Chapter 10 — Unique Scent

"Thank."

“Thank you for what?”

“Thank you for just now — the first person you looked at was me.”

Co Dien rested his chin on the top of her head. “I will always look at you first.” He stopped for a beat.

"You are not a medicine. You are Tham Niem. You are the person who helps me breathe normally."

The April night wind blew. Ginkgo tree leaves rustle. Tham Niem smiled in his arms. She knew that in this life, she could never leave this man again. The two of them didn't talk anymore. Co Dien held her hand and slowly walked along the ginkgo avenue. The streetlights cast their shadows very long. Tham Niem bowed his head and looked at the two shadows moving side by side, the edges of the shadows covered with dim halos of light. She gently lifted his hand, bowed her head, and gently kissed the back of his hand. Don't say anything. Then keep walking. In the night sky, the young leaves of the ginkgo tree swayed gently in the wind. The rustling sound was very soft, as if someone was speaking words that didn't need to be said out loud. 6 Three years later. Graduation ceremony. Tham Niem wore her bachelor's gown and stood on the steps in front of the Academy of Literature. The sunlight shines down warmly. The ginkgo branches outside the window sway in the spring breeze, making a gentle rustling sound. She has been admiring the ginkgo leaves here for 4 years. From afar, someone walked forward. Black bachelor's gown, white shirt. The collar button is slightly undone. The steps are neither fast nor slow, each step is steady. Co Dien. He walked in front of her, bowed his head and looked.

“Are you done taking pictures yet?”

“Almost done. How about you?”

“Not taken yet.”

“Why don't you take a photo?”

“Waiting for you.”

He reached out and pulled her down from the steps. “Take a picture together.”

“We're not in the same academy —”

“If we're not from the same academy, can't we take pictures together?”

He took her hand and walked under the ginkgo tree, giving the phone to a classmate standing nearby.

“Would you mind taking a picture for us?”

"Okay! You two stand a little closer together! A little more! Okay!"

Co Dien reached out and hugged her shoulder. Tham Niem leaned against him.

“Split.”

When the shutter sounded, she suddenly remembered what happened four years ago. In September four years ago, the first day she entered the school gate, under this ginkgo tree, she tripped and fell into his arms. Little did we know at that time, that fall would tie us together for life.

“It's done!” The classmate returned the phone. “You two are such a beautiful couple.”

“Thank you.” Co Dien took the phone. He bowed his head to look at the photo, then showed it to her.

In the photo, sunlight shines down through the leaves of the ginkgo leaves. Two people stood in the middle of that light. She is smiling. And he is looking at her.

“It's okay.” He commented.

“It's okay?”

“Very beautiful.”

Co Dien put away the phone and held her hand.

“Let's go.”

“Where to?”

“Canteen.”

“Braised pork rice again?”

“Yes.” He squeezed her hand. “Happy graduation.”

“You too.”

The two people pushed through the crowd taking photos, across the ginkgo avenue, towards the restaurant. The ginkgo tree behind swayed and rustled in the wind. It will be several months before the leaves turn yellow. But it's okay. They still have a lot of fall ahead of them.

—

Many years later. An autumn twilight afternoon. Tham Niem is watering flowers in the yard. The sunlight penetrated through the leaves of the pipa tree and fell on her. She hummed and sang. Co Dien sat in the study room, opposite were a few friends who came to visit. Someone asked him: “Try Dien, have your allergies gone away? Co Dien tilted her head and looked out the window. Tham Niem is squatting under the pipa tree, repotting a cluster of gardenia flowers. The apron was stained with mud, and there was also a bit of dirt on the tip of the nose. She is smiling. I don't know what the flowers are whispering about. Co Dien looked at her for a moment before turning back.

“Don't know.”

“Don't know? Haven't you tried again in all these years?”

“Haven't tried it yet.”

“Why?”

Co Dien raised the tea cup. “Not necessary.”