Hey there! It's been a while, I know. And I'm sorry it took me this long. I could've started writing sooner, if it weren't for the fact that I failed one of my finals. So I had to retake that one, AND I PASSED! So now I'm totally free the rest of the summer!
This being said, without further ado, let's begin the chapter!
Chapter 8: Memories
"I spy with my little eye something beginning with… T!" I heard Nebby singing for the umpteenth time since we began this ride. Granted, I may have been the one proposing we do something to distract ourselves on the ride… but this was growing annoying by the second.
"Tree…" I said unamusingly.
"Shoot! You got it right again! How do you do that?!" She said in excitement as if I just solved the riddle of the century.
"Maybe because you have already thought about the same word five times already in just these last 30 minutes" I replied tired. This game was getting stupider and stupider and I didn't realize until now.
"H-Hey, that's not true! I have said other words too!"
"Yeah… like 'green'" I said with a chuckle.
"Hmph! If you're so grumpy about it then why don't YOU think of a word?!" She replied just a little frustrated, I bet she was pouting as well.
"You know what? Alright, I'll bite… I spy with my little eye something beginning with D" I said with an ironic smile.
"Hmm, that's a tough one! Let's see… Duck?"
"Not quite" I said, my smile growing bigger.
"Aww… What do you think it is, Sylvie?" The joyful maid asked the other girl who was sitting next to her on the back.
"I don't know…" Sylvie replied absentmindedly. She has grown tired of the game like me at some point and is now looking out of the window with fascination.
"So you two give up? Alright, I was thinking of 'desperation'" I said nonchalantly, like I just stated your regular child-game-friendly thing.
"What?! But that is something you can't spy with your little eye!" Nebby exclaimed indignantly.
"Oh, I sure can spy it sitting right just behind me" I chuckled darkly.
"Oh, come on! You two are ruining the game!" She said angrily.
"It's not like it wasn't bound to happen, the ride up to the mountains is a rather monotonous one. You can only see trees, trees and more trees…" I said exhausted… and we still have two more hours to go…
"Hey, that's not true! I swear a saw an owl about 48 trees ago!" That's quite… specific… "Besides! We also saw a small pack of bunnies and deers don't you remember?"
"They were so cute…" Sylvie whispered to herself at the thought of the animals we actually saw a while ago, squeezing tenderly the doll I bought her weeks ago.
"True, but that's not the point I'm trying to make here Nebby" I sighed as I recalled the events that led to where we were right now. The cold winter has just started a little while ago, it even snowed somewhat sometimes on the village but it was never quite enough to actually leave snow on the ground. Those days I always found Sylvie sitting right next to the window, silently contemplating the little white dots falling down the sky. She never really asked about it, but I could tell it was the first time she could enjoy such scenery. In retrospective, I would have loved it to snow a little more in order to build a snowman with her just once. It was obvious that the idea of just fooling around the snow was one she was incredibly excited to indulge into.
And that's when I came up with this little trip. I know for a fact that up in the highest parts of the mountain near the village it snowed heavier but not much for it to make a blizzard so it was safe for holiday trips. I proposed to her that we could go up there for the weekend. If I remember correctly there was a little hotel you could stay in on the mountain, and since I believe it is the only one you can find there I'm certain it is a crowded place during this time of the year, I hope they still have a room for us…
But ever since Sylvie knew about this plan there has been a… soft glimmer in her eyes I can never look away from. The innocent joy they express every time I talk about what we could do on this journey makes me anxious myself…
And so you must be thinking how did Nebby get mixed up in all of this? To be honest, I don't even know myself. It was back around 9 this morning when she just knocked on our door, carrying a huge backpack and saying she was ready to go. Apparently, Sylvie has excitedly telling her about this trip and at some point she simply decided to invite herself without any kind of warning…
"Did you grab everything you need?" I asked Sylvie while I was double checking my own stuff.
"Yes Master… Gloves, hat, boots, coat, toothbrush… I made sure I have everything you told me I needed to bring" She said diligently.
"Good girl! Did you already closed the suitcase then? Do you want me to put it into the trunk?" I asked politely but she seemed to fidget a little in the place… I know this sign of hers, she wants to request something but fears it might be stupid or too pretentious, but I know the little things she asks are important to her and are not that much big of a deal. She yet needs to understand that, but I'm being patient and understanding with her. She will cross that bridge one day, but I'll gladly take her hand while she does so if she needs me to. "It's okay sweetie-pie, you know you can tell me…"
"U-Um… It's just… I can't find Wendy…" Ah, of course… Wendy is the name she picked for the doll I bought her. She brought it with her wherever she went, as if it was her own personal lucky charm… or Jiminy Cricket. Technically speaking, being that she may be on her 14 or 15, she's being too childish to be this attached to a doll, and yet I couldn't care less about it. If she wants to bring her little friend she has all the right to do so.
"Oh right! I forgot to tell you I picked her up last night, she was kind of dirty so I washed her up. She should be in the kitchen on the clothe line, nice and clean!" I winked at her playfully. She rushed to the kitchen and came back with the little toy, clutching it with a childish smile on her lips.
