Chris was about to exit the premises when a schoolgirl called, "Sir Eduardo? Is Jun there? He didn't go to school today."
"That's Melinda, my friend," Jun whispered to Cecilia
Chris and Cecilia exchanged glances before looking at the drunk man waiting for an explanation. Though taken aback, the man quickly gathered his wits. "He didn't? Damn, that boy must have cut class again," he expressed his frustration. "Well, I just got home, he'll turn up eventually."
The little girl hung her head low and left the premises. Cecilia confronted the man after Melinda left. "You don't know where the boy is? You said he was in school."
The man became defensive. "Why would I know what that boy does after leaving the house?" He started to push Cecilia. "Didn't I tell you two to get out? I said Get out!"
The man forced Cecilia out of the gate and then shut it closed. After being thrown out, she looked for Chris, who was sitting by a store, drinking cola. "That was helpful of you, sitting there all refreshed with your cola." She then grabbed the half-full bottle. "Give me that," and took a big gulp straight from the bottle.
"While you were being an idiot there, I learned something worth listening to." He arrogantly informed her. She called out to the store owner, "Madame, could you repeat what you told me?"
The store owner was more than enthusiastic to repeat her story, "That boy Jun is the son of Tessa, the true owner of that house. She has been in Canada for just over a year, working as a caregiver. Eduardo is her boyfriend. The only reason he is taking care of the boy is so that he can get money from Tessa," the woman explained, "The boy wants to live with his grandmother, but Ed doesn't allow him to. And everyone here knows, once Ed gets the monthly allowance, he pisses it off on booze and gambling, the boy rarely gets anything."
"Well, we did what we could; time to go back," Chris exclaimed, standing up to head to the place where they arrived.
"I'm staying," Cecilia suddenly said
"What? Look, you already did what you had to do, and it didn't work, okay?" Chris reminded her, his voice irritated with what she had decided. "This is a matter for the living; those who belong to the realm of the dead must never interfere."
"Still! This isn't right. We must help the child." Cecilia urged Chris to help the boy, to correct the wrong that was done.
"Fine, stay here, just remember the consequences of breaching your duties." Chris stood up and walked towards a secluded corner. When Cecilia saw a bright light, she knew the captain had left her.
Cecilia asked the boy a difficult question, "Jun, when and how did you die?"
Jun hung his head low, "I don't know, yesterday I was playing in the playground, my stepdad called me, and then I was just by the port."
"You don't know what happened to you?" Cecilia showed her surprise. To which Jun only nodded.
"Come on, let's follow your friend," she told Jun, holding his hand. They followed the direction in which the girl went. The store owner scratched her head and watched Cecilia leave, holding hands with someone she could not see.
They arrived in the playground where the girl, Melinda, was alone in the swings. Cecilia approached the child gently so as not to startle her. "Hi!" greeting her with a soft and friendly tone, "You're Melinda, right? Jun's friend? I'm Cecilia, I am also his friend. I was looking for him at their house, but he was not there. Do you know where he is?"
Melinda shook her head. "He said we would meet early before school, but he never showed up. He never breaks his promises," Cecilia could see the worry in the child's voice.
"Does he run away often?" She probed, looking for anything that she could tie in with the initial information she learned.
"Jun wants to live with her grandma, but Sir Ed always said he would never see his mother again. That's why he keeps coming back," Melinda sadly explained
Cecilia couldn't bring herself to tell the girl that her friend is now dead. She looked at Jun, who was crying right in front of Melinda, trying to hold his friend, but couldn't at his hands just went through her. "Let's go to the Village office, let's report that Jun is missing."
"That would surely start a police investigation, I bet that ass-wipe has something to do with Jun's death," Cecilia thought to herself. "He even became defensive when Melinda's statement contradicted his"
They reported Jun as missing to the village head, and not long after, the authorities came knocking at their gates. Eduardo let the village head as well as the authorities in. "Hello Ed, we received reports that your stepson is missing."
Cecilia and Melinda listened to his explanation. "He went to school this morning. I was surprised when that girl said he didn't attend his classes." He pointed at Melinda, "I was on my way to report him as missing. Good thing you are all here, I don't have to go all the way to the precinct."
Cecilia noticed Jun going over to where the puppy was. Jenny was happy to see the ghost of her owner; she was barking, jumping, and happily wagging her tail. The authorities didn't seem to mind the happy dog.
"We will need to invite you to the village hall, where you can make a missing person's report," The village leader suggested. Eduardo nodded in agreement.
Eduardo walked out of the village hall after reporting Jun as missing. He walked past Cecilia. "I know you're lying., Everything you said there? I will prove it."
"I will tell you what I told them. The kid went to school while I was still asleep. Usually, he plays first before going home, that's why I didn't know he was missing until his classmate asked about him." He approaches Cecilia, making her back away. "It would be wise if you just mind your own business," he says with a grin on his face.