Fan Fiction ❯ Goddess of Soul - The Altered Judgement ❯ The Old Man and the Youth ( Chapter 2 )

G of S - Part Two -

[Won't you open your eyes?]

It was her voice again… beckoning him to awaken. He became aware again; aware of darkness polluted by muffled yellow.

[Wake up or I'll leave…]

His eyes shot open and he sat up quickly, "No wait! Don't -" He was interrupted by his own discovery, that he was alone in a white painted room, which was lit by a single light source in the corner of the small room. "What!? Where am I?" The feeling of pain and dampness came anew to him for a second time. His arm was throbbing along with his head, but when he looked down and pushed away his sweat soaked hair, he found that both were wrapped up. The noise had brought attention to the room and a young woman walked in through the doorway.

"Oh, you're awake." She said softly and went over to his side. "I hope the patient table was alright. Are you feeling better?"

He nodded slowly as he tried to get his eyes to focus to the details on her. "I guess so… where am I?"

"You're in the medic's house. You were pretty banged up when you got here, but nothing too serious."

"The medic's house…?" he questioned again, "On Tohma?"

She nodded gently, "On the island of Tohma."

He rubbed at his face and shook his head as he cupped it in his hand, "I can't remember…" he whispered into his hand.

"Here…" she said softly, "Come meet my Grandfather, perhaps he can help to answer ant questions you may have." She took hold of his sculpted and helped him off the hard cushioned table, before she led him into a warmly lit room that seemed quite homely with many knitted knick-knacks around. "Grandpa, he's awake now."

An elderly, yet well-aged man sat in an armchair, a pad of paper in his hands, but he set it down upon his lap and looked up to his Grand-daughter and company. "Ah, excellent. Please have a seat, Mr. Doe." The young woman let go of `John Doe' after ushering him to an armchair that sat opposite of the elderly man's.

He sat down carefully and looked back to the older man, "That's not my real name, you know."

The older man nodded and took a brief moment to think. It was very short but one could tell that was what he was doing; reflecting or analyzing, he had a real `thinker's-face' there was just no other way to put it. "So then, what is your name?"

"I… I'm not sure, actually."

"Ah…" The older man raised his index finger as if reaching a discovery, "So how do you know you're name is not John Doe?"

"Because, I'm not completely brain-dead, not yet at least." Said the young man a bit critically.

"Well until you've regained knowledge of your name we will have to make due with John, unless there's something else you'd like to be addressed by."

John shook his head slightly and looked down to his lap, "No… it'll do." He was still tired despite his long rest, but events beyond his immediate control had taken a lot out of him. Glancing back to the man whose armchair he was lounging in and whose room he was sheltered in, he spoke up again. "And what should I address you by?"

The older man gave a homely chuckle and said, "My name's Alabaster Karinno, but mostly people call me Alba. I'm this town's medic, until I'm too old that is." He looked over to the young woman who had ushered John in originally, and indicated her with a hand gesture, "This is Ronda, she's my grand-daughter and assistant, but soon enough she'll be my replacement."

Ronda looked up from her knitting in the corner and gave a bit of a sheepish grin. John gave an acknowledging nod, and found himself just as out of place on what to say as she was. Silence remained for a period of time and though Alba and Ronda didn't mind, it felt uncomfortable for John and he cleared his throat, wondering whether or not his question was appropriate.

He parted his lips, though hesitated at first, before spitting it out, "The girl who found me… who was that?"

Alba looked back over to John and put on yet another thoughtful expression, "Right, those were the Frontas twins."

John shook his head, quite sure of himself, "No, not those brats. She was older… I think, and had light hair and dark skin. Uh… with pointy ears."

"That describes quite a few around these parts." He said quite calmly, but arched his eyebrow as he watched John.

"Silver eyes."

"Ah…" Alba replied as if he had been enlightened, "That's what I thought. I didn't trust that their story was very likely." John returned the look of an arched brow, but continued to listen as Alba continued his out-loud thoughts, "That young female's name is Chinemsei. She was here earlier, actually. She left after she found you were sleeping. You were pretty lucky she tagged along with the class on their trip today."

"She isn't a part of this `class' then?" John questioned, unsure of exactly why it was that he cared to know.

