BEFORE SUNSET

01

 It is raining. Rain, I like the rain. I like the smell of it. Rain smells like the nature. It tickles my tip of nose. I like that feeling. I also like the sound of rain. It has its own rhythm. I like listening to it.

 But today is different. I don't feel raining is good today. I was going to meet Chris, but it is raining now, so he won't come today. Not today. I hope he will come tomorrow, then.

 The door bell rang. He came. No, he didn't come. There is a police officer standing outside my house. I wonder what he is doing here. I've done nothing wrong. Neither did Chris, I believe. Even if he did anything wrong, why would I have to take care of him? He is not my boyfriend or something, he is just a friend. A long time friend. He just taught me drawing. That was all.

 "Ms. Brown, right? I am a police officer from the western office. Mr. Newar told me that you were his legal guardian. You need to come with me."

 "What happened, sir?"

"He was caught for a physical violence."

 I was reluctant to follow him. An officer coming to my own house by himself? Why wouldn't he just call me? I thought for a while. I remembered that there were several phone calls before. But I didn't answer. I do not answer the phone I don't know. So I thought it was best to follow. Well, I couldn't believe that he committed such crime. He was the last person that would hit other people. I went to the station with the officer.

 There was Chris. He had a black eye and cuts and bruises all over his face. Nobody could think that he had beaten others. I listened to the officer with Chris. I asked him.

 "Sir, who is the victim?"

 "That guy, over there."

 He was big. He seemed like to be a gangster.He had few bruises.  Nobody would believe that he was a victim. I didn't want to admit that Chris, was the first to take a fight. And the officer said that they cannot accuse the victim. I knew why.

 Chris and I got out of the station. We walked to a restaurant to have some dinner, since it was late. We went to KFC. As we sat down, I asked him.

 "Why did you...?"

 "Well, you know I have my own art studio, right?"

 "Yes."

 "I was working in there, drawing and painting, and then that guy came in, and he said they were awful and grotesque. I can't understand why he came in. Anyway, I couldn't stand him saying like that in front of me in my place, so I beat him in his face, and he took me out and went to some dark place. He beat me up and called police. That's why."

 "You shouldn't do that. Not to guy like him. You might...might have been serious."

 "I'm okay, that's the point, isn't it?"

 After finishing dinner, we decided to go to my house. He needed to give me the lesson.

 There was a crosswalk. Red light.

 Chris walked as if nothing was wrong. I tried to stop him, but he didn't listen.

 Three seconds, just three seconds.

 A truck hit him.