The Unexpected Love

Thomas stepped out of the bathroom in the early morning, having finished his bath. His damp hair clung coldly to his head, and he rubbed it dry with the help of a towel. On the table in front of him lay his mobile phone, plugged into the charger. A notification tone chimed—the sound of an incoming message. His attention immediately shifted toward it.

Unplugging the device from the charger, Thomas unlocked the screen and opened the message. In an instant, the color of his face changed. He was astonished—yet it was an astonishment mixed with joy. His entire body tingled with a kind of electric thrill, every fiber alive with excitement. The message was from Joni—something he had never expected. For a long time, there had been no communication between them, but this sudden message filled him with both wonder and happiness at once.

Thomas was a family man, living with his wife and children—a household of four. His family was an ordinary one, neither affluent nor entirely deprived. He was not a man of wicked tendencies. Humanity, he often thought, divides itself into two kinds of people: some are consumed by selfishness, feeding on the misfortunes of others, lying without hesitation, scheming to steal another’s peace; others live with sincerity and compassion, refusing to take part in wrongdoing, even if such wrong might serve their own advantage, always ready to extend help where possible. Thomas belonged firmly to this latter kind.

Life in his family had been a mixture of joy and hardship. They were not destitute, but their circumstances had been steadily worsening. Financial prospects had grown dim, compelling them to cut down even on basic necessities.

The town where Thomas now lived was not his ancestral home. Years earlier, he had moved there with his family, intending to spend the rest of his life in this new place. He and his family were content with the locality. Not far away was his in-laws’ house, and in the same neighborhood lived Joni. Though there was no true relationship between Thomas and her, Joni addressed his wife as “elder sister” and called Thomas “brother-in-law,” for her family was acquainted with his wife’s family. She herself did not visit his house, for there was no actual bond of kinship.

And yet—something about Joni deeply appealed to Thomas. He admired her decency and modesty, qualities that seemed to run through her whole family. It often occurred to Thomas that if he had been of marriageable age, and unmarried, he would have chosen someone like her. But he was now fifty, married, and father to children who had already finished their school-level education. At times he would catch himself thinking: Had I been younger, perhaps Joni would have been the one I married. In his heart, she had taken root as an image of a dignified, cultured woman.

Joni herself was not considered beautiful by ordinary standards. She was short in stature, her looks not striking enough to draw the eyes of young men, though she was not ugly either. At around thirty years of age, she was well-educated, likely holding a Master’s degree. But her marriage had been delayed. By now, most women her age in the neighborhood were already married. Thomas could not help but suspect that her modest looks and simple physique were perhaps the reasons behind the delay.

The heart, however, holds its own secrets, and no matter how firmly buried, they will one day break through—when the mind is weak, or when circumstances loosen restraint. Something of this kind had once happened to Thomas.

During a family gathering on a festive occasion, with relatives assembled for a lively night of celebration, Thomas had been present. There was laughter, merriment, and even alcohol. Though he had once been accustomed to drinking, he had long since given it up. Yet that night, pressed by company, he could not refuse. The liquor, long absent from his body, worked its spell quickly. Half-intoxicated, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Joni.

At first, it was ordinary: “How are you? Where are you these days?” But then the subject turned to marriage. Thomas wrote impulsively: If only age were not an obstacle, I would have married you. I am devoted to you. He wanted, perhaps, to test her reaction—to see what sort of woman she really was. She replied without much seriousness, answering politely, almost indulgently. When Thomas wrote, I love you, she responded firmly: Please, do not send such messages. What if your family sees them? Delete the conversation.

And with that, the exchange ended.

All of it had happened while Thomas was under the haze of alcohol. The next morning, he remembered sending a message, but not its contents. He was uneasy—had he written something improper? Opening the chat, he saw the words, and embarrassment flooded him. He had always admired Joni’s integrity and good character, yet here he was, having tarnished himself. Though his heart longed for her, he had never wished to act wrongly. Now he had crossed a line.

Ashamed, he wrote an apology, explaining that the previous night’s messages had been sent in a drunken state and were not intentional. But by then, she had already unfriended him on social media. He accepted it as the consequence of his own folly. Days later, he sent her a new friend request—acknowledging his mistake, hoping for forgiveness. To his surprise, she accepted. He was happy, yet bewildered, for he had not expected her to do so. After that, however, there was no further communication.

The matter seemed to have ended there. In Joni’s eyes, Thomas believed, he had fallen—she now saw him in an unflattering light. That incident had taken place three years ago. Yet in all that time, his feelings for her had not diminished. Though they had no contact, Thomas often remembered her. For him, Joni remained someone truly cherished.

And now—today—her message had come:

“Good morning. How are you? Do you remember once telling me, ‘I love you’? Today, I am replying: I love you too. I would like to meet you once and talk. Please delete this message after reading.”

Thomas read the words again and again, unable to believe them. He could not reply. His mind swirled with questions. Why now, after all these years? Why this sudden message? Hadn’t she once unfriended him because his behavior displeased her? What did this mean?

The whole day passed in a storm of thought. Evening fell, but still he had not answered. His heart was entangled in a web of doubts, and he remained silent—lost in questions without end.

(To be continued in Part Two…)