A beautiful lady was sitting there instead of the old man. She was too beautiful for Iwan to handle and had dressed somewhat loosely too. Unlike the old man who was openly showing his dried-up body, the lady wasn't bold enough as she was wearing a baggy shirt on her, which was definitely a thing that Iwan was upset about.
Just her face radiated enough that Iwan forgot to close his mouth as he stared at her rudely.
'Black silky hair, a fair face which seemed to have been carved carefully by some divine master...and...'
Iwan didn't mind the shirt for too long, and praiseful thoughts popped into his mind, left and right, but as his eyes went down, he was shocked beyond belief.
"...and... a dirty short...What?"
Iwan looked at the shorts that the absolute babe next to him had on her. It was the same piece that the old man was wearing. A dirty short full of holes.
Instant reactions started happening inside his head. Dots after dots connected as he sneakily looked at the lady two more times.
'Is she his daughter? No, she looks too beautiful to be his daughter. Maybe, she is the old man's granddaughter. But, one thing is for sure...The old man is a respectful crazy bat.'
There were many reasons why Iwan had such a thought.
First, the old man had left suddenly. Nonetheless, he had left someone here so that Iwan wouldn't feel bad. But, the crazy thing was that he had left a beauty here who was wearing the same exact dirty shorts as the old man.
'He could have allowed her to change.'
"Did your grandfather leave you here? I didn't even notice the elder taking his leave. He is such a kind man as he left you here so I could keep on rambling about my sad boring past."
With a few words, Iwan tried his best to show his respect for the old man who was obviously in his mind the grandpa of this cutie, while also mentioning the 'sad' part of his past.
"Hehe."
The wind blew as the lady giggled at Iwan's words.
'An Angel.'
Iwan could feel his heart reading going over nine thousand at this point but he was on a mission so he turned his sight away from the lady's addictive smile.
"Indeed. He was indeed my grandfather. I work here while my grandfather visits from time to time."
The lady showed her porcelain-like teeth and blinked at Iwan who was already rolling his eyes around.
"Ahem. Since the old ma- THE ELDER left you here, your time with me won't be in vain."
Iwan finally glanced at the lady who was still keeping up that curved smile on her face. He was having second thoughts but decided to keep on going with what he was doing.
"Should I tell you about my past from the start?"
Iwan suddenly asked the lady who instantly shook her head with a look of horror in her eyes.
"Not the start."
The lady almost smacked Iwan while declining his offer.
"Ah, you must be eager to know what happened to me when I was eighteen."
Iwan was excited as he also wanted to continue. But, he would have never realized that the lady just wanted to get this over with.
"Then, I will continue from the time when I was eighteen."
Till now Iwan had already shared how he had spent the four years after his fourteenth birthday working like a mad man. Just for one reason. To keep his mother happy who had supported him not only as a mother but as a father, too.
The lady nodded at Iwan and thus, the story of Iwan's traumatic past filled with twists continued.
"It was the coldest day of my life.
Yakutsk had never been so cold before.
'Is Yakutsk congratulating me with this ball freezing weather?'
I thought while loading some goods in my truck.
It was my eighteenth birthday, nonetheless, for the first time in the last twelve years after my father's betrayal, I was looking forward to this day.
Even though it was my day, I had prepared a gift for my mother.
Even in such crazy weather, as I drove the truck to deliver the goods, I only had one thought in my mind.
'Today, I will leave Yakutsk with her.'
I had saved enough money in the last four years that I could leave this damn icy place with her.
Half an hour later, I reached the door of the place I called home.
'Mother. I am back.'
I was so excited that I even fumbled towards the door as I tried to enter the house and tell my mother about the news.
'Ah~'
But, the moment I entered the house after experiencing a testicular torsion, I was welcomed by a piece of paper that was lying flat in the open.
The paper was the only thing present on the brown table where my mother was always waiting for me.
I had a smile on my face, while my legs quivered because of the torsion incident, but nothing could stop me from picking up that damned paper.
(Iwan, my child. Mother thinks you are already old enough to take care of yourself. So, your mother has decided that she will leave on an adventure. A journey to find your father.
P.S. There is no milk in the house so I will buy some while returning with your father after I find him.)
I had the paper tightly clenched in my hands.
I wanted to cry but the tears never started rolling.
Only a few words reverberated in my head like screaming demons."
Iwan stopped and closed his eyes as though he could see himself standing inside his house with that paper in his hand. Then, he continued while the beautiful lady was trying her best to stop herself from laughing at his misery.
Iwan mumbled the words that he had said in the past after reading his mother's last message.
" 'Another Betrayal. Fuck the milk.'
That is when the door knocked."
Iwan opened his eyes and looked at the beautiful lady with his teary eyes and a clear message.
'Console me with a hug. Come on.'