I have a friend whom I meet every Friday. During the summer, our favourite meeting spot is a quiet park by a riverside. There is a willow tree that we are both particularly fond of, and when there are not too many mosquitoes, we love to sit on the bench under the willow tree.
One summer, we were sitting under the roof of our favourite willow having a relaxing conversation. It was late afternoon. The gentle sunlight was reflecting upon the water surface, the birds were singing, and a breeze was caressing our happy faces.
It was so peaceful and blissful that we both stopped talking and listened to the sound around us. I looked at the trees, the changing colour of the sky, the canoes on the river, then dropped my gaze on the shore. There I found two ducks standing side by side.
They were no arbitrary two ducks, but a couple. One was slightly taller than the other, and I figured that was the male duck.
At first, they were both looking at the water, but then, the male duck turned to his partner. His eyes were so loving that my heart skipped a beat. The female duck gazed back at him. They stood still for a long time with their eyes locked.
I quietly turned to my friend and pointed to the ducks. She smiled and said, “I know. I have been watching them for a long time.”
I turned back to the ducks. They were still looking at each other. They were so romantic that I almost averted my eyes. But I didn’t. I watched and remembered every loving gesture of this duck couple until they finally set off for their journey back home.