"Now I am ready Master!" She said excitedly. I smiled at her enthusiasm as I closed my own suitcase.
"Great! Now we are ready to g-!" I was interrupted by a couple of vigorous knocks on the main door, someone must be in a hurry to see me. But who could it be? I closed the clinic for today so it can't be a client that's for sure.
Instead of figuring out who it was, I opted for the quickest solution that is basically opening the door, and there I found the person I least expected "N-Nebby?!"
"Hey there Devy! Glad I could make it… in time…!" She huffed tiredly. "I'm ready for the trip! Oh, you don't know I excited I am to enjoy the snow! I barely go up to the mountain you see?" She kept talking in excitement while I was just there perplexed.
"W-Wait a second Nebby, what are you doing here?"
"I already told ya man! I'm here for the trip! Didn't I tell you I was coming?!"
"Uh… No."
"Oh…" And her excitement vanished in a second "W-Well I heard from Sylvie you two were going up there… and I really really wanted to join, but I guessed I forgot to ask, ha ha…" She timidly giggled.
Good grief…
However, it's not like I could turn her down like that when she was already packed and ready to go. Besides, Sylvie seemed somewhat content for her to come with us, and that is something I would always praise her for. She is basically getting more comfortable around a girl she can truly call a 'friend' without having to turn to me. I will never restrict that.
"Well, what do you propose we do then?" I faintly heard Nebby ask.
"Hell if I know, I'm already busy here driving and paying attention to the road. You come up with the ideas".
"Yeah, I would if you stopped turning them down the moment you get bored, hmph!" The maid pouted again.
"Alright alright, geez!" It's not like I do not appreciate Nebby coming with us but I'm sure this trip would have been way calmer without her. Sylvie would have just been looking out of the window and I could just focus on the road ahead. Nice music from the radio included and we are done. "Okay so… what about telling me about what you have been doing this week?"
"You sure you want me to talk about that?!" She sounds as if she does not want to say a thing… but the grin she has right now tells me she REALLY wants to talk about it. "Oh you can't even begin to imagine how it was! First, there's this new guy they hired last month! Pretty nice guy, but it gives me the creeps! He just doesn't stop staring at my butt! And I'm like 'dude, stop that! You're like twenty years older than me!'. But I can't say a thing cuz then the boss will be mad and tell us we are giving a bad image to that café! So I must always smile to that creep can you believe it?!" Oh god… she just went full on a whirlwind of words… I lost track on what was she trying to say… "And then you have these common folks who are just jerks! They yell at you demanding your attention like I'm their freaking momma! And they expect you to bring their food in less than a minute! Sometimes they don't even pay! Can you imagine how the boss gets frustrated every time it happens?! As if it's my fault there are bastards out there who eat for free! And also-!"
"You know, on second thought just don't. I think I can grasp how it is…"
"Thank god there are nice customers like you two! You make my day better just by passing through!" Whew… missed a bullet there… "And how 'bout you Devy? How is it treating old folks lately?"
"You are certain not only old people would need a doctor right?" I could hear her giggle on the back "And good, I guess. Nothing really worth mentioning actually. Once you get the years of experience I have there is rarely a case that gets you off-guard. I basically know the proper remedy for a problem a pacient might have before they even tell me what it is".
"Wow! Sounds like a super power!" She said joyfully… Is it really that big of a deal? "And what about you Sylvie? What have you been doing this week?" The maid turned tenderly to her friend.
"Not much…" The girl vaguely responded, still distracted by the forest.
"She has been reading a lot lately" I decided to fill the blanks seeing as Sylvie had something to occupy her mind with. "We have a bunch of books she has been meaning to read these past few days. I could barely see her this week without a book in her hands" I chuckled in humor. I could see Sylvie in the back blushing and hiding her face with Wendy.
"Uh, an avid reader are we? I also love to read! Though I barely have any time to do so with my job at the café…" Nebby pouted in sadness. Meanwhile, I was just looking at my little girl with pride. It has been a couple of weeks since she started reading those little children books, and she has been getting better every day. She has even dared to pick a bunch of juvenile genre as of late. You know, adventure, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, sometimes a mix of those… She practically devoured books, and since she can now read at your average adult pace it doesn't take too much time for her to finish. Good thing I have a lot of books I kept from when I was younger and some that where left abandoned at that clinic when I moved to the village. I can already picture her asking me to buy more books for her to read…
But what got me delighted was that sweet smile she had since we began the ride. This was the first time she left the village, the first time she got to experience how it was to just be out of your comfort zone, away from the everyday responsibilities and pick a place to simply take it slow and relax. She physically showed that excitement, clutching Wendy and practically bouncing on her seat. The ride up the mountain may be a nuisance, but if it means seeing my little angel this happy I will do it again as many times as necessary.
"You know Sylvie? We have to hang out more often! Just us as friends!" Nebby added happily as she intertwined her fingers with Sylvie's, a gesture that made the other girl smile timidly.
