Standing in front of the cruiser, Edgar turned back to give the hospital a last look. Then he opened the door of the cruiser and went inside, ordering the driver to leave the premise.
Inside the VIP ward, standing by the window, Molly peered outside until the military land cruiser was lost to view. If her memory served her correctly, Steven had once driven the same type of vehicle when he had taken her to the open country. The old memory reminded her of what happened just a moment ago.
"Molly, this is Uncle Steven's military medal," Edgar said, handing a military medal for first-class merit to her. Then he went on to tell her stories about Steven, who had been once praised as a sharp sword in the special force. He talked about Steven's ambition, his dreams, and his oath to the motherland, as well as the people he had encountered in the name of the army flag.
As Molly's eyes grew distant, her most distinct memory of Steven was no longer of the time when he was addicted to gambling. Instead, she remembered him as a father who had worn his olive green military uniform, and the military rank of a major on his shoulders.
Due to the letter which she had found under the quilt two years ago, as well as what Edgar said today, she found herself feeling completely assured. Like a load was lifted off her shoulders. Deep down, she found no resentment or confusion. There was no desire to escape either.
Everyone was bound by a moral responsibility in his or her life. It just so happened that, for her father, the mission he had chosen to shoulder was for the country and its people rather than his own small family. Although he had let his family down, there was no question that he had accomplished a lot with his mission. To begin with, she was not Steven's daughter, but the daughter of an old enemy. With a photo in her hand, she lowered her eyes to examine it more carefully.
On the photo, there was a private first class soldier, who wore Ghillie Suit for field operations, and a steel helmet. His face was smeared with black and green paint, a sniper rifle in his hands. The man displayed such intense energy.
A smile gradually appeared on her face. "Daniel, come on!" she mumbled. "You'll surely continue papa's mission for the country and the people.
You will make it."
A teardrop fell on the photo while Edgar's words rang in her ears.
"I want to show you something. Check out who's in the photo," said Edgar, bringing out a photo from his pocket. At first glance, she managed to recognize the man with a painted face as Daniel, "Is that... Daniel?
He joined the army?" She could not be more surprised. Her last memory of Daniel was two years ago, when she had gotten up very early just to see him at the drug rehabilitation center before leaving A City. During that time, he had been adamant not to appear in front of her until he wasn't embarrassed to show his face anymore. And as much as she had wanted to look for him, he had requested for her not to.
"Hmm," Edgar answered. "After leaving the drug rehabilitation center, he got in touch with me. I helped him enlist in the army. Ever since he got in, I haven't helped him anymore. I heard he's quite promising. As the sharpest shooter and a private in his company, he's been admitted to the sniper company of the special force with the positive approval of the leadership. If I'd known sooner that you came back, I would have taken him with me to see you."
Taking a deep breath, Molly looked at the cloudy sky outside. She continued to mumble to herself, "Daniel, you're the best... Because of that, I have to try my best too. The next time we meet, we should have a contest..."
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