Chapter 12: Frida's Workplace

"I always feel an emptiness in me...I want to take it slow and live my life but something doesn't feel right...What is my purpose?..." Erland stared at the celling with a hand on his forehead.

"Erland, come downstairs. We have a guest." said Hilda.

"I don't wanna...it's so cold." Erland covered himself in the blanket.

"It's Frode and Frida."

"Coming!"

Erland slowly got downstairs with the blanket. No matter how heavy it was for him to carry, he still brought it downstairs.

"Erland. You naughty little- Why did you bring the blanket here? It's white, it's gonna get dirty. Give it to me." Gunhild rushed towards Erland and pulled the blanket. Erland held it tight and yelled,

"Mommy, don't. I don't have any sweater on."

"Why don't you have any sweater on? It's freezing." said Frode.

"Stay here. Don't move an inch, Frode spilled some soup on the floor. I'll go bring a sweater." Gunhild left the room.

"Aunty Frida! Uh...why do you have another scar. It's bleeding." said Erland with a numb tone of voice.

"It's nothing actually. I'm fine." Frida stared outside the window. There was a kitten laying on the ground. It almost froze to death.

Frida got outside and picked the kitten up with a rather blank expression, making it impossible to guess her intentions. The kitten was breathing heavily, as if it was about to take it's last breath.

With no expression, Frida kept it under the cheap shawl she has brought. She started eating steak as she stared at the kitten after coming back to the house, being sat on the chair beside the table.

"(Why is she staring at the kitty like that?)" Erland looked dubiously towards Frida.

Soon, Gunhild brought him a sweater. Erland couldn't take it on because of his overly grown body as a three years old. The sweater of last winter became too small for him. He then had no choice but to wear his mother's black shawl.

The kids headed upstairs to play whilst the ladies stayed downstairs in the kitchen chatting about their daily lives. Somehow, Erland overheard something Frida said,

"The ones who are about to die are better off dead, Gunhild."

"(What is she talking about? I gotta know about it. I feel a discomfort going down my spine.)" Erland stopped walking.

"Erland?" Frode stopped as well.

"It's your first time here right?"

"Yeah."

"How about I show you everything in my house?"

"Really?" Frode's eyes sparkle.

Erland showed him every single corner of the house. While he was showing him the kitchen he once again overheard something,

"This kitten will go with me then. It doesn't have much time to live-" Frida couldn't finish her words.

"WHAT? WHERE?" Erland yelled out with a furious voice.

"Did you want to keep the kitten?" said Frida.

"Yeah...it's cute."

"But I'm afraid you can't. You can visit my workplace though. It is where it will go."

"Oh...okay! (I gotta figure out what is going on. Am I overthinking or there really is something going on?)"

Erland then again, proceeded to show his friend the whole house. Their final stop was the storeroom where Erland never entered.

"Hey, Frode. Do you know how to pick a lock?" said Erland.

"I don't think that you should. I have a locked room in my house too. When I opened it something bad happened to me. I have a scar on my back. I don't remember anything though..." said Frode.

"Okay...but, mommy said that there are some wines and stuffs stored in the storeroom. What could possibly go worse?"

"Erland, don't!"

"What are you two doing here?" said Randi with her hands crossed, who appeared out of nowhere.

"We were trying to open the storeroom." Erland smiled awkwardly.

"Go."

"Okay...Let's go Frode." Erland tried no further in fear of getting beaten up.

They both headed towards Erland's room. The room was freezing so they both got inside the blanket and started chatting.

"Hey Frode, you know there is a balcony in the house. We don't go there because it is broken now. Dad said that he will fix it when the savings money rises up." said Erland.

"Can we just take a look at it?" said Frode.

"Yeah sure."

They both got off the bed and Erland opened the window, like a fool and the cold breeze gave them chills down his spine, shivers beneath his skin. Erland without further delay, closed the door with a smile that screams- "I'm in pain."

"That was a bad thing to do. I found a game by the way." said Erland.

"A game? What kind of game is it?"

Erland brought two notebooks, an ink and two brushes. He taught Frode about the game. The game was called 'Bingo' in Erland's previous world.

"Wow...this game looks cool! It has a lot of numbers too!" said Frode.

"(My bro's destined to be a nerd I guess...)"

They both played the game for a while. While they were playing, Frode brought a topic about the unusual type of meat Frida brings in his house. The meat gives off the flavor of a tuna fish and almost tastes like pork. It worried Erland because he has once read somewhere that cat meat tastes like that.

His eyes became wide. He tried to brush the matter off but he couldn't. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door and came in. The person was Frida, holding a bag she has brought in the house along with the kitten.

"Can we go now?" said Erland with a smile as if there isn't a tornado going in his mind.

"Yes." Frida smiled and took them outside. Frode seemed happy so far which was unusually more than any other day.

"(Maybe there isn't anything wrong after all...maybe...I don't know...I'm still getting creeps.)" Erland slowed his steps down as he pondered.

"We are here." said Frida.

The thing Erland could see next of him was a place where meats are cut off. There was a strong looking man cutting off meats, piece by piece. There were blood all over the place.

