Chapter 67 - 68. Fruit Shop
I looked at him in annoyance, "I feel like a little mouse being wrapped with your big coat!" ignoring his annoying smile I pulled the coat tighter to myself. Man's scent was coming out of that man sitting next to me was stuck in that coat.
I glanced at him who was also really into that music, ' is his skin as thick as a rhino skin? He is wearing armor the whole day, but he does not feel cold at all! Oh my God!' I had an idea that Naar was half human and half a rhino.
…
The music sounded like magic to me. I did not know when we went home, because when I woke up, I was already in my room, wrapped into the thick coat that belonged to Naar, "Hmm," I got up from my bed, looking at Kerberos, bewildered. "Why am I here?" I asked him.
"Naar took you home last night, Miss," I opened my eyes in surprise after listening to Kerberos' reply. "Please don't do that again, I was so embarrassed to see you like that," He bent down his body, either feeling afraid of offending me or mocking me.
'What? My God! What happened last night? I really remembered nothing. I was just really into that music—what a shame!' It looked like I overslept in the city square so Naar had to take me home.
I was so tired indeed due to checking so many parks to help Antonie out. And to be honest, the music I listened to last night was really able to make me relaxed and forgot all the burden in my life for some time, especially the memory of that tragedy.
The door was knocked when I was still thinking about how to hide my embarrassment when seeing Naar due to my being reckless. I was a bit startled but I got up and opened the door. Hana was standing there.
"It is time for a meal. I was asked by Miss Azalea to tell you to meet her after breakfast," Hana was half whispering.
I took a bath in a second and got myself ready. I prepared my bow and my knife as well in case Azalea took me out somewhere, or things like that.
Azalea called me right after finished having our breakfast that morning.
"You have had the questions to be addressed to him, right?" she looked at me with her intimidating look. "You know that almost everyone gave up in helping him gain his recollection back, but now you have made a big progress with the finding of that park and got that information," She added, then she walked toward me, "To be honest, I have high hopes on you to bring his memory back,"
I myself was not sure if I could do that. Honestly, it was my first time to be involved in such a matter. My daily issues were dealing with flowers' breeding, making media for flowers, teaching privately, and I was sure that this would be different from all I had done so far.
"Can I go back to that park only for a day? I went there when it was already night yesterday so that the pictures that I took were not so clear," I wanted to show Antonie a better view of that park, hoping he would be able to remember everything easily, "Give me one more time," I requested.
"Only one day. Tomorrow and before the light is gone, you have to go back here,". Azalea gave me another chance as well as a warning, "Once again, never try to run away from me. Hana will accompany you, and once you finish with it, go back here,"
I nodded to agree so that I could directly see Antonie.
…
When I came to Antonie's cage, I saw him reading a book, "How are you doing?" he looked friendly today, and as usual he was always cheerful and noisy.
"Pretty good," I handed him some cakes and sweets I bought with Erick. "My friend recommended this and he said it was very nice," Antonie looked so happy, and he quickly ate the food ravenously.
"don't rush! I bring a jar full for you. Don't eat it all or your teeth will be ruined," I tried to remind him like a sister nagged her little brother for eating too many sweets. I could not remember when we became closer to each other so that I did not feel awkward talking with him anymore.
"The young man who was killed at that time was like a big brother for me. He understood me more than I did to myself. When my father did not want me nor my brother, even when my mother abandoned us, he was always there for me," Antonie listened to my story seriously while eating the sweets. "To be honest, he was very important, that was why I don't feel like I give myself up to Azalea. I will do everything to make him alright,"
"You like him?" He asked as he swallowed the sweets.
I felt I did, but I did not want to admit it too fast, "I did love him. I did not even flinch a second to do a conspiracy with the devils so that he can live here, alive," I did not know who had whispered to me so that I said like that, I was really frustrated in that tragedy, "But I cannot to be so selfish like that, can I? There are rules that I must obey,"
"You liked him but you want to kill him?" Antonie hit the nails right on the head.
"I have ever met the Manjis to Zie away, that way Kerberos would stop following e as well," I sighed of feeling tired, "But I am not ready yet to lose him. I have not yet been able to confirm with my ego,"
"Tha, I remembered another thing when you showed me those pictures," I looked at Antonie who was looking ahead but his mind was wandering somewhere to a certain time and place, "At that time I did not know why I was in a hurry to meet someone. Apparently, I knew who killed them and I wanted to stop it, but I was too late," He looked so much regret, "He was like someone you knew very well,"
"That guy's name was also Antonie, exactly like yours," The man in front of me was shocked, "It sounds quite funny, I was also shocked when I met you for the first time. You both have the same name,"
Antonie was trying to calm himself, "Really?" He exclaimed, he did not believe my words.
"Yes, that is right. But he died already," I continued, "My father said he got a punishment over something, but he killed himself before the punishment was given to him," I thought if that wizard was still alive, I could go to him and asked him about the past of the young man in front of me so that he could get his recollection back.
"We should have asked my past to him?" He thought the same as mine.
"Yeah, you are right," I told him that the next day I would get that park again, and I would bring him some better pictures of that park.
"Tha," Antonie's voice stopped me when I was about to leave the cage, "Will you bring me some more sweets?" He looked embarrassed with his request.
"Sure, I will bring more sweets for my little brother," I chuckled softly. Although he was noisy and so unpredictable in his speaking, I owed him. "Antonie, can you write down anything you can remember about that playground when you see the pictures? I will be right back and I will read it make it for me. I will help you gain your memory back, just slow down. Let's help each other, okay?" and he nodded as the answer and left that cage.
…
I did not have much time. I decided to go with Kerberos. When we reached that park, it was around five in the morning. The playground was still very quiet. Some people were just going home from the market.
"Do you think I should also take some pictures of some places around the areas here?" I asked for Kerberos's opinion who was walking around
"That is also a good idea Miss," Kerberos replied me, "It is possible that the kid used to live here,"
I took photos of several places around the park. An idea flashed in my mind when I was scrolling through the phone screen and found Antonie's photo that I had taken secretly. I planned to ask people around here if they had ever seen him, or known him.
After seeing the fruit shop which was not far from the school building that had been opened, I went to meet the owner immediately to try my idea.. "Excuse me, I would like to ask you something. I wonder if you ever saw this kid," I asked politely and held out my cell phone showing Antonie's photo, "Does he live around here?"