unfinished love

I’ll never forget the day that I walked next to Mehmet, seeing the shining mountain from Charlie Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic. The scene was breathtaking. The lights on the hill looks like thousands of stars, composing a tiny universe on the hill. Dim light of the lamp, bicker of the river and soft street art music formed a quite and romantic night.
It was the night in 14th Feb, 2014 Valentine’s Day. The bridge seemed to be infinite long. Breezes touched my hair softly. I could see the lamp light cast shadow on Mehmet’s bearded face. Although it’s already spring, cold remains when it is at night. A couple next to us leaned against the bridge railings, kissing each other, whispering their vow of love. The atmosphere dragged us into an awkward state.
I remained silent, catching up with Mehmet’s pace. Mehmet broke the awkwardness.
“It’s the most beautiful bridge I have ever seen. It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? “
“ Yeah. But it seems that we pick a wrong time, hum?” My chin slightly pointed to the kissing couples.
“It doesn’t matter. Maybe we can pretend to be a couple. “ He blinked his left eyes and with a joke tone and wrapped his arm around me.
“Yeah. Maybe. But it must looks strange. Turkish and Chinese? How could it happen? “ I joke back. Feeling the warm comes from my neck, I imitated his Turkish accent. “Do you know why Chinese people built the Great Wall? To defend Turkish, we beat you, you know. “ I pretended to pose a terrified face.
Both of us began giggling. That’s how we communicate. We make fun on each other. Use our mutual friend Alex’s word, “ You two like in kindergarten. “
Three of us met in a volunteering program in Poland and we soon became good friends in the last six weeks. We traveled together, drank together, clubbing together. We even promised to go to each other’s wedding and baby waiting ceremony no matter where it is going to be.
I could feel that there is something connecting Mehmet and me, and I like him. He and me shared a lot in common. But I dare not to think deeper because I didn’t want to start a no-future relationship. We kept walking, pretending to be couples.
“What’s your plan after graduation?”
“I don’t know. Maybe join the army. You know, Turkish army is compulsory. I might be killed in Somali or Syria. “
I looked up into his face. I couldn’t tell whether it is a joke or fact.
“You?’’
“I will go to Turkey and marry you. “
Mehmet stop.
He bended down, looked into my eyes, lifted my chin and kissed me.