Chapter 6: 'In'competence

Wake Louchette

After the encounter that happened in Prisila, media became vast, surrounding the prosperous place. Scientists were racing. They keep finding the epicenter of the earthquake and discovering the source of what has been said, the mysterious appearance of nature.

Nature isn't new anymore but, the aftershock was unnatural. The unusual feeling of the wind. The odd, alluring fragrance of the air which source is still a question. The endangered birds emerged. Plus, the incredible sight of different plants grew in every corner.

Who would have thought that after the catastrophe scowled, a new strange environment will rise?

I flew away from that place to avoid such distress. Aside from that, it's been a very long time since I've visited my hometown, and I would also like to take a break from all the workloads I've done. Lance took all my responsibilities in the meantime, which includes facing questions from the media and attending mass research.

Sigh.

I was actually on a plane right now. A few minutes later, I breathed deeply after hearing the announcement of our arrival. I immediately went down from the airplane, grabbed a vehicle-which to my surprise wasn't totally change from its old-style at all, and hurriedly arrived at the place.

After paying the fee, the cold wind welcomed me. I stilled for a moment to observe the surroundings. Everything didn't change at all. The homes were not in concrete; the roads were muddy; they were plants everywhere. Everything is still the same from the moment I left this place before.

"Oh, you're back!" The welcoming face of our energetic neighborhood approached me. It's an aged woman wearing a knee-length dress.

"Good day to you, Mrs. Writes." I greeted.

"What happened to you? You look inexpressive, huh." She commented while tapping excessively on my shoulders.

Well, I felt so tired.

"Ah, let me guess," she stepped towards me while crossing her arms. "You did the same thing?" She whispered, pointing me her finger.

I felt wry, with wild-eyed responding to what she said. The past unforgettable event brought back to my thought, and I can still feel the weird shivered by the wind on that night. It was a nightmare.

I quickly stood up straight. I was pretending not to get affected, but I knew that I possessed this shamefaced. Damn, I felt so malevolent.

"N-no! Of course, I won't do the same thing again. Never!" I spluttered. Damn, it felt so malevolent.

I was totally expecting a response from Mrs. Writes, but she just gave me a severe face. Her eyes maintained eye contact with mine with her mouth shut closed.

I knew what she was thinking. But I did not want to get reminded of that incident from time to time, so I shook my head and assumed that this conversation doesn't exist.

I head her letting out a deep sigh. I can feel the mood between us turned more severe at this time.

"What's your purpose for coming back?"

"I just want to take a rest, nothing else."

Instead of responding, Mrs. Writes offered me to eat at her friend's home for lunch. When I finally got inside the house, the design and arrangements caught my attention. The interior looked comfortable yet straightforward in the eyes, and the ceiling was relatively high. The furniture was old but at least clean. There was a minimal division in this house, and the only thing that had were the private rooms.

I was busy looking around when Mrs. Writes introduced her friend in front of me. Both of them were aged women.

"By the way, before anything else, this is my closest friend, Amanda Codache."

Mrs. Codache smiled a bit but, her face was doleful. I grasped my eyes towards her for a long time before turning my head again to Mrs. Writes.

"Is Mrs. Codache, okay? She looks ill."

"Shh!" The old woman sibilated, glancing at her friend with her pointy fingers in front of her mouth. And Mrs. Codache bowed her head while walking towards the kitchen. Probably, she was preparing for lunch.

Mrs. Writes whispered, "Don't make her sad, at least for now." She glanced towards Mrs. Codache for a while to check if she was listening. "Her daughter is in her room, sleeping. She accidentally slipped on the stairs last morning."

"She's not sleeping. She's totally unconscious that she is." I corrected it.

"Aysh!" She waved her hand, expressing that I should not mind what was happening. "Just shut up and eat, okay?" She articulated with her demanding expression.

I nodded in response. I felt uncomfortable in this situation.

-

The table was dead silent. Other than the rain outside, I could only hear the clinking of the utensils and the plates. No one bothered to talk or to initiate bringing up a topic. Well, I could somehow understand since I am not of the same age compared to them.

Until such time, the situation of Mrs. Codache's daughter bothered me.

"Ahm..." I started with a voice stuck in my throat. They glanced a bit at me for a while.

"You want to say something, Wake?" Mrs. Writes asked. I suddenly remembered that she wasn't able to introduce me to her friend. I guess she already did it before letting me in, right? Anyway, I chose to forget about that.

"Yes," I answered with a bit of hesitation to continue. Because Mrs. Writes already warned me to stop mentioning her friend's daughter.

But in the end, I still did it. I faced Mrs. Codache before I continued. "I heard that your daughter was unconscious until now and hasn't wakened up yet."

Mrs. Writes wanted to stop me, but I insisted on letting Mrs. Codache know my purpose.

"Aside from being in a research company, I am also a doctor in a prestigious hospital there. So if you don't mind," I said while getting my identification card and letting them see it. "Let me treat her," I counseled.

Mrs. Codache's face lightened up with hope as she looked at me. I can see it on her expression that she was accepting my help. She instantly stood up, fixed herself together with Mrs. Writes, and without further a due, she directed me towards her daughter's room.