“Hmm,” he grunted in a sarcastic tone, “That really hits home for me!”
“Cameron,” I said, “Some things you only understand after experiencing them. I faced life and death, and I realized I’m really afraid of dying. In that moment, I didn’t know if I would be hit by a bullet the next second, I was scared and panicked. The only person I could think of at that moment was you.”
His body trembled visibly.
“I’m not without anything. I still have you, Cameron.”
For a long time, neither of us said another word.
We just cuddled quietly. Outside the tent, occasional flashes of artillery lit up the deep blue night sky. The distant sounds of tanks rolling by, people screaming, and bullets flying occasionally reached us, then disappeared.
I held Cameron tightly; this was truly the most precious moment of our lives.
We were still alive, and we had each other.
We exchanged heartfelt feelings.
That was enough.
The interviews in Alcostan went on for over a month. With Cameron by my side, these times weren’t too difficult to endure.
I would write my articles, and he would sit next to me.
He was a strange person; he never comforted or encouraged me. He would only scold me when I couldn’t write. Several times, I was so upset by him that I couldn’t eat, only to wake up in the middle of the night and find him typing on my computer, writing out his own insights, and then giving me a smug look the next day.
To be honest, he had good writing skills, worthy of being a Cambridge prodigy.
He always restricted me, not allowing me to go to the front lines. After spending so much time together, other journalists noticed our relationship. Whenever they went to the front lines for interviews, they would automatically hold me back and then smirk meaningfully.
“Are you here just to hold me back?” I grumbled while watching the live feed.
“Let me tell you, life is most precious at times like this,” he glanced at me, “Don’t talk to me about journalistic ethics… Heh, selfless dedication? It’s easier said than done!”
“So, what am I supposed to do then?”
“Don’t you know how to change your approach?” he said, “So many mainstream media outlets are already reporting from the front lines, you’re not needed there! Besides, in terms of skills and equipment, you can’t compete with those mainstream media!”
“What do you mean?” I frowned.
“Wanna know what I mean?” he gestured to his face, “Bribe me!”
I was suddenly stunned, my face flushing with embarrassment and my heart racing. Cameron sat cross-legged on my bed, wearing a mischievous smile.
“At a time like this, you still have the leisure to act like a hooligan!” I walked over and patted his head, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his embrace.
Fortunately, there was no one else in the camp at that moment.
“Let go!” I tried to pull my hand away, “What if they come back and see…”
“Let them see, they all know we share a bed!” he interrupted.
“Cameron!”
“Aren’t you going to bribe me?” he teased.
“Are you insane?” I looked at him, “With all this war going on, you’re still in the mood?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” he looked innocent, “It’s just one more time. What if someday a bullet really comes flying, and there’s no chance to do it anymore?”
“Cameron!”
Although there was a war raging outside, for Cameron and me, this place felt like a secluded island just for the two of us.
We left behind all the chaos of Jerez State. Here, I was his Laura, and he was my Cameron. Only each other, nothing else mattered.
I found myself not wanting to leave.
“Okay, enough teasing,” Cameron released me, “It’s broad daylight, it’s not good for people to see us like this. Plus, with the country in turmoil, it’s not appropriate for us to do this.”
“Well, well, well, rare to see you being so enlightened!” I teased.
“Seriously, can you be serious for a moment?” he said.
“Okay.” I smiled, “I’m all ears.”
“Just like I said, other media outlets are already gathering information from the front lines. So what can you do? You’ll have to find another way.”
“Another way?”
“I just got word that both sides in the war have agreed to a ceasefire for a week.”
“What?” I was surprised, “And you knew about this?”
“The peacekeeping forces told me,” he looked at me, “The UN is mediating this time. During this week, the warring factions might reach a ceasefire agreement.”
I felt ashamed; as a journalist, I was so uninformed…
“So you can take advantage of this week to organize your materials properly and play to your strengths.”
“What strengths?” I asked.
“Isn’t storytelling your strength? You’ve woven such vivid tales about The Lynch Family!”
I was speechless. He was bringing up old stories again!
“I’m not mocking you,” he chuckled, “I mean, you can dig into a minor character in the war, like a woman or a child, and write an article from their perspective. And you’re good at drawing, right? You can even illustrate these stories with comics.”
“People are used to seeing bloody scenes of constant gunfire, but your work would bring a fresh perspective. That’s where you excel!”
Cameron’s words woke me up. I had been focused on frontline reports, forgetting that great eras are made up of ordinary people.
“Cameron,” I smiled sheepishly at him, “It looks like you’re more suited to be a journalist than I am.”
“It’s not about being more suited, it’s about being more observant!” he stretched lazily. “Someone with my keen observation skills shines wherever they are!”
I looked at him in astonishment. “How did I never notice before that you have such thick skin? You boast so shamelessly, it’s endless!”
He didn’t argue back, just smiled at me.
Inspiration struck me suddenly, and I quickly sat down at the computer, typing away.
Halfway through, I felt thirsty and called out, “Cameron, could you hand me a glass of water?”
There was no response.
I turned around, “Cameron?”
The room was empty.
But he was just sitting here!
Panic surged through me as I searched tent after tent. “Cameron, Cameron!”
But the entire camp seemed deserted, with most of the journalists gone to the frontline, leaving only a few doctors and nurses behind. They greeted me kindly, “Miss Campbell, is something wrong?”
“Have you seen Cameron?” I gasped, “The man who’s been with me these past few days!”
They all shook their heads.
I rushed to the camp’s entrance, but even the guards hadn’t seen him.
My nerves felt like a taut string, suddenly snapping. Tears streamed down my face. I collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. The feeling was worse than a bullet grazing my scalp.
“Cameron! Cameron!” I couldn’t understand how a man could just vanish in an instant! What if he had run outside the camp, into the conflict zone? What if the guns were aimed at him, what if…
I hugged my head, afraid to continue thinking.
Journalists started coming back, and I asked each one about Cameron, but they all said they didn’t know. I even began to doubt if these past few days had been a figment of my imagination, if I had conjured up a Cameron to be by my side.
Until evening came, and everyone went to eat. I stood alone outside the tent.
Alcostan was in a desert climate. It was scorching during the day and freezing at night. As the evening approached, the temperature dropped, and I shivered even though I wore a sweater. I thought of Cameron, feeling anxious and frantic. Suddenly, I looked up and saw a figure not far away, sprinting towards me.
“Cameron!” I waved and shouted at him, “Cameron!”
He quickened his pace, sweating profusely by the time he reached me.
I threw a punch at him.
“Are you crazy? Disappearing in a place like this? Do you know how worried I’ve been?”
He hugged me tightly, his voice hoarse with apology. “I’m sorry for making you worry.”
“You have the nerve to say sorry!”
“I went to find some food.”
I got even angrier. “Are you out of your mind? You have the leisure to go out and look for food? Isn’t the food at the camp good enough for you?”
“Look!”
He didn’t argue with me but showed me the bag he was carrying. I looked closely and saw that it was full of live crabs!
“I found a stream up in the mountains,” he smiled, “and there were crabs in it.”
“These crabs are different from the ones back home, but they taste good. I learned how to catch and cook them from the locals!”
“The locals?”
I was surprised. How did he manage to contact the locals?
“There’s a village up in the mountains that you all don’t know about, right?” he winked.