Veiled Echoes

In a peaceful countryside, a cozy two-story villa was home to unicus and his family. Inside, the ground floor had a warm hall with a crackling fireplace and a couch, where they shared meals and stories. The kitchen buzzed with activity as mother and our maid cooked together, filling the air with delicious smells. Upstairs, the parents had their bedrooms: they took the master bedroom and they are always busy with each other being all lovey dovey and stuff. Due to my parents' preference of spending time with each other rather than with their own son, I always ended up alone with our maid. I have my own room, and the maid occupies a nearby one. Across the hall was a small study where they planned our activities together. We also have a few books in the study, not to mention they all gave me a feeling like I am reading a conspiracy or something. The things are so unbelievable to read. Our home also has a garage and one extra vacant room and another room which is currently occupied by a very sick sister of mine. Outside, we tended to the garden, creating a beautiful and peaceful place to relax.

I just woke up after a much needed sleep. " I can't believe myself, I slept until way after sunrise (yawn)" I said in a sleepy voice and then yawned, stretching my hands outward. My room wasn't anything worth looking at, it makes me sick just to be here. My room has a modest wooden bed filled with comfy materials for comfortable sleep. But this bed is far from those of my past life, I really want a mattress filled with cotton and spring or something like that. I also have a wooden desk and chair to study. Other than that my room has a closet filled with few clothes and two oil lamps to keep everything nice and bright at night. My room also has a big window to keep the air coming in and out, it's basically a normal house in an area, you can find a similar house mostly anywhere.

Then I noticed something, the watch which disappeared is now in my hand just as it was before. What is going on? Last time I checked it wasn't there, then why? Maybe I must've been half asleep and assumed it had disappeared on me. "Anyways I should probably take a bath" I say it's a bath but it's really not, I mean I always take a bucket of water and then spray it on me. I don't have any soap to keep myself hygienic, but hey there are a lot of people who don't even have access to this. I rub myself to clean, and then wash it off with water. "Looks like I have reached the bathroom while thinking to myself, huh?" I entered, and after making sure no one was there. I filled up the bucket with water and then it's bath time. 

While I was taking a bath like usual, I noticed something "What are you doing? Peeping like that" my voice resounded for a few minutes and then after a few minutes of delay reply came back. "How did you realize Unicus?" Asked Mellona, she is the maid in our home. "Well it's pretty easy to find someone, especially if they were drooling like an idiot a few feet away and intensely staring. Don't make me repeat myself like usual, get out of here!" I noticed mellona reluctantly retreated to her room. I've lost count just how many times she has completely seen me like this. I know I'm a 10 year old who needs care and attention, but this is not what I want.

After a few minutes, I came out of the bath feeling refreshed. "Baths are wonderful!!" the bad smell of sweat from before had completely gone now. I was walking in a moment of bliss but suddenly mellona was standing in front of me. "What do you want now?" I was a bit annoyed by her but she was calm this time. "It's vanilla, she asked me to bring you to the hall. Apparently she has something to say to us all, I just told Russell moments ago" her voice clearly indicated that this is business time. I told her I'll be there and headed off to my room to change out of this towel.

Our home's hall is really modest with a fireplace, couch, dining table and some paintings to make it more home-y I guess. Anyways here I am sitting down and having a casual conversation with my family. I don't know why, but maybe because I'm reincarnated I can't see my parents as my parents. While I'm really close to them, I just don't feel that they are my parents. I hope I can look at them like how I did my parents from my previous life. "So that concludes everything, so are you coming with us? Unicus" my mother's voice gently pulled me back from my train of thoughts. I should seriously get my shit together. "I'm sorry, I wasn't… paying attention. Think you can say that again? Mother" I said with a dry smile. 

I'm pathetic, "Sure, I can say it as many times as you want! Listen close idiot. Marcus's father Renly has invited all of us to participate in Marcus's tenth birthday and sent us this letter. So me and your dad are attending, mellona said she'll attend only if you do. So I asked you, are you coming with us? Unicus " my mother gave a short summary of what she was talking about a few moments ago. I took a brief moment to think, Marcus is my friend and no matter what he would definitely want me to attend. It's not like I have anything better to do, so why not?. "I'll go, but who will take care of my sister, if all of us are gone for the day? And not to mention I don't have any nice dress though" I said, my face was a happy one. "Don't worry about that! I can probably make a good outfit for you" my father assured me with a smile. My mother followed it up with "I have asked our neighbor, Miss tiga to handle that". "But even so" I wasn't convinced but when I looked at my mother and father "Fine, then I'll let you do your thing" I said, after that we were talking about preparing for departure and stuff like that.

