A Midnight Smile🔊

In the bustling city of San Francisco exists a bookstore almost as old as the city itself, named 'Wisdom Tree'. Obscured by towering buildings gleaming under the city lights, the Wisdom Tree is more than just an antiquated structure brimming with old books and the lingering scent of history. At the heart of this venerable landmark sits its elderly caretaker, Clement.

Clement, an aged man with a heart as warm as his endearing smile, was a fixture of the city - as recognisable as the Defence Tower. With his pension as his sole source of income, the bookstore was all he had left of his past, of the memories of his wife who had lovingly helped him run the store before her untimely death.

One evening in the gloomy December, Clement was closing the store when he received a peculiar phone call. An old strained voice at the other end spoke, 'I am Isabella; do you have 'In the Realm of Silence?'.' Clement was shocked, for 'In the Realm of Silence' was not a typical bestselling novel, but his wife’s unpublished manuscript that he had carefully preserved.

Intrigued and fearful, Clement agreed to meet this mysterious Isabella at the store. As the grandfather clock struck midnight, a woman of profound age, with moon-white hair and eyes exuding centuries of wisdom, entered the store. Suddenly, Clement's heart pounded in uncertainty and surprise. It was as if he was seeing his late wife's reflection in those wise old eyes.

Isabella revealed how she was a longtime friend of Clement's wife and that she had promised to read her manuscript, but life had swirled her away in its unpredicted chaos. She had travelled the world, only to find home again in the etching years of her life. And now, she wished to fulfil her promise.

Clement hesitated. This manuscript was all he had left of his beloved. It held her thoughts, her dreams, her legacy. It was a part of her he could never let go. But a pang of compassion for Isabella swayed his decision, and he handed over his treasure, his heart throbbing painfully against his chest, a silent prayer in his eyes.

Isabella accepted the profound gift and made a promise to bring it back once she had read. The promise was kept. She returned the manuscript, her eyes red from crying, her voice filled with an indefinable emotion, 'Your wife had a gift, Clement. Her story moved me like no other. She wrote of life with such depth and truth. It's a blessing to the world.'

Moved by Isabella's words, Clement finally decided to get his wife's manuscript published. Each word inked onto the papers was a piece of his wife's soul, a piece of her story. Once published, 'In the Realm of Silence' swept over the globe, touching millions of hearts with its profound wisdom. The bookstore that was once brimming with past became a beacon of light, propagating silent whispers of knowledge and dreams. Despite his loneliness, Clement found comfort knowing a piece of his beloved was still living, still touching lives.

Late at the bookstore that once remained hidden in the shadows, Clement could feel his beloved's presence more than ever. A midnight smile danced on his lips, for he knew he had gifted the world with his wife’s soul. Amidst the nostalgia and pain, he found solace, a sense of peace. And in that moment, he understood the true meaning behind his beloved's 'In the Realm of Silence'- that even in death, love lived on.