C2 Who is Ezekiel?

"Son, Lester. Your birthday is coming up, you are going to be twenty-one years old. You're a complete man now, when are you going to bring a beautiful lady here in our home?" Mrs. Wang complaint to her son.

Lester chuckled and hugged his mother that drinking coffee one Sunday afternoon. He has no work on the farm or at the sea because it was a rest day.

"Mother. Mother. I don't have any woman in my heart yet. Also, I want a woman who can make my heart beats fast. I haven't found any yet."

"But," his mother protested with knitted eyebrows as she continued, "There are too many beautiful ladies in our village. How come you cannot find any? Is your standard for a lady is too high?"

Lester shrugged and went back to his seat he was sitting earlier and sipped his own coffee.

"There are many beautiful ladies, it's true. But Mother, my heart does not beat to any of them. Maybe I haven't found yet my destiny."

"But Lester, do you know that some of those beautiful ladies actually like you? Who could resist the charm of my Lester anyway?" Mrs. Wang proudly asked her son.

Lester laughed at his mother's praise but could not refute what she said. As the days went by he became more and more handsome. He knew those ladies who like him even some of those men who were jealous of his appearance. What can he do? All he knew was that his father has mestizo blood that's why his handsomeness seems unique in their place.

Maybe it wasn't the right time for him to fall in love yet

November eleven, 2000.

Lester Wang celebrated his twenty-first birthday. They held a small feast and invited some ladies and gentlemen of the same age as his or at least young ladies and young men of eighteen years old above. Plenty of food was prepared and Lester happily entertained the guests. Everyone was happy on his birthday.

However, what Lester could not fathom was the feeling of something missing in the depths of his heart. Although the beautiful ladies were there, he felt that there was an emptiness inside him.

While Lester's guests weren't paying attention to him, they were drinking and singing loudly, talking to each other, Lester decided to went outside to breathe some fresh air. It was around ten in the evening. Lester sat on the wooden pallet he made for resting outside the house. He wanted to be alone to understand why he was feeling that way since earlier.

"Lester."

"Lester."

Lester was startled after hearing a whisper right on his ear! It was a whisper calling his name, but he did not see anyone when he looked around.

"Was that a ghost? Am I being haunted?" Lester asked himself as he blinked many times but strangely, he did not felt any fear.

When he looked at the road ahead, Lester could see that someone approach. The person was carrying something he could not identify, wearing a white t-shirt and faded denim jeans. Thanks to the bright full moon, as the person came closer, Lester could recognize the person.

His eyes widened and Lester cheerfully greeted the person, "Mister Lucas! It's you! Are you going to my party? But why you came so late?"

Lester felt very happy and warm inside his heart. He ran towards the old man.

"Hahaha. I am very sorry, Son. I was lost my way to your home. Hihihi. Furthermore, I heard about your birthday, so I hurriedly prepared a present for you."

Mr. Lucas handed him the basket and Lester happily took it from the old man and said, "You even bothered yourself but thank you very much, Mister Lucas!"

Again, Lester saw the gleam of silver in the old man's eyes as he smiled. Now, Lester could certainly say that there was really something strange in his eyes!

Lester could not take away his gaze from the old man, he seemed hypnotized. The old man's eyes were very beautiful! He felt drowning just by looking at it.

"Why are you here outside Lester, your guests are all inside your house?"

Mister Lucas's question pulled Lester back to reality. Lester blinked and turned around unconsciously to look at his house.

"I honestly don't know Mister Lucas but maybe because you are coming, so I can greet you." Lester turned around again to the old man and continued, "Please come to my house Mister Lucas, the party isn't over yet and there are many beautiful ladies inside! Your eyes will surely marvel at their beauty! Haha."

"Hahahaha! Let's see."

They went to the house together as Lester carried the basket with the present inside. He thought, 'What could be this gift of Mister Lucas, I am so excited and cannot wait to see, but I need to restrain myself.'

Before twelve o'clock approached, Lester's visitors left happily, some of them brought food from the feast because there was so much left.

"I'm also going home, Lester. Happy birthday to you, and thank you so much for the delicious food," Mister Lucas bid farewell happily.

Lester waved his hands to gesture, 'goodbye' when the old man left.

It was then Lester realized that there was no longer the seeming emptiness inside his heart that he felt earlier.

'Does that mean it's Mister Lucas I'm looking forward to seeing on my birthday?? How strange is this?' Lester thought.

'But wait! Who whispered my name when I was sitting on the pallet?!'

Thinking of many possibilities, Lester swallowed hard nervously. He doesn't want to think there was a ghost. He quickly closed the door and went inside the house. He saw the basket with the present from Mister Lucas, Lester took the basket and carried it to his room, but his mother called him even before he could enter the room.

"Lester, who was that very handsome visitor of yours earlier? I never saw him before though he looks familiar, but I just can't remember," his mother asked.

Mrs. Wang's question made Lester's heart's shocked and confused.

"Do I had a guest more handsome than me?" Lester asked his mother seriously.

Mrs. Wang's eyebrows knitted, but she answered, "Huh? It was the last visitor you came with. I couldn't approach him earlier because I was stuck with my friends. I was embarrassed to leave them while chatting to me."

Lester could not believe what his mother said. He felt helpless as he thought of all the guests who came but as he thought about it...

