Mg Tun Thu - Three Loves by AJ Cronin

(1)

When she had finished dressing, Lucy went to her bedroom window and looked out. There was still no sign of Frank. He stood behind the latticework and looked out at the main road that ran along the riverbank towards the town, nearly a mile away.

The main road was deserted and quiet. There was no one around except an old man and his dog. The old man, who was very old and had arthritis, was leaning against the wall outside his boathouse, sunbathing. His dog was lying on the sidewalk with its head resting on the platform.

The afternoon sun of August was bright and shining. Under the sun, the city of Athphilanthropy was radiant. The roofs and spires of the buildings on the banks of the Doran River were also shining brightly. In fact, this street, these buildings and these houses were a familiar sight to him. However, in this golden light, the scenery was not ordinary. It was still incredibly beautiful.

The green forest on the shores of the bay, sparkling in the sun, the peaks of the mountains reaching towards the sky in the west. This landscape had long been familiar to him. He could see the signs of autumn. He loved this season.

Her gaze fell on her son, who was playing on the small ferry, the “Eagle,” on the other side of the dock. The ferry was docked in the harbor, and was her son helping or hindering Dave, who was busy on the deck? More likely to hinder than to help. As the thought entered her mind, a mother’s love for her little boy came into her mind.

He smiled briefly and moved away from the window. He stood for a moment in front of the large oak window, looking at his reflection in the mirror. He was neither tall nor short, and his strong, straight, slender body beneath his thin clothes clearly showed his youth. Although he was twenty-six years old, his youth was still that of a sixteen-year-old.

His skin was fresh and blood-red. His face was slender and his eyes were blue. His neck was elegant and in harmony with his face. In fact, his face clearly expressed sincerity, innocence, and agility.

He ran one hand through his dark hair and stared at her face for a moment. Then he folded the clothes he had taken off that day and put them in the bottom shelf of the closet. After closing the closet again, he looked around the room. Everything in the room was in its place and organized just as he wanted it to be. The whole room was as clean as he wanted it to be. He went downstairs with a satisfied look on his face.

In fact, Lucy was always satisfied with keeping her house spotless. She was happy only when it smelled fresh and was spotlessly clean. Only then did she feel proud of herself, considering herself a good host. Her house was small, but it had a small garden, and it was on the outskirts of Ardfeland.

He entered the kitchen and walked over to the area where the dishes were being washed. "You're not done yet, are you?" he asked.

" I'll finish it right now, Mrs. Moo," Nat replied.

" Mr. Mu is almost back," Lucy continued.

"I'll boil the eggs from now on."

" Yes, of course."

" Be careful when boiling it. It will thicken and harden, so add a little vinegar to it. Don't forget to add it."

" I won't forget, Mrs. Moo."

Natta is tall, thin, and agile. He is only seventeen years old. He works diligently and diligently. He is shy and quiet, but he is very kind. Although he is a hard worker, he never uses the superfluous words "sir" and "madam" when addressing his employer. He always responds politely and respectfully, but he does not use expressions or actions that show excessive arrogance.

After washing the dishes and going outside, Natta smiled at his thoughts. "It's taken me a long time to change my clothes since I got this new haircut," he said.

“ Oh, yes, I know why it takes you so long to get dressed,” thought Lucy. “It’s been a while since Dave Bowie was looking at you with interest.”

" The hair is beautiful. Does Dave like it this way?" Lucy asked.

Netta shook her head in shame. She cracked an egg against the edge of the pot, mumbled, "Huh, huh?" and went to get a bottle of vinegar.

Lucy stood watching the maid's movements for a long time. She suppressed the urge to laugh. Then she became aware of her own happiness. If she thought about it, didn't she always feel happy when Frank returned from the city? As the time approached, she would sweep the house clean and change her clothes, anticipating Frank's arrival?

He crossed the front hall, opened the door, and stepped outside. He walked along the pebbled walkway outside. He looked at the green lawn and blooming flowers in the small, square garden, and then he walked to the gate and opened the door. There was movement on the street. His son was running toward him, his son's shadow running close behind him.

" Mom ... " she heard her son call out to her. "I worked on the Eagle with Dave ."

" Yes," Lucy replied in a tone of disbelief.

" Yes, ma'am, I really mean it."

"Dave asked me to tie a rope, you know?" his eight-year-old son said happily.

" Yes, that's good, and what about that?"

