Tik …Tilaok …Bok …Bobok …Bok …
The roosters woke him up for the very first time. A reminder that he was no longer at the mines.
Tristan found nothing else to wear from his closet so he paid Grandpa a visit in the same clothes he slept in.
They were shocked to see him in overgrown clothes, unpressed and wrinkled. And a pair of boots that had seen better days.
"Grandpa…Grandpa?" Tristan walked past everyone in the room and went straight to his bed. He leaned close and pecked a kiss on his cheek.
His eyes opened and mouth whispered, "you're back, where have you been?" Grandpa asked. "You've lost a lot of weight."
Tristan turned around and looked at the people inside the room.
Judging from his grandfather's question, they did not tell him the truth. Had they informed him, he would not believe any of it. They lied and pinned it on him.
"What did they tell you grandpa? Where did they say I went for two years?"
Grandpa was silent.
How could he fall for the story that Tristan was studying in the city, without saying good-bye. He should have known better.
His mother, Tara edged closer to the bed to change the topic. She cried, not expecting to see how empty his son's gaze was. Tristan used to be happy to see her but now he looked at her with disdain. For allowing him to suffer for two years and she didn't even come to visit.
She longed to embrace him, but Tristan pushed her hands away. "Lady Tara," what an honor to finally see you. He didn't call her mother. That was too much to ask of him.
Therese saw these and heard the mockery in his voice. She thought it would have been better if she tried to escape and visit his brother, at least even once. But she was a coward.
Terry stopped her from visiting. He explained that the road to the mining camp was filled with bandits and dangerous for women travellers. He added, it would be bad for their reputation to coddle a thief. As a result, Tristan was distant and restraining his anger against all of them except for grandpa.
Lady Therese, "thank you for keeping my violin in shape. How much do I owe you?"
"That hurts," Therese mumbled.
Outside the manor, Terry was trying to provoke a fight. "You act as if you're the only aggrieved party?" We all have experienced sleepless nights because of your deeds
Tristan, smirked. "I have learned my lesson. I placed my trust in the wrong people. I came back for grandpa. Two long years of hardship. You see these?"
He showed his hands and fingers. They're bleeding and his nails were broken. He pulled his shirt over his head and showed his back filled with scars from lashing, sores from no baths and sleeping on the floor.
And his feet …he removed them from the boots. It smelled. "Wow.", they covered their noses.
Both feet were painful from broken nails, open wounds and cracked heels.
Everybody stared at Tristan's battered body. Grandpa couldn't see it from where he laid, but he could feel Tristan's pain in his bones.
"You're not my family… You left me for dead! I waited… and waited." Tristan's voice cracked due to anger and frustration.
Terry was dumbfounded. Lady Arriane assured her that he would be taken care of while at the mining camp. The mana stones that he unearthed however will go to the coffers of the cartel. The undeclared workers' finds were sent through the backdoor.
Elves couldn't be trusted. Lady Arriane was possibly getting back at Tristan for rejecting her proposal. But Tristan never did like Lady Arriane, even when she sponsored his debut at the opera. He was thankful but they couldn't be lovers.
Before blows could be exchanged, Troy, their father, arrived with surplus goods. He was waving for distraction. He succeeded for a short time. But with Tristan's pent up anger, nothing could stop him from smacking Terry's face. He wanted Terry to tell everyone the truth.
"You stole all those items. I saw you. And you blamed it on me." Tristan shouted. Everyone in the manor house heard it including Grandpa.
They were all in shock. Except, Troy, their father, who was complicit with the heist.
"Father, I am also your son. Why did you let him ruin me? When you know that he was the one who stole from you?" cried Tristan.
Troy broke down in tears. "I… I am sorry, Tristan. I let you down." He was ashamed to look at Tristan who was fuming mad.
The women were equally ashamed for not standing up for Tristan and for the truth.
Grandpa couldn't believe that all these things happened under his own roof.
A confession.
A betrayal.
He cried silently because he was too sick and bedridden to be of help. Had he known, Tristan would not have suffered.
It is clear now that somebody had been pocketing the gold coins he was giving for Tristan. His grandson had not received help when he needed it.
The problem is, he does not have anyone he could trust. Save for one maid, who had served him for a long time. "Where did you give the gold coins for Tristan?"
The old servant said, "Terry got the coins and brought them to Tristan."
Grandpa closed his eyes and thought things over.
Terry was always jealous of Tristan. He envied his looks, musical inclination and overall personality.
Terry and Troy's silence confirms that they were responsible for the theft. They made Tristan take the fall. Troy admitted it. Terry was still in denial.
Grandpa was worried that Tristan was not safe until he was out of this place.
"What else does Terry have on Troy or vice-versa that they are watching each other's backs?" Grandpa wondered.
Some time back, he overheard Troy and Tara fighting about the upkeep of the manor. It was draining the coffers. They dismissed some servants, including Tristan's loyal servants. Troy sold the remaining horses, including Beauty and a few cattle stock. There were just too many mouths to feed.
"Father," Troy said softly. "The manor needs repairs. Can you shell out some gold coins?"
Theodore replied. " I gave you enough to pay for the manor's upkeep. That's enough."
It was just a matter of time before they turned on him. Grandpa had one secret that Troy had been after. His hidden wealth. That is the only reason he is kept alive. Otherwise, these people could have killed him a long time ago.
"If they could sacrifice their own child, what would keep them from doing the same to an old, useless man?" thought grandpa.