He met her at the party. She was so outstanding, with many boys around her, while he was so normal, with nobody paying 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 agreed. They sat in a nice coffee shop. He was too nervous to say anything, and she felt uncomfortable, thinking, "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 hobby?" He replied, "When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked playing in the sea, and 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. 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 tell about his homesickness must be a man who loves home, cares about home, and has a good sense of responsibility. Then she also started to speak, 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 meets all her demands: he was kind-hearted, warm and careful. He was such a good person but ! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married the prince, then they were living a happy life...And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee. After 40 years, he passed away, leaving her a letter which said, "My dearest, please forgive my whole-life lie. This was the only lie I said to 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 hard for me to change so I just went ahead." "I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything." "Now I'm dying, I'm afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth: I don't like the salty coffee. What a strange and bad taste! But I have had the salty coffee for 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 for my whole life. If I can live for a second time, I still 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. Someday, someone asked her, "What's the taste of salty coffee?" "It's sweet," she replied. Why did the man have salty coffee all his life?
To change lifestyle. To please his wife. To keep his word. To remember the past