Lucy replied, noting the small moles on her son's nose. Her son's nose was a little chubby. She had seen many noses like this and many other types. To her, no nose was as attractive as her son Peter's.

He thought his son Peter was a "gentle, well-mannered boy" for his age. His hair was brown, his eyes were light brown like his father's, and in his eyes, his son was a very sweet, handsome boy. Other children might have their own cute spots. But he didn't think he was as cute as his son Peter.

" Mom , my son is playing darts . Do you want to go?" Peter asked.

" Where did you get the stone door?" Peter laughed, looking at his mother.

"Today I met some boys throwing stones. I borrowed two stones from a boy and threw them with him. I won, and I paid back the stones I borrowed from him. I have even more, you know?"

As he spoke, Peter took out a pair of stones from his pants pocket.

" If mom lets me go, I'll go play and win many more."

" Son, I'll have some tea first. Your father will be here soon. Now ... go inside and wash your hands and feet. It's not good if you're dirty."

Peter let out a sigh and ran home along the gravel path. He returned to the road from the city where Lucy had been watching. A moment later, her husband, Frank, came into view. And then, his heart sank. His mind immediately cleared.

Her husband was walking with his back bent and his head bowed. He was very calm and composed, as was his nature.

Looking at his appearance, I felt love and pity. I couldn't help but feel impatient. Suddenly, I thought about the current situation in his head, which was not very successful. Then I remembered the time when they met.

He recalled the life he had with his brother Richard at that time. Before his brother got married and became a lawyer, he worked for the Roy sisters' company. Richard was a meticulous person in everything. He was also very careful about small things. At that time, Richard would do anything for his wife Eva, but he didn't care much about himself. He only gave them the care and support they needed as a brother. This was probably because he had to take care of his young son Charlie on the one hand, and he had to take care of his wife Eva, who had become frail after giving birth, on the other.

In fact, Richard and I never got along. We often disagreed. I thought it must be because we had different basic temperaments. Then, when a young man named Frank became interested in me, he...

Lucy couldn't help but smile when she remembered that. At that time, Frank used to come to her every fortnight, every day he worked. Frank was not only rude, but also didn't understand the manners that were understood by their community. In fact, meeting her future husband in a place like Edberg was not very dignified. When you think about it, it's almost funny.

However, the two, who were so different in character and quality, had become so close that they could not be separated from each other. On an afternoon like today, they would walk in the nearby woods.

They gazed at the beauty of the Gulf waters below.

Richard was serious. He didn't think much of Frank, a traveling salesman. He and Frank didn't share the same ideology. And they didn't share the same temperament. Richard said that a man of Irish parents had to leave his country because of the famine. When the potato fields that were planted twice a year failed and the streets were littered with corpses, people from the area usually flocked to Scotland. Richard also derided the Irish as nothing more than low-class laborers. Wasn't Richard really proud of being Scottish?

Richard and Lucy had a major disagreement on this matter. Richard and Lucy were severely criticized by the community for their choice of spouse. They condemned them. In the midst of this, he and Frank decided to live together for good one day nine years ago. He had already made up his mind, so he was not at all ashamed or afraid of marrying Frank. He thought of nothing else except the knowledge that he loved Frank.

Frank was approaching her. Lucy raised one hand and waved. She said, "Hello." Frank said, "Hello" back.

Frank is in his thirties. He is tall, but not muscular. His clothing is casual. He has brown eyes and brown hair.

" I'm late today, bro," Lucy said. "I think I missed the four-thirty train."

" There's nothing wrong with you, brother," Frank replied. "There's only one thing to do, thank God, for not being ahead of me."

They walked together toward the house. “I think I forgot to buy those coasters Lucy ordered,” Lucy began.

Frank didn't answer. He just stared at Lucy's face and remained silent. He had said this morning that he would go to Mr. Go's Department Store today. Now, he had forgotten what Lucy had ordered. Their family recognized "Go's Department Store" as a store that sold good things. They believed that anything they bought from that store was good and sturdy. The piano they were currently using at home was all from Go's store.

" I'll buy more next Friday," Frank said.

Lucy pursed her lips. It had been a long time since she had ordered. She thought it was too much to have forgotten all week. Frank was so careless. He forgot everything so easily. He forgot not only his birthday and Peter's birthday, but also his own birthday.

They entered the dining room. The dining room was quite small, between the front living room and the kitchen. The three fathers and mothers sat down to a tea party that had been prepared for them.

" What is this guy doing today?" Frank asked, looking at him.