"Good luck with that, that village is not quite the most upbeat place in the world. The lack of shopping centers, cinemas, or places similar to those make things hard to the youth like you" I chuckled with a little pity. It was true that some young people hang around at the central plaza, but you grow accustomed to it rather quickly. That's why they mostly opt to head to the city and come back late in the night.
"Welp, then we just gotta hang out in the city! You're going to love it Sylvie! I will show you around and introduce you to my friends there! We can buy clothes together, eat at fancy restaurants and watch movies! Oh it'll be some much fun!" It was now Nebby was noticeably bouncing.
"I-I'll be glad to go with you Nebby…!" Sylvie said as if trying to replicate her enthusiasm, but failing. However, one could see she was genuinely excited as well. It was a sight worth seeing.
"And you shall join us as well, Devy!" Wait, what?!
"W-What?"
"You will come with us! You may be the doctor of town but you also need to just 'go with the flow' if you catch my drift! Trust me, it can get soooo boring to be stuck in that village for too long, it'll help you relax as well!" No Nebby that's not the case I'm afraid… "Oh, but I also understand how important is your job! You don't need to come with us all the time, once a week would be nice tho!"
"N-No Nebby, I am not joining you two" I said, a dead serious tone I was not intending to use. Instinctively, my hand reached out to clutch a particular accessory I brought with me for this trip "You two can just go and enjoy on your own, don't mind me. If you need a ride you can get there by bus I believe"
"W-What? But why don't you want to come?" Nebby sounded disheartened… Ugh, now I feel bad.
"It's nothing really important Nebby, it's just that… me and urban environments don't really get along, heh…" I chuckled lightly in order for them to simply drop the matter at that… The real reason however… was that I am not exactly fond with the city because of the memories it brings… Specially, the painful ones. My parents, my past as a doctor… no matter how many years have passed, going to the city makes me remember those as if it was just yesterday… It's not like I get too emotional about it; if it's strictly necessary to go there then sure, I will go. But otherwise I try to avoid going as much as I can… Maybe I have yet to overcome the fact that they are gone…
"David…?" I heard the soft voice of Sylvie calling out for me… I forgot I told her to drop the 'Master' thing whenever we were out in order to avoid any kind of suspicion. It was hard for her at first… but she was slowly adapting to call me David… even at home…
I dared to look at her through the rear mirror to find that she was looking at me with a troubled expression… She must have sensed there was something more to what I was letting on… and now I am feeling even guiltier… I hate to leave Sylvie in the dark, but this is something I'd rather cope with by myself. I simply looked at her with a forced smile and winked at her… However, she looked back outside with a dissatisfied look in her eyes. She knew I was hiding something…
"U-Umm… Okay then! We will make sure to bring you something nice back when we go alright?" Nebby interrupted, trying to lighten up the uneasy atmosphere between us.
"No need for that really. As long as you keep Sylvie safe and make her happy you got me seal of approval and utmost satisfaction" I added with humor to help her come back to a playful ambiance inside this car. But I could see that Sylvie was still looking outside of the window, the glimmer of curiosity absent now… She is thinking about what is troubling me… Great David, now you made her worry…
Well, I guess we'll have to keep up with Nebby's games for the rest of the trip… Joy.
After two hours by car, we finally arrived at where the hotel was, surrounded by a forest covered in white. Both girls in the back were glued to the windows and looking with awe at the white scenery, the overwhelming color of green far behind us now.
"Well, we're here. Out you go everyone!" I exclaimed enthusiastically. I could finally rest… All those hours at the steering wheel really did a number on my poor back…
"Wohooo! This'll be so much fuuuun!" Nebby yelled while rolling around on the ground, coating her clothes in snow.
"Now now, let's just leave that for later. For now we need to book in the hotel" I just hope they still have room for us… There are a lot of cars parked in here.
As we went inside the building, the nice warmth from the main foyer welcomed us. There were a bunch of people just hanging around here. It's understandable, it's quite cold outside so people prefer to simply chat here. Sylvie was already gazing around in curiosity, taking in all the new things and places she was seeing in such short time. Meanwhile, Nebby was already overly excited about this vacation, she just couldn't stand still.
"Good morning sir, how may I help you?" The old man behind the counter announced himself with a soft voice. Despite the cold weather outside, this man was dressing in a rather elegant outfit... Perhaps that's a little over the top for a humble hotel like this.
"Good morning, I was wondering if there was any room for three available. One adult and two children" I spoke just as politely.
"Did you make any reservations?" The man asked while typing at a surprising fast pace on the desk computer he had at the side of the counter.
"No sir, we did not"
"Well you are in luck. We still have a room for three. Do you require any further services? Daily cleaning for instance?"
"No thank you. I was instead wandering if I had to pay for the meals"
"Oh, do not worry. That service comes included with the stay. Being the only place around here we must ensure our guests are properly fed" It makes sense. How nice of them "Here's the schedule for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Make sure to be there at the time it displays"
"Sure, thank you"
"Lastly, how long will you stay?"
