Part 10

It is a rare day that I have off from Freddi’s, and I was walking home from the supermarket with a small handful of groceries Trish hadn’t managed to stock up. She was doing quite a few jobs these few days, so she had come home dead in the middle of the night, washed up and just collapsed on the bed. I couldn’t blame her for working hard, and the only thing I could do was the keep the house neat and tidy and welcoming.

I hadn’t had anymore run-ins with anymore demons, much less Reece, but it remained a fact that I was beginning to get more of the echoing voice. At first it was once in a blue moon, but it slowly increased in frequency. It became once in a few weeks, and now it was becoming a weekly thing. The pain each time wasn’t receding though, and I was beginning to get a little worried.

Was what Reece said true? Maybe I really was harboring a demon inside of me? I was still reluctant to accept the fact that I was Sparda’s daughter, but I was willing to believe that maybe, by some crazy luck, I was nurturing a demon inside me.

I had got my latest relapse in the supermarket as I was queuing up at the counter. It had hit me bad, and I almost blacked out. It was only by pure chance that I managed to grab tight of the trolley, and it hadn’t rolled off, taking me with it. This time, the chanting had been angrier, faster and more forceful. For a moment there, I had almost wanted to kill everyone around me, until I understood exactly what I was feeling.

I was walking home worriedly, wanting to maybe get down to some quick researching. Maybe I could find a way to suppress this demon, or maybe find out what was wrong with me. Maybe I was thinking too much. Maybe it wasn’t a demon, just some concussion, or maybe something wrong with my mind. It could just be dizzy-spells.

My worrying was cut short when I tripped over a young boy, sprawling to the floor. Worry about a small scrape I got on my knee was forgotten when the young boy began to sob a little. Flustered, I picked myself up and turned around to see him on all fours, hands roaming as if to search for something.

Since the walkway had been pretty empty except for me, and the boy, I saw immediately what he was looking for. A cane that had fallen a short distance away. I took a quick look at the opaque black sunglasses on his eyes and came to a conclusion quickly as I rushed forwards to retrieve his cane.

“I’m so sorry! I was too caught up in my mind! Here, you’re looking for your cane?” I fussed quickly, gently helping the boy who was no older than five up. He felt around for the cane and I guided his hand gently to the handle, watching as a beaming, beautiful smile appeared when he was back with familiar territory. I felt bad immediately for walking into him. I could have seen him coming towards me, but he couldn’t do the same to me.

“Thank you, kind lady! I am sorry for walking into you too.” He replied cheerfully, and my heart brightened a little at the sight of such a pitiful yet so cheerful boy.

“Don’t sweat it. Are you alone?” I asked with a touch of concern and worry. What must his parents be thinking, to leave a blind child of no older than five to be walking around on his own?

He began to frown a little. “I was at the Supermart near our house with Mama, but I must have lost her! I waited where I was for quite some time, but she didn’t come back for me. I figured maybe I could walk back home and wait for her!”

I couldn’t blame his childish mind for wanting to prove that he could go back home by himself, but it was simply too dangerous for a young child like him, much less one with disabilities.

“Your mother must be worried sick! Do you have her number? I’ll call her on my cell phone for you.” I asked, and his face brightened up almost instantly.

“You will help me, kind lady? Thank you a million times!” I have a feeling he would have jumped up and down, but he didn’t do it while I was still holding on carefully to him. I typed in the number as he recited it slowly, making sure that every number was correct.

“Wow, how old are you? You look awfully young to be memorizing numbers so long.” I commented, and his face –if possible –grew even brighter.

“I am three! I know; Mama always told me I was special. Papa said someone took my sight because they were jealous that I was too clever. He told me that if I wanted to get back at that ‘someone’, I need to work harder and regain my eyesight to prove that ‘someone’ wrong!” The boy announced, and I smiled at the pair of supportive parents this child had.

No wonder he was smiling so brightly, so gay and happy despite getting lost and tripping over at the young age of three. He must have barely even learnt to walk and talk, and here he was, reciting numbers! This child was really quite a genius to make up for his physical disability.

I pressed the call button on my phone and was waiting for the ringing dial tone when a female voice shouted down the street.

“LEON!” I turned to see a young woman, probably a few years older than me, running down the street towards us with an extremely worried look hanging on her face. Her eyes were fixed on the boy beside me, and I heard distant ringing coming from her bag, which I assumed was her phone ringing.

“Mama!” The young boy reacted to the name, turning his head towards the direction of the lady’s shouting. He didn’t try to run towards his mother, allowing his mother to run quickly up to us. I didn’t blame the boy’s mother for ignoring me as she scooped him up quickly in his embrace, hugging him tight. I smiled at the sight of motherly love, recalling a time in my childhood where I got lost once.

It had been at the mall with my sister Marielle, and our mother had been worried as hell. We ended up being taken away by the mall security, and our mother was called to the counter. It was the first time in my childhood that I saw my mother cry.

Back to reality, the boy’s mother was desperately kissing her son’s face, thanking the gods that he was safe. He laughed at his mother’s relief, obviously glad to be back with her. For one, she didn’t even try to scold him for running off without her. She only understood the relief of having her son back, and didn’t even waste time scolding him.

