Chapter 62 - 63. Archeologist
I walked again with Kerberos and Hana followed me closely at my back. Not far from the previous park, there was another one. Although the two parks I had visited were not on my list, I had to check on them somehow.
.
And for the third park, I decided to check the number of the swings, and the color of them as well. I knew it was a silly thing to do, but it was the only thing that crossed my mind. Several minutes passed, zero. None was even close to the description of Antonie.
I decided to go home and rest a bit. It was two in the early morning when we reached the fifth park, "Kerberos, I wonder if you could take me home, please?" I begged him just after I yawned.
Kerberos took us home. The streets were still quite busy although it was three in the morning. I went into the house and lay on the sofa. My drowsiness could be held anymore. I slept off without cleaning up my body.
I woke up at eight in the morning. Hurriedly I went to the bathroom and prepared everything for a search today. I contacted Emma with my mouth was still full, "Emm, the shop is closed today, isn't it?" I directly chirp once the call was connected. "Can you help me just for today, please?"
"Hey, why have you already been here?" She sounded surprised, "So fast? I thought yesterday's parting would be like a last long parting" She mocked me.
I snorted slowly, ignoring her mock, "I have a task to check every playground," I explained shortly, "But this afternoon, I have an appointment with someone. You know, it is about those gold coins and the issue with that marionette," I paused to take a deep breath, I really wished I could complain, "Honestly, It gives me headaches."
"Be patient," I smiled faintly listening to her trying to comfort me, "What can I do for you?"
I told her the description of the park that Antonie gave me. After listening to my reasons to look for that playground, she said that I was stupid.
This would be very hard because there were high possibilities that the park had been changed or the worst it could be removed and replaced with another building. That was also bothering me, but at least we had to give it a go first, the outcome would follow, right?
"You are not going to meet that buyer alone, are you?" Emma asked as though to remind me as well.
"Erick will come with me," there was a long pause before I finally took a deep breath.
I had never done this before. Selling such precious metal without any documents was risky. It could be said illegal and I would get a lot of problems when I was suspected of something. We would be called thieves, although it was true I stole those gold coins. One thing I feared was if the person would ask where I got the coins from or he knew where they were from.
"Tha, I have prepared things you will take for today," Hana distracted my attention.
"Who is that, Tha?," Asked Emma after she heard Hana's voice.
"I am with one of the Azalea's guards, err… I mean my boss," I told her briefly, "We are assigned to find that place together,"
"Oh," Emma responded, then she said goodbye and hang up the phone.
I finished my breakfast fast, picked up the bag and was ready to leave. I decided to visit the first place which was the nearest to my home.
That morning, only a few children were playing in that playground. That place was nowhere near Antonie's description. Although all the parks I had visited were not the same as the ones we looked for, we took some pictures, in case they would be helpful later on.
"Not the same, either?" Hanna who was sitting on a panda statue asked me.
"No, it is not," I was frustrated. It was the tenth playground I had visited since yesterday. Emma said she had visited four and sent me the pictures of them as the files, "It looked like Emma and Mickey are not successful either,"
I was checking all the pictures Emma sent me when a message from Erick came. He said he would pick me up at the station where I was at the moment, "I have to go now," I said to Hana. She was quiet so I needed to convince her, "Don't worry Hana, I will not run away,"
…
Erick took me to a Kebab restaurant on the outskirt of the city. The typical scent of seawater exposed by the sun was smelled once we arrived there. The restaurant was not far from the pier where we could see clearly the rows of ships were docking. They were in bright colors.
Perhaps it was just after lunchtime so that the restaurant was not crowded. We were still sitting right in front of that restaurant until a message went in and asked us to wait a while on the number seven table.
Not long after we sat down at the table requested a man in a white shirt and looked so neat went into the restaurant. He looked in our direction, then walked toward us, 'Tsabitha Youenha?" He asked.
I nodded, then glanced at Erick who was sitting next to me. He smiled faintly as if to say, "Relax, I am here. Don't be afraid!"
That man took a seat right opposite me, then he asked one coin to be examined, "actually, the carving itself is really interesting for me," His words made my heart bit faster, 'holy crow! I'm finished! I hope he doesn't know if the coins are from another dimension' my heart was hoping.
"My name is Louis, I am an archeologist," in a second I was a relief after he introduced himself, Thank goodness, I was thinking I was facing a mafia boss'
Louis told us that he was an archeologist and a lecturer. He was interested in my gold coins because of the detailed carving. It did not surprise us when he said a coin of the same detail had ever been found and it was two hundred years old. It should have been his profession that made him know such information.
"Did you guys have a time machine to get such coins?" he asked while checking the coins one by one, "Don't worry. This place belongs to my friend, I have told him that I had important guests today," He smiled kindly at us.
"Dark Moon, it was where I got those gold coins," I did not know if it was a right or wrong decision by telling him where I got the coins. I hoped it was all not for nothing by giving him a little information as an extra point to make him interested in buying my coins.
Louis looked surprised, but then he quickly composed his expression and smiled, "So, such place does exist," He muttered to himself, while kept checking all of the coins, "I ever heard it, and it seems that I am pretty lucky," After speaking that, he looked me and smiled oddly.
"Fine, I agree with the price," He spoke confidently, 'Is it that easy?' I was wondering, but I was happy because it was not as dangerous as I thought it would be so far.
Louis handed out the amount of money we had agreed, "If you still have some other, don't hesitate to contact me. I will buy as many as you have," He said kindly before he shook our hands in agreement.
I smiled dimly and nodded, then a waitress came with a tray of food we had ordered, kebab bread and tea-like drinks.
"Just wrap them up for a takeaway, they look in a hurry," Lous knew it because right after this we had to go to Mr. Stone for the money. And the restaurant owner wrapped four packages for us.
We shook hands and thanked before hurriedly leaving the restaurant.
…
"Tha, thanks a lot for helping me," Erick repeated thanks for so many times after I gave the money to him.
"You should thank me for my skill in stealing then," I boasted myself, "I am pretty skillful, am I not?" Then we both burst into laughter like two children who managed to get away from the neighbor's chase for stealing his mangoes.
..
The car we were taking to Sa'bah, my city birth, was running at normal speed. The dusty asphalt streets welcomed us when we came to the main road heading to the market where my old house was in. And we still had to take another forty minutes to reach Mr. Stone's house.
The magnificent buildings along this street did not trouble me to see a small alley to my house.. In a glimpse, I saw a little girl who was riding her red bicycle who looked cheerful.