"No no, dear me. No one has the authority to send her to schooling. You see the educations are the choice of the children and their parents or lack there of. Chinemsei as far as we know is an orphan." The smile that crossed Alba's face was vague but warm, "It matters not, she's too much of a free-spirited girl to be given instruction, she learns in her own way." Alba had gotten somewhat carried away and as he registered John's thoughtful expression, he chuckled mildly. "Oh my, I've just rambled on, I'm sorry do you have any other questions?"

John blinked a few extra times as he snapped back into the unfamiliar reality there. He felt so blank and empty, and his thoughts were not clear, so he shook his head and responded, "No…"

"Well, then I hope you won't mind me wondering. How do you suppose you got here, John?"

"I… think I fell overboard of a ship."

"Well… that would make some sense. I figure you must have hit your head pretty hard, and gotten amnesia."

"But… I still have sense of things." He still knew what amnesia was at least, though he didn't want to believe it, but there seemed no other explanation for it, though.

"We'll have to just wait to see what you remember over time. Until then you're welcome to stay here for a while at least, and of course you're free to travel our lands. But you take it easy, Mr. Doe. You aren't healed up yet and the only things left for you are care and time."

John gave a slightly displeased look but gave an understanding nod, "Yeah, I guess so…" He muttered out, feeling out of place there and in his own thought even. There seemed to be no safe haven for his escape.

His thoughts were a mess as he tried to narrow down obvious memories, it was painful and the throbbing kept turning up blank answers. Sometimes thoughts would flash by, but even then nothing was very clear. He attempted to think of his parents, of his past, and he received only short glimpses of a warm feminine smile and a familiar farmhouse surrounded by welcoming greens. The odd images he conjured up only stayed for a short moment as his distracted mind wandered further and then back to the images of a boat. It was all so confusing but though he couldn't remember any other way of being, having such a blankness felt instinctively wrong, which in itself may have been some sort of memory of what should be.

He stayed silent and head down, trying in vain to think, until Alba spoke again, "Well, old men and healing youngsters must get good night rests. I'll be off to it; you're welcome to stay up though. Ronda will show you to your room when you're ready."

John looked up again and then over to Ronda, who was still peacefully knitting. "It's a good idea, I'll sleep too."

He got himself up slowly and Ronda quickly set down her work and got up to help him, if necessary. He managed fine, just slowly, and she led him to a room, past a flight of stairs, that seemed to be neatly tucked away in the back of the house. The room was simple enough that he didn't feel completely awkward in it, but he went rather quickly to its bed, to sit down again.

She gave a small smile, "I'll see you in the morning, rest well."

He nodded and muttered out a `see ya', and as she closed the door he pulled off his shirt. Struggling with it, because of his slinged arm, but he fell back right after and drifted off to sleep, only waking once in the night to pull the sheets over himself and to readjust his arm.

In the morning, Ronda awoke as the sun's light came through her window, she dressed and went downstairs. Finding little activity she ventured down the hall next to the stairs, it was quite the surprise for her to find the spare room's bed empty. She hurried back out, but her uncle's voice stopped her in her tracks, "He went out early this morning, Ronny."

The young woman walked over to Alba's armchair so that the backing wouldn't hide him any longer. "How could you let him go so soon?"

Alba simply shrugged and remained calm, though he could see his niece was a tad frazzled still, "I didn't really let him, but I couldn't really stop him either." Ronda sighed and nodded to the old man, "Don't you worry Ronny, my dear, he's not in too bad of shape. Plus, who are we to stop him from searching?"

Ronda went over to the rather open kitchen, and began preparations for breakfast, "Alba… what do you think he's looking for?"

Alba shook his head slightly, saddened by the answer, his hand reached out and he took hold of his wooden pipe, "Answers, my dear. Any and everyone he can possible get his hands on." He raised his pipe up to his mouth and grasped it firmly in his lips. "He'll be back, I'm sure."

Ronda nodded subtly and continued to work her magic in the kitchen, but her hazel eyes narrowed as she looked up to Alba taking hold of the lighter. "Alibastor! What did I tell you about smoking in the house!? Don't you dare light that thing here!"

Alba's eyes widened as he looked to her, when she shouted, but the shrunken man raised his fist in protest, and shook it at his niece. "Don't you tell me what to do! This is my house!"

