《Rose》东陌白卿

1、第 1 章

　　It was a stormy night with strong wind and heavy rain.
　　Lennie found a new bar and ran into the bar to take shelter from the sudden rain. A flash of lightening broke up behind him.
　　“Good evening.” Lennie wiped his coat, “It’s a bad day, isn’t it”
　　There was no reply.
　　“Hello Anyone is here” Lennie felt strange.

　　“Young man, where are you from” An old man in an old-fashioned wool coat stood up and ask Lennie in a low voice. Lennie could hardly make out what he had said, “I’m sorry...” But he was interrupted.
　　“John, it’s not polite to ask people private questions. Plus, your question is really dull.” She turned to him, “So, Mr.…”
　　“Lennie, my name is Lennie.” The lady was so beautiful that Lennie felt a bit nervous. This young lady came up from the darkness. She laughed in a bell of a sound: “Lennie, I’m Katherine, the owner of this bar. Why not join us and answer my question If you don’t mind, We can have a drink.” She raised her goblet, smiling.
　　“I’d love to.” It was not polite to refuse a lady’s invitation, especially a beautiful lady’s. So Lennie joined them and had his seat in the corner of the bar. The wind still blew outside. But it was tranquil inside. “How lucky I am!” Lennie thought.

　　“So, gentlemen, let’s go on our topic. Here’s my question, what’s the most dangerous thing in the world”
　　There was no reply, again. Old John sat in his seat in silence. It was too quiet. Katherine sipped her wine with an indifferent smile.
　　Someone had to break this deadly silence.
　　“I think, maybe, it’s snake.” Lennie found his voice.
　　“I was once bitten by a snake. Its venom came into my blood. My muscle gradually became quadriplegic and I could hardly breath,” Lennie trembled suddenly, “It’s not a good memory.”
　　Katherine uttered a snorting laugh. It should be impolite. But she was so beautiful that everything she did was to be lovely. “I’m sorry.” Katherine put her goblet on the table, “How about you, John”
　　Thunder crashed in the sky.

　　John still sat in darkness. Lennie hardly considered that John had fallen asleep.

　　“The war.” John finally opened his mouth, in a low hoarse voice. This old man raised his head: “I was a soldier. I had fought for 30 years.” Lennie finally saw John’s face and was shocked by those scars on John’s face. Nightmare! The left part of his face was an elegant appearance of an old gentleman. But the other part was covered with scars, like a demon from the hell.

　　Katherine, the beauty, hadn’t changed her expression.
　　“The war.” murmured Katherine, and she seemed to be confused, “Why did you fight”
　　“when I was young, I was a stupid man.” John lowered his face slowly and his face was covered by the darkness again, “I thought fighting was cool. So I joint the war.” He drank up his wine, laughed with a sad sound.
　　“Wars can never be cool. Once you step into the battlefield, you are not you any more. We were just numbers. Politicians never care about soldiers. War is the most dangerous thing in the world. It can take millions of lives away. Young man, you are lucky enough to think snake is the most dangerous thing.”

　　“I’m sorry.” Katherine stood up, patted on John’s back.
　　The wind slowed down. Finished cups of wine, Lennie felt a bit warmer.
　　Katherine hummed a piece of tune. Lennie hadn’t heard it before. It was in a slow pace. Lennie felt a bit sorrow. There were tears in her eyes.
　　“Why are you so sad”
　　“I……” She had a pause, “I don’t know. It’s time. The most dangerous thing is neither snake nor war. It’s time.”
　　Katherine smiled, liked a red rose. Her smile lightened Lennie’s eye.
　　“You can never run away from time.”

　　“Did you fall in love with her” Little jack blinks his eyes, curiously, “She is so beautiful.”
　　“No, I haven’t met her since that night.” A mid-aged man is leaving.
　　“Lennie, I’m not afraid of anything in the world, including time.”
　　“We’ll see it.” Lennie waves his hand. There’s a white rose in his pocket.