"It'll be just for tonight. We'll leave tomorrow in the evening"
"Very well, here are the keys for your room. The elevator is turning that corner. We humbly wish you a comfortable stay" The old man declared with a smile. I returned the gesture, it's always nice to be treated with such formality and hospitality.
"Hey! What was that about 'two' children?!" Nebby asked annoyed.
"You are not exactly over eighteen you know?" I nudged her playfully which only served to make her groan in frustration. I chuckled at her childish behavior, ironically proving my point.
This place is so incredible…! It feels so warm and comfy, and people here seem so nice too… It's like I'm discovering a new world full of wonders that I was never aware of…! Master has brought us to this place to enjoy the snow… It was the first time I could see it so close…! I can't wait to feel it in my hands…
We arrived at the room that nice man offered us at the entrance. It was not much, aside from a small living room with a TV, a bedroom with a queen bed and another smaller bed, and a bathroom for last. Master's residence was surely bigger than this, but I think it'll suffice for these two days.
"Okay girls, you can unpack everything you may use these days and then we can go eat something before enjoying the entire evening out on the snow" Master stated nonchalantly. "I'll go to the bathroom real quick if you excuse me".
"Yeah! Let's put the show on the row!" Nebby rushed to the bedroom and started throwing things out of her suitcase "Hey Sylvie! Can both share the queen bed and Devy can sleep on the other smaller one! Are you okay with that Devy?"
"Fine for me!" I heard Master say from behind the bathroom door.
"Yay! Come Sylvie, let's get your things ready!" Nebby prompted me to get near her. Fortunately I didn't have much to pick up, I only needed to put my hat, gloves and coat on. I decided to leave Wendy here, I don't want her to freeze out there. I can always play with her tonight…
Once we were all ready, we passed by the buffet the hotel had… There were a lot of different foods I've seen Master preparing before and some that I have never seen! It tasted different, but delicious nonetheless! Master even had to stop Nebby before she tried to eat everything away… That girl sure has a big appetite!
Later, we finally got outside… and I could see the snow again… So white, so soft, so cold… like small milk candies, except that they are actually water. There were a lot of kids playing around and parents having friendly conversations while keeping an eye to their children. "Oooohh! This is my moment to shine!" Nebby yelled while picking up a bunch of snow, forming it into a ball and throwing it to one of the kids. Wh-Why did she do that…?! Those kids did nothing wrong…!
All the kids turned to look at Nebby with a shocked expression. They must be mad… Nebby should had not do that! And yet she is just grinning…! She threw a fist to the air and yelled "SNOWBALL WAR!"
Suddenly, everyone yelled just as excited and started to throw snowballs at each other! Is this… some kind of game…? "Private Sylvie!" Nebby called for me "C'mere! I will all the hands I need to dispatch the enemy troops! We shall not die today in this battlefield!" She said in a… overly epic tone. She sure was having fun! I couldn't help but giggle.
Subconsciously, my eyes wandered back to where Master was standing… He looked down to me with a smile in his face, he noticed I wanted to play too! He saluted with his hand on his forehead in a military fashion, just like Nebby's doing… "It appears that corporal Nebby requires assistance, deploy all units at once!"
"Roger!" I giggled, following their mock-war parody... it was so fun just playing pretend! I then ran up to the maid who just managed to build an improvised snow barricade.
"I see Captain Devy has sent reinforcements! Our goal here is to annihilate the enemy Private Sylvie! Don't take any prisoners!" She said just as excited as ever… I still found it funny, but I feel bad about the other kids…
"B-But Nebby… how do I do this…?" I asked timidly.
"It's easy!" She said softly, dropping the corporal act for now "You just pick a little bunch of snow, squeeze it like this so it's nice and tight aaaand you make a ball like this! See?" She showed me the little white ball. "And then you just throw it at your enemy! Here, try it!" And so she put the snowball on my palm… I took a moment to simply look at it carefully… its crunchy hardness leaving me fascinated.
Then, I looked up beyond the small barricade to see kids throwing balls at each other around the place. One of them was fairly close to where we were hiding, so I meekly threw the snowball to her back… She turned to me in surprise, I felt so guilty! "Oh! I-I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to-!" Suddenly I felt a light blow on my forehead, it felt cold… Did she… Did she just throw a ball back…?
I could see her giggling playfully while running away and looking back at me, as an indirect invitation to hit her again… And I finally felt why they were so excited…! This was so much fun! "N-Nebby, let's go!" I basically yelled from ecstasy, my voice and legs were shaking…! I could not stand still…! I-I have never felt this happy in my life…!
"You got it, Private Sylvie! Let's knock'em down!" The maid said while jumping out of the barricade and heading straight into the clamor of the battle. I dared to look back at Master once again, who was now smiling at me with pure delight… He loves seeing me happy… To think that I first doubted and feared him back when I first met him… Those days look so distant now… and it hasn't been a year yet… I can't believe how my life has changed just by staying with him…
And yet now I remember how distressed he sounded back in the car… He does not want to go to the city, the place he grew up… Now that I think about it… he has not spoken a word about his past either… Master, what is troubling you this much…?
