A Nice Man

On a particular evening, returning from the market after dusk, after his usual delivery of produce to the market, he caught the sillhoute of a woman.

He felt concern for her safety. No, no one might harm her but she might be met by a wild boar or a wolf. It was also not customary for women or for anyone else, including himself, to be out alone after dusk. So he followed her at a short distance until they reached the village neighbouring his.

This sort of occasional encounter continued for a few weeks. Occasional, because they encountered only twice out of the few late evenings of the week he would be walking home.

Finally, on one of those evenings, she stopped as a cold breeze swept by. She turned around to face her kind and unknown escort.

His jaws dropped. She was the most gorgeousest of any women he had seen.

Uhh ... you want a banana? Or a mango? How about a rambutan?

That was all he could stutter in his amazement.

Thanks. I love bananas.

She cojoled the banana out of his semi-petrified hand.

Why do you follow me and yet never bothered to speak to me?

His reponse,
I was concerned for you and yet I never thought it would be nice to disturb you.

Note: the word nice in English actually carried an historical meaning of being stupid and unassuming. Somehow that English word evolved into its current perspective of being pleasant and unassuming.

Perhaps, the woman could have thought that he was a really nice man.

As usual they parted ways as she walked to towards the village neighbouring his.