Snow fell, whitening the streets and houses of the town. Many vehicles were stuck, unable to move as the snow thickened.
Today was Marlon's turn to patrol the small town, driving the snowplow and clearing the roads.
Tuttt…
The sound of a phone ringing broke the silence.A beautiful woman's photo appeared as the caller profile.
Marlon glanced at it briefly and let it ring, with no intention of answering.
The call ended, then rang again.It happened several times before Marlon finally reached for his phone and answered.
"Hello? Are you busy? I called you several times, but you didn't answer. And why is it so noisy there?"
Marlon stared at his phone without saying a word. No one knew what he was thinking.
"Hello…?"The voice called him again.
"Yeah, hello."
Clack.
Marlon stopped and shut off the engine before speaking again.
"Sorry, the engine is really loud. I couldn't hear your call or your voice earlier. What were you asking?"
"You're clearing the roads again?"
"Yes. I forgot to tell you it was my schedule today. You know people are starting to complain because their activities are being delayed by the snow, so I have to work—this is my responsibility."
Marlon spoke in a low voice. His face was slightly pale, and white vapor occasionally escaped his lips.
"You know you shouldn't push yourself, right? You just got out of the hospital this week. You were there when the doctor told you not to overwork yourself."
Her voice sounded worried and angry at the same time, but Marlon's face showed no response.
"I know. But this is an emergency."
"Alright. Just remember not to force yourself."
"I know."
"You brought your medicine, right?"
Marlon reached into his jacket pocket, took out the pill bottle, and shook it so the sound could be heard through the phone.
"Good. And don't forget, only two pills after eating."
"Yes. I understand."
"Alright, I'll let you get back to work. I love you."
Marlon fell silent for a moment before responding.
"Yeah."
Tuttt…
The call ended.
Marlon started the engine again—clack!—and continued down the road alone.
From time to time, he greeted passing pedestrians, and they greeted him back.In this small town, everyone knew one another.
When he checked his watch and saw it was lunchtime, he decided to patrol for a few more minutes before stopping at a small donut shop.
Clack.
The engine shut off, and he stepped down from the large vehicle, walking toward the shop.
He sat at one of the tables and waited for the server to take his order.
"Hmm? Marlon?"
"Yeah."
"The usual? Black coffee, bacon, and three pancakes?"
"You know me so well."
"Well, wait a few minutes. I'll bring your food."
"Thank you."
While waiting, Marlon briefly checked his phone and then placed it back on the table.
The food arrived, and he finished everything without leaving a single bite.
He took a sip of black coffee and took out his medicine.Normally, he would take at most two pills to ease his headache.
But stress and a heavy day pushed him to swallow four pills before washing them down with coffee.
He walked to the cashier to pay.
"Well, how was the food?"
"Fantastic. As always," he replied with a faint smile.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Would you like anything to take home?"
"Yes. A few of those donuts, and black coffee."
"Alright."
Marlon climbed back into the large vehicle and continued along the town's roads.
As he drove, he occasionally stuffed a donut into his mouth and glanced at his phone.
Before long, he reached the edge of town—right at the entrance to the bridge.
The small town of Riverbend was beautiful, surrounded by clear rivers.The bridge was the only access for its residents to reach the larger city.
That was why every patrol ended at Riverbend Bridge.
Marlon shut off the engine and sat inside the vehicle, staring at the river as it carried chunks of ice and broken branches downstream.
Not far from there stood a café where Marlon often bought coffee during patrols.
As he stepped down from the vehicle, he noticed a middle-aged man sitting alone on a bench by the river, staring at the flowing water.
It was a long bench provided by the town for people to relax and enjoy the river.
Normally, it would have seemed ordinary—but not during a snowstorm like this.
The man's head and half of his body were nearly buried in snow.If Marlon hadn't patrolled this area often, he might have mistaken the man for a statue made by the town.
Marlon ran toward him and pulled him away.
"What are you doing, sir?" Marlon brushed the snow off the man's body.
"Come with me. I'll buy you some coffee. You'll get sick if you stay here."
Marlon tried to pull the man again, but he didn't move at all.
"Oh, come on. Not on my patrol day," Marlon muttered.He didn't want to find a dead body in his patrol area.
"You're on patrol?" the man finally spoke.
"Yes. So please cooperate. Let's go to the café, have something warm, eat if you're hungry."
Marlon tried his best to stay calm and persuade him.
But the man shook his head, brushed the snow off the bench, and sat back down as if nothing had happened.
"Sit here with me," the man said.
"We can sit in the café and drink coffee. Why here?"
"I don't need coffee or food right now. I'm just tired."
That answer silenced Marlon, and he finally sat beside him.
"Do you have a cigarette?" the man asked without looking at him.
Marlon took out a pack and handed it over.
The man took one, placed it between his lips, and returned the pack.
"lighter?"
"Yes. One moment."
Marlon moistened the cigarette filter with his lips, placed it in his mouth, and searched for the lighter.
Trt—trt—trt! Tchh…
The rusty lighter ignited the cigarette, warming both of them amid the endless falling snow.
"Ssshhrrkkk."The deep drag revealed how chaotic the man's thoughts were.
"Hhhhah."Marlon's exhale told of his own exhaustion.
They sat in silence, smoking.Aside from the river's flow and the ice and branches drifting along, there was no sound at all.
A true stillness—peaceful outside, restless inside.
"What's wrong? Why are you here?" Marlon finally asked.
"I want to end my life," the man said quietly.
Marlon was startled. He looked at him but didn't respond or ask further. Everyone had their own story, and Marlon had no intention of forcing his way in.
"I don't love my wife."
Ssshhrrkkk.
Hhhhah.
"But that's not why I want to end my life."
Marlon simply nodded, the silence and the cold deepened.
