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"I heard he went there again."
"Oooh, when? And I missed it?"
"Yh just now as you went out to receive the call."
"Another No? How many does that make now."
"We're reaching the last of the triple digits.. late 900's I think.."
"He should just give up..."
I stood up, from the bar stool, finishing my drink in a single gulp. The gossip stopped abruptly as everyone tried to look and at the same time not look at my reaction.
I flashed a smile and left the bar, taking a look once more at the chocolate shop next door.
'998 times.' I counted inwardly to myself.
Everyday, I walk into that chocolate shop and ask Mila to be my girlfriend.
Everyday I've walked out denied, ridiculed and utterly embarrassed.
I walked slowly back home with my head down, noticing the stares of pity from some and looks of amusement from others.
Turning the corner I heard a voice.
"Another No?"
I looked and saw the owner of the voice, the same beggar who I passed everyday on the sidewalk near my apartment building on my way to propose.
He had moved from his regular spot so I assumed he set up somewhere else.
"You moved."
"The sun was too hot on my weary back." He replied. I looked at his new position, I'm between two buildings and a tree, indeed the sun wouldn't reach her but no one would actually see him for he to beg.
As though he's hearing my inner thoughts he began stretching his hands asking for alms.
I dip my hands in my pocket, bringing out a stick of chocolate and giving it to him.
"You've got to be the stingiest giver I've ever seen." He remarks unwrapping the chocolate.
"You've got to be the strangest beggar I've ever seen." I answered back.
"You have enough money to buy you a mansion just sitting in your account and here you are in the sun asking for alms. Why?" I ask for the millionth time.
"Everyday I thank God for that lottery ticket you lended me, but my sitting outside isn't about the money anymore. I guess I've grown to love people walking around me. Listening to their stories makes you realize just how vain and tiring most of us are. Really they're such a drag." He explains then takes a bite of the chocolate bar.
"So why do it?" I ask, encouraged that he's finally answering me instead of waving it off or acting deaf.
"Well there's a particular story that intrigues me the most." He says then takes another bite of the chocolate bar.
"Why do you still ask for her hand Michael?"
"How do you know my name?" I asked
"We've known each other for 7 months, you think I wouldn't learn the name of the man that made me a millionaire and is trying to kill me with diabetes." He answers then sarcastically takes another bite of the bar.
I shook my head and began climbing the steps to the building.
"I asked you a question boy." He said licking the wrapping paper.
"As always your chocolates are the best. Now back to the story."
I tensed up again.
"Why keep asking for her hand if she always denies you Michael?"
"Because I love her." I answered quickly, eager to end the topic.
"If that's the only reason then that's some love even better than those in fairy tales."
He rests his head against the wall of my building. I began climbing the steps again.
"So what are you going to do tomorrow? Just ask her again?"
I stopped on the last step, the door to enter the building, just in front, yet I couldn't move.
"There's nothing else for me to do." I say and broke down crying.
"Come sit here boy." The old beggar man invites me to his little dark corner between the buildings.
"In reality I've known her since my sophomore year." I began, tears still flowing from my eyes.
"We were dating then and I was madly in love and madly rich, she was the same. I was always ready to flaunt my money on her, and she was always too. We went on different dates in different restaurants and we were the power couple of the restaurant." I looked at the beggar and saw him listening intently to my story. The reason for my eagerness to tell this story to a complete stranger befuddled me, yet as I've started I couldn't stop.
"Until that fateful date night in a hotel. I saw her taking money from my wallet." The memory replaying in my mind.
"We had just finished our chocolate date in the diner of the hotel. I was a bit drunk from the wine and she claimed to be getting sick from the wine so we went to our rooms early, she to the restroom, me to the bed."
"Hmmmm" The beggar replied as I continued
"Although I was half unconscious I saw her clearly. She came out of the toilet, with a tissue in her eye. She then checked to see if I was asleep and proceeded to try opening my safe to collect money.
I slept off and confronted her about it the next morning, it led to a huge fight and we broke up."
I shook as I felt the tears well up again inside me
"My last words to her were 'even if you asked a thousand times, I wouldn't take you back.'
