dr. Aghris left the room and went downstairs to fetch some candles to brighten up the rest area. Outside, the sun had been swallowed by the horizon, replaced by the bright blue light of the moon.
They all said their goodbyes and thanked Aghris for helping them and providing them with dinner.
From a distance, they all waved their hands, and Aghris waved back from in front of his house. In the garden where they had gathered earlier, Leo and Liam sat on one of the long benches under a shady tree.
The distance between the Tezny district and their homes was quite far, and on the other hand, it was already night, and they did not know what awaited them on the road. Meanwhile, Zeta and Forn had returned to their respective homes in the Tezny district.
"You'd better go home!" Leo turned to his right, looking at Liam's face with concern.
But the order hung in the air like smoke. Liam looked up, gazing at the moon and stars in the beautiful, sparkling sky.
Leo sighed heavily, stood up, and shrugged his shoulders, signalling for Liam to follow him immediately. Liam glanced at him, then immediately stood up and followed him from behind.
They left the park and walked along the quiet pavements and streets. However, there were still a few carts selling food. They saw a shabbily dressed old man staring at them, hoping that they would buy his wares.
Leo suddenly stopped walking, followed by Liam behind him. Leo's eyes were teary as he looked back. Liam knew what he meant, nodded, and they approached the old man.
"How much are these three apple pies? And five boiled potatoes?" asked Liam, looking at all the old man's wares.
The old man should have gone home in the afternoon like the other vendors. But for some reason, at 6:45 p.m., he had not yet returned to his family who were waiting for him.
Was it because he hadn't sold anything? And did he no longer have a family? These questions arose in both of their minds.
"Ahh, I'll give you a discount. The total is 55 pence," said the old man, his voice barely audible to the two of them.
Meanwhile, Liam turned sharply towards Leo, holding out his hand, waiting for half the money from him. With a heavy heart, Leo gave him 30 pence, and Liam only took out 25 pence.
Being thrifty, not wanting to lose money, and also wanting to help others. That was what was on Liam's mind at that moment. After checking that the payment was correct, Liam gave it to the vendor.
Liam received a paper bag containing potatoes, and Leo received a bag containing apple pie.
Even though he was old, he counted the money first before letting them both leave.
"Thank you, sir." The old man waved his hand, watching their backs as they walked away, leaving him alone.
Meanwhile, the two of them were still walking down the quiet streets of the district. Leo told Liam that he had rented an apartment and offered Liam to stay the night in his room.
Because tomorrow, Monday, Liam had an appointment with Forn to meet someone. He nodded, accepting the invitation.
A simple two-storey flat with a box light in front of the entrance appeared before them.
They looked at each other before entering the flat. Leo and Liam climbed the stairs, heading for the room at the end of the corridor.
Leo inserted the key and turned the knob. The door opened, and before entering, he looked back and patted Liam on the shoulder.
The lantern lit up, illuminating the kitchen and his room. Liam walked towards the bedroom, found a chair and sat down on it.
Leo was in the kitchen on the left, while the lantern was on the right, on the table. Liam took a boiled potato from the bag and peeled it with his hands, bit by bit.
Leo came out of the kitchen carrying two plates and a pot of hot water that had been boiled earlier. He put them on the small table below, looked up and motioned for Liam to sit down with him.
Behind him, on the mattress. Leo took the bag containing the pies and placed them on the two plates in front of him.
Liam sat down and crossed his legs.
"Why did you choose to live here?" he asked, biting into a boiled potato in his right hand.
Leo, who was about to put a spoon in his mouth, suddenly stopped and put it back on the plate.
"It's okay," he replied briefly.
Liam took two bites of the potato, chewed it and asked again, "Is there a problem in your family?"
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent afterwards, Leo's lips twitched, his mind returning to that thought.
It wasn't because there was a problem with his family, but because his parents had died of an epidemic two years ago. Since then, Leo had been lonely, hiding his pain and acting as if nothing had happened.
The day after his parents' funeral, he wanted to find his missing sister, who had not even attended their funeral.
Leo sometimes thought that his sister was dead. But he chose to think positively that his sister was still alive and that he would find her somehow.
To this day, Leo roams every city in Moran, searching for her. His efforts over the past two years have been in vain. Even Forn, who helped him and had connections with many people, failed to find her.
Leo didn't want to tell his other friends about it, only Forn knew. That was what was on his mind when Liam talked about his "family".
"No, you'd better just continue eating!" After that, Leo ate the piece of apple that was on his spoon.
Liam looked suspiciously at his friend's face while chewing the boiled potato in his right hand. One potato was finished, he took the teapot in front of him and poured its contents into a cup.
Hot steam rose as the water entered the cup, and Liam blew on it before drinking. After about three sips, he stopped, put the cup on the table, and ate the apple pie on the plate right in front of him.
"Do you have any plans to go out tomorrow?" Liam asked, seeking information as he cut the apple pie with a knife and immediately ate it.
"Maybe, tomorrow I'll go back home to pick something up." After answering Liam's question, Leo stood up and took the plate to the kitchen.
Liam turned to his right, watching Leo's movements as he seemed to be putting something away. He sighed, stood up, and took the plate to the sink.
After that, they both planned to go to sleep. Coincidentally, the flat had a bunk bed, and Liam slept on top. Meanwhile, Leo slept below.
Since their stomachs were no longer hungry, as they lay down, sleepiness slowly overtook them. And half a minute later, they were both asleep.
Outside, the sun had risen. Its warm light penetrated the gaps between the buildings, making part of the room bright.
The morning breeze was quite strong. The bedroom window had not been closed, creating a noisy sound that woke them both up at the same time.
Reflexively, Liam immediately grabbed his watch, rubbed his eyes before opening it.
"7:15, right?" Liam climbed down the bed ladder, intending to wake Leo, but unexpectedly, he was already awake.
After that, he walked to the bathroom, stood in front of the sink, turned on the tap, cupped his hands, and washed his face.
"Ahh... So refreshing," said Liam, feeling the pleasant sensation as the water washed over his head.
Before leaving the bathroom, he looked at his face, his blue eyes and messy hair, which surprised him considering the day ahead. He smiled, turned around and wanted to see Leo.
"Well then, I'm going home," said Liam as he picked up his coat and put it on.
Leo stood up and walked towards him, immediately patting his shoulder.
"Alright, and are you sure you want to leave those boiled potatoes?" he asked with a smile, hoping Liam would leave them behind.
Liam knew what he meant, smiled, walked towards the door and said, "Take them if you want." After that, the door opened, he left the flat and headed straight for the park not far from where he was.
22 October. Monday. 7:20 a.m.