, though. After all, his question was answered. Namely, the child's cries appeared to hold more answers than the woman could say. Yes, you got that right. A child's cry that could not be compared to anything else. A loud cry filled with fear and perhaps even frustration. A cry that understood the whole world and had already managed to embrace sadness. A cry that made Adelard turn around and see his new life before him. He was right and it was no illusion. In front of him was an infant wrapped in a blanket. As Adelard approached the infant, he or she stopped crying and, forgetting the tears, began to smile. It wasn't a smile, though. It was just joy in his or her eyes. Little enough to hold the fate on his or her shoulders, this child could tell Adelard more than anyone else. In those gray eyes, he could find the answers to all his questions. Yes, a new life was looking at him and he could not escape it. All his life, all his merits were in the past. He had nothing. He didn't even have the thoughts that belonged to a stranger named Adelard. All he had was this little creature, staring at him in silence, not understanding what this man with the nervous smile on his face was experiencing. A strong wind brought with it raindrops that immediately made them shiver. The cold surrounded them and now, Adelard just couldn't stand by and watch. New life demanded action and no matter how bad, no matter how scared, he was able to take the baby in his arms. When the little baby was in his arms, he noticed the letter. Clumsily holding the infant as if he were ready to drop him or her, Adelard was nevertheless able to unwrap the letter and read the following:

"This is your child. He is very weak and I think his life will be short."

There was nothing else in the letter. But the handwriting belonged to Celeste. In the heavy rain, alone, forgotten by everyone, Adelard could think of nothing. But at the same time, a sense of shame was taking place in his heart. He had betrayed each of his parents, his ancestors. He had betrayed everything. Their labor, their time, their skill, their love. He had lost everything they had lovingly left for him. Tears, along with raindrops dripped on the child's face and feeling his hands tremble, Adelard knelt down. Holding the little creature, Adelard cried loudly, with pain in his voice. And there was no one to save him. Only himself. Along with the feeling of shame, of falling and new life.

In the nooks of the old houses, where street cats along with rats lived, Adelard found shelter from the rain and wind. Among the broken bottles, dirty clothes, and waste, he stood awkwardly holding the baby, who had finally stopped crying and was now just sleeping. The gray sky stretched along the broken roofs of several houses that towered over him. In one of the houses, an elderly woman was peering out of one window, trying to attract his attention. In the window opposite was a man who was smoking and looking at Adelard with disgust. These two people were looking at him, studying him and most importantly managing to judge him. Adelard, for the first time in his life, saw what judgment looks like in a person's eyes. Before, he had never paid attention to a person's bad sides. But now, in every wrinkle, in every movement of his eyebrows, he saw the disgust that was directed at him.

When the thunder was strong to the little ears, the child began to cry again. Adelard had never before heard crying so close. He was scared. He wanted to pacify the baby, but all he could do was just look ahead. Glancing at his watch, Adelard clenched his teeth and felt heartache. What if he was about to die? What if he just disappeared? After all, the pain was too much and he even had to sit on the ground, causing even more condemnation in people's eyes.

"Look at him. What a shame," said one woman loudly as she walked out of the house. "You! Get out of here!"

Pretending he couldn't hear her, Adelard felt humiliated. Never before had he felt humiliation. And it felt as if he were falling down without any hope of stopping. Life could become an endless abyss.

The moment he heard the disgruntled voices of the men, he decided to leave this place and find a proper explanation for everything. He decided to find Nicholas. And so he did.

As soon as he stepped onto the main street, everyone started pointing and laughing at him. Loud laughter accompanied him all the way down the road. People laughed, talked, judged, and most importantly, forgot. They forgot how much good this one man had done. For even the homeless man, to whom Adelard had once handed a very large sum for "dinner," now laughed at him and said, "Monsieur is finished."

Running away from all the voices, Adelard did not hold back tears. His whole world had shattered so quickly that he still did not understand anything. He was in love, he was happy. But at the end, he got what is called irony. Celeste, from the first day and even before Adelard saw her, had been planning all this. There was not an ounce of love in her heart, only the desire to take everything. But Adelard didn't believe it and swore to himself that he would never believe it. After all, she still was his perfect creature.

A kind heart cannot be destroyed. Even if the laughter is too loud.

"Pretty boy! Where are you going? Come with us!" the young men exclaimed, opening the door of their house.

"Adelard? Is that you?" someone asked, but he didn't even look back. His legs were carrying him forward. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew there was something waiting for him at the end. And he was right. For when he reached his favorite bridge, someone touched his shoulder and he turned around and saw Nicholas. Still in his black butler suit, Nicholas looked as frightened as he was. But what had clearly changed was that he had grown much older. The wrinkles around his eyes had become too noticeable, and the white strands of hair were even whiter than usual. Looking at Adelard for too long and without words, Nicholas clearly screamed inwardly, but still he continued to act as usual.

"Nicholas," Adelard whispered, trying to smile.

At that moment, Nicholas covered his mouth with his hand to keep from making a crying sound. He had tolerated everything. And now he was tolerating all the injustice too. Though, it was getting harder for him to do so.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered through the pain.