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The day of white couldn’t be as quiet as it was that day. The cloudy sky matched the snow particles that gracefully fell onto the ground, coating everything in the small Russian town with the frosty blanket. The blanket took over a certain park: the grass, the playground, and the benches. The park was empty, even though it should be a tradition and privilege for the youth to enjoy the snow, not a kid or family bothered to show up. The air was simply too cold for human skin.
But it wasn’t too cold for one woman, though, sitting on a bench in complete silence and blending in with her surroundings. Her hands, very fair in skin tone, were folded onto her lap, and her soft yet pointy fingernails were painted black. Any snow that fell onto her clothing disappeared onto her clothing, for the Cossack ushanka on her noggin was pure of any color. Her fur coat that covered her body was white as well yet had the pattern of black streaks in it for the sake of not being too unnoticeable. Just everything of her presence embodied the color of white, and captured beauty doing so. The coldness didn’t bother her one bit with her protective layer of soft, light material to keep her warm. There, she sat quietly, her eyes of gold staring off into the cold distance. What could it that she is thinking of?
Abruptly, her tranquil moment of silence was punctured by a cackle from afar—One with the intention of mocking the woman sitting on the bench in the middle of the snow so quietly. Her head twisted towards the dimly lit light post to be surprised. A man, seemingly a young adult, leaned on the post. His choice of fashion and overall physical appearance was completely contrasts to the world around him: a black cloak that hindered his body from exposure of the cold, just like the lady’s, and unkempt, messy hair that trailed down the back of his neck and rested onto his shoulders. A brooch held his cloak in place over his chest, a remarkably interesting one at that. The design was a small, semi-realistic skull. It had a pale ivory color, along with some small cracks on its exterior. The cloak, although dark, had worn, scratched fabric that was rough to the touch. He mischievously grinned at the lady as he heckled,
“Foolish woman! Sitting in the snow on a cold bench for so long! Is your face not cold?”
With all the insults the male tried to throw at her, the lady in white did not budge nor retorted. She knew better to let the fire die out itself than to feed its excitement with gasoline. Her nostrils flared hot air out as her only response toward the guy before she turned her head back to center to continue her solidarity. The eyes of the man in black widened, surprised of this woman’s choice to ignore him. From his experience, every person paid attention to his squawking of insults and harsh jokes no matter where he went. He would even mess with people in graveyard, bringing a disturbing tingling on the back of their necks that rattled their core with fear. The quick, drum-thumping sound of their hearts always gave him satisfaction. So, the audacity of this lady in white to ignore him felt like a personal insult, and he wasn’t going to stand for it. Leaping into action, he hopped in front of the lady, forcing her eyes on him.
“Hey!”
As simple as it is, the lady in white again made no reaction, staying quiet as she stared. The man in black, more frustrated by her resistance, soon started to pester her more, hopping around the bench while waving his arms. His cloak flapped like wings every time his arms moved.
“Hey! Hey! Hey! Look at me! Pay attention to me! I’m right here- Hey! Hey!”
Yet his attempts proved unsuccessful. The lady did not utter another word to him or give in. He pouted, eliciting a heavy sigh. What was the point of doing this? Now he looks like a fool, not her. Wallowing in defeat and embarrassment he hung his head low and found himself away from the bench, the icy crunching of the snow under his boots loud to the ear.
Just as he was about to pass the first tree, the lady in white finally spoke up for the first time ever, her words unexpected through her Russian accent,
“if you’d like, you can come seat with me.”