"Sylvie! Don't just stand there!" Nebby's faint voice caught me off-guarded. I could see three other kids running to me with a snowball in their hands…! I forgot we were playing!
"S-Sorry!" I'll ponder these questions for later, Master will surely open up to me if I ask him to tell me what's wrong. For now, let me just enjoy my first… "snowball war"!
"That. Was. AWESOME! It has been sooo long since I had such a good fight! Did you see us Devy?!"
"Yeah I saw. Though you may have been a little rough on those kids, keep in mind you're not exactly a 'kid' anymore" I mean, she practically made barrages of snowballs on every child she found in her way… It was quite savage.
"But did you see Sylvie move?! She was practically a blur between all the commotion, so agile and fast! The others could hardly strike her! IT WAS AWESOME!" Nebby described it rather dramatically, which managed a shy giggle from Sylvie.
"I-It was not that great…" She replied modestly. But honestly it surely was, who would have thought someone could run so fast on snow?! "I do have to agree Sylvie! You were great back there!" I couldn't help but to wonder if her past as a slave has something to do with it, but I'd rather not think too much about that at the moment.
Sylvie looked up at me with gratitude, a gleam of joy from my own flattery… or perhaps from something much more meaningful than that. She is the kind of girl to show her emotions through actions more than words. "Thank you…" She said with an intense look in her eyes. I couldn't help but to smile at her.
"Hey! What's that over there?!" Nebby said while trotting down a pathway into the winter woods "C'mon guys, let's see what it is!"
"Hey, don't run! You may get lost in there!" I yelled while going ahead to catch up with her. There was a straight dirt path that went into the woods. Surprisingly, there was a good bunch of flower along this path, who could have guessed there were flowers growing up here?
"Master! These flowers are so beautiful…!" Sylvie said while crouching beside the flowers to look at them more closely "Do you know what are the called?"
"Let's see…" I approached the girl and bent down a little "These look like Bellis, a special kind of daisy. Those look like winter hydrangea… and those in the back are surely primroses, it's surprising to find those this time of the year!" I exclaimed in surprise, my academic side getting the best of me.
"Its color look so magical… Hey, what about these one?" She asked, walking to a single flower sharing its roots with a decayed tree.
"Um… I'm not sure…" It seemed like a pink lily with a blue outline on each of its petals, aside from the fact that it had no stamen or pistil. I have never seen this flower before, not even in my tons of books back in my clinic. Maybe it is a genus I have never got a chance to read off? An invasive species in this environment? Or perhaps a recently mutated kind?
I suddenly realized that Sylvie was just smelling it and mere seconds later she started to cough rather roughly. "Are you okay?!" I asked while picking her up and patting her back.
"Y-Yeah… It's just that it had a really strong smell…" She muttered while coughing some more until it finally subsided. "Let's follow Nebby before she gets lost" Sylvie proposed while walking ahead, to which I nodded and started to follow her.
It wasn't long until we arrived at a wide clearing, a frozen lake in the center, surrounded by a line of trees.
"Wahoo!" if it weren't for this reckless girl who has just started skating on the ice… without ice skates "This day can't get any better…!"
"Stop! We don't know how thick the ice is! It may break!" I tried to reason to her.
"You worry too much Devy! See, I'm fi-! Fi-fi-fi!" She was now skidding and waving her arms awkwardly until she finally tripped and fell on her rear "Fine… Ouch".
"Told you to be careful" Well, at least we know now that this ice is thick enough. She still can't skate though. "Alright, enough playing around. Come back here before you trip any further".
"Hmph, you're no fun" She muttered while crawling out of the ice.
"I like this place…" I heard Sylvie whispering to herself. I must agree with her, this place is breathtaking. It was fairly distant from the hotel also, a perfect spot to enjoy some quietness and tranquility. You couldn't get lost either, you could tell apart the wooden walls of the small building between the trees. It makes you wonder how is that no one has come around here already.
"Welp, what now?" Nebby asked as she dusted the snow out of her clothes.
Looking around and finally deciding that no one would be coming around here I decided this was the perfect spot to begin what we came here for "I think it's about time we put our hands on the work" I stated while winking at Sylvie.
"Do you mean…?!" She quickly caught on joyfully.
"What? What does he mean?!" Ah that's right, we didn't fill Nebby about what we wanted to do. "Oh wait! I know, I know! Let me guess" She grinned mischievously… Oh no, don't tell me she…! "Do you wanna build a sno-"
"No. Just no"
"Aw come on! You gotta admit it is a cute song!"
"Yeah, and an overused one as well, so let's just sweep it under the carpet please…"
"Hey Devy you're just being mean! When will you stop ruining the mood?!"
"When you stop behaving like an overexcited child…" I blurted lightly without putting too much thought in it. Perhaps it sounded worse than I imagined…
"That's not fair, Sylvie is a child too!" True, but at least she is not jumping all over the place. Just look at her, so meek and cute. How could I be annoyed by her behavior…? Wait, is it possible that I'm biased here?
"P-Please stop it… I don't like it when people I value fight with each other…" Sylvie tried to intervene, which managed to make Nebby drop such trivial issue.
