Lance
'Why? You dislike it now?'
She asked again, after showing her note pad to me, and was about to remove the carrots from my food, but I quickly stopped her from doing so.
"No, no. It's okay," I told her. "I will eat it." I added that it caused a big laugh from Bricx and Lizzy.
Ugh.
Why do I have to embarrass myself in front of them? I would rather embarrass myself with the others, but not with them. No way. They will undoubtedly tease me later.
"Lance―are you really―HAHAHAHA! That was so unexpected and funny at the same time!" Bricx commented, still laughing in his chair.
I have this urge to kick him out of my office. He would not let this go down for months, and I already hate myself for that.
But I do not want to―how do I put it better?
When I brought her food, she was hesitating to eat it because she found it unfamiliar. So I told her it was a vegetable, which was a carrot that I did not really like at all. To show her that it is edible and healthy for her, I had to eat it myself and also told her I really liked carrots with a smug face.
That's how I ended up eating it unwillingly.
I glanced at the two and glared at them. Fortunately, I was able to stop them from making fun of me and started eating quietly. We went back to eating, with me eating the piece of carrot that Aera gave me.
I can still hear them trying not to laugh at the side. Damn them. Why am I being grilled like this?
When I looked at Aera, our eyes met, and she quickly gave me a smile, showing her thumbs up. I nodded back at my answer and told her to eat more.
After lunch, the two started asking Aera some questions about her course, which she gladly shared through her notepad.
"I hope we can try your food soon! I am looking forward to it." Lizzy said.
"Right, I am sure you are a good cook. Let us taste your dishes soon, okay?" Bricx added.
Aera nodded her head and looked down right after. She got her keypad phone and put it in her ear.
She was tapping the phone every few seconds. It looks like it was her response to the caller, or more like her way of knowing that she was listening to the caller.
Before the call ended, she turned to her notepad and began to write.
We are quiet, waiting for her to show us her notepad.
'It seems like I need to go now'
That is what she wrote on her notepad.
"Do you want me to send you home?" I asked.
She shook her hands and pointed at herself. After that, she gave me the thumbs up again.
"Are you sure that you are okay to go home alone? I can send you." I insisted.
She turned to her notepad and began to write her answer.
'I will be fine. Brother Jerry said that we would meet at the nearest supermarket. We have a visitor in our house later. They asked me if I could help them today.'
'I will go now. Thank you very much for the food'
'Take care on your way home later, too'
We bid our goodbye before she left.
Now that only the three of us are here, I can feel their strange glance at me.
"What now?" I asked them.
"You don't dislike carrots ha," Lizzy teased me. "When mom tried her best to make you try it. Only Aera can do that to you, huh? Now I know." She added.
Bricx was on the side, with his hands pointing at the sky, and said, "In Aera we trust!" he screamed.
"You can also go home now. I do not want to hear your voices anymore. You are just ruining my day," I told them, as I started to get them up from the chair and push them out of my office. "These past few days, all you did was give me some stress, and it is taking a toll on me already. I hope you could give me some peace for a while, because I badly needed it." I added.
"We are just here to help you! This is your time to shine!" Bricx defended.
I shook my head. "No. This is not the help I want to get from you, and it is not my time to shine. So give me some space, stop bothering my life already!" I answered and closed the door afterwards.
"I could not believe that he was eating carrots because Aera thought so," I heard Lizzy commented. "I will share this with mom when I get home." She added.
No. I will be in a hot seat later again.
"Let's go. Let's give him a time like he wanted. We teased him enough. Let's just save it for tomorrow." Bricx replied.
Can I just vanish?
Why am I in this situation?
After my work, I decided to visit the place I usually go.
"Now, it does not look like a haunted place, where no one lives anymore." I muttered to myself as I stared at the house in front of me.
This is the place where I met Aera. This is where I left her alone that day too. After a few years, I heard that someone had bought the land and built a new house. It is not a creepy place anymore where there are rumors you can hear about it. It has become a colorful and cute house that the people will like now. The drastic change made this place more lively than before.
I can't even see any traces of the old house that was standing here before. I think they really removed every remnant of the old house before building the new one. The structure and the style of the house are very different now. There are also new houses beside it, whereas before it stood alone. A lot of things have happened here already. It's more like a normal village now, and there are a few meters between the houses.
"Excuse me?"
I looked back to the owner of the voice. "Yes?" I asked the lady who called out to me.