That's when the man stopped in his tracks. Along with her words, the scent of the lady’s rich, flowery champagne fragrance invited him back. His head turned to look back at her, there she waited patiently with her hands folded on her lap, looking right back at him for any response. Her eyes were made out of gold, which was in contrast to her whole get-up of white with a hint of black streaks in the fur. A wolf’s eyes that belong to a sheep. So mysterious yet there was no presence of danger. She’s so patient, he thought, his facial expression softening by his furrowing eyebrows. After hesitation took its course, he blindly headed back to the bench. He seated his tush on the flat pad of snow on the empty area, crisscrossing his legs on top of one another like a child. Meanwhile, the lady sat with mannerism, legs closed. Stuck together in the skin-shivering cold, the mischievous man and the elegant lady sat in silence trying to enjoy each other’s company. The man inquired,
“Why are you so tolerant of me? Do I not annoy you?”
“Annoy?”
She mirrored before letting out a hum,
“Hm, not in the slightest. Your attempts are quite laughable. Reminds me of a raven.” Her tone was calming, having the natural capability to ease anyone around her. “Some people may not like ravens, but I like them. I think they are fascinating creatures that are… playful and can keep me company. I don’t mind you.”
The lady’s kindness took the guy by surprise. Not only was she tolerant of him even though he was a stranger, but she took interest in him, something he had never seen anybody do before thanks to his childish behavior. The cold air contradicted his body temperature, leaving him numb to the color of roses fading onto his cheeks.
“W-Wow, that is… different than what I am used to,” he stammered. He glanced over at her feathery coat, definitely expensive just like that sweet, luxurious perfume she wore. How it looks so soft to the touch… He leaned over to surf his fingerless-gloved hand against it. He was in awe, yet the lady jerked her cloak back defensively,
“What are you doing? This is my coat!”
“Oh, I’m sorry– It just… felt really nice to touch…”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, never felt anything like it in my life. All I really have is the raggy coat I have on my back right now. It is fine, soft, thick, and hairy, reminds me of a black cat that crossed me on a sidewalk. It had some real nice fur that gets itself washed and groomed maybe every week.” he rambled through his reminiscence, “I miss that cat...”
“...Very well, you may continue.”
“Really?”
“Mhm, just do not leave a scratch on it.”
The guy smiled as he continued his moment of exploration. He definitely can see that this woman was a good fit for him, despite their differences. The lady thought so too. As much as she loves being alone at parks by herself and solidarity, she couldn’t help but acknowledge that it does get a bit lonely sometimes.
“What do you do when you are not here?” The young man asked as he gently rocked side-to-side in place idly.
“Stay at home. I have an expensive home, jewelry, and partake in activities the oligarchs do in their leisure time, but I never really enjoyed them.” She explained.
“Why?”
“Because,” She continued, “even though such activities like traveling to the urban areas and Moscow are worth the cost, I could not feel fulfilled doing them. It felt like something was missing, and when I realized recently, I stopped partaking.” She paused to look up into the cloudy sky, snowflakes still falling. “Now, I come here when no one is to… contemplate on things and be alone with my thoughts.”
“Huh… Guess ya don’t like the rich, fancy life, huh?”
“It appears so.”
“What if I were to be with you?”
“...Come again?”
“Yeah, yeah! I can be the annoying little bastard that pesters you wherever you go– That way you would feel less lonely!” His tone sounded increasingly excited as he expressed his idea, but judging by the lady’s look of uncertainty, he realized that he may be doing something she didn’t want, and he didn’t want to scare her away. “...N… Sorry. If that’s fine with you, of course. Then it’s cool with me.”
Silence pervaded the proximity of the two for a moment, mixed with anticipation of the lady’s response. The young guy rubbed one hand on top of the other anxiously, his fingers smeared in black soot from an earlier time. Scanning the lady’s inexpressible eyes, his mouth fidgeted as he could feel heat spread through his back in a nervous state.
Then, a quiet giggle escaped her closed lips, forcing her hand up to cover her light smile.
“I quite like that idea.”
With sparkling eyes, the man lit up with excitement for the two’s newfound friendship. With the deal set and done, the monochrome duo continued holding more conversations and getting to know each other. A snowy day could turn out to be special after all.
tonight: the human mind has mysterious wonders, but sometimes, things are better off unseen.