"So what happened after the match? Who won and who lost?"
"Ash… well, we tied. Then he walked me to the police station. After that, I never saw him again."
"So you didn't get to say goodbye?" Ash asked.
"No, the chess match was the goodbye," Aurora said, smiling and looking at the sun. Her hair was blown by the wind—it was beautiful.
Ash looked at her the same way, remembering the story she had told him more than a month ago. At first, it was hard for him to understand how she did not cry all the time, but he knew she was strong and had a hard life.
They had been going to the park so many times he had lost count, talking about life and other things. Over the weeks, they also played chess and ate sweets from local stores.
Some days, she was like a motherly figure; others, like a nagging sister. At ten and a half years old, Ash had seen many beautiful girls at the orphanage, but there was no one like her. She was beautiful as a person, more than just her physical looks.
…
Bark! Bark!
"Hey, Rick," Aurora said, getting up.
Rick was a black man with long dreadlocks, tips gray, wearing black shades, a green thin jacket, and black jeans. He was sixty years old, tall and skinny.
"Hey, Aurora, and hey, Ash," he said, coming closer with the two dogs he had—both white, square-faced, with runny noses.
"Hey, Rick. How have you been? Haven't seen you in a while," Ash said, remembering the last time they spoke was three weeks ago.
"Just busy, about to move, and hoping to see you guys here one more time," he said, looking down at Aurora, who was petting the dogs.
"Hey Rick, can I walk them for a bit?" she said, happy to see the dogs. She usually saw animals on the street, and the ones she could pet were not hers, so she liked seeing Rick because of the bond she had with the dogs—plus, no pets were allowed at the orphanage.
"Sure, just bring them back in one piece," he said, smiling.
Rick and Ash sat on the bench, watching Aurora walk the dogs around the lake.
"So my boy… how have you been? Did you finally make a move?" he said, grinning at Ash.
"Stop teasing me, Rick. You know it's not like that," Ash said, looking down at his feet.
"Well, last time we talked, you were all 'love this' and 'love that,'" Rick said, gesturing a hug and kiss.
"No, all I asked was, 'Do you love someone?' and you said, 'I don't know,'" Ash said, kicking the small rocks beside him.
"Well I do, Ash. I found someone, and I'm so happy that you asked me—it helped me," Rick said, looking at Ash.
"Really… I helped you? It was supposed to be the other way around," Ash said, a little surprised and irritated.
"Then ask me a new question. Maybe I can give some wisdom. That's the most I can do for you and Aurora," he said, his face down, a little sad knowing he had no money and was about to turn sixty-eight, unable to live in the city anymore.
"Well, I know I said I don't like her, but what's the difference between loving and liking someone?" Ash asked, straight-faced.
"Well, champ, liking someone is noticing their good traits. You only see the best side of them, thinking they are good at this and that. Liking is just the front, not the internal part." He pointed a finger at Ash's chest.
He continued, "Now, love… that's hard. Many interpretations exist. To me, love is knowing who they really are. You know their heart, their actions. Are they selfish or greedy? Does their personality align with the person you think they are? Ash, love can only be interpreted by you, and you alone. If you want me to be the wise sage you see me as, I tell you this: don't take the meaning of love for granted. It's not all about you."
"Thanks, Rick. I'm going to miss you." Ash felt lighter inside, realizing how kind Rick had been to him and Aurora.
"I'm going to miss you too. But one more thing—know that to truly love someone, you must understand that life is unpredictable. Sometimes, there's nothing you can do if the thing you love is gone, bud," Rick said, smiling, hands on top of Ash's head, rubbing his hair.
"No, stop! It takes forever to fix the mess you made," Ash said, moving Rick's hand off his head.
Only to see Rick laugh.
"What's so funny, guys?" Aurora said, looking at them.
"Nothing," both said, smiling.
It was more than twenty minutes before Rick left.
Both hugged Rick before saying goodbye. They didn't know if they would see him again.
After that, Aurora and Ash stayed on the bench, talking about the fun things they did over fall break and the funny experiences with Rick.
Soon the sun reached its peak, hitting every part of the park. The day was closing, and some people were leaving, while fewer were entering.
The sounds of birds and small children were the loudest.
Time passed before another visitor arrived. The crackling sound of a bike echoed, followed by a loud voice.
"FOUND YOU, guys!" Jordan, the boy from the same orphanage as Ash and Aurora, shouted.
"Hi Jordan," Aurora said, smiling.
"Hi Jordan," Ash said, without smiling. He had hoped to play basketball a little longer and felt disappointed.
"So why are you here so early, Jordan?" Ash asked.
"Well, I kinda got bored winning so much, you know what I mean?" he said with a cocky smile.
"Oh really, that's cool. So I think we were about to go back to the orphanage—are you joining us?" Aurora asked, already knowing the answer.
"Obviously. Also, let's get food on the way. I have some questions about…"
"We're not helping with your homework again, but I'm down to get something to eat," Ash said, irritated by how often Jordan asked for help.
"Come on, guys, this is the last time, please." Jordan looked at Aurora and Ash at the same time, his head moving so fast Ash was surprised it was still attached.
"Not this time, and I heard it's only a quiz for the final—it shouldn't be that hard. If it were a test, we would understand, but you've got to use your own brain, Jordan," Aurora said, sad. She usually helped him if Ash didn't.
"Fine, fine," he said, gloomy.
As Ash and Aurora got up, Jordan had a fun idea.
"You guys down to race? Whoever wins most pays for the meal." They all had monthly allowances, enough to buy food outside the orphanage.
"Not this again. No, no," Ash said.
"I'm down if Ash is down…" Aurora said, looking at Ash with a little guilt.
"No, it's two votes for yes and one for no. Obviously, we're racing," Jordan said, smiling at Ash, dreaming of not paying for the meal. In his mind, he already saw the delicious pizza.
"FINE, fine," Ash said, a little irritated, knowing that if he didn't go all out, either he or Jordan would pay. Aurora usually won, never paying, and he couldn't understand how.
Before racing, they always made it fair—side by side. Whoever said no would start the race.
Ash looked at Aurora on his left and Jordan on his right.
"On your mark… get set… GO!!"