Chapter 6 - Happiness
...
Lisa didn't let Consuela continue her dawdling as she pulled her into the taxi by hand and asked her for her home's directions.
Consuela hadn't been treated so kindly by any other kid near her age and felt a bit moved. It was also because Lisa's actions didn't seem forced or fake. Lisa looked like she genuinely wanted to chat and be around Consuela, and the younger girl could feel that.
As a long-term aftereffect of bullying, Consuela became proficient at picking the others' emotions. And the cheerful and relaxed vibe around Lisa felt very comforting to the little girl.
Lisa's Uncle looked over to see the two little girls chatting and smiled in relief. He, too, cherished and cared for Lisa a lot, just as much as for his daughter, and always wanted the best for her. Naturally, he wanted Lisa to get some true friends at school and have an enjoyable life.
Unlike Lisa's parents, who tended to focus more on her academics and skill-set, her Uncle was more caring towards her emotional needs and often tried to spend time with her, to let her feel familial warmth and coziness at home.
Of course, he was nowhere near his dear wife when it came to being super cozy, but Lisa's Aunt was way too doting on her to be able to relay proper guidance along with affection. And that left her Uncle responsible for this department.
'Haaah... young girls are so carefree and cute. But my daughter grew up so fast. Also...'
Lisa's Uncle mused to himself as he recalled his dear daughter's situation at home. tanned skin, hair dyed blonde, ear piercings, thick makeup, short revealing clothes, weird manner of speech... the total opposite of the intelligent and proper girl like Lisa.
Even the grades of his daughter were opposite to those of Lisa's.
His wife, though, didn't care much about that aspect, as she just cheerfully supported her and spoiled her in everything she desired. And, as his daughter often helped out in his store and was still filial to her parents, Lisa's Uncle learned to let go of his various thoughts.
...
Upon arriving at Consuela's neighbourhood, her Uncle paid the cab fare and led the kids to Consuela's place, after which he roamed around to find a cafe nearby.
Meanwhile, Consuela fished out a key from her bag and unlocked the door to her house. The one-bedroom apartment looked old, and the whole family slept in the same bedroom while using the hall as a living and dining place. Consuela's study desk was also in the hall, which was the place Consuela spent most of her time at.
Consuela headed to a specific cabinet near her Mother's dressing table and began to pull out her stashed goods one by one.
At last, from a corner of the cabinet, she fetched out a red color gaming handheld. She blew the dust off it and wiped it clean with a rag before she brought it to Lisa, who had naturally taken a seat in front of the TV, turning it on as she began to browse through the free channels.
Since they couldn't pay for the premium channels, only a limited number of free channels were available to watch, which seemed very boring at a glance. Also, Consuela's parents discouraged leisure time spent on the TV and made her focus more on academic pursuits. Naturally, the old CRT TV was handed down by her rich Aunt, who had bought a modern TV two years ago.
Despite Consuela's family's debts or financial conditions, the couple still bought a dedicated bookshelf for Consuela, filled with all sorts of books that they could find for their capable child. Some were also requested by Consuela, whose parents searched the used books market and got them for her.
Clutching the old gaming console in her hands, Consuela nervously asked Lisa,
"W-Would you like... to have a glass of water? But, we don't have any snacks at home..."
Lisa shook her head while her eyes focused on Consuela's hands, excitedly. Knowing Lisa's intent, Consuela sat down next to her as she folded open the portable console and said,
"My Aunt dropped off a lot of my Cousin's old stuff, and... this was one of them. The new one was given by Auntie. Cousin doesn't know about it."
Seeing the console in Consuela's hand, Lisa understood the situation.
"Great~! A Game Boy Advance SP! Holy hell, this one is awesome!"
Consuela looked puzzled at Lisa's excitement as she compared the GBA SP to her 3DS and spoke,
"But, I couldn't understand how this one works. And, no games were there to play on this one."
"Of course, there won't be those on this one. Unlike the one you play on, this one doesn't have an in-built storage. The GBA SP needs a cartridge of games to work. Without them, you can't game on it. And the battery backup isn't anywhere close to the 3DS, however..."
Lisa took the GBA SP in her hand while her eyes gleamed with a strange light.
"With some cheap 'adjustments', it becomes possible to play on it. You must not be too knowledgeable about these matters, right? Well, let's get started with this console first! I will enlighten you to its wonderful features one by one."
"The best developers from the 8-bit and 16-bit era brought forward the updated methodology of 2D sprite gaming on this device! Unlike their early forays into 3D, the 2D gaming was a lot more fun and playable."
"Also, the GBA SP has many IP games on it! Many people don't appreciate it, but it's better than not having them, right? And the most important thing, this one has many new game franchises, along with Arcade game ports! It's a true gem! The last true stronghold of the 2D gaming era!"