January 19, 2021: Soare cu Dinti

While she was deciding on where to eat dinner, the phone that was in her hand started to vibrate. She hurriedly tapped on the answer icon without the need to take a look at the caller ID. There was only one person who would check up on her at that time of the night.

"Hi, mommy."

{{ "Hello babe. How was your day?" }}

"None out of the ordinary. And you?"

{{ "Same old, same old. Your brothers are as rowdy as always. Oh! Seth got first place in an art contest! He's only a first-year but he was able to beat his seniors." }}

Hearing her mother's news, Syn couldn't help but let a smile show on her face. "Really? Can you send a picture of it to me?"

{{ "I will, after this call. Anyway, have you eaten?" }}

"Yes, I have. Did you cook?"

To her mother, Syn's quick rejoinder made her seem insincere.

Silence took over the conversation for a few seconds, earning Syn's fretting.

"Mom? What's wrong? Are you still there?"

{{ "I'm here." }}

There was a noticeable decrease of liveliness in her mom's voice. Still and all, Syn let it pass because no extent of probing would make her mom confess her worries.

"Dinner, did you cook?"

{{ "Yes, yes, I did. It's a simple Chicken Stew though." }}

"Well, it's better than all the instant foods I've been eating. I might find your cooking bland because of all the spices I'm consuming." Syn attempted to tease her mother, intent on redirecting the discourse to a lighthearted one.

Contrary to her expectations, her mother refused to return the jest. Instead, Syn received the query she didn't want to hear.

{{ "Why don't you just live with us again? I can work now. My body is all healed." }}

"How many times wi-"

{{ "Even though you said you did, I know you have not eaten yet. The apartment that you are living in is so rundown that you are better off in the streets. How many jobs are you planning to take, huh? You are not in the best of health to do all of these things. Besides, it is partly my fault that we have this costly debt. I want to help you out too." }}

Syn sighed, aware of the guilt that her mom was feeling. This was a topic that had been brought up without fail in all of their conversations. But Syn would never get tired of reassuring her mother.

"Mommy, I am fine. I am doing it voluntarily, right? You should take care of my brothers instead. Felix, Renzo, and Seth are too young to be burdened with our problems. You know that."

{{ "Letting you hold back on so many things pains me as a mother. My baby, you can only endure so much." }}

On spur of the moment, she stopped in her tracks as the smile on her face widened even more. The overwhelming affection of her mother filled her heart. Her voice alone was a nest of comfort in the midst of the lady's struggles.

With that, a period of silence engaged the two women until Syn finally spoke up.

"I will endure anything, so much as the end of the world, for your sake, for my brothers' my sake. I love you to the moon and back, mommy."

{{ "I feel the same way, dear. We miss you. Come home whenever you are free, please." }}

"Will do. Please do not turn off the heater. It is very cold after all."

{{ "Hmm, take care of yourself. Make sure to eat before your shift, bye."}}

Having said their farewells, she ended the call. Syn's stare stalled at the screen. She then held her phone with both hands, tightly gripping it. She allowed a deep sigh to escape her mouth, and that served to reinvigorate her spirits.

'I will definitely pay all of that debt back, someway or another. But first of all, I'm going to eat. Mommy already reminded me twice so I have to.'

The 21-year-old lady giggled to herself before resuming her walk.

"There is a cheap eatery someplace here. If I remember, it was quite far from the main area of the shopping district. I'd have to scurry so I won't be late for my part-time." Syn muttered under her breath.

The image of her seriously talking to herself urged other people to stay away from her.

"Do I have a choice? Let's do this."

Thereupon coming to a decision, Syn's feet began to move according to her will.

On the way to the small diner, the crowd got thinner and thinner.  That was more favorable for Ilya since she didn't like crowded places.

As she passed by the entrance of the alleyway right beside the restaurant, she caught an unusual sight in her peripheral vision-- The shadowy figure of a human, sitting on the ground farthest from the opening. It was the spot that the light of the lamppost was not able to illuminate.

At first, she was going to ignore it. However, curiosity got the best of her. Fearing no danger, she made her approach. Once her eyes were able to adjust in the darkness, she scoured through the area of the incident.

Finding nothing significant, she crouched down. She felt relieved when she sensed that the battered figure of a man was thankfully still breathing.

"Aren't you beaten up pretty well? Who might have done this? And in winter to boot."

Syn picked up the white piece of paper that was sticking out of the man's coat. She unfolded it and discovered that something was written on it. The lady calmly read through it, poring over the signatory at the bottom of the paper.

"Noah?"

"Ack-!" The man groaned, struggling to open his eyes.

"Mister, are you able to talk? I will call emergency, okay?"

The man quickly clutched her wrist, preventing her from using the phone.

"B-- re--... en"

The man was trying to say something, yet Syn couldn't make it out because of how low and scratched his voice was.

"Come again? I didn't hear you."

"Is--en, the- hah... they ...d-did ...this. kuk!"

In that instant, the man passed right out, leaving her to talk to herself. Bewildered, Syn did her best to recall what the man had said.

"What is this man trying to say?" 

Just then, her stomach grumbled. She caressed her abdomen and shrugged. 

"I'm hungry. Better resolve this fast."