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A TISSUE, A LOVE - FINAL

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(Aurora & Ken)

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The day he woke up after the homicide attempted he suffered, the first thing that came to my mind as soon as his eyes landed on mine was: how a man can be so, so tempting.

"Thank you for saving me, Ken Matsumi.”

"You’re welcome, it's all my pleasure, Aurora Pereira.”

As the hoarse sound of his voice still made me out of orbit, his hand held mine, shivering my entire body.

What's happening to me? I've never felt this way, I need to intensify the prayers routine. I was ordained a nun two years ago, the Church was my haven, when I almost shorten my life after a rape I suffered from my own uncle. Since then, my faith comforts and completes me, Mother Filipa welcomed me as a mother and I am eternally grateful to her and the sisters who supported me in my most difficult moments in this life of dedication to faith.

Even the convent be a discreet place, Ken’s arrivalhas created a small uproar here, it was the reason for gossip among the more amused nuns. Where is this man from, why did they try to murder him? Ken Matsumi is an unknown, an inconclusive equation difficult to understand.

All we know, especially from Sister Beatrice, sweet but a tale-bearer, is that, as soon as Ken got better, he met in private with Mother Filipa in her room and she offered him a job as a gardener in the convent.

During all these months in which he works here, Ken left the convent only twice.

Ken is discreet, quiet and very observant, hebecomes closer toMr. Adauto, who is totally senile, Mother Filipa and I. And I am the person who was in charge to take care of him, until he gets better.

One of my favorite places in our convent has always been the garden, even more now,because I can talk to Ken while he takes care of the flowers.

"These gerberas are beautiful, so luscious, you have a good hand for the plants."

"It’s you that have a pure heart, Aurora, where I touch, I destroy.”Says Ken, looking sad.

"How awful, do not say such a thing.”

"It's true Aurora, I wanted to be a person of pure soul like yours, but I'm so far from it.”

When I returned to my room, a jar of salmon gerberas decorated the room.

This has always been Ken's way of approaching me, without many words, but with sweet and gentle attitudes, which is a counterpoint to a person who calls himself destructive. If I tell him that I like certain flowers, on the same day they appear "magically" in my room.

Even a box of fine chocolates appeared suddenly after I had talked to Sister Beatrice, close to him, that I missed eating chocolate.

Sometimes I watch him walk alone through the garden at night, through the bars of my room, and even he has never revealed anything to me about his life, I realize that he is a very lonely man.