Back.

Let me tell you a story that I pictured in my head –-

A boy, thirteen was his age. He didn't grow up with privileges most of us had. His family had him and two younger siblings, with nothing more than just an unheated little apartment in suburban Eastern Europe just enough for them all. His parents had just enough to send him to school.

Worries were no stranger to him, as he faces harsh winters and limited food. Often he would just spend playing with his leather ball, that he gotten from his 5th Birthday, just not to worry about it. Walking past toyshops, he often craves for toys he couldn't afford. Down the road, famous bakery stall, made him hungry, as food was fresh hot from oven with aroma that made his stomach growl. "What is life? Why am I living this way? Do I have a purpose? What more can I live for?” as he said to himself.

-

One day, as he was just thwacking the ball against the wall, getting rid of worries he often thinks of, something unusual happened.

He was distracted and not concentrating, he left the ball rolling down the street and ending up in an abandon old house's garden. From afar it seems like a garden, however, it wasn't much a garden, just over grown grass. Despite the stories heard, he opened up the low metal gate.

As the gate squeaks open, he hope that no one will see him entering. "Get the ball, out I go", that's all he said to himself. As he made his way through the grass in searching of the ball, something attracted him in the house through the window, a white envelope, unopened, left sitting on a cozy unlighted fire place.

(Told you something unusual happened)

"Maybe I'll just take a peep inside and would be out in a jiffy", he said to himself yet again.

He enters through the broken window, he was afraid of what could be "in stored" for him in the house. He took little steps but eyed the white envelope. As he walks through the hall, dust was plentiful, even walking across the hall way left his shoe prints. He saw chandelier, scenery pictures hanging, couches that are cozy enough for him to sleep on, and the wall nicely painted.

-

He reach out and opened the envelope, curiously, he pulls out the sheet of paper inside. With a quick glance through the first line, the words "Use the matchbox next to the fireplace to make yourself feel at home". He did what it said and read on.

-

He reads on finds that it was a love letter written by a man after the name Clark, who was the owner of the house, and it was left for his love, Elizabeth, that he adores so much. However, time was up for Clark and he couldn't get to meet her. It was a letter that made this thirteen-year-old boy read on and felt touched.

-

As he reads, the words brought him through memory lane with Clark and Elizabeth, time before this area he stayed in became a front line of war and as Clark was conscripted into service for his country.  However, Clark continued to talk about his life in army, promotion to be a general in one of his squads. The unfortunate happened, he took a bullet for his country. The only thing he could do was lie in wait for his love, Elizabeth to arrive, but she didn’t. As time passes, he thought of how his love sparked for her, how it could just consume the paper he was writing on like a fire. Even though he of his handicap he would run to her.

-

It was unusual to see this thirteen-old-boy has his face smudged in sadness. The last line hold great wisdom saying, “Cherish every moment, don’t live in despair, there is so much more hope in stored for you!” As though it was written to him, he cherished these words greatly.