A Graduation Gift

Cassandra's dream was so surreal that it lasted unbelievably long.
In her dreams, the sky was clear and a gentle wind kissed her sun-bathed face. Luscious grasslands extended over the horizon
and fragrant fumes from the budding petals were dispersed by the wind. The peaceful scene was perfected by zestful laughter
and sweet words of love whispered on her ears.
She was lost in Rufus' embrace; she had never felt such love and passion overflow in just a simple gesture of affection. The way
he held her made her feel that no storm could harm her as long as she was with him. His arms were such a stronghold and she
couldn't ask for more.
The dream was overwhelming, but the reality was harsh. No matter how elated the dream was, eventually Cassandra had to
wake up and continue with her real life which was the exact opposite of her fantasies.
She managed to open her heavy eyes and tried blinking for several times. Once, twice, thrice...she was playing with her eyes to
test whether she was still dreaming or she was already back to reality. Rufus who was silently observing her and fascinated by
her actions.
Steadily, Cassandra held her eyes open and stared blankly at the ceiling. Lifting her head, she caught sight of Rufus who was
just sitting by the sofa beside the bed. It surprised her to see him and she couldn't avert her eyes from staring at his attractive
face.
'So I must still be dreaming, ' Cassandra thought as he had exactly the same emotions in his eyes, tender and caring.
She gazed up at him, not before long the tenderness in his eyes seemed to subside.
"Well, you sleep like a baby. It's been almost 20 hours. Are you playing the Sleeping Beauty?"
His eyebrows creased with discontent, and his eyes emitted impatience, waking her up from her reveries.
His words made her gather herself and drift away from her daydreams. She suddenly realized that she was in a hospital, after
noticing the bare white walls and the familiar smell.
Pieces of what had happened flashed back in her mind, and the last thing she could remember was being taken into the
emergency room, then everything went blank. What happened after...? She didn't have a clue.

The reverie was broken by the screeching of the door as it was pushed open. Cloris walked in and her face was filled with
excitement seeing that Cassandra had been conscious.
"Cassandra, my dear sister! I'm so glad you are awake now!"
She giggled excitedly as she rushed towards the patient. Cassandra wanted to say something in response to her sister's
excitement but she didn't get a chance. Cloris kept throwing out questions and just couldn't stop herself from talking.
"Cassandra, do you know that you were still in a coma when I came this morning...The doctor said that you had a fever and you
would need some good rest, so I went back...Now you seemed much better. Finally, you have regained your consciousness! Are
you hungry? You haven't eaten for so many hours. Do you want me to buy some food for you?"
When finally Cloris paused to give Cassandra some time to respond, Rufus coughed intentionally to let his presence be
acknowledged.
"I've already asked Victor to buy some porridge. It would be good for her empty stomach, as it is noting going to cause any
irritation."
Cloris's attention was grabbed by Rufus. For the first time of their many acquaintances, she was dazed at the handsome features
of Rufus' face. He looked different at a closer view - there was something in his eyes that attracted her. She couldn't stop her
heart from palpitating and found it hard to breathe.
Cassandra, on the other hand, started to wonder, 'I remember it was Lionel who brought me to the hospital, but why is Rufus
here attending to me now?'
Enjoying the infatuations she felt towards Rufus, Cloris searched for the appropriate words she could address to Rufus. With her
face blushed, she put on a warm grin and asked, "By the way, Rufus, why are you here with Cassandra?"
Rufus was not showing much emotion on his face. A slice of fatigue flashed across his dark brown eyes.
"I happened to be visiting a friend here, and figured I should drop by to check on her."
Finding an easy excuse, he carefully concealed his deep concerns for Cassandra. Upon hearing his reason, a cute grin
appeared on her face, and Cloris blurted out, "Oh, I see. So that was the reason why you were here when I came just this
morning! Since you are still here when I'm back now, I thought that you have been in this room the entire day!"