My eleventh birthday passed while I was in the cave a few days ago, it sure was quite the experience. From the moment I stepped inside, it was full of surprises and I came out of it unscathed. I'm thankful that I was fortunate enough to come out of the cave and I started to wonder about a lot of things following that. After me, mellona and father reached home I got an earful of lecture from mother about this and that. My consciousness started wandering off part way through, so I don't remember much. After that I went to my room and took a rest and in the blink of an eye a few days passed by, just like that. I opened my closet and took out an unusual piece of technology which clearly doesn't belong in this world in the middle ages period. It's a laptop with an orange logo on its top which I retrieved from the cave. It has all kinds of cool stuff, but its heavy security and unfamiliarity makes it literally useless for most people of this world.

But I had a way around computer security. Back in my previous life, due to family circumstances I had to work in all kinds of disciplines. But I mainly worked at a robotics company as a head security analyst for around 10 years, even though I can't help but be bewildered by this laptop's high security. I mean this has quantum cryptography, and some hi-fi shit I barely know. Even so I managed to hack into the device and activated the AMCU, but the device locked itself up after mere moments it rebooted the system. I should probably look into this more but first, I need to crack the code and unlock this laptop's fullest function before I turn my attention to the AMCU and so I spent my free time fiddling away with this laptop, hoping to break its security.

"Unicus go take a bath!" I heard my mother call out to me. "Sure, in a minute" I replied as I put the laptop off to the side. I used all the standard methods to gain complete access to the system but it just doesn't work. I tried some password typing as well, and fortunately whoever owned this laptop hasn't turned on the option to erase everything after a certain number of password tries which means that laptop has to be something important to him/her. Which basically means I can try all the passwords in the world and the laptop still won't wipe itself. That's reassuring at the very least. I then stood up and took a towel from the closet and headed towards the bath. 

Meanwhile I noticed mellona standing behind me, she seems to be thinking about something. "What do you want? Tell me quickly, I don't have all day you know" I said, I don't like getting interrupted while I am entrenched on something like unlocking a laptop. "It's just, ever since we came back from the cave. I've noticed that you started to spend more time with yourself, I'm just worried that you will…" before she could finish I interrupted her with "enough, I'm 10 years old now. don't you think it's only fair that I can decide to stay in my room if I want, stop treating me like a child!!" I shouted, then it hit me. Now that I think about it, I might have gone a bit too far this time. By the time I realized, I saw mellona running away in tears.

Then I reached the bath and took an extra cold one straight out of the well. "I'm the worst" I cursed myself. How could I say that to someone who has cared about me from when I was nothing but a mere new born. "Man, this water is cold. But compared to how she must feel, this is nothing" I had a sour face like I had bitten a lemon or something. I just told myself, I'm reincarnated. This is a second chance to live my life. Then why? No matter how much time passes my insensitive self never disappears. I then realized how pathetic I could be at times.

Then a few days passed,on one fine morning we all were getting ready for Marcus's birthday function. After my mother talked with our neighbor Tiga, we all started heading towards Marcus's home. My father learned towards me, and gently asked "I noticed that you and mellona aren't spending much time with each other, what happened son?" his face had a mix of emotions, I wonder why? Was he feeling sad for me? or was he feeling sad for mellona? or is it something else entirely? 

While I wondered about these I answered father earnestly. "You are right, things are going well between us" my voice was dry like I hadn't drunk water for ages and I wanted to say a lot more but I can't. The words just don't come out of my mouth, it gets stuck somewhere. "I can relate, sometimes women can be mysterious. But don't lose hope son, there is a paradise of love waiting to be explored over the darkness. You just have to be honest and let her know what you think at this moment" My father's words sound great on paper but its effectiveness lies with me.

"But she is always there peeping, I can't be comfortable taking a bath with her staring at me like that, not to mention she was drooling like crazy. I didn't pay any attention to it before but now… I mean, I even said it straight to her but she didn't listen and one day I released all my frustrations on her explosively which resulted in this" I said. "Look peeping isn't all that bad, you know what! Even though it might not seem like it, you are way more similar to your mother, Unicus….. You are reserved and laid back, you focus on yourself and what matters to you. You also have the tendency to ignore everything that isn't important to you, son…. Here let me tell you something, the fact that you are even thinking about her feelings is all the proof you will ever need, just admit it! She is important to you and you have nothing to hold back on apologizing until she forgives you, son" I don't like the way he phrased it but it's true every word he said is true. 

