I suppressed the shock I felt inside and kept maintaining my 'I have no idea what you're talking about' expression on my face.
"Where were you when it happened?" He asked.
"Upstairs."
Why did I have a feeling that I was being interrogated?
"Did you see anything out of place at that moment?" He asked again.
"Ben, she had just arrived when it happened. She was even too scared to move, how could she notice anything?" Mrs. Rosa said to her brother, then she turned towards me. "I'm sorry, dear. This is Ben, my younger brother. You can call him Uncle Ben." She smiled gently despite still looking a bit pale.
"It's okay, Mrs. Rosa. I'm sorry I couldn't help with anything, Uncle Ben." I replied politely.
Uncle Ben didn't say anything, but he still looked at me with the same look.
Two seconds felt like eternity for me and only after he turned his head away, I could finally breathe.
I didn't expose myself, right?
I didn't know what Uncle Ben did, but he came back with Mrs. Rosa with a smile on his face and Mrs. Rosa's face was not pale anymore. It seemed like she put a lot of trust in her brother.
"Jane, Ben wants to talk to you." Mrs. Rosa called me and gestured me to come closer.
What was it now?
I had no other option other than to approach them. I realized the seriousness of the 'talk' when Mrs. Rosa left us alone.
The same look was casted at me again, making me uncomfortable. But, the stubborn me refused to show it on my face.
"Jane, isn't it?" Uncle Ben started. His features softened but he still held the same look in his eyes.
I nodded. He really looked like Tom over closer inspection.
"You've met Tom." It was not a question; it was a statement. My body trembled slightly, normal response when someone caught a person lying or hiding something. "I don't know how, but you definitely met him before." He added.
Uncle Ben probably caught the slight trembling of my body, that's why his gaze changed with a look of relief and he even smiled gently.
I couldn't hide anything from him, really. Before I could respond, Tom came and stood near me, directing a warm gaze towards his own uncle.
"Uncle Ben.." He called in low tone.
"Is he here?" I noticed Uncle Ben's voice trembled slightly.
"Yes." I nodded my head.
"Does Rosa know?"
I shook my head slightly. "No."
"Good." Uncle Ben let out a sigh of relief. "I'm afraid she couldn't take it. The fact that I can't see Tom means there is still a possibility for him to be alive out there."
"..."
I was not the only one who was stunned silly. Tom was also rooted to his place, staring at his uncle in mixed emotion.
"It might be fate that bring you to us, to let us know that he might still be alive out there. I'll work harder to find him, but don't tell his mother. I don't want to put false hope in her already broken heart. Tom was her only child from her beloved husband who already passed away when Tom was still five years old. She loved him dearly, but the accident happened. It broke her heart, and I don't want her to experience it twice." Uncle Ben was full of hope, but why didn't I understand what he was saying?
Seeing that I gave him no response, Uncle Ben cleared his throat before he put his palm across my forehead for a while. Only after that, I could snap back to my senses. As I looked up to see the man in front of me, I saw him in a deep thought.
"Uncle Ben?"
He was startled, but he regained his composure fast. Smiling gently at me, he patted me on my head.
"You have a strong mind. No wonder you're chosen with this gift. Use it wisely." He said gently.
Even though he said it like that, I still felt like he was hiding something from me.
"I'll see you later. You can come to me if you have something to ask." He turned around and walked away, waving at me.
Was it just me or was he turned soft towards me?
It took me some minutes to finally realize I forgot to ask the most important thing!
Was it possible for Tom to be still alive?
Stomping my feet in annoyance for my own stupidity, I didn't stop cursing myself even when the others shot me a weird look.
Ah, right! I was too deep in my own thought for cursing my own self when I remembered another person who should be more surprised than me.
Turning my head towards where he was at the last time, I still saw him there with the same expression on his face.
"...Tom?"
"I'm...still alive?"