With the first chirp of cicadas, Westbrook Hamlet ushered in summer officially. The old dirt roads have long since been transformed into concrete ones thanks to the reforms. Under the scorching sun, the air above the roads seems to shimmer and distort.
But even with this kind of heat, the old folks in the village still can't resist gathering at the entrance to chat about daily stuff. Too much sun isn't a problem for them. They just sit under the eaves for shade. One grabs some cookies, another digs out some peanuts, and they chew over the gossip from miles around.
But today, there were more people than usual. It was three rows deep at the entrance, every seat taken, and some folks were standing in circles chatting away. It felt like the whole town had shown up.
As they chatted, their eyes kept glancing towards the road.
"It's already four in the afternoon, and they still haven't arrived? Didn't they say the plane was landing at one? Could something have happened!"
"Don't jinx it! If old Mr. Rose hears you talking like that about his daughter, he won't let you off easy."
The middle-aged woman who was about to respond suddenly spotted a black car turning in at the entrance. She quickly set aside her cookies and peanuts, slapped her thigh, and stood up, exclaiming, "They're here! They're here!"
Everyone followed her gaze. Someone with sharp eyes teased, "Isn't that Jamies car? I recognize those four rings. But it's only Thursday today, Mr. Bradford, what's your grandson doing back so early?"
Although mistaken about the car, the crowd became even more animated. Someone shouted, "Since you're here waiting for Mr. Rose daughter, as future husband, he must be come, haha."
"That's right, that's right, I almost forgot about that! It's been what, fifteen years now? Little Sara used to go around telling everyone that Jamie was her future husband, that he was going to marry her when they grew up. If you ask me, Sara's probably back to see Johnny. Mr. Bradford, looks like you're getting a granddaughter-in-law, hahaha!"
Amid the laughter, the sleek black luxury car slowly pulled over to the side of the road. The door opened, and two long legs, perfectly tailored in suit pants, stepped out one after the other.
Instantly, the crowd fell silent, staring somewhat dumbfounded at the man getting out of the car.
In the past, Jamie had always returned in more casual attire. the villager here had never seen him dressed so formally.
His leather shoes stepped on the ground, the tie on his white shirt neatly knotted. Through the window, one could even see the suit jacket on the passenger seat. He walked up to an elderly person, calling out in a deep voice, "Grandma." The elderly person just called as Mr. Bradford—responded surprisedly and asked, "Why have you come back?"
"I saw some fresh blueberries being sold downstairs at the company, so I bought some to bring back to you." Jamie's gaze quickly swept over the long row of figures under the eaves, his brow furrowing slightly, lips tightening.
Sara hasn't arrived yet, otherwise there wouldn't be so many people gathered here.
Grandma Lorelei glanced at her grandson, wrinkles appearing as she smiled, "Yes, I was just thinking of having some blueberries to nourish my eyes. You came back at the perfect time."
People around also smiled, praising Grandma Lorelei's good fortune and how filial her grandson was, causing her smile to never fade.
They sat at the first house at the village entrance. People under the eaves of the next two houses hadn't heard Jamie's words, so they raised their voices and called out, "Jamie, are you here to see your wife?"
Another round of laughter ensued. Jamie had been teased for twelve years and was used to it, but today, there was a different kind of emotion stirring within him.
As the elders continued chatting about how Sara had stuck to him back then and how good their relationship was, Jamie sneered inwardly.
Clingy? Good relationship? She hadn't come back in twelve years. What kind of "good relationship" is that? Even if Mr. Rose said she had terrible motion sickness, if they really had a good relationship, she could have found a way to stay in touch, right?
Back then, he used all his allowance to buy a simple cellphone and wrote his number on a piece of paper for Mr. Rose to give to her. But he never heard a word from her.
The dark eyes hidden behind his lenses grew even darker, Jamie pushed his glasses and concealed that hint of hostility.
Being angry was certain, but when he called Grandma at noon and heard that she was coming back, he couldn't suppress the palpitations in his heart. He didn't understand why he had hurried back like this.
All he could say was that Sara had brainwashed him too much in the first ten years of his life. He always felt like he belonged to her, even though she disappeared without a word for twelve years. Even after she left, the villagers still held on to that notion.
The villagers kept telling him that Sara didn't want him.
But now that she's back, he couldn't help but wonder why. Could it be, as the villagers said, that she's here to fulfill her childhood promise?
Even if the possibility was almost zero.
A red sedan drove in from the entrance, and the crowd excitedly shouted, "Here it comes, here it comes! We haven't seen this car before, it must be them!"
Jamie also fixed his gaze on the car, his expression calm and composed, but his heartbeat gradually quickened. It was a sense of nervousness he hadn't felt in a long time.