"Do you need something? My daughter noticed that you kept on looking at our house. What can we do for you?" The lady asked as she looked back.
I followed the direction where she was looking and saw a kid behind the gate, peeking at us back.
I bowed my head in respect. "Oh, I am very sorry about that." I apologize.
I must have creeped the kid out. That is why she is hiding behind the gate.
"Are you also the one who went here last time? We always saw a car like yours stopping here for a while." she asked again.
I nodded my head. "Ah yes, I think it was me. I am sorry for disturbing you, especially your daughter. I never expected that someone would really buy this place." I answered and lowered my head again.
"Is that so? This lot was on sale for a low price. That is why my husband decided to buy it right away. We bought the land and built a new one. We just moved here last year. Is it because of the rumors spreading?" the lady asked, smiling.
"Ah, no," I replied, shaking both of my hands. "Please do not take it the wrong way. Actually, I am happy to know that someone chose to buy this lot. I am also happy to know that your family bought this, because you turned it into a beautiful and colorful house. About the rumors you heard: they were not true at all, so you do not have to worry about it." I explained.
"Princess!" The lady called her daughter, who is still hiding behind the gate. "He is not a bad guy. You can come here." She added that the kid ran immediately towards her mother.
I sat down at her level and waved my hands at her. "Hello, I am not a bad guy. Do not be scared of me. I just thought that your house is beautiful." I said, and smiled at her.
"Do you want to go inside our house and take a look at it? But I am not sure if you are comfortable with it. You looked like one of the rich people." the lady said, laughing a little.
"It is my pleasure to look at your house, I will just take a look at it for a few minutes." I answered, accepting her offer.
I quietly followed the lady and her kid towards their house. I could not feel the ambiance before. They really made this place a good one. How astonishing.
"Welcome to our small house." she greeted as she gave me a cup of water from the blue container.
"Thank you. In all honesty, the ambiance here is very comfortable, and unlike before―hello, I will just pay a visit for a few minutes." I said when I saw another two children opening the room door to peek outside.
"You looked like you knew this place well. Is that why you always visit this place?" she asked.
"Ah... what should I address you? By the way, I am Lance." I asked and extended my hand, making her wipe her hand with her shirt before shaking my hand with hers.
"I am Andrea." she answered, introducing her name.
"Nice to meet you, Ma'am." I said, bowing my head a little.
"Oh no, you do not have to do that. Just call me whatever you feel like calling me," she said. "My neighbors will surely put me in the hot seat later. A handsome looking young man just went inside of our home." Aunt Andrea said, laughing at her own remarks made me laugh too.
"Thank you, Auntie?" I answered and looked at her to see if she was fine with me calling her Auntie. "Before you bought the land, the house was under a big fire, and I knew the person who was living here." I shared.
She guided me to sit on their couch, "Really? You know the person who lived here before? They said that they didn't even know who was living here," she asked questionably. "Is it true that there is a kid imprisoned here? They said that they saw the kid running away from the house while it was burning." She added.
They saw her while escaping from her mother?
"Is she alone?" I asked.
"She is running alone. They did not tell me if she was with someone or not." she answered.
"Yes, it is true that there is a kid who was imprisoned here before. I actually know the kid. Do you have any news about her mother?" I asked, hoping for any information.
Aunt Andrea shook her head. "None, they really don't know them at all that is why they do not know any information or news about them. They were shocked to see them as well. They did not know that there was something happening like that inside their house." she said while looking at her children.
"Is that so? That is why I am happy that it ended up like this and that you happened to buy it. This place became lively, unlike before. I should go now. I might be disturbing you." I said, and stood up.
"I don't mind it. I am not doing anything as well." she answered.
I get my wallet and give her a business card.
"You can call me to ask for some discounts on our services or anything, Auntie." I said as I handed the business card.
She shook her hands. "You don't have to, I don't mind letting you come inside of our house." She said, refusing to accept my business card.
"Please take it," I said, handing back the card. "Bye, Princess. I will go now." I said as I waved my hand.
"Come back again!" Princess responded almost in hushed tones.
I can't help but smile at her cuteness.
"I will, if I am not that busy. I will try to bring gifts next time." I said, making her smile widely. "Thank you, Auntie Andrea." I added.
At least it is okay now. I can call it a house, seeing that the family living here is a happy one.
I want her to see this place again so that it won't make her scared or afraid to look at it. I hope I can make her see this place next time.
Will she be happy to see this or not?