He received an email from a former Harvard student and his heart nearly stopped. In a state of utter shock and disbelief, he closed the email, then reopened it, unable to grasp the words. He canceled his Biology class and without any formal announcement, left his office.
Hours later, he found himself in the airport, buying a ticket to New York. It was early December and the snow had already accumulated in Manhattan, reaching several inches high. Disoriented, he held the ticket firmly in his numb hand, wondering what it meant. How long had it been since they had last spoken? Four years ago, he muttered. It had been four years since they had last spoken.
With the snow falling and the crows flying over the tombstones, the cemetery was a surreal picture. The girl’s family was gathered in one corner, heads down, the mother looking into space with not a single tear on her face. At another corner, her friends were standing, some crying, others quietly mourning.
He stood by a tree, watching this picture, unsure of his position. Before he could make up his mind, his former student approached him, her eyes swollen and red.
“She was in love with you,” she said and walked away.