The Bird With a Broken Wing (4)

꒰ঌ The Bird With a Broken Wing 4

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As Lucy looked into the skies through the train's window, she murmured, "Looks like it's about to rain."

I nodded. I was sitting next to Lucy, with the guitar clamped in between my legs. I took out the list of information of the operators written by that mister, and double checked it yet again. Despite him giving me the details of six operators, there was not one of which he knew the address. I guess even someone from the recycling plant would not have known that much. The few operators had names like whatever-transport or something-something-agency or center.

What's even more exaggerating was that there's only the name of the person-in-charge as well as their cellphone number available — they couldn't be a bunch of guys dealing with illegal things, could they?

"Those chaps ain't a good bunch of people, so you better be careful."

He did say that before as well. Taking away the large-sized rubbish by themselves isn't exactly a serious crime, but you can't consider it a legit and honest career either.

"Are you really going to continue looking for it?"

"Mmm. In any case, we'll visit the district office another time after lunch, to see if we can get the address of the operators from the phone book or their registration information."

"We definitely won't be able to find it…"

"If you're feeling tired, you don't have to follow me around. Do you want to wait for me somewhere and take a rest?"

"I'm not following you!" Lucy suddenly became flushed. "You're the one who said you were coming along with me so as to help me with my luggage. You didn't forget that, did you?"

"Umm, it's as you've said, and so…?"

"And so I'm coming along as well."

"Then stop complaining!"

I looked out of the window as well. The same scenery of the streets flowed past our eyes, but somehow it felt different from what we had seen yesterday. Perhaps it was because it was lunch hour now? Would Erza be okay without me or would Yang be hungry without my bento? The things at school appeared briefly in my mind, but they seemed like things that were from a long, long time ago.

If I am to return to that everyday life, then I am bringing Lucy along as well. Therefore, I must definitely find my bass, and retrieve everything which I had abandoned — and find that sound that binds us together.

***

After searching through the district office, the library, as well as the works progress administration at the cultural center, we had only managed to find three operators with addresses that looked more like that of a company's.

That's not a surprise though, because it seems like a majority of the people in the recycling industry work alone.

"How should we go about asking them after our call connects? It's illegal for them to do so, isn't it?" Lucy sat on the chair in the works progress administration, and asked me weakly.

"Hmm… you're kinda right…" If they had really removed the large-sized rubbish by themselves, then they'll probably not tell me about it truthfully anyway; and even if they had really taken it, it's not like I can just barge in to ask for it. In the end, all I could do was to walk out of the corridor with a brochure and the photocopied details with me.

I then switched on my cell phone. Whoa! Most of the missed calls were from my mother, Erza, and Yang's numbers, and they had even sent me a message as well; Naruko surprisingly also made a call. I could only pretend not to see those things for now.

So how should I go about confirming it?

An idea suddenly popped up in my mind: all I have to do is to ask if they had collected a bass, then wouldn't that narrow the places where I'll have to search? I made up my mind and dialed the very first number.

"… Umm, hello… there's something which I'd like to ask… right, mmm… electric bass."

It was really quite troublesome for me to ask the same set of questions for six times. Moreover, aside from that whatever-agency, the rest of the numbers are all cell phone numbers. I kept hearing those noisy sounds of exhausts; the sounds of the cargo or something rumbling about; music that was overly loud to the point where the sounds were distorted; and the broadcast of "This recycling vehicle will collect all electronic trash for free." Everyone who picked up the phones were probably the truck drivers themselves.

After hanging up my phone, I walked back into the reference room wearily.

"So did you get something?"

"Yeah… all six said they did not collect the bass."

"So… that means that there may be other operators which that mister does not know of?"

If so, then there's really not a single piece of clue left. It may be someone pretending to be the official operator and drove everything away first, before they decide on what to do with the trash. Regardless, we were at a dead end. The office lady at the cultural center was beginning to be suspicious of us, and so we decided to leave the place quickly.

The skies were gloomy, and filled with thick layers of dark clouds. I sat on the pedestrian fence, and shared a bagel sandwich which we had bought at a convenience store together as our lunch.

"If only we've some sort of clue…" I murmured as I took a gulp of canned coffee to wash down the food particles in my mouth.

"Hey, why are you trying so hard to find it?" Lucy asked as she lifted her head to look at me. "Are you that concerned about what I had said? Just forget it! We are currently fleeing from home! Just throw away everything and run away! It's not like we can find it anyway."

I kept staring at Lucy's guitar case. Though I could not quite explain it to her…

"I'll definitely find it."