"A'ight then! Time to build our frozen friend!" She said while running off and gathering a small ball of snow. I guess she will make the bottom part of the body then. I crouched and picked a small bunch of snow, it has been years since I last made a snowman but I can remember how it goes. Meanwhile I saw Sylvie fidgeting, perhaps wondering what she should do.
"Do you want me to teach you how to make a snowman?" I asked nicely, receiving a shy nod from her end "Come here" She approached and crouched beside me to see what I was doing "To start off, you just need to make a little snowball like you did before in that snowball war" I instructed as I showed her the white rounded object "Once you do this, you just need to roll it on the ground for it to pick up more snow and become bigger and bigger, see?" I was rolling the ball in circles right in front of me just for Sylvie to see. The girl was now looking at the process in amazement, eager to try for herself. "Do you want to take care of the head?"
"Okay" She nodded enthusiastically.
"Very well, then you just need to make sure your ball is smaller than mine. Unless you want to make a big-headed snowman!" I chuckled to the thought, which earned a giggle from my little girl. She then run off to make the head, it should not be hard at all since this snow seems wet enough. I guess this leaves me to the upper body section, I've got to keep close attention to how big Nebby's ball is then.
And so we three started to roll balls of snow on the ground beside the lake… It brings memories of my childhood, when my parents used to bring me to ski during winter, way before I decided to study medicine… I remember how I used to piggyback ride my father as if he was a deer… how we used to have our own personal snowball fights… how we always raced to see who could descend the snowy slope first… I remember how my mother would always pack my bags with tons of items she'd later use if I got injured… how she always played in the snow with me… how she'd prepare a nice hot chocolate during those cold days…
We built a snowman too once… And seeing me rolling this ball… witnessing how it became bigger and bigger… It made me remember that day clearly… I remember how young both my father and mother looked back then… Heck, even I have to admit how different I looked compared to how I am now… I feel… happy remembering these old days… when my greatest concern was to get caught eating all the cookies… And yet… this feeling of longing makes my heart ache… This is just stupid, I already know they are not coming back… so why am I feeling like this?
"Hey Devy!" I heard a voice that momentarily distracted me from my thoughts. "This thingy's ready! Let's put this baby together already!" Nebby yelled with excited impatience.
"Heh, alright I'm coming" I said while picking up my small boulder of snow and putting it onto the bigger one. Shortly after, Sylvie approached us with her smaller ball, gazing up to the tall body of our snowman "Let me help you up" I picked her up so she could easily put the head on top of the rest of the body.
"Let's not forget the finishing touch!" The maid girl said right before rushing to pick a bunch of small pebbles and a pair of branches. In a few seconds, our frozen buddy had a pair of buttons, eyes and arms, as well as a big smile "I shall name it… Alfonse!"
"That's a really specific name for a snowman…" Besides it does not resemble anything related to snow… "How about Noel, North or even Neve?"
"Nah, not quite. It lacks in spirit, the name must punch you like a powerful force! ALFONSE! See?!" Uh… In what world does that even make sense…?
"I like Alfonse… It sounds like a polite man…" Sylvie commented… Alfonse it is then…
"Hey Sylvie, we should take a picture of this! Our very first snowman built among friends! Oh, I just need to post this!" She hurriedly her phone from her pocket and handed it to me "Can you take the picture please?" She was surprisingly polite with this request.
"Sure thing" They took a place at both sides of the snowman and smiled to the phone camera. Nebby was grinning with one eye closed as she was doing the peace sign, while Sylvie was just meekly smiling with her hands behind her back. "Say cheese!"
"Cheese!"
"Ch-Cheese."
A picture of the moment… My mother suggested such idea as well the day we built the snowman… And the photo of these two girls… it reminds me of such moment as well… It seems that coming here was not a good idea after all… These invasive thoughts keep appearing in my mind… tormenting me with what I have lost… and what I will never get back… However, if going through this means that Sylvie can have a good time… I'll gladly bear with this… "Well… let's get back to the room. It's getting late"
I sounded too listless to my own comfort, but at least I think they didn't notice I was not exactly comfortable… Well, I guess Nebby didn't… but the look Sylvie was giving me on the way back told she was seeing through my façade… Ugh, take it easy David, you'll get back home tomorrow. You'll handle yourself until then just fine.
"Mom! Mom look at this!"
"Oh that's so cute my dear! Where did you find her?"
"She was lost in the woods, she looked injured… Can we keep her mom?"
"Of course my dear! I'm sure Daddy could patch her and she'll be as good as new…"
"Yay! I love you mom!"
"I love you too my little baby…"
"Mom, when will Dad come back…?"
"I don't know… He has been out for some time now… What could have happened to him…?"
"Mom…? Is everything okay…?"
"Maybe he got caught in an accident…? Is your father dead…?"
"M-Mom…? You're scaring me…"
"My chest hurts David… What is happening…?"
"M-Mom…?! What's going on with your skin…?! Why is your hair falling off?!"
"I don't feel good David… Where have you gone…? Why did you leave me alone…?!"