He raised the lighter up defiantly, and she in turn shook a small iron frying pan back at him threateningly. "Old man! If you want any meal today, you won't!"

"It's my food, woman! I can cook for -" A soft rapping interrupted him, and they both looked over to see Chinemsei peering at them through the screen. The sight would have been a very odd one to witness with a lighter and frying pan wielded, but Chinemsei just smiled warmly and gave a wave as she realized her presence was noted. "Nem!" Alba shouted, easily forgetting his stubborn spot in the spat, "How are you, my child?" He said as he returned the smile.

Ronda lowered the pan back to the counter and grinned softly, "Come on in, Nem. The stoop is for strangers."

Chinemsei nodded and pulled open the door, stepping inside and habitually wiping her feet off on the small door mat before she trotted over as Alba put his pipe back upon the table. "Morning!" She chirped with the same warm smile on her lips, and looked to Alba, "I'm good good, nice sleep. You two?" She looked back and forth between them before she scrambled up on to one of the stools by the counter.

Ronda smiled softly and restarted her work in the kitchen, "We're fine, Nem dear, work as usual. Do you want some breakfast?"

Chinemsei nodded eagerly and looked over again to the armchair, "Alba… is the man here?"

Alba shook his head promptly, "He left earlier, you wanted to talk to him?"

She shook her head quickly, and looked down to her lap, "Oh no… just wanted to know, he okay."

Ronda looked up from mixing some eggs she had just cracked. A soft smile stretched on her lips and she gave Alba a knowing look. He responded with a subtle nod but kept the majority of his attention on Chinemsei, "He'll be fine, Nem. He's just gotta take it easy for a while."

Nem nodded in understanding and gave a small smile as Ronda got out the knife to cut the bread, "Oh, oh! Can I put the cheese on?" Nem said excitedly, wanting to help out.

"Of course you can, so long as Alba doesn't mind. It is his job after all."

Nem looked over to Alba with a little grin which in itself seemed to ask `Please?' Alba made an exaggerated look of thought and prolonged a `hmm' for a bit of joking suspense, but he couldn't keep Nem waiting too long and a smirk stretched on his lips as she inched forward on the edge of her stool. His smirk quickly became a smile as he let it show and with a nod he said, "Of course you can, but you just gotta promise me you'll use extra care."

She nodded eagerly and hopped off the stool with a big grin. Ronda gave a soft chuckle as she flipped the four egg patties in the pan. "Oh Nem, I don't know anyone else whose always as enthusiastic as you. The cheese slices are in the cold-box, we need four, dear."

Nem gave a somewhat sheepish smile and hurried over to the cold-box. She opened the door and rummaged through until she found the wrapped cheese. She pulled back the cloth and took four pieces, then closed the door and trotted back to Ronda who pushed a plate forward with three patties on pieces of bread. Pulling apart the slices, she set them down on the egg and Ronda set the final piece of bread on top. Nem held up the fourth slice in question, before she spotted the unfinished sandwich sitting on a napkin. With a stretch over the others she set the cheese on top and Ronda again finished the sandwich and wrapped it in the napkin.

The three went out on to the porch and ate together in peace, the morning was silent and calm, and though the sun and people were rising more fully, it was a nice state at the moment. Nem stretched out after finishing and slouched down in the rocker so she could stare up at the sky beyond the porch's overhang. "Ah! I so full." She exclaimed and looked over to Ronda, "Much thanks!"

Ronda gave a nod, "So wherever are you off to today, Nem?"

"Oh, I don't know… wherever I end up." She smiled softly and looked back ahead, before waving to a passerby.

"That'a girl, Nem." Alba said, between puffs on his pipe.

"Well then," Ronda said mild-mannerly, "Would you do a few errands for me?" Nem's attention was quickly caught again, and she nodded without hesitation, "Could you drop off a bundle of wrappings to the launder and tell him they're urgent. Oh, and also take with you the extra sandwich? If you see Mr. Doe, you can give it to him. Could you do that for me?"

With another keen nod from Chinemsei, Ronda smiled and went back into the house to fetch the items, and Alba and Nem sat at ease, "You're a good kid, Nem. Thanks."