I saw the familiar ceiling of my bedroom. There was also another person in the room.
Krys was sitting on a stool beside me. It was only 2 days ago when our roles were reversed.
"How are you?"
I managed my headache and replied, "Fine… I guess."
I saw him fiddle with some kind of accessory.
"My memories are a little hazy."
"You were hurt pretty badly. You slept for a whole day."
He gave me a hand mirror. I saw clean bandages on my head.
I was startled when I saw that.
"There aren't any scars actually, the kids were just playing a prank."
"I will spank them later."
I returned the mirror to him.
I got up from the bed and felt my sore muscles. Seeing my pained expression, Krys stopped playing and helped me back to bed.
I removed the bandages and stored them away.
"It's already night. Tomorrow will be the end of the stay here."
Marie remembered the deal between Krys and the Chief. She was a little sad and hesitant about Krys leaving.
"We leave on the morning day after tomorrow."
Huh? We?
As I skimmed through my memories I remembered the scene on that day and became flustered.
Noticing that he added, "If you don't want to…"
I cut him off, "No… I mean Yes… I want to go."
He smiled softly at me before leaving the room.
"Rest more."
"Wait." I stopped him.
"What happened to Martha?"
"She is sleeping too, but she woke up yesterday unlike you."
"Also, she healed you."
"Oh."
He left promptly with that.
xxx
Krys started playing with the unique accessory after leaving the room.
From the moment he found it in the remains of that dead tree, he was trying to figure it out.
As he walked to the floor above, an old lady appeared in his vision.
She asked worriedly, "How is she?"
"She woke up but her body is sore, I told her to sleep till the morning."
The lady sighed and drooped her shoulders. The tension in her heart eased.
She asked Krys a question, "Care to talk a little?"
He agreed and they went to the bench outside the orphanage.
She sent her daughter-in-law to her room as she didn't need any care at the moment.
After a few minutes of silence, Martha started her story.
"I was friends with her parents. At least until they got deep into gambling and messed up their life."
She told him bits about Marie's past. She didn't get into any details but just highlighted Marie's relationships.
"I have been looking after her and her siblings all while they kept destroying themselves."
"I asked my son to shoulder that child's debts, she has no idea so please don't tell her."
"You care for her a lot." Krys said with a gentle voice.
She paused briefly before agreeing.
"If possible, I want to stop her from leaving my side. I'm worried she won't be able to handle herself alone."
Krys remained silent. He had informed her of the agreement with Marie.
"She… please keep her safe."
Martha bowed her head to Krys while holding her hands together in front of him.
Krys held her hands as he reassured her. His voice was firm and determined.
"She will be safe. I will make sure of it."
Martha didn't have the willpower to look into his eyes. She silently got back inside the building.
Krys remained seated in the silent night alone.
He gazed at the moon for a while before heading inside.
xxx
When I got ready for my morning duties, Martha gave me an earful before forcefully putting me back into bed.
She stayed with me for hours. Neither of us spoke a lot but I could feel something wrong.
But even when I tried to force it out of her, she remained silent.
Before I knew it, the kids were also surrounding me. They all cuddled up to me without speaking.
One of them spoke.
"We will take care of ourselves. You don't need to worry."
I didn't understand her words for a while.
Then all of them said something similar.
"...miss you…", "...take care…", "...love you…" and other such statements were said before sniffles could be heard from these children.
I didn't know when my eyes became moist. Then a hand suddenly patted me on my head.
I looked up and saw Martha holding my head. Her eyes were just a little dry compared to mine and the childrens.
She gently caressed my head like I was still a child. The drops in my eyes turned to a stream.
I hugged her tightly before the children could see my face. They did the same with me.
The room stayed like that until Martha's daughter-in-law brought us food.
She would also stay in that room for a while. She kept looking at me and thinking something.
I hadn't interacted with her often, so I couldn't talk to her.
Our day ended in that basement room.
xxx
On the morning of the next day, Krys, I, Martha and company as well as many other villagers arrived with us to send us off.
We were standing in front of a one horse carriage on the only road that led to the nearest town.
The wooden carriage belonged to the chief, but he had gifted it to Krys for his actions.
The Villagefolk all gathered around Krys, thanking him for this or that reason.
Many of them were saved by him in that incident. But even after that, he was helping around Village.
Meanwhile, I had just finished saying my goodbyes to the children.
Martha came forward and held my hand. She then kissed me on my forehead.
I was holding her face in my palms. This was the first time I had seen her face this closely in years.
I could see and feel her wrinkles. Dangerous thoughts clouded my mind.
Sensing my hesitation, she left my embrace and walked towards her daughter-in-law.
She handed her something after which she approached me.
"Mother gave this to you."
She said as she secretly gave me a pouch of coins.
Then she took out another and handed them to me as well.
"This is from me."
I tried to shake it off. I had some money saved already,
"I don't want to burden anybody anymore."
She didn't let me resist at all.
"You are her daughter. Even if you don't think so, she will always think of herself as your mother."
"I know that. I already know."
"Then let your mother and sister be burdened by you."
I looked at her in confusion.
I stopped resisting and silently accepted her gift.
She hugged me tightly… not as tight as the children or my mother, but it was a tight hug.
She patted my shoulder and left to our mother's side.
Krys, who had finished speaking with the chief, walked towards me.
"Now we can leave."
I nodded my head and we got into the carriage. Krys held the reins of the horse and the carriage started moving.
I looked towards the figures who were getting smaller.
I could see some of them cry, some having mixed feelings and others indifferent.
I couldn't handle it right now, so I turned around and looked towards the future.
I screamed at the top of my lungs to cheer us on.
"We are going to Ferris town."
The scream actually frightened Krys and the horse.