"I-I didn't leave…! I'm right here with you...! Mom what's wrong?!"
"Why did you leave me…?! WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME…?!"
I suddenly jerked up on the bed, looking directly at the wall in front of me in the dark. I was covered in sweat and my heart ran fast. I believe I was sleeping just a few seconds ago, and yet I find myself wide awake right now. I just had a nightmare, it has been too long since the last time I had one of these. I thought I finally moved on after so many years getting used to live alone on that village, but it seems my mind says otherwise… Great, now I know I can't get to sleep, I'm too shaken to even try… Fuck it, I'll just take a walk outside.
I changed to warmer clothes to wander the cold weather outside. I also… pocketed the pendant with my mother's picture I brought with me just for this trip… I felt like… I needed to be alone with it to gather my thoughts… I made sure not to make any noise and avoid waking up the girls sleeping on the queen bed, it'll be a pain to explain this situation to them without getting bombarded with questions. I managed to pass by the small bar this hotel has beside the buffet, I was surprised it was still open this late at night, although I didn't really check what time it was…
I managed to pick up a beer or two, I promised myself shortly after Sylvie started to live with me not to drink anymore… but right now I need something to just let my mind slip away… With two bottles in hand, I headed straight to the lake, somewhere I was certain no one would disturb me.
The sky was clear tonight, a full moon looming over the crystal ice, as if it was a giant mirror reflecting the infinity of the universe. Now THIS was a breathtaking scene, it was enough to leave me perplexed and help me forget why I even came here for a minute or two… But when I remembered I chuckled pathetically, this is going to be a very long night…
I took a sit under a tree and contemplated the beauty of the lake absentmindedly, sipping into the bottle every now and then. It still tasted like shit, but it gets the job done. By chance, I look at my side and saw that our snow fella was just sitting a few feet from here "Oh, hey Alfonse, fancy meeting you here" It's not like it can move that much to begin with, jackass.
"Ah, don't mind me, I just wanted to clear my head for a while" Sure, keep talking to the snowman, it's not like you're losing your mind here… Let's just focus on the lake instead…
"Just fucking great…" I muttered before chugging down the rest of the first bottle "And I came here barely a few minutes ago… I should have bought more bottles…" I was not in the mood to come back to that bar just for that, so I have to make sure this last bottle lasts…
"… I'm sorry… mom…" I suddenly whispered to myself, clutching the pendant in my pocket… It appears that this last sudden gulp is slowly making effect… Great, I wanted my head to stop thinking about this but it turns out I'm just obsessing with it… This… will be a LONG night… "I'm sorry I couldn't make it… I'm sorry I was such a failure… I didn't mean to leave you alone like that, I truly loved you… If only I noticed sooner…" And so my self-deprecating monologue continued… who knows for how long… I lost track of time long ago…
"Master…?" A soft voice sent a cold shiver down my spine… I was not expecting someone to come here… specially her. "What are you doing out here…?"
I checked she was properly dressed, I would not want her to freeze "Oh u-um, I just wanted to be outside for a while. Couldn't sleep, heh heh!" I shrugged her off feigning embarrassment. "What are you doing up so late?"
"I woke up as well. My throat was feeling sore and I was coughing a little…" Coughing? Could those mattresses back in the hotel have dust? I wonder if she is allergic… "I went for a glass of water but I saw you were not in your bed… so I decided to look for you…"
"And how did you know I was here?"
"I-I… was lucky…" Oh, so she just wandered out here expecting to find me here? That sounds… kind of amusing.
"Well, I'm just taking a breath here with Alfonse. You can go back inside, I'll go in a minute okay?" But as I expected she just walked up to me.
"Were you feeling distressed…?" She asked innocently but with surprising conviction. It seems that she wants answers…
"No, it's just that I'm too used to my own bed, I was feeling a little uncomfortable"
"Then why are you drinking…?" And that's where she caught me red-handed… I have nothing to counter that… "It's bad for your health Master… Were you having a nightmare…?" … Here it is… The moment I dreaded to come, but I can't exactly run away anymore…
"Something like that…" I dismissed her, testing how further she wanted to press me… Unfortunately for me, she took a sit right in front of me and looking at me deeply with her big eyes.
"Do you want to talk about it…?" Yeah, I thought she might say that "Don't you like talking about your parents…?" And she even figured it out… She truly is a clever girl…
Sighing in resignation, I dropped the beer away and opened my arms, prompting her to lean on my chest while I told her my story. I think it might bring some comfort just to cradle her while I face my demons. She hurriedly complied and rested her head on my chest, facing the frozen mirror.
"Where do I begin…? I guess… I could say that I decided to study medicine thanks to my father…" I started while picturing my father's face in my mind, remembering everything about my past "He had quite the renown in the field, having studied under one of the most famous scientist in the country… He quickly became the most famous doctor in the city, everyone knew they could count on him, even fellow doctors sought advice from him… He is basically the reason why I finally became a doctor myself…"
"How is he like…?"
