Novel Square
Chapter 49: He Was Puzzled
Jimmy had a special gift. He could sleep well even if the sky had collapsed, as long as it was not falling on him. He slept well and ate well.
He had been chubby when he was a child. Piggy was his nickname.
It was the second night in 26 years that Jimmy could not sleep.
The first time was when his idol, the policeman who helped his family, died in a traffic accident. He could not accept it.
He felt like he was being kept in an airtight tank and could not break out even if he broke his head. It was the time he started to feel impotent.
But he was a few years younger then. After running in the football field for a dozen laps, Jimmy was exhausted and relaxed.
This time he wasn’t sure why he could not sleep. After talking with Kate, he kept quiet for a long time. He seemed to hear the breathing sounds of a man. They were grown up, and it was hard to guess what they were doing. He was puzzled.
Did Kate have a boyfriend?
Was it the big boy she protected in the bar? Or somebody else? It wasn’t until now that he realized how little he really knew her.
He doubted his own reaction. It was like the fits of a drug addict or suffocated.
What relationship could he and Kate be regarded as? It was merely friendship.
He helped her and appreciated her ethics. He liked to chat with her because she was a good listener. What else was there?
Jimmy didn’t want to explore more into this. He got up to play online games. Since he was transferred to the criminal section, he rarely had enough time to sleep.
He hadn’t touched online games for a long time. He missed them. So he spent the night with soda, cigarettes, and online games until early morning when he yawned and slept until noon.
On his way to the police station, Jimmy got a call from Linda.
She apologized sincerely. “I am sorry for last time. I brought you some trouble. It won’t happen again.”
He was surprised. Linda was spoiled and had a hot temper. She rarely spoke so seriously. He expected some big news. And soon it came.
“I am getting married.”
Jimmy was startled. It was too fast, but he still said earnestly, “Congratulations.”
“Just a few days ago, I couldn’t imagine who could be the groom except you…”
“…”
“I just want to tell you, I never said I didn’t support your dream. I just…” She paused a while and continued, “I was afraid of losing you. Your policeman uncle…When I went to his funeral with you, I saw his wife’s despair. I was scared that one day I would be like her. I am sorry. I am a coward.”Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
After he hung up the phone, Jimmy rubbed his face.
He recalled the age of innocence, the relations between friendship and love.
And he recalled what his uncle told him: that if he chose this road, he should realize what he would have to sacrifice. You might not have the honor you dream of, but you would have countless moments of depression and sorrow.
When he almost arrived at the office, Linda called again. “Well, I forgot to tell you one thing. Someone called your cell phone when I was at your grandma’s house. I answered it. It was a girl. I had not given up on you then, so I told her you were in the shower.”
Jimmy recalled. He was in the shower after a few hours of driving. But that reply by another woman might sound…” Did she leave her name?”
“No, she just said she was a friend of yours.”
Jimmy had a lot of friends, but he thought of only one person by instinct. He dialed the number, but it was busy.
Kate got a call from Allan saying that Max hadn’t been right lately. He was too quiet, not speaking, always looking blankly out of the window. He was doing well in the contest that had just ended.
The originally sure-win scholarship had been lost. Kate was worried. When Tristan came back in the evening, she said she wanted to go to see her brother, and he agreed readily.