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‘Are you really going to stay here for the rest of your life?” Benedict‘ s voice quivered,
betraying the storm of emotions inside him.
“When I’m tired, maybe I’ll leave and find a place with beautiful scenery to retire,” Odette replied, her voice calm. “But for now, I just want to save as many people as I can.”
“I won’t have my children, but here, I‘ 11 I’ll
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have many ‘children,‘ she added, a soft
contentment in her words.
“But you don’t belong here,” Benedict said, his tone heavy with a sense of hopelessness. “Except for me, there’s no reason for you to stay.”
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“The truth is,” Odette‘ s gaze hardened slightly, “I don’t want you to stay, and I don’t need you to stay. I hope you‘ 11 leave and live your own life.
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After that day, Benedict fell into a long, heavy silence as though the weight of her words had settled into the deepest corners of his heart.
Three days later, he finally left with his
parents.
Before leaving, Benedict generously donated supplies to the disaster area, his heart tied to the people he had grown so close to. The children and doctors who had become part of his world were reluctant to see him go.
His assistant captured countless precious moments and photos that would serve as
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memories of his time there.
While Odette was distracted, Benedict pulled Amadeo aside for a quiet conversation.
As expected, Amadeo openly confessed that he had always harbored feelings for Odette.
“Please, take care of her,” Benedict said earnestly. “Protect her, love her.”
Amadeo’s smile was tinged with bitterness. “I want to love her, but I know she doesn’t love me. It’s alright, though. We share the same faith.”
“Maybe, in time, with enough sincerity, we’ll break through any barriers.”
Benedict, holding back the weight of his heartache, offered his blessing. “I hope that
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day comes. Thank you.”
When he boarded the plane, a deep ache settled in his chest. He felt, for the first time, that he might never see Odette again.
Back home, his parents brought in the finest doctors to treat his eyes.
But it was too late. Even the most renowned specialists said the chances of restoring his sight were slim.
Still, Benedict chose to undergo the surgery.
The procedure gave him only the faintest sense of light; he couldn’t make out shapes or forms.
In the beginning, the adjustment was unbearable. But over time, Benedict accepted
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the reality of his blindness. With the support of those around him, he gradually returned to
his work.
Each day, Benedict would recline in his chair, letting his assistant read to him—the daily news and stories from South Africa.
The assistant would update him on Odette, telling him how she was, if she was ill, or if anything had happened to her.
Odette and Amadeo‘ s story captivated the nation, quickly becoming the subject of countless reports, with the media affectionately dubbing them “the most beautiful reverse heroes.”
Once the news broke, a wave of young, eager doctors flocked to join the demanding South
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Africa project.
Odette and Amadeo also took on many
apprentices, guiding them through the challenges of the region before sending them off to other places in need.
Benedict, in contrast, felt like a beggar, content to gather even the smallest bits of news about Odette.
This continued for years until Jefferson, unable to watch his friend languish, began introducing potential partners to Benedict.
But despite the passage of ten years since Odette’s departure, Benedict’s love for her had not waned; in fact, it had only deepened.
He deliberately turned down every match Jefferson suggested, and Jefferson,
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recognizing the depth of his feelings, chose
not to push him further.
Then, one day, Benedict heard that Odette had left South Africa behind, embarking on a journey around the world.
Amadeo was still by her side.
Amadeo, who had never married, had stayed true to Odette–a kind of devotion that
Benedict could only call a love that endured across time.
Benedict was stunned, struck by the realization that perhaps this was the ultimate form of love: a quiet, constant presence.
Then, without warning, he threw himself into his work, becoming busier than ever, and started his world tour.
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Traveling the globe had been a promise Benedict had once made to Odette.
Little did he know that as time moved on, they had each fulfilled that promise in their
own way.
Benedict had once believed, with the vastness of the world and his blindness, that he would never lay eyes on Odette again. But the world, as it often does, had other plans.
