Friday Romance: Lover's Lane (A Halloween Romance) Part 2 of 3
“Royal mail doesn’t make it to our little village very often. You’ll notice the crest on the other side where it’s sealed. As for who it’s from, only you can find out. However, if you...
As she continued her stroll through the woods, she thought about the curious man with the curious name. Markop. She wished she’d taken the time to speak with him more. Would he still be there when she turned back?
“Back so soon?” said Markop as Faye passed his camp once more.
“So soon?” she said. “It’s been nearly an hour.”
“Time passes quickly when you have coffee running through your veins. Have you ever tried it?”
She shook her head. She’d grown up drinking mushroom tea, which her mother said was just as good.
“I can’t say that I have,” she replied.
“Have a seat,” said Markop. “You must try a cup. Just one. A sip even. I’ve traveled all over the world and have procured the finest blend.”
All over the world? Faye had never even left her village.
“What do you do?” asked Faye. “I mean, what brought you around the world?”
“Wars,” he replied. “Conquest. I spent most of my youth in the royal army. Since retiring last year, ha… Retiring. The ripe age of thirty-six. Can you believe it? Anyway, since retiring, I’ve been traveling around the world. I tell myself it’s been in search of the perfect blend, but what I really want is a place to call home. I’d open up my own coffeehouse.”
“A coffeehouse?”
“I noticed the village here doesn’t have one. It’s a place where one goes to mingle with others and drink delicious brews. The brews being coffee. Did you still want to try some?”
Faye nodded.
He produced another tin cup and poured dark liquid from a canteen into it.
“Bottoms up,” he said. He poured himself one and then clinked his cup against hers.
The drink certainly smelled nice. It reminded her of the mushroom tea her mother had made, mixed with… Hazelnut?
She took a sip.
“It’s extraordinary,” she replied. “Do you have more?”
“I can make more.”
She’d stayed at Markop’s camp until the sun disappeared behind the trees.
“I’d better be on my way,” she said. “It was a pleasure spending the day with you. Will you be here tomorrow?”
“I’m afraid I leave in the morning,” he replied. “Although, and this isn’t common, I believe I will find myself returning to this corner of the world soon. That is, if you’ll still be here.”
“Always,” she replied.
“Then I’ll see you during a future stroll.”
As the weeks turned into months, Faye wasn’t sure if she’d ever see Markop again. She’d taken a stroll each day through the woods in search of his yellow tent.
After a year had passed, she discovered an envelope on her doorstep. She waved down the local delivery man as he walked away.
“Oh, Willem!” she called out. “Who is this from?”
Willem, a grey-haired man with a mustache bigger than his face, smiled and waved back.
“It arrived just this morning,” he replied. “Royal mail doesn’t make it to our little village very often. You’ll notice the crest on the other side where it’s sealed. As for who it’s from, only you can find out. However, if you stop by the pub later and share the news, I wouldn’t mind finding out myself.”
As Willem walked off, Faye tore open the envelope.
Dear Faye,
I hope this letter finds you well. Not a day has passed that I haven’t thought of our joyous conversations in the woods. You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met. Since our meeting, I’ve traveled far and wide. Coin has a way of disappearing when you’re spending your days traveling instead of working. I’m currently working at a butcher shop in order to save up enough money to see you again.
I hope the day we meet again will be soon.
I’ll see you during a future stroll,
Markop
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