While I was thinking hard about this, my mother called out to me. "What are both plotting? whispering like that" my father tried to cover up for me. "Our son asked me, how did you and mother met each other?, tell me all about it. So I was telling him our love story" my father's words made my mother blush hard, even though they both gave birth to two children they have no shame in publicly flirting like this. But again, that's exactly what makes them my parents I guess. Then my father and mother both took turns explaining how they both met each other, father's version and mother's version was slightly different but everything was consistent enough that most people might be convinced they are hearing the same story.

In a spacious and welcoming wooden home, the air is abuzz with excitement as friends and family gather to celebrate Marcus's birthday. Festivities commence in the main hall, where rough-hewn wooden beams support the thatched roof overhead. Colorful banners and bunting hang from the rafters, swaying gently in the breeze. Long wooden tables are adorned with simple but hearty fare, including roasted meats, crusty bread, and pitchers of mead. At the center of the room sits a rustic table, piled high with delicious treats and a birthday cake adorned with flickering candles. Adjacent to the main hall, the dining area is furnished with sturdy wooden benches and chairs. Tallow candles in simple holders cast a warm glow over the room, illuminating the faces of guests as they enjoy the feast and lively conversation.

In the bustling kitchen, cooks and servants work tirelessly over open fires, preparing the feast for the celebration. The air is filled with the savory aroma of cooking food, mingling with the scent of pine from the wooden walls and floors. The courtyard or garden becomes an extension of the celebration. Wooden tables and benches are set up amidst flowering bushes and towering trees, creating a picturesque setting for outdoor revelry. Guests gather under the open sky, enjoying games and entertainment in the dappled sunlight. In a corner of the main hall, musicians play lively tunes on wooden instruments, filling the air with music and song. Dancers twirl and stamp their feet on the wooden floorboards, adding to the festive atmosphere of the celebration. Throughout the wooden home, laughter and merriment abound as guests come together to honor the birthday celebrant. The warmth and hospitality of the hosts create a sense of camaraderie and joy, making the celebration a memorable occasion for all who attend.

Meanwhile I'm standing here in the corner as always, I don't understand why people even celebrate birthdays anyway. "I can't believe, I'm alone even on such an occasion, huh pathetic!" I grumble to myself. This just made me remember the day when Marcus's birth was celebrated. Back then I was still a new born, but at that time my father wasn't able to attend the occasion so it was only us three: mellona, mother and myself. Back then I just got reincarnated and after much struggle learned the language my mother speaks in, which means I was able to remember things that normal children would've forgotten ages ago. Marcus's gender was assumed to be a boy but he was biologically a girl due to how his father Renly bellswood wanted to raise her as a Dragonknight or something. That caused quite the stir among the attending people, most people blatantly pointed out it won't end well. But Renly explained that everything is to make his wife's last wish come true.

The ramblings continued, until all the people had no choice but to accept Renly's words. After that the occasion went as usual with nothing major happening. Then my eyes naturally fell on the calendar, which has been peacefully hanging over minding its own business. "Did you notice that vanilla, he is quite interested in the calendar" Mellona's excited voice seems a bit too much of a reaction if you ask me. "Well he is a kid after all, I was curious about the world when I was his age too but I didn't understand anything back then, since you are knowledgeable about these things, why don't you tell him?". "Sure, I'll give a good explanation. Listen unicus, in our world we use the Nigerian calendar with 40 days a month, 27 months in a year and with summer, winter, autumn, spring seasons. Well I don't think you will understand any of these through''. Huh it seems quite similar to earth but slightly different. With what information I have I might be able to calculate the distance between the sun-like star and this planet. Well this I'll be a good mental workout. "Hey look, mellona he seems to be deep in thought. Is my boy a genius?". "Let's not jump to conclusions, he is still a newborn." Mellona's voice was filled with excitement.

I continued to reminisce about the past with a nostalgic look on my face. These might not be normal but this is what my past was, it was weird and funny, each day was full of excitement. But now that I think about it, the relationship Mellona and I share now is way more different than what it was when I was born, then what changed over the years. I was left to contemplate all this one on my own, but unbeknownst to me I was being watched by Mellona.