NovelEnglishChapter 315 And then, there was that name-Mimi.
It sounded so familiar.
"What did you just call me?" she asked, dazed.
"Mimi," Forrest replied.
He let out a soft sigh, a shadow of sadness flickering across his otherwise striking features. "After all this time, you still don't remember me?" Mimi? Mila's face went blank as she stared at the man before her, really looking at him for the first time. Slowly, his delicate features began to blur and merge with the memory of a boy she hadn't seen in years.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtIt was the summer she turned twelve.
Her parents were strict and neglectful; there were days she barely had enough to eat. Her classmates had all started raising silkworms, but good mulberry leaves were hard to cby. So, Mila would sneak out to an abandoned factory near her house, climbing the old mulberry tree there to collect fresh leaves. She'd trade them to her classmates for a bit of pocket change or a few bites of candy- anything to curb her hunger and satisfy her cravings, if only a little.
There was an ancient mulberry tree in that deserted factory lot.
One day, as she climbed up to gather leaves, she suddenly heard the muffled sound of someone crying. Curious, she leaned out for a better look—and lost her balance, tumbling down from the tree.
She landed right on top of a boy.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to!" she blurted, scrambling to her feet, mortified. Mulberry leaves scattered everywhere. The boy looked up just then, and through the dappled sunlight filtering through the branches, she saw the face of a boy in a white shirt, his features gently illuminated by a golden halo. He looked like he'd just been crying; his eyes and nose were red.
He was even more handsthan the heroes on TV. For a moment, the scruffy little girl just stared, awestruck. After a few seconds, she noticed the boy's brow furrow, and fresh tears welled up in his eyes. Mila panicked, worried she'd hurt him. What if his parents cand blamed her? Being hit hurt-a lot. Once, a chair thrown in anger had left her bleeding.
Desperate to make him smile, she grabbed a handful of mulberry leaves and stuck them in her hair, trying to look wild and silly. Then, imitating the monkey king from her favorite cartoon, she bounced on her toes and called out in a loud, cheerful voice, "Look! The Great Monkey King is here! No more monsters, no more pain. Everything's okay now!" The boy stopped crying, staring at the skinny, shabby little girl before him, jumping and grinning in the sunlight, doing her best to make him laugh. She looked ridiculous, but to him, she shone brighter than the sun.
For a moment, it was as if the monkey king himself had really cto chase away his troubles-just for him. Abandoned by his parents after their divorce and left behind at his grandmother's house, the boy had felt lost and alone. But that day, he suddenly found himself smiling through his tears.
Seeing him cheer up, Mila grinned too, bouncing even harder.
After that, the two becfriends. They met often under the old mulberry tree in the abandoned factory. Every time, the boy would bring plenty of treats to share.
Mila adored him.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmBecause whenever she saw him, she knew she'd get to eat her fill-and when she was full, she was happy.
That summer was the best tof her childhood. But, as with all good things, it ended too soon. When summer vacation was over, the boy vanished without a word.
She missed him for a long time.
Now, standing here, looking into the eyes of the man before her Mila felt the memories/crash over her like a tide. Tears shimmered in her eyes. His voice overlapped with the boy's from her memories-gentle, clear, unmistakable.
It was just like the last thing he ever said to her, the words she'd held in ve her heart all these years. Only this time, it wasn't goodbye, but a new beginning.
"Mimi." "Can I call you Mimi?"
"I want a nthat's just for me-something only get to say. Is that okay Mimi?" And she heard her younger self, laughing as she answered.
"Okay."
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