Chapter 1(An unexpected surprise)

"will you marry me?" His sonorous voice echos.

A smile suspended on her lips as her cheeks flushes red. Overwhelmed to speak, she stared at the man on his knees for her.

His eyes sparks with excitement and he didn't mind if his knees burns on the ground. All he desired to hear was her positive reply.

Here he was on an island, close to the beach, wearing, a swim short and a linen shirt exposing his chest partly. He was proposing to his girlfriend on a sunny day, though, the ray was mild on the skin.

Her face wasn't visible and it was like though a bright light covered her eyes down to her aquiline nose, however, her smile was visible.

Her long brown hair blew wildly across her face. The linen gown she wore was tossed aside by the wind. He couldn't wait to hear her response.

Just the way he desired, proposing in a place where only them could be. Having no human or animal. His gaze on her shifted to the surrounding where he was.

For a reason, he began to wonder how he got here and how she found him! He could feel the sand between his toes, it was warm, gritty, and small in size.

The calming sound of the waves colliding with the compacted, wet sand on the beach. The sound of the water rolling back out to sea to be thrown back at the beach again. 

He could feel the fresh smell of the beach like it was an air freshener but it also smelled that gave him a tingle in his nose. He couldn't understand her facial expression as it was unclear to him.

As he kept waiting for a reply, he could feel the light breeze coming against me. This fresh air felt warm as he felt like he was sleeping in a comfortable bed.

The place was serene, except the sea gulls who were audience and a juvenile's voice who appeared from no way.

"Hey dude! You're drooling all over my body!!"

Henry squints his eyes, stunned, he suddenly realized that the beach was fading and the girl he was proposing to had vanished.

"Babe?" He muffles intending to find her.

"F**k off man! Wake up!!!" The juvenile's voice yelled louder in his ears and he jerks up from where he sat while rolling his eyes around.

He could see people chatting and making videos. Sadly, he was in a plane, snoring and resting his head on the juvenile sitting close to him.

He had bad sleeping habits and had drool all over the left shoulder of this boy. His dream world was interrupted by a fed up teenager called kevin.

Henry wished he could afford the buisness class; where there would be no disturbance. But it turns out he was in the economy class. At least, he could afford a plane ticket.

"Oops, sorry for that" Henry mused wiping his mouth and trying to get a napkin from his pocket for this boy to clean up the saliva. He wipe off the drool and kept apologizing.

His eyes were still blurry as he snorts and sneezes. Henry felt embarrassed as this young dude looked at him with an expression of contempt and disgust.

He glances at how this boy was dressed like a rockstar, having Versace chain around his neck, a big t-shirt and cargo pant. 

He would probably be 12 or 13 years old. Kevin's headphone was place on his neck as he was still staring at the adult beside him.

Henry lowered his eyes at the boot the boy wore. It made him marvel at his fashion sense. Not bad for a bad boy. He faked a smile at the annoyed Kevin then shifted his gaze to what he wore.

Henry was wearing a white shirt with blue pants and he tied his blue hoodie around his waist. Somehow, he feared this kid judging from his devilish gaze. He was intimidating even as a teenager.

"I hope we never meet! Gosh, so irritating!" Kevin snarls and placing his headphone back. 

"We would never meet" Henry assured calmly while folding his arms and massaging his neck.

He watches the boy bring out a stopwatch and then groan at it. This boy had shifted his gaze to the window, concentrating at the void sky.

"Why would he want to see me after abandoning me all these years?" Kevin cusses kissing his teeth.

"I wonder what he looks like, I heard he's scary and dreaded" the boy continues raking his eyebrows and feeling uncomfortable. It was then Henry figured out that the kid was on a call with a friend possibly.

Henry studied the kid, even if he doesn't know who he was talking about, he could feel it was the child's father. No wonder Kevin acts like a bully at their first visit.

"Mom says he's handsome...strict, a mafia..." 

Henry didn't what to pokenose in this child's worries and so he decided to dive back to dream world. He rest his back gently and shut his eyes.

"I get a feeling I would murder him in his sleep, I got everything arranged"

Henry spur his eyes open as he adjusts himself on the seat and then gulps hard. The child's words had faded the lingering sleep in his eyes. Kevin gave Henry a daring glare as his lips kept moving.

The young man began to pray in his heart that he lands safely away from this terrible kid who was giving him goosebumps and makes him perturbed.

Henry had a lot ringing in his mind but to him, proposing matter yet this child's words kept interfering. The facial expression of this child shows hatred, anger and lack of love. 

For a moment, the world stopped for Henry who tried not to focus on the words of the child but he couldn't help it because Kevin's voice was loud.

"First I would poke his big eyes, chop off his fingers...his d**k would come last..."

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have begun our descent into [city]. Please turn off all portable electronic devices and stow them until we have arrived at the gate. In preparation for landing in [city], be certain your seat back is straight up and your seat belt is fastened"

The pilot informed and Henry breath softly. For a moment when Kevin was speaking it felt like he was the one the kid was trying to murder but now, they would go their seperate ways, thanks to this information the pilot passed on.

Henry gave a wry smile at Kevin who had disconnected his phone and began tapping his feet. Kevin smirks at him wondering why adults do not mind their business.

"Boy, sometimes, be nice, you're too young to have such bitter thoughts, life is beautiful if you work towards it"

Those were the last words he uttered to this child and Kevin pointed his middle finger at him. It was obvious Kevin was rude and heartless. What were kids of the nowadays turning to?

***

Henry kept glancing at his phone as he stood beneath de Rialto bridge. An ancient place in this fascinating country called arthadeal.

He was captivated by the beautiful scenery and the wild night life. The people around this were welcoming and accommodating but somehow, they didn't want to mingle with him.

The area he stood had few people wondering about. They kept giving a creepy look at him. It was quite a secluded place.

He inhales softly trying not to freak out as he was there to see her not panic over some people who doesn't know how to treat foreigners.

His girlfriend who had ghosted him for months. It was weird to come and propose when he barely knows this girl but her name and the fact that they had a one night stand. 

Nevertheless, what he uses to comfort himself was love is blind. She had never picked his calls since the night she mysterious walked away. He promised his family that he was returning with a bride and they ridiculed his words.

Who would want to marry a man who has no future? Ratchet and indecisive. They all knew he would make a useless spouse, stupid leader and a lazy worker.

Henry boasted that he was one who would return with his bride in three days because he believed she would love him despite his appearance or charisma.

He had tracked her down to this country and this was where the GPS tracker stopped. However, he couldn't figure out where exactly to go.

The worst was that he couldn't ask anyone for direction because they were avoiding him like a plague. Anyone he draws closer to had fear and runs away from him.

Henry held his luggage firmly as he tried to contact her again. He didn't want any doubt to form in his heart that his journey was baseless.

"It's him right?" An old woman whispers to her husband as they walk pass Henry who shrugs his shoulders with the thought that certainly, they weren't referring to him.