Very handsome?

The last arrived?

Wasn't it was Mister Lucas arrived last?

Lester asked his mother to make sure it was the old man, "Haven't you seen an old man with me earlier, Mother?"

"What old man are you talking about? All your guests were the same age as you, there were just a few friends of mine that are adults. And they're all with me all along. I think you are drunk. It's better for you to take a rest now, you still have work tomorrow. I'll take care of the things here, don't bother to help me. You should sleep," Mrs. Wang explained that left him dumbfounded.

Lester responded to his mother confusedly, "I think you're the one drunk, Mother?"

"Of course not! I'm clear-headed. Haha. Rest in your room. Happy birthday again, Son."

She kissed Lester on the cheeks and pushed him into the room.

Lester closed the door and put the basket on the bedside table, he changed his clothes quickly then jump off the wooden bed. He reached out the basket and immediately opened it. There was a small box in it. Lester carefully opened the box and his jaw dropped on the bed when he saw the content in it.

It was a gold necklace with pendant-like leaves with a stem. The stem was in a curved way that made the pendant look round, and it was made of silver-toned diamonds!

The pendant sparkled at the light of the flambeau. Lester's heart pounded erratically as he thought of the horrible possibility, 'My goodness! I am in danger from thieves with this necklace! I never thought Mister Lucas to be rich.'

Lester was restless. He could not sleep at all. His mind was flooded with many strange thoughts. He grabbed the necklace tightly in fear that someone would grab it while he was sleeping.

'This is very important to me! The best ever gift I have received in my whole life!'

Lester fell asleep with all those thoughts.

"Lester! Lester! Come quickly. I will teach you how to use an arrow," a young man kneeling on the ground with an arrow in his hands called Lester.

Seven-year-old Lester happily ran towards his young man friend. He was with his father at the farm, but he was left alone at the small hut, letting him play alone. What his father did not know, he has friend to play with. His friend was a very, very handsome young man. His name is Ezekiel. Ezekiel's hair was long and silver, and he also had silver eyes. Lester did not know where his friend's residence was because they often met and play only on the farm.

And now and then, Lester could not help himself from drooling in front of Ezekiel. His saliva often drips unconsciously.

Lester felt Ezekiel wiped the side of his mouth with a handkerchief and teasingly asked, "Does your saliva really need to drip every time you see me? Hahahaha."

Lester scratched his head and shyly smiled. He could not hold it or let's say, he was not aware of the dripping saliva. Haha.

Totally whipped kid.

"Because why is that you are so cool and very, very handsome? I really think you are an angel," Lester replied solemnly. He believed in his heart that his friend was really an angel.

Lester could not help himself but reached out his hand and caress those silver hairs.

"I'm not an angel, Lester. Haha. Don't you know that you also possess a very good quality? Apart from your good looks, your heart is also very kind."

"You are talking out of our conversation Ezekiel!" Lester hissed.

Ezekiel just chuckled.

"When you get married, we won't see each other again? Are you going to forget me?" Lester asked lowly.

Lester's question made Ezekiel frown.

"Why are you thinking that way? What made you think we might never meet again?"

"Because I don't want that to happen if possible. You're already a part of my life and I will definitely be sad."

Just imagining that he could no longer see Ezekiel made Lester's little heart crashed. He felt very sad.

Ezekiel pulled Lester's tiny arms and brought him into his embrace. He comforted him, "In case we won't see each other in the future, remember that that time has an end. I will definitely come back to your life again at the right time, and you need to believe me."

"At the right time?" Lester confusedly asked.

The atmosphere suddenly changed, Lester was a handsome young man already.

Lester saw Ezekiel lying on the grass, covered with blood. He has not seen him for a couple of days and was looking for him. When he saw him, Ezekiel was wounded on the head and blood still dripping from it. He was also weak. Lester felt horrified.

He knelt down beside Ezekiel and lifted Ezekiel's head and put it on his thighs.

"Ezekiel! Ezekiel! What happened to you?! Why are you bathed with blood?!" Lester was terrified, and his chest was about to crash. His heart was pounding aloud and ached for Ezekiel. He felt it was going to break.

Ezekiel reached Lester's hand and hold it tightly. He said, "Promise me Lester, whatever happens, you must take care of yourself! I will come back, I'll promise I will come back to you, Lester! Remember you are mine. You are mine, Lester! I love you. I love you so much..."

Lester could not hold his tears, they fell from his eyes like a waterfall. His heart ached

"Bullshit Ezekiel! What are you talking about?! Are you going to leave me? Who the hell did this to you. I will kill them all!! Tell me, Ezekiel!" Lester's words were full of hatred.

"Lester..." Ezekiel called his name in a whisper.

Lester saw Ezekiel's silver-toned pendant sparkled in his neck when it peeked from inside his clothes while tears fell from his silver eyes.

"I love you, Ezekiel. Please don't leave me," Lester whispered to Ezekiel, and he hugged him tightly in his arms.

Lester cried.

"Ezekiel!"

Lester woke up sweating from sleep.

A dream.

"Who is Ezekiel?" Lester knocked his head on the wooden bed.

However he thought of it, he could not remember such a scene in his memories.

"Was that a dream or something was missing in my memory?"

Lester went mad.