"You're just being obstinate!"

And so are you too!

"Then how about we have a bet!"

Lucy's eyes opened wide when I said that.

"… What are we betting?"

What are we betting huh? Hmm… I fell into silence for a brief moment. I had actually said that in the heat of the moment…

"Well then…" I shifted my gaze to the asphalt, and pondered for a while. "If I find it, then you are to join the Folk Music Research Club. The winner was not decided back then, so you can think of this as a play-off."

With the sandwich and the oolong tea in her hand, Lucy lowered her head and said nothing for a while. I could somehow feel that the person next to me was nodding her head ever so slightly.

"In return…" Lucy suddenly raised her head. "If you cannot find it, then you'll have to listen to everything I say."

"Everything… you say?"

"You'll have to help me with my luggage for life, and… you'll be in charge of collecting money with a hat."

Isn't that how we are right now? No wait…

"What's with me collecting money with a hat?"

"Because we'll have to come up with ways to earn cash! So…"

I really don't know how serious she is about all these things.

"So we'll have to play the guitar by the roadsides to earn some cash, then we'll go to one unfamiliar city after another via the train…"

Lucy's voice became softer and softer, as if she was dreaming. Even though it was quite pathetic for me to do so, I still let out a laugh. I began to feel like that sort of life may not be too bad after all.

"But won't I need an instrument too?" I interrupted half in jest.

"But you are really bad at playing. It's better for you not to play if we want to earn some cash from it."

I threw the coffee can into the rubbish bin with my might. I suck at playing, huh? So sorry for that!

"But you can consider singing? I've never heard you sing before."

"I humbly decline."

Singing huh…

"… Ah!"

Lucy turned her head around in shock as she heard the strange voice that came out from my mouth. She nearly dropped the sandwich which she had just taken a bite at onto the floor, as she was holding it with her right hand.

"What? Is there something?"

"A song! I've found a clue."

"Eh?" Lucy tilted her head as she could not figure out what I was saying.

I took out my cell phone, but I hesitated for a while when I saw the image on its LCD display. Am I really gonna do this? I am currently running away from home, right? The problem is, if I give up that tiny clue I have, then I can't come up with anything else. Moreover, I don't have much time left on my hands now. My bass is probably on the verge of being crushed.

I dialed the number of my house. Surprisingly it's my sister who answered it.

"… Naruko? Um, it's me."

"Where the hell are you now! Mom was worried about you! The school and Erza had called Mom as they tried looking for you. I didn't see you yesterday when I returned home as well. We thought you had stayed at Erza's House, so Mom made a call to her house. However, she said that you're not there…!"

"Well…" I took a gulp before continuing on, "I ran away from home."

I could somehow feel Lucy's eyes widening as I said that.

"R-ran away!? What the hell are you talking about!?"

"I'll apologize to you as many times as you wish after that, so answer my question for now! Naruko, you should be at home throughout the day before yesterday, right? Did some trucks that collect large-sized trash for free pass by our house that day?"

What followed was a long silence. I turned around to look at Lucy, who was staring at my cell phone uneasily, and made a gesture to signal that it was okay.

"… Large-sized trash?"

"Those trucks that circle round and round while blaring that irritating music."

"Irritating music? Um… ah, yeah, yes yes yes." Naruko sounded like a patient who had slowly woken up from his dreams. "Umm, it probably came during the day? When I was watching Lucchan in the living room I remember turning up the volume of the sound systems by a notch as it was really noisy."

My hand which was gripping onto the cell phone was trembling nonstop.

"So it did come? Then…" My palms were wet from my sweat, so I changed the phone onto another hand. "Then was the truck playing any sort of music?"

This time, there was no hesitation in her answer, and she sounded rather certain as well.

"Oh, yes. Vivaldi."

I sprang up from the pedestrian fence.

"Thanks, Naruko. This may be the last goodbye…. please tell my apology to Mom. And Take care!"

"W-wait—"

I immediately hung up the phone after saying that out hastily, and switched off my phone. I then took up the luggage on the ground, and carried the guitar case on my back once again.

"What's going on?"

"I've a clue now!"

I picked out one of the many leaflets given to me by the mister from the treatment plant. During one of the calls, I heard something from the background noises — Vivaldi's The Four Season — the first movement of Spring. Karasu's Engineering Firm! I was really lucky, as that was the only operator out of the six that I had managed to get the address of. I had actually managed to connect to the thread of the faintest possibility. I began making my way towards the train station, and all I heard was Lucy scurrying behind me in her haste to catch up to me.

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