"He was a great man, and an even greater parent. He represented everything I wished to accomplish and looked up to… He was fun, astute and sassy, everyone loved to be around the guy… He was my hero… Unfortunately… he died years ago during a car accident… That morning was the last time I saw him… without even realizing it would be the last…"
I felt Sylvie's petite hand caressing mine, trying to offer me even the pettiest ounce of comfort… That little gesture tugged my heart, I could feel myself starting to lose my composure… "What about your mother…?"
Then, I brought out the pendant and opened for her to let her see the picture of the woman in it "She is… incredible… A loving, comprehensive and supportive woman, a personality that got my father dazzled at first sight… She was the one who taught me to always help those in need, no matter who they were or what they needed… If my father taught me his passion towards science, my mother taught me her passion towards people… She is the kind of woman you just love for who she is…" My voice was beginning to falter… I fear I might break down… I never got this personal before… This is all Sylvie's… How is it possible… that a little girl… could make me feel like this…?
"It'll be so nice to meet her… Where is she now…?" No… No… Why did you have to make that question…?
"N-Nowhere, Sylvie… She's… no longer with us…" Tears were already showing as Sylvie turned around with a devastated expression, realizing her fatal mistake "She died years later… due to a cancer… and I could do nothing to cure her…" I brought my hands to my head… the world is spinning… I cannot hold it for much longer… "I failed her… I left her hanging when she needed me the most… I'm such a failure… She should hate me for being such a selfish jerk… I did not deserve her compassion…"I was shaking… For the first time in years… I was shaking… This was unbearable, why am I feeling this way…? I'm a grown adult… I should know better how to handle this kind of things… But why do I feel so powerless in front of this girl…?
"I don't think that's true…" Sylvie's voice was soft… yet so assertive… I looked up at her, feeling my eyes wet and puffy already. "I'm sure she does not think less of you for that… I don't think she hates that you couldn't save her… In fact, I believe she is just sad that you are despising yourself like this…" She gently caressed my shoulder "I'm sure she would want you to live on happily, enjoying what she and your father taught you… making the most out of your life… I'm sure she misses you as much as you miss her… But I'm certain that she would prefer for you to… simply be happy…" She spoke so naively… yet her words carried a wisdom I would have never expected from her…
"But… how could you know that…?"
"Because a man as tender, understanding and patient like you… could have only been raised by a woman just as amazing…" She stated… as a gleam full of love lightened up her blue eyes… That was my turning point, where I started to sob uncontrollably… I brought her close and hugged her tight, while she did the same… It seems that she started to tear up as well at some point since I felt her chest jerking up every now and then…
This is what she was trying to tell me… This was that weird hunch I had the moment I decided to let her stay with me… I felt as if my parents wanted me to protect and save this girl from her nightmare… but it seems that they also wanted me to realize… only she could save me from my own demons… There has been a huge hole in my heart ever since my mother died… a hole I never noticed was not properly closed… And yet, this girl right here in my arms was all I needed to close it up… It was almost poetic, I put all my efforts into helping this girl stand on her own feet, without me realizing I was not even standing up myself… until she helped me stand up as well…
"I-I… I'm sorry…" Her soft voice cut my thoughts… "I'm sorry I c-can't make you happier Master… I-I can't bring your family back… b-but I'll do my best to serve you e-enough… so you don't work t-too hard on yourself…"
"Hey… What nonsense are you saying…?" I dried her tears with both my thumbs and kissed her forehead "You don't need to 'serve' me anymore. You are no stranger in my house anymore. In fact, I would say it's actually 'our' house…"
"What…? What is Master saying…?" She was confused… but there was a hopeful look in her eyes…
"Sylvie… you say you can't make me any happier… and you are right… Because having you around is what makes me the happiest… You don't need to bring any family… because you are already family…" And finally… my feelings have brought me here… I already thought about this, but I was not ready to accept it… But now the mere idea makes my heart jump in joy… This girl is my family… Sylvie is my daughter… and I must not be ashamed of that…
"Do you… Do you mean that… you'll be… m-my… my…!" She didn't get to finish her sentence, as she simply broke down in tears… The emotion of the moment took the best of her… but who could blame her, for the first time in her life she was finally having a family… Someone with whom she could feel protected and loved… For the very first time in her life… she could see the light after wandering for ages in shadows… And at the same time, she became a light herself for me… It was ironic…
"Yes, my child… I will be your Papa…" It sounds so strange… coming from me… And I will be busy once I get back to the village, bringing her to receive her own ID, not to mention all the paperwork it entails to officially adopt her… But if it means to raise her and seeing her smile everyday then it'll all be worth it… Because this girl… is my family.
To be continued…
Okay this chapter took way longer than I wanted to, and I am sorry for that. I'm also not quite content with how it came out, but I think this final part leaves me sufficiently satisfied. Again, sorry for the delay and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! Leave a review if you like and see you next chapter!
(PD: I noticed from the user Martial Arts Master, thanks by the way, that the maid's name is actually 'Nephy', which is true and I completely forgot about that! I would have changed it but I decided to leave it as 'Nebby' since it rhymes more accurately with 'Devy'. Thanks for the clarification nonetheless!).