"Does she love you?" Marlon asked.
"Of course she does."
"How do you know?"
"I can see it in her eyes. The way she looks at me—her worry and her anger."
The man stared at his wrinkled hands and laughed at himself.
"Do you want to know where my sin lies?"
"You can tell me if you want. I'll listen."
As one man to another, Marlon would try to help—but only if the man wanted to speak. He would not force him to spill everything.
The man said quietly. "I could never forget the girl I loved before I met my wife, Linda."
His voice was low, his breathing heavy as he spoke his wife's name.
"Why?" Marlon asked, confused despite himself.
"I truly loved that woman back then. I didn't know why. At first, I thought it was only guilt or longing. So I ignored it."
Marlon watched him, trying to follow and understand.
"Over time, instead of fading, the feeling grew stronger. I missed her more and more. I tried to contact her again, but I think the wounds I gave her were too deep. She pushed me away—warned me to stay away."
"Ssshhrrkkk""Hhhhah"
Now and then, the sound of the man's tired breathing broke through the cold.
"What happened after that?" Marlon asked, staring at his shoes buried in snow.
The man lifted his head, looking up at the darkening, empty sky.
"Then I met my wife. I proposed to her because I thought one day I would forget that woman, and my life would return to normal."
"Did it work?"
" I only became more of a bastard. I slept with my wife while closing my eyes, imagining the other woman. Over and over again."
The man covered his face with both hands, eyes shut tight, as if hoping everything would end when he opened them.
"What about your wife? Did she know?"Marlon's voice pulled him back to reality.
"At first, I thought she never would. Until before she took her last breath in the hospital, she gave me something I will never forget."
His breathing grew heavier. His voice trembled, choking back tears.
"What did she give you?" Marlon asked softly, rubbing the man's back in an attempt to comfort him.
"She gave me a letter. She kissed my hand and asked me to read it when I was alone—without anyone knowing."
His voice became unclear, broken by sobs,
the man reached into his pocket and handed Marlon a folded letter.
"Just read it yourself," he said. He could no longer continue.
"Are you sure?" Marlon asked.
The man nodded.
Marlon slowly opened the envelope and read.
The Letter
How grateful I am to God for bringing you to my life.
But sometimes it is difficult for me to stop myself from feeling jealous. Yes, I am jealous—of the name you whisper every time we make love, and the same name you call out when you speak in your sleep.
Yes, my love, I know everything. I even know that you never keep my photo in your wallet—but you keep hers there.
Am I angry? Yes, a little.Am I disappointed? Yes, a little.
But none of it changes anything. My love will never turn into hatred because of it.
For years, I stayed silent, believing that one day I would find my place in your heart.
I love you, my love.
—Your wife, Linda.
Even Marlon felt his chest ache. He didn't even know this man, yet his heart hurt, heavy with anger and sorrow,
Marlon folded the letter again and handed it back.
"So what will you do now?" Marlon asked, covering his face as he took a long breath.
"Ah…"
"I don't know. Maybe I'll still do it. Just on another day."
"Kill yourself?" Marlon confirmed.
"Yes."
Marlon didn't believe he could change the man's decision. All he could do was pray that it wouldn't happen on his patrol day.
"And now? Do you love her?" Marlon asked.
"I don't know. What about you?" the man asked in return. "Do you love her?"
They fell silent.
In the cold, quiet air, their eyes met. They said nothing, yet something passed between them—secrets spoken without words, hidden deep within the corners of their hearts.
"Do you want coffee?" Marlon said at last. "I'll get you some. Stay here."
Marlon stood, brushing the snow from his clothes, and walked away.
At the café, he pushed the door open and went straight to the counter.
"Two cups of black coffee. To go."
"Please wait a moment, sir."
Two minutes later, the coffees were ready.
"Let me take these to the man outside first," Marlon said. "He's freezing."
The café staff let him go without paying.
When Marlon returned to the bench, no one was there.
No sign of the man.No footprints in the thick snow.
Marlon searched the area, walking around in widening circles. After several minutes, he gave up and carried the coffees back to the café.
Inside, he found an empty table and sat alone.He didn't look at his phone.He didn't speak.He just stared at the distant bench.
A waitress approached.
"Excuse me, sir. Would you like anything else?"
"That's all for now," Marlon said, shaking his head.
"Alright. Call me if you need anything."
She turned to leave, but Marlon stopped her.
"Wait."
"Yes, sir?"
"Can you see the bench over there?" Marlon pointed to it, nearly buried in snow but still visible.
"Yes?"
"Did you see me sitting there earlier?"
The waitress nodded.
"Yes, sir. You were there for quite a long time. Some of us wanted to bring you coffee or a blanket—we were worried."
"Did you see the man who was with me?"
"What man?" she asked. "There was no one else. Only you. You were sitting there alone for hours."
Her answer made Marlon stand abruptly.
"No—that's not possible. I was talking to someone. We smoked together. We talked for a long time."
The waitress looked at him with a complicated expression.
"Sir, you can ask anyone here. There was no one else."
Marlon's voice caught. He couldn't understand what was happening.
"Many townspeople come to that place," the waitress continued gently. "Some cry, some scream, some talk to themselves. They say it's quiet there—a good place to let out what's trapped in the head and heart."
"That's why we weren't surprised when we saw you there," she said with a smile.
The cashier in the distance smiled and nodded as well.
Everything felt wrong.
Marlon ran a hand through his hair, staring at the waitress, still unable to believe what he had heard.
"Alright. I'll pay."
He took out his wallet. As he opened it, a photograph slipped out—a beautiful woman with black hair and a captivating smile.
"Your wife?" the waitress asked with a smile.
"No," Marlon said quietly, placing the photo back into his wallet."She's… someone."