Since then my life has been a total downslope, my riches all but gone with only a few thousand to my name, houses sold, reputation lost and although it being the first thing I lost, it's also the most painful, my chance at true love." I finished my depressing tale to see the beggar's eyes glassy.
"A truly moving story mate." He says, wiping his eyes on the hem of his clothes. Something I would think twice before allowing my hands to touch much less my eyes.
"So that means you have 2 more tries at a proposal before you hit the road." The beggar asked after pulling himself together.
"There's really nowhere for me to go, if after this proposal and she denies me too, I'm going to end it." I say resolutely.
"I have nothing to live for. A few thousand doesn't last long in this economy, the rent of this building already eats up like half and then feeding, then a week later it's already gone."
"Still to end it all is a bit rash, no?" The beggar asks with a look of concern on his face.
I looked at the bit of wrapping paper he dropped on the floor and he followed my eyes.
"Chocolate loses its sweet taste if it's all you eat, doesn't it? Well it's all I can afford right now. Ironic isn't it, breaking up with chocolate and now the food that represents your pain is all you eat." I stood up and dusted my trousers.
Walking up the steps, I looked at the beggar and smiled, a genuine smile in a long time.
"Thanks for listening." I called out to him.
Immediately I walked into the building but with the door held open by another person who was about to go out, I heard what he said.
Goodluck Tomorrow!!!!!
I woke up the next day feeling hesitant to leave the bed. I already knew what today held, a 15 minutes long walk of dismay, determination and a bit of hope, 5 minutes long proposal of embarrassment, shyness and then a 15 minutes long walk back of anger.
I closed my eyes and got to it, my morning activities breezing past as they were quite little to do.
I came out of the doors of the building and checked to see the beggar was gone.
I shrugged his absence off as I started the walk to the restaurant.
I felt eyes boring into my back as they anticipated the 999th denial.
I walked into the restaurant and it seemed as though the whole world stopped.
Everybody turned to look at me today, my regular coming here had made the restaurant rowdy in the morning, everyone expecting a meal and a show.
I remembered some of my earlier proposals, the bad ones where I begged her and cried and wailed and simply embarrassed myself then the quiet ones when it looked like I simply went to ask for something at the counter and walked out disappointed they didn't have it.
Inside the restaurant now, I couldn't tell how this particular one would go. I looked back pointedly at one family who had all but forgotten their food. They quickly went back to their plates with the tip of their ears red.
Mila walked out from the kitchen and took her usual spot at the cashier's stand when I came to propose. I almost felt like running away, let it be that the 999th proposal never happened and I didn't know her final answer.
She smiled warmly at me and that alone gave me courage.
I walked up to her and decided that I wanted my last to be like my first proposal.
Going down on one knee, I put my hands in my pocket and brought out whatever was in it and proposed.
"Mila Jackson, would you make me the happiest man alive and please be mine again?".
She burst out laughing and my heart stopped.
She walked out of the cashier stand, took the bit of chocolate in my hands and pulled me in for a kiss.
"I've missed you, idiot." She said into my ear.
"Well after 998 tries, I guess I would have to be a witch not to take you back." She announced to the crowd, who cheered in my long but well sought victory.
I was still confused as she dragged me into the kitchen and then to another room
I saw the cooks hard at work as orders were still pouring in but then the door shut and the lights were brightened.
I saw the beggar counting money in a suit and he looked at me.
"Hello Michael." He smiles "I see my daughter finally let you off the hook."
"I'm sorry, he made me keep you waiting all these time." Mila says, trying to explain the situation to my bewildered mind.
"So you guys are family?" I manage to stutter out.
"Yes we are." Mr Jackson former beggar replied. "Infact, you could say I'm the reason for your break-up." He continues
"I got into some really bad debt and I had to ask my daughter for some help, although I didn't expect her to go through the backdoor of the safe. Nevertheless I'm very sorry for all the pain I put you through."
"Oh it doesn't matter now Dad." Mila assures him.
"Yes, it doesn't." I replied. "Beside I lost all the money anyway so there's no need for me to keep any grudges."
"Although I do wish you said yes before the 999'th time." I said laughing.
"You just needed one yes right?" Milo asked coming into my arms.
"Why can't I hear a profession of your love for me as much as I want then?"
Story written in response to The Inkwell prompt:Chocolate