Salty Coffee

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he was so normal, nobody paid attention to him. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised, but due to being polite, she went along.

They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, she thought, please, let me go home... Suddenly he asked the waiter: “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.”

Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red, but, still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously: why do you have this quirk?

He replied: “When I was a little boy, I was living near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea , just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there”. While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched.

That’s his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can talk about his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home... Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family.

That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story. They continued to date...

She found that actually he was a man who met all her demands; he had tolerance, was kindhearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee!

Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married the prince, and they lived a happy life… And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that’s the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, and left her a letter which said: “My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life held a lie. This was the only lie I told you - the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was embarrassing for me to change, so I just went ahead and continued with it. I never dreamed that it would be the start of our communication.

I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I had promised not to lie to you about anything. Now I’m dying, and unafraid of nothing, so I tell you the truth: I don’t like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste... But I have had the salty coffee my whole life! Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness in my whole life. If I can live for the second time, still I would want to know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again”.

Her tears made the letter totally wet. One day, someone asked her: "What’s the taste of salty coffee?"

"It’s sweet.", she replied...