7 Chapter 7 - The secret

It was a hot day. I watched my mothers hold their babies in their arms. I watched the birds feeding their young. The park was full of laughter and merriment, of puppies flying merrily in the green grass. I could hear in the background the laughter of a child walking with his grandfather, and my eyes filled with tears.

I saw my grandfather in a black suit and a white shirt. His gray hair, his worked hands, his big, smiling eyes. It was him. As beautiful as last week when we met and laughed about Grandma's mischief when she fell in the garden.

He had the same smile up to his ears. He took my hand and took me to show me the poppy field, my favorite place in the whole village. It was like when I was little, and he took me everywhere with him, greeting all the villagers and bragging about his niece, and I couldn't be more proud at that moment. He held me tightly in the warm rays of the sun and stroked my hair. I was so happy to see him again. Only a week had passed, but it seemed much longer to me. We sat on the grass and looked at the blue sky. He told me how brave and strong I had to be, he told me that life was unfair and that I had to learn to be happy in it, but I didn't pay much attention, I just wanted to enjoy that moment with him. I couldn't get enough of his stories about long ago, when he was young and the soul of the party, about his love for his grandmother. Then we headed to the village store, where he always told me to choose anything, but I always ended up taking the same thing: my favorite eugenics, and he looked at me puzzled, wondering "just that?" kissing my forehead. But what more could I ask for when I already had everything? What could I dream of more?

I left the store, and the sky was cloudy and I could feel the drops of cold rain, the wind began to blow harder and harder. On the street, people were running home to take shelter from a possible storm. We were looking for my grandfather in the hurried crowd, but I couldn't see him. I was starting to get scared, the storm was getting stronger. Church bells rang, and I could see my grandfather's smile in the distance.

And I realized that it was all just a dream ... my grandfather was gone and never will be back.

I woke up scared on a hospital bed, where a well-to-do man was talking on the phone. I didn't recognize his voice and everything seemed very foreign to me. I couldn't figure out who was behind the men's perfume that was so familiar to me. The scent of licorice stung my sense of smell and transposed me back to my childhood when I was sitting with my family at the table on a trivial Sunday. Then we used to watch a movie together, and my father would always make popcorn, while my mother would make us a hot lemon tea.

- Sofia, are you okay? Thank God!

Sofia? Did he know my name? Ok, things were getting weirder, and I was still unable to speak or make a gesture. The man in front of me had blond hair and big brown eyes. He wore a black, molded shirt that highlighted the muscles of his well-worked abdomen, and on his left hand was a gold watch that seemed to be from a very expensive brand. He had an imposing posture and seemed to be an important man, but I still couldn't understand what he was looking for in my living room and why he knew my name.

"Your father would never forgive me if anything happened to you."

Father? What could this stranger know about my father? I was trying my best to wonder if I had ever seen the face of this mysterious man who seemed to be around 35 years old. I did not remember anything to elucidate the mystery behind his presence here.

"What have you got to do with my father? Absolutely nothing mattered, no pain, I had to find out what was going on and what the man in front of me had to do with my father.”

And suddenly I realized that the perfume was that of my father, whom I had loved since I was a child. I bought it with my mother, in one year, for Christmas, when I was 7 years old and since then, it has remained his favorite perfume. But I didn't understand what was happening. The surrounding room was spinning, and without realizing it, I fell into a deep sleep. In the background, the desperate screams of the stranger in my living room were lost, and the rest is history.

When I woke up again, I felt a pain that made my head explode. I opened my eyes, and my eyes were very blurred, I could not distinguish any object but various spots of color.

- How are you feeling? I hear the voice of the man who was still here.

I didn't understand why he didn't leave, it seemed to me that I slept for a few hours.

”I'm fine ... How is Michael? I realize I didn't know anything about him since I was hospitalized, nor did I know if he got to the same hospital.”

"He should be your least concern. You'll probably never see him again. You are here because of him, so this name should become foreign to you.”

I could hear the words spoken by this man in an echo. I remembered something about a truck, traffic light, and then suddenly the bump, but I really didn't think it was Michael's fault. It was an accident and that's it. All the scenes with us came to mind: his smile, the little teasing, the drunkenness on the plane, and the stories about everything and nothing. This man is not guilty of anything.

"You're not telling me what to worry about." After all, what do you know about me, and why are you here?

"I met your father, Sofia." A wonderful, warm man, to whom I promised to take care of you if anything happened. I do nothing but keep my promise. And this boy is a very bad influence on you. You wouldn't be in a hospital room now if it weren't for him.

Does this really speak? He's out of nowhere, he's telling stories like he was friends with my dad and I don't know what the hell is going on, and should I just believe him? And how could Michael be a bad influence on me? He's a man I've only met for a day.

I could feel my dizziness getting worse, it was getting harder and harder to stay focused, but I had to make the effort.

” Pay attention to me. I don't know what kind of friend you could be with my father, since I've never seen you and I don't remember him talking about you. Michael is a good man I just met, why would you say he's a bad influence when I haven't even known him in a long time? I ask him using my last strength.

” Sofia, just. You don't know him and that's why you feel like he's a good man. You don't know anything about him and how dangerous his family is, but I know. Your father knew, too.”

” Here you go? What does my father have to do with all this circus?”

” Father? Did my father meet Michael?”

” Yes, Sofia. And Michael is the reason your father died. I will tell you more as soon as you are in a safe place, away from the curious ears of the employees of this hospital. Please trust me.”

I admit, it was almost impossible for me to trust a man I didn't know, but the rational part of me was telling me it was the same with Michael. I was wondering if our meeting at the airport was not a coincidence, but something planned by his evil mind? Not only that, but I didn't understand anything, I was very confused. But one thing was certain: Michael would disappear from my life for good. I notice the phone on the screen light up, and when I look at it, his name appears. I hang up and block her phone number. Furthermore, I was going to forget the last 24 hours and get over any good feelings I had about him.

By pressing the lock key, I read the phone message: "Are you sure you want to block this caller?" and I start to have doubts, but in a second of courage, I press yes and put the phone on the nightstand.