Cassandra's heart leaped a little when she heard that Rufus was here the whole time. 'Could it be, that he has been staying with
me all along?' she entertained the thought.
The idea was too good to be true that Cassandra shunned it off her mind. Though Rufus had proven himself to be her protector,
she still couldn't fully trust his sincerity.
Rufus felt uncomfortable all of a sudden at Cloris's comments. Awkwardly, he stood up and bade them goodbye with the
intentions of not creating further doubt.
"Since you're awake now, I believe you'll be better soon. I have to go, there's an important meeting to attend. Just stay in the
hospital for a couple of days more to make sure that you're fully recovered."
Without waiting for her reply, he turned his back and hastened to the door. As soon as Rufus was out of the scene, Cloris could
no longer contain her overwhelming feelings for Rufus. Her cheeks turned red, so crimson red that she had to bury her face on
the blankets by the bed. She felt abashed and looked up to her sister with a sheepish grin. Grabbing Cassandra's hands, she
uttered a confession saying, "Sis, what am I going to do? It seems that my feelings for Rufus grow stronger every day."
Her words were soft, but they pierced into Cassandra's heart like a sharp needle, giving her heart searing pain.
She tried to lift her hand to remove the strands of hair from her sister's face but her hands were trembling. She was puzzled if the
trembling was the side effect of the coma or the fear that was slowly boiling inside her.
She had no idea what exactly she was scared of?
Was it because of the complicated oil-water-like relationship with Rufus or the boldness of this young girl in front of her in pursuit
of her own love?
Needless to say, Cloris was more adorable compared to her. She would never be young and innocent again, and those were the
most attractive qualities that made Cloris different among other girls.
"Rufus is a great man. He's loveable,"
Cassandra uttered after searching her mind for the right words to say. With her feelings contradicting to her words, she had no
idea how to respond to Cloris.
Constantly, her mind was reminding her that she wasn't supposed to fall in love with that man, but her heart suggested
otherwise. Now, however, after knowing Cloris's feelings towards Rufus, the balance seemed to tilt to the side of her emotions

rather than her judgments.
The battle between Cassandra's mind and heart was in its climax. Ironically, Cloris came up with a brilliant idea, then grabbed
Cassandra's hand and swayed it back and forth like a child.
"Cassandra, I am required to complete an internship before graduation. Would it be possible for me to join Tang Group for my
internship? Can you help me with this?"
Cloris pleaded her older sister, looking at Cassandra with her big wishful eyes and an angelic voice. Cassandra knew the reason
behind her request. The internship was just an excuse for her to get closer to Rufus. Forcing a caring smile out, Cassandra
agreed, "I'll see what I can do. Just send me your resume. I'll take it to the human resource department and see if they can
arrange one for you."
Cloris was exhilarated to hear the positive reply from her sister. She was already looking forward to working with Rufus. Hugging
Cassandra's arm tight, she even rubbed her smooth face against Cassandra's arm to show her excitement and appreciation.
"Cassandra, you are the best! I knew you would help me!" exclaimed the overjoyed girl.
Cassandra, however, didn't know to react. Instead, she drew a hesitant smile.
Momentarily, she thought that might turn out to be a win-win situation. Cloris would win Rufus' affection, and she would be free to
expel all the infatuations and fantasies she had for Rufus.
What she and Rufus had, after all, wouldn't be allowed even if there were traces of love in between. The thought made
Cassandra felt like the heavens fell upon her.
At around 9 o'clock Cloris gaily left the hospital with the fancy thought of having her internship in the Tang Group. Cassandra was
left alone. A blank expression was written on her pale face, and the long day of sleep made it impossible to close her eyes. She
wanted to sleep off all the unwanted thoughts that were troubling her, but all she could do was to stare at the boring ceiling.
Then an idea brought her up the bed. Taking her chance when the nurse wasn't around, she sneaked out of her room and took
the lift down to the garden on the ground floor of the building.
It was dark outside, and nobody was in the garden considering it was already late. Taking her time and cherishing the peaceful
treat, she slowly walked around the place. There, she had a slight taste of freedom - so sweet and promising. She felt as light as
a feather.

