When You're Gone (Colette)

It was Sunday, and James was home from the nearby college he attended.

He grew up in a poor household. His parents fell sick from overworking and lost their ability to work when he was in high school.

Although his family had no savings, he worked hard to win scholarships and stipends throughout his studies. He decided to attend the best college in the city to stay close to his parents. The proximity allowed him to visit them over the weekends.

James checked the time. It was 4:00 pm. When he got down from the attic, he saw his parents stuffing some fruits into his backpack. They hurried up when they heard his footsteps.

James ran over and stopped them. He took out the fruits from his backpack with a helpless expression. "Dad, Mom, I brought home the fruits for you. I'm on scholarship, and I can have these fruits on campus anytime I want. You need to take care of your health. Please don't save everything for me."

His dad, Will Vanderbilt, stuffed the fruits back into the backpack and shook his head in protest. "We know everything. Even with the sponsorship, you only get a set portion of fruit every time. Giving it to us means you won't have any to eat. Fruits are expensive. You need to take care of yourself; you're still a student who has to take care of his parents!"

"Dad, stop arguing. If you keep up this tug-o-war, I'll just drop the stuff at home the next time! I won't bother to spend time with you!" James shoved the fruits into his parents' hands and grabbed his backpack, pretending that he would storm out in anger.

That finally forced his parents to accept the fruits.

When it was time to say goodbye, the couple reluctantly saw their son to the door. They hoped he would visit often, but at the same time, they did not want to put him through the trouble.

As the only child, James received all the love and attention from Will and his wife, Maureen Green. Will and Maureen felt guilty for burdening James.

But James was a thoughtful child. Apart from studying diligently, he started working part-time in high school. He dismissed their guilt by saying, "Dad, Mom, how can you describe yourself as a burden to me, after all you've done to raise a fine young man? You're the best parents. You should happily accept what I do for you."

Although James was in college, he'd given up admissions to better colleges in favor of the college in the city. As parents, Will and Maureen wished to spend more time with their son, but they felt sorry when they saw how much he struggled for his family. They wished he could put himself before anyone else. noveldrama

James stepped out of the house. After some deliberation, he turned around and reminded them, "Dad, Mom, eat the fruits while they're fresh! Don't keep them around until they rot!"

"Got it." Will and Maureen waved at him, telling him to get back to campus soon.

James did not look back again. He walked in the direction of the bus stop.

The Vanderbilts lived in the suburbs,

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in the same area as the Avery University campus but in the opposite direction. It took James two hours to get back to campus each time he visited home. Not only that, but he had to make a transit on the journey.

Thankfully, he could always find a seat on the bus as the bus route was not popular.

The rickety bus took off. James, perhaps too exhausted or rocked to sleep by the bus, fell into deep slumber right after he sat down, despite just waking up from a nap in the attic.

In his dream, he saw a company leader in a suit, who was the object of the desires of many women. A young girl who tagged along with the important man left a strong impression on James.

James could not see her face clearly, but something told him she was an important presence.

The young girl was 10 years younger than the man. Every time she saw the man, she'd call him "uncle" in a sweet voice.

As an orphan, the young girl was emotionally dependent on the man. Over time, her feelings slowly grew into romantic love.