Of Course

Standing in the only open space in a filled parking lot, admiring what we are living under. Pointing up at the stars and airplanes floating above us, with heads arched back.

“Do you see that?” he asks, gesturing at a tiny light in the mist of the dark sky, I nod. Of course I can see it; I always look in your direction. “That’s Jupiter,” he whispers as his round eyes reflect the lights around us like fireflies in a jar. I continue gazing up at the planet, amazed at how he could’ve known that.

“Really?!” I ask childishly, he nods.

“Can you see how it’s rounder than the stars around it?” I nod. Of course, no matter what you say, I’ll always believe you. Our perfect moment is interrupted as others join us, but he doesn’t mind. He takes time to tell every newcomer everything he had already told me. I stand by his side the whole time listening along. Of course, I’ll never grow tired of your voice – even if you whisper the same line a thousand times over and over again. We walk back into the crowded restaurant and glance at some people walk by celebrating, while others are mourning. Even though there are so many people to talk to he still seems so lonely. I bring him to a row of toy vending machines and watch him read the instructions on an unlit machine. “Li – line up – arrow – with – st – star…” he stutters, eyebrows furring. I point at the yellow words on blue surface and read.

“You have to line up the arrow with each star twice to get a prize.” I explain, but he stares at me blankly so I translate the instructions into Chinese. Of course, even if we sometimes can’t understand each other – I’ll always try my hardest to translate and comprehend you. Suddenly a little girl runs up and grips me tightly around my stomach. I brush her hair from her face and kneel down beside her. She asks me for two quarters but I don’t have any so I ask him, “do you have 50 cents?” Instantly he whips out his wallet and places two quarters into my hand. I give the coins to the little girl and as she’s about to spend the money, he holds out his hand and stops her.

“Wait! That’s a state quarter!” he shouts, pulling the Maryland quarter from the coin slot. He dumps out every coin from his wallet and finds a normal quarter. He places the new quarter into the slot and the girl turns the knob. She opens the cover of the machine with excited eyes, reaching for her prize. But there is nothing there, her smile drops and she crosses her arms. Quickly he tries to find two more quarters but she runs away to complain to her dad, leaving us to a loud silence.

Yet even thou there is silence between us, our minds are filled with unsaid words that speak louder than the people around us. Of course I love you.