Suddenly, a deep and heavy sigh broke the silence.
No ordinary sigh would remind you of all the tempest and miseries in life.
Curiously, Cassandra walked towards the direction where the sound was coming from.
The light was dim, but the weary face of an old man with grey hair was visible. Misery and a troubled heart were clearly
portrayed by the bitter frown on his face.
The inquisitive woman coughed intentionally to draw the old man's attention as she walked closer. And she succeeded - the old
man turned his clouded eyes to the woman.
As their eyes met, a tinge of embarrassment enveloped Cassandra and she didn't know how to start the conversation. She was
taken aback and her mood suddenly dropped. The old man seemed to feel the same way too. Judging that they were on the
same boat, she deemed it wise that getting to know the old man would do her no harm.
With that in her mind, she gathered her courage and attempted to cease the monotonous silence.
Wearing a polite smile, she seated herself beside the old man.
"The moon looks great tonight,"
she started, trying to break the ice. The old man wasn't surprised by the friendly tone in the woman's voice. Gradually he raised
his head and looked up the sky.
The dark blue sky was decorated by an enchanting yellow moon, with the bleak light of the stars forming a mist. It was indeed a
magnificent view to the eye.
"For the whole year, such a full moon can be only seen for a dozen times. We should treasure this rare moment,"
the old man responded in a hoarse voice. Seeing that her friendly attempts had paid off, she felt a sense of accomplishment.
Moreover, the man didn't seem to be rude at all. Cassandra was impressed by his wit - he was an interesting old man.
"Sometimes, what our eyes can see is limited. However, we are free to decide with whom we will enjoy the scene. Being with
someone you love the most is more valuable than enjoying a rare scene. Everything would be a scene to remember when you
are with someone of your love," probed Cassandra.

The little woman was trying to find out the reason for his mournful sigh, suspecting it was because of his spouse.
The man returned her with an understanding smile.
"You're such a clever little girl. You know how to phrase your words. Did you come to console me because you saw me alone
and troubled?"
Cassandra was surprised that the old man had seen through her plan. 'Can he read my mind? How could he possibly know what
I'm thinking?' Cassandra wondered.
Her cute and innocent face helped clear some of his distress away. In a much more relaxed mood, he began to explain, "All this
time I'm bothered by my son."
Cassandra reached out her clenched fist and started unfolding her fingers as if counting one by one.
"Not a family man? Unwilling to marry? Refusing to have a child? Or not getting along with his wife? Which one of those about
your son is bothering you? Would you mind sharing it with me?"
Though her question was so direct, the old man didn't feel offended and replied straight forward, "My son doesn't want to follow
my path to take over our family business. He just wants to follow his own way of life. Tropical rainforests, plains, and deserts, are
the places he love. He would take his camera with him and stay there for months without returning home. My wife and I are
always worried about him and his future."
Cassandra held an envious expression.
"Wow, he has been to so many interesting places! In my case, the only place that I have been to is Rome. I haven't got a chance
to go to other places even if I want to."
The old man, however, was not totally excited as Cassandra was. Instead, he put on a helpless smile.
"My wife and I used to lose contact with him for a couple of weeks. After all, he is my only child. Who knows what would happen
to him when he is in the wild. All the family members want him to come back to take the responsibility for our family business.
But he is so stubborn and just wants to play around with the animals and the plants," the old man complained.
The light in Cassandra's eyes now dwindled. On her mind raced the thought that...

Somewhere out there, there was someone who was so bold enough to pursue his dreams and live the life he wanted. He was
living his life to the fullest disregarding the immense pressure from the family. Sadly, in her case, Cassandra was too weak to
dare and she was never given the chance.
'I envy this man's son. I want to marry the person I love. I want to have a simple life with him and be with him for the rest of my
life. I am willing to give up all the luxuries of life just to be happy with him, ' she thought to herself.
Ironically, in reality, she decided to give up her own life for the sake of her family. She didn't want her parents to suffer. Then she
ended up with Lionel, the man whom she married without even the slightest affection.
Noticing that Cassandra was indulged in her own thoughts, the old man tried to console her back, "My fair lady, you are so
young. What is bothering you? I can be some help if you don't mind sharing it with me."
She didn't know whether it was because of the lovely scent of the flowers, the gentle moonlight, or the cold wind which
resembled her feelings, but somehow she felt a rare urge to express her thoughts to this strange old man.
"What has been bothering me all this time is...I have fallen in love with a person, who is not supposed be loved by me," she
stated with a voice full of despair.