Nicolae's Regret

"Where ... where is she now?" Nicolae asked in a choked voice. He must exert all his sanity to not break down and cry in front of Mrs. Carter.

The middle-aged woman shook her head sadly. "She was buried yesterday by the social service. We could not find any of her other friends or relatives, and her mother is dead ..."

"Do you know where she is buried?" Nicolae asked again.

Mrs. Carter nodded. She then wrote an address on the paper and handed it to the young man. "You can go here ..."

Nicolae could no longer speak, so he just nodded to express his gratitude. He listlessly accepted the paper from Mrs. Carter and read the contents. The young man then excused himself and walked with weak steps back to his car.

As soon as he got into the car and closed the door, Nicolae buried his face in the wheel and cried silently.