Photo by @wakeupkitty
Stefan walked into Lilian's room without any warning. "Here," he said with a sneer and flung an open envelope on the table beside where she sat, looking out the window.
"Thank you, uncle," she replied demurely. He was her father's friend but became her guardian after her father's death.
She waited until he left and shut the door. Another letter from Igor?
Lilian hurriedly tore through the envelope, her hands shaking. Her breathing was in short bursts, her chest rising and falling rhythmically.
The writing was Igor's.
My beloved Lilian,
I should have waited for your response to my last letter but I received surprising news today and must tell you about it. I hope you get this letter on time. I'm unhappy about the late delivery of my letters to you. Do you know the reason for this?
My great-uncle who deals in imported goods got a contract to supply rare gems to a prestigious company in Ohrid. When he told me, all I could think about was you. This is fate, dearest Lilian!
I have always wondered when my savings will be enough to enable me to travel down to meet you. Now, I don't have to wait anymore. I'm coming with my great-uncle aboard Countessa, a very fine but small ship.
This will be my first time travelling by sea and I'm excited and even more so because I will see you. My great-uncle is happy about the cheap labour he will get from me in return for my travelling expenses. I will help him to offload the gems when we arrive at Lake Ohrid.
My darling, are you ready to receive me? I don't want you to worry about anything. Just have your bags ready and when I come, we will go to your priest or a Justice of Peace, anyone you choose, and get married. I don't want to leave Ohrid without you. I believe this is the opportunity fate has afforded us and we must seize it.
I want us to be together, my darling. No more waiting. No more letters and fantasies. The journey is a mere two weeks according to the Captain of the ship which I compare to closing my eyes and opening them to behold your angelic face.
Our communication through the aid of letters has cultivated our love. Now my physical presence with you will tend it and we will watch it bloom into an eternal bond that cannot be erased by the passage of time.
I'm sure that meeting you won't do justice to the pictures you have sent to me. I long to finally look into your lovely blue eyes and hold you in my arms.
Be ready, for I will come to you as soon as we dock. Wait for me by the port terminal. Do take care of yourself, my Lilian and see you soon.
Yours eternally,
Igor.
Lilian bit down on her fisted hand as she saw the date on the letter. It was written fifteen days ago, received twelve days ago and Stefan deemed it fit to give her the letter that morning. He had a habit of opening her letters and giving them to her many days later.
The first time she read a poem written by Igor in a local newspaper, she felt the connection and wrote to him explaining her thoughts on the poem. That was how their friendship began—from penpals, their love bloomed.
Stefan laughed her to scorn at first but when he realised how serious their friendship was becoming, he began to delay her letters, threatening that she would never leave Ohrid. Instead, she would die an old maid in his house and she should be grateful that he was accommodating.
Her agemates were already married but she was single at the age of twenty-three because of her disability. She was considered an old maid. Her inheritance gave her guardian a fairly comfortable lifestyle, which would end if she moved away.
Igor became her comfort. She never imagined they would one day meet.
She stood up, grabbed her crutch, positioned it under her armpit and moved around her room to grab a few essentials, particularly her government-issued identification and birth certificate.
As soon as Stefan stepped out, she left the house through the back door. She was sweaty, anxious and near tears at the port terminal. Will the ship still be there? Igor would think she was never coming.
The sky was clear and blue. The magnificent white ship was anchored near the coastline and only a few dock workers moved around. Lilian stopped one of the workers. "Please where are the passengers who came aboard this ship?"
The man frowned at her. "Lady, the passengers disembarked yesterday. They are all gone!" He waved his hand, his tone ringing with a finality that seemed to seal her fate.
Lilian nodded and hopped to sit on a concrete seat. She covered her face with a small towel and cried into it. She did not want to ponder her return to a house and life where she was not wanted.
"Ahem. Excuse me?"
Lilian froze at the sound of a deep masculine voice. She wiped her tears and was going to apologise to the stranger when she gazed into the most beautiful amber eyes she'd ever seen.
"Lilian?" He asked. He was of average height, and strongly built. His eyes were kind and his trimmed moustache and beard gave him a mature look.
"Yes. Who are you?" She stuttered.
The young man visibly sighed with relief and smiled, displaying dimples on both cheeks. "I thought you'd never come. I was not sure you got my letter—"
Lilian stood up and fell into his arms, her face hidden in the crook of his neck. Her crutch fell to the ground.
Igor knew without asking. It was his Lilian.
