Chapter 18 - A Silent Promise

Dark clouds float slowly across the sky, occasionally grumbling as they prevent the afternoon sun from blessing the city below. Other than the light from the occasional flash of lightning, the entire city is shrouded by a hazy gloom. The raindrops pour towards the city, bouncing off the roof of a building, creating a rhythmic and peaceful sound. The man inside that building, much like the rhythm of the rain, was meditating peacefully.

Sun sits cross-legged beside Yuyu, occasionally checking her temperature. Ever since he returned from dropping Lia off at her complex, Sun had been in the same spot, repeating the same actions over and over. Every hour, he would wash the make-shift towels, wring them, fold them, and place them back where they were. Every six hours, he made sure to place a pellet of medicine beneath her tongue. Although he struggled at first without Lia's help, Sun had become much more adept after repeating the latter six times.

***

The first night was exhausting, but also relieving. After returning to her room, Lia collapsed onto her futon. Although she was physically exhausted, she couldn't fall asleep. A mixture of conflicting emotions prevented her from doing so. The anxiety that came from caring for another person, beyond just her day-to-day small acts of kindness, linger in her chest. As the hour passed, her aching heart calmed as the images of many first experiences–seeing the world from above, the stars beyond the clouds, and the vast expansive sea–flashes across her mind. She smiled as these images lull her into a deep sleep and accompanying her into her dreams.

Sun's first night was not much different. Although Yuyu's condition had improved dramatically, he couldn't help but feel anxious. In between caring for the little girl, he would try to enter a meditative state but had little success. After a few failed attempts, he finally found success after recalling Lia's words.

The Mister that Yuyu needs me to be…

Whenever he felt himself growing anxious, he would repeat these words in his mind.

The first morning was much more manageable. Despite only getting a few hours of sleep, Lia had woken up before sunrise to cook a large batch of porridge. Although she was confident that Sun would do what he needed to do to care for the little girl, she still wanted to do what she could to help. After seeing Yuyu's much improved condition and Sun's much improved and reliable demeanor, Lia went home and caught up on some much needed rest. She slept through the afternoon and into the evening.

Sun's first morning was, for the first time since Yuyu had fallen ill, serene. The shivering and sweating had subsided. Yuyu would occasionally wake up throughout the day, sometimes for minutes and other times for hours. Sun held a soothing smile on his face whenever she was awake, making sure to entertain her random questions with whatever answers his simple mind could conjure.

The second night was calm. A quiet, breezeless, night. A soft giggle would occasionally break this silence. Lia had spent her evening at the local market, picking out fresh ingredients for a stew. She returned to her room, spending the rest of the night slow-cooking the ingredients in a pot, allowing time for the nutrients to diffuse into the water.

The second morning was the same as the first, with the main difference being the weather. Lia lamented as she woke up to the sound of thunder and rain. It would be difficult to bring the stew across the city in this weather. Although she could brave the treacherous conditions, she felt that her heart would be okay even if she didn't see the little girl today. Sun's reliable, calm, demeanor from yesterday told her that she could rest easy as Yuyu was in good hands. The little girl woke up with enough strength to walk around and feed herself. Sun smiled as he watched Yuyu stuff her face with porridge.

***

It was hard to keep track of time with the dark rain clouds obstructing vision of the sun. Their tiny home was barely equipped with the necessities, a water clock was nowhere near the top of the priority list for Sun. Despite this, Sun knew that it was time for Yuyu to take her medicine. He pops the vial open and tilts the lip onto his palm. Four pellets roll out from the lip. Sun picks up one pellet before depositing the other three back into the vial and sealing it shut with the peg. Seeing Yuyu comfortably sprawled out on the futon, occasionally kicking the blanket and scratching her face, Sun tries his best not to wake her as he places the pellet under her tongue.

With the most important task taken care of, he quietly pushes himself off the floor and looks around at the tight, barren, living space that they called home. After taking a look around, he makes light steps towards the door, opening it just enough for his body to squeeze through. After closing the door and pushing the clasp attached to the door over the hasp on the doorframe, he instinctively motions his hands as if to engage a non-existent lock. The absence of the lock suddenly reminded him of an important matter. A matter that had been in the back of his mind ever since Yuyu had fallen sick. A matter that, only now, did he have the mental capacity to think about.

Food, clothes, rent, school fees… towels, a new lock, paying back Lia and the elder for the medicine…

The list of expenses just keeps growing longer and longer. Although Sun never went to school, he was smart enough to know that ten coppers a day would not be enough. Rent, by itself, takes up half of his monthly income, leaving him with barely enough to pay for the daily expenses. Things were fine up until recently. They had a roof over their heads, food to fill their bellies, and companionship to fill their hearts. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to just barely get by.

Sun leans forwards, resting his slumping head on the door. His fist balls up as he raises it, about to vent his frustration on the door. As his fist flies towards the door, it stops abruptly mere centimeters before making contact. Managing to keep his frustration in check, his fist loosens as his hand drops.

"I'll figure it out"...

As recalls the nonchalant words that had escaped his mouth a few days prior, he couldn't help but feel stupid.

The Mister that Yuyu needs me to be...

Lia's words, once again, remind him that he needs to keep it together. After a deep breath and a silent promise that he will figure it out, Sun steps out into the rain and disappears into the sky.