"Frida. Ha ha, my daughter. How do you do?" said the man who was chopping off meat. It seemed as if the flesh and bones never carried life in it.

Erland was terrified. He could only think of one thing. That he should somehow save the cat.

"Mommy, I'll get the special steak today right?" said Frode.

"Yes. Mommy will make it for you by herself. Your daddy will be here too. Come with me, Erland. You too my boy." said Frida.

They entered a dark room. Erland was terrified. He knew not of any way to defend himself or the innocent animal. He thought of using his power by all of his force and will. He got his guards up.

Suddenly, the room lit up. There were a lot of animals laying on the ground. Some of them had their mouth open and some were just sleeping quietly. Erland came to a conclusion and took a deep breath realizing that the place is actually a pet shop and there might be some other story with the meat and all.

The warm environment in the house made Erland feel comfortable. The curtains were green and there was a paw shaped mat on the floor. The bridge to go to western Gaion, could be seen from the biggest window in the room they were in.

"Enjoy to your hearts contents boys, in my humble pet shop...I opened it when Frode still hasn't been born so...I named it after myself. Welcome to Frida's Pet Shop." said Frida.

"Oh my LORDS! They are so cuteeeeee!!!" Erland yelled out and got in front of a little black and white puppy.

"It's a Jamthund. He has been born just three days ago. His mother is there resting."

"What's a Jamthund? (It's a Swedish breed of dogs of course.)"

"It's a breed of dogs. Like how we have many kinds of plants. There are many kinds of dogs too."

"Aunty Frida, can you teach me how to have them as pets? I really want a dog."

"Well then, come here often more. You will take care of the animals with me then. I will pay you too, don't worry."

"Huh? I don't want any money-"

"I don't do anything or take anything for free my boy. Once your family thinks that you can take care of a puppy, you can get one. You can still continue your job though."

"(Jamthund...these were used as hunting dogs...I have always wanted a bunch of hunting dogs. Right...) Aunty Frida, please don't let anyone take this puppy until I learn how to take care of it. Please..." Erland pleaded with his angelic childlike eyes.

"*Sigh*...Okay. We will talk about the job later then. Go accompany your friend over there. Also, don't remind him of his birthday."

"(Wait...so today is his birthday? I didn't even know about this. Or maybe it's some other day.) Wait, when is his birthday?"

"Three days from now."

Erland walked towards Frode to accompany him, who was playing with some kittens. There were also some dogs laying down on the floor who were licking themselves. In a while, Frida called them to a room. Some dogs started to follow them, but Frida gently patted on their head and took them to their small bed. There weren't any cage.

When Erland entered the dining room, he noticed Svend who was taking off his gloves. The table was elegantly decorated, yet simplistic, light brown. The design looked similar to Frode's desk. The curtains were of the same color and there was a flower vase with newly picked roses and several figurines of animals and such.

Svend couldn't see the kids since he is too tall and so was the table.

"Oh. You are here. Mind to accompany me a little bit?" He slowly went towards Frida and got his lips close, his demeanor completely changed to a romantic man. He held her waist tight as Frida tried to push him away.

Soon, from the corner of his eyes, he noticed two small figures staring at them with a neutrally smiley face without any obvious reaction. He put on his usual stern face in an instant and sat on the chair. He began to slowly take sips of water with visible embarrassment beneath the straight face. He didn't say anything even though the water was clearly too cold to drink when winter is near.

"Well then, take a seat boys. Grandma Ase will be here any moment." said Frida and went to the other room beside the cabinet in the room. For the rest of the time, until grandma Ase came, the boys had nothing else to do rather than staring at a man slowly drinking a glass of water for three minutes.

"Where are the kids? Oh hoh, you two are here already. Come give great granny a hug. I told some more aunties to come by." said Grandma Ase after she rushed in.

They kids got off from the chair to hug their great grandma. When they both got lifted up, they could see some nightmares behind grandma Ase. The ladies who always gossip even about the most simple thing. From a mole to the royal matters, everything is a part of their gossip.

"(Why are these pesky oldies here?)" thought both Frode and Erland.

Frode and Erland ate their dishes as fast as they could. In the end, Erland asked what meat that was. Frida told him that it was a kind of fish that is found around autumn which is called a sea boar and finally, Erland let out a breath of relief.

While the adults were chatting, they snuck out to play. They slowly closed the door so no one could notice. They had heavy cloths on. Without any particular reason they started throwing leaves at each other, enjoying their moment, laughing and playing.

In the middle of their enjoyment, someone threw a pile of dirt at Frode. Since Frode is comparably weaker than most children, he fell on the ground. His knee got wounded. He was about to cry out loud but a boy grabbed his mouth, being quick as a running horse. Those were no other than the boys that have bullied Erland before.

Erland was about to rush towards the boys who have grabbed Frode. Someone held him tight from behind and kicked him behind his knee. He fell off with a scream- "Ah-"

The boy held his mouth tight. Erland didn't even try to say another word. It worried Frode who was the most helpless at the time, as Frode looked at Erland with a guilty expression. The adults were chatting and there was a howling wind outside. Even the door was closed. Frode prayed and hoped that someone would notice that they are missing from the house in the howling night.