No matter how young she looked, I knew a caring, loving mother when I saw one.

Finally, she seemed to take notice of me as she finally straightened up. Her smile was almost as bright as her son’s, her lovely green eyes twinkling at me. It was obvious that she was a young mother, but she was one of the most optimistic and happiest mother I’ve seen.

“Hi, thank you so much for helping out my son. I cannot thank you enough for taking care of Leon.” She expressed, taking my free hand quickly and pumping it up and down enthusiastically. I smiled helplessly back at her, feeling warmth at such a happy reunion between mother and son.

“Mama!” The young boy, now named Leon, tugged on her shirt, facing up at her. “This kind lady fell down with me, but she didn’t cry! She helped me find my cane, and was going to help me find you! She’s kind! I like her!”

I tried not to cry from the extreme touched feeling that almost made my heart burst open. Some days, you needed experiences with people like Leon here to make you believe in the world again.

“I am so sorry that Leon ran into you, Miss.” His mother apologized quickly, but I shook my head, trying to insist that things were fine, and that we should be more concerned about the welfare of her son instead.

“I must say, though, your young Leon is exceptionally intelligent. He has good genes.” I complimented, smiling even wider when the young boy in topic puffed out his chest, grinning up in the general direction where he could hear my voice form.

“Yes, he does.” His mother, whom I now knew as Sasha, smiled and ruffled her proud son’s head of light blond hair, inherited from his beautiful mother. “His father was a scholar.”

“Papa is way cleverer than me!” Leon declared loudly, then frowned almost immediately afterwards.

“Mama,” he started again, tugging her shirt to get her attention. “Your phone is ringing. Did you tell Papa that you found me?”

“Oh my!” Sasha exclaimed quickly as she dug through her bag for the phone that was distantly ringing. With an apologetic look, she flipped the phone open and picked up the call.

“Hi, yes, I’ve found Leon. He’s fine. A young lady found him and took care of him.” She reported, and I felt a little embarrassed. I was only out to help the young kid who had such an infectious positive outlook of life that only a kid could manage.

“Where are we?” Sasha repeated the question, looking around. I helpfully pointed to a road sign at the end of the road, and she nodded in thanks. “We’re at Street Essex.”

There was a short moment which she took to listen to the instructions, then she nodded seriously. “Alright, we’ll stay.”

With that, she shut off connection and returned her phone back in her bag as Leon tugged on her shirt again.

“Was that Papa? Is he coming?” Leon asked excitedly, and she chuckled with soft agreement before looking up at me.

“Leah,” She said, for we had exchanged name just a moment ago, “are you in a hurry? I’ll like to whip up something for you for thanks.”

“Oh, it’s okay.” I rushed to say. “You don’t have to bother yourself.”

By now, Leon was jumping up and down, taking help from his cane. “Come with us, Miss Leah! Mama cooks very well!”

I spent a short while more politely refusing before the enthusiasm of the young boy broke me down and I finally agreed, but only on the basis that I would be allowed to help Sasha in the kitchen. She smiled and told me that she would appreciate the help. We didn’t make more conversation, for Leon’s Papa finally arrived.

I was just thanking her again for her invitation over to their place when I heard footsteps rushing towards us from behind. Sasha’s face brightened up quickly, and I watched as she waved to that someone behind me.

“Here!” She called brightly, and I couldn’t hold back a smile at how happy she seemed to be at upon seeing her husband. Too, I wondered what her husband was working as, for him to be free enough to be interrupted in his work in the middle of the day to go searching for his missing son.

“Are you and Leon alright?” The male voice approaching from behind me asked, and I stiffened despite myself as Leon burst into a brilliant smile that could be rivalled against the sun.

“PAPA! You’re here!” The young boy screamed his excitement, and I heard a soft chuckle of amusement behind me. That voice… I have never heard him chuckle before. I froze in place, refusing to turn around.

Please say that I’m wrong. Please say that I’m wrong. Please say that I’m wrong. I chanted in my mind as I bit my lip and clenched my fists. I prayed that it was just the voice, not the person.

“Don’t run away like that again, Leon. If you cannot find your mother, approach someone nearby and request politely for them to call either your mother or me next time, do you understand?” The voice addressed his son in a half-stern, half-gentle tone.

“Okay, Papa! I’m sorry! But it’s okay! This kind lady here helped me call Mama! She said I was clever!” Leon reported, and while I would have smiled at the boy’s childhood innocence, I was too busy worrying about the owner of that voice.

“Are you alright?” Sasha asked worriedly, peering at my face, which most probably had been drained of all emotions at the moment.

“Is something wrong?” There was a slight frown in the voice behind me, and footsteps walked past me, to my side, to stand beside Sasha. I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to see.

Please let me be wrong. Let it not be him. Please let me be wrong. Let it not be him. I chanted again, but the prayer was broken when he spoke again.

“Leah? What are you doing here?” For the first time, he spoke my name. For the first time he addressed me with something more than a growl or a pissed-off voice.

I opened my eyes, still clenching my fists. Despite everything, I tried my best to smile weakly.

“Hi Vergil.”