We're heading to the edge of the festival, there should be a lake Alan said, that's where people will light up the fireworks. As we headed over to that place, Lily and Alan chatted together about his dog named Pappi. I walked behind them and looked around to search for the girl that I saw before, but maybe she's in that place too, waiting for the fireworks. Honestly I don't know what fireworks are.
"Alan, what is fireworks?"
Lily dropped her jaw, "what?"
"This is his first time at a festival, interesting right?" said Alan
"Yeah, mr is very interesting" answered Lily hugging her doll, "it's okay mr, it's never too late to grow up" Alan laughed.
"Fireworks are flowers that bloom in the sky, and they also make loud noises. Right Uncle?"
Alan nodded
.
We reached the place, and Lisa is already there. She saw and ran to us.
"Lily!"
"Mommy!"
They ran and hugged, finally reunited with each other near the lake. And a firework bloomed in the sky right when they hugged.
"What a scenery" said Alan
"Thank you Alan for finding my girl" Lisa shake Alan's hand and bowing to him
"Oh your welcome, but it was Eloi that found Lily"
Lisa walk to me, "thank you so much Eloi, you're a saviour"
"It's okay, your daughter came to me first -- your welcome."
"Thank you mr" Lily smiled
"Your welcome Lily" this warming feeling again.
We watched the fireworks, and Lily told me there are kinds of fireworks, it has many colors and appearance, but then there's one fireworks that doesn't look like a flower. It shaped like an animal, it was the first time Lily seeing that kind of fireworks. I guess we are learning together about this fireworks.
I was enjoying the moment we are having, suddenly a chill wind breezes against me, I look at the opposite side of the lake and there she is, the girl. We stared at each other for a while, then she went inside into the crowd and vanished. I shrugged it off, and enjoyed the time I had for now.
"See you Lisa, Lily, glad we can meet tonight"
"Me too, take care you two"
We parted ways, and we headed to Alan's home. About 30 minutes of walking we arrived. His home is too small for a family to live in, but for one person and a dog is alright I assume.
"Ruff" Pappi barks and runs to Alan as soon as he opens the door.
"Pappiii, I miss you, I'm sorry I left you for a whole day, you haven't eaten dinner haven't you? I'm so sorry" Alan brushes Pappi and hugs him.
"Excuse me Eloi, can you turn on the lights while I am preparing Pappi's dinner please?"
"Sure Alan"
"Thank you" He rushed deeper to his home.
Pappi staring right at me, I petted him and he seems to be a goodboi. And follow me while I'm searching for flicker. I turned on the lights and now am able to see everything inside his home. A small living room with a small couch and a table, there's a door connected to the living room. I entered, it was his bedroom and I switched on the light, there's a picture on the wall. Alan with a woman. I look at it and observe.
"That's my wife" Alan explained, "I didn't tell you that I have a family eh?"
I shook my head
"Sorry I lied to you Eloi" Alan pauses and reaches down placing a bowl of cooked meat for Pappi. "Her name was Anette, I always called her Ann" Alan drops a tear from his eye. Sobbing, and tried to smile.
"I'm sorry"
"It's fine boy, She's already at peace with god now" He kissed his ring on his right hand, I didn't pay attention that he wore it from our first meeting.
I felt bad that I lied to him too, I should tell him.
"Alan… truthfully, I am a messenger"
"I know" He smiled with teary eyes
We sat in front of his house and Pappi also sat next to Alan while eating his dinner. We are watching the skies, the moonlight shone to us.
"She always stayed by my side, she's the one that brought comfort to me. I didn't want to have it at first, but I let go my ego, and didn't know that it would be the greatest gift of my life. Thanks to Ann, I learned how to love and be grateful with what I have, cherishing every second of life." he sips his tea, and pushes out a deep breath. "Ann and Me are always together, we used to go to the festival every weekend, like every other family and couples. We used to do the things like we did tonight Eloi, visited every vendor, try every food they sell, and at the end watching the fireworks in the middle of the night"
I listened carefully and put all my attention at him.
"Though destiny separates us years later, I can't say how much I thanked her for giving me happiness and love in my life"
Everytime Alan says the word "love" my heart feels warm.
"Dear God, give Alan your blessing and comfort, may his wife, Anette rest in heaven with you. Amen"
"Thank you boy" Alan crossed his hand and began to pray.
We prepared ourselves to go to sleep, Alan offered me to sleep at his bedroom, I said it was fine for me to sleep on the couch. But then he insisted, I couldn't refuse the offer after many tries.
His bedroom is spacious, there's a mirror and makeup desk from Anette. And something sheathed with cloth at the edge of the wall, next to the cupboard. Seems to be it's meant to be hidden, I shrugged it off and focused on trying to sleep.
"Aahh, stop it, noo!" a girl moans, swaying her hands against me. No this isn't happening, what am I doing, I can't stop.
"Nooo!" the girl screams, I tried to stop, but I can't as if I'm sunken and not in control of my own body. Wait, this isn't my body - this is a grown man's body, this man is raping her. And I'm a passenger of this man's body.
"Agghhh" the man moans as well, the girl screams in pain. I can't visualize clearly the girl's face, as it is blurred with grains of black dots, but her body is definitely a little girl's body, like 8 to 10 years old, and her skin is brown. I need to stop, I don't want this feeling! I don't want to experience it again! STOP!
"Eloi!" Alan shakes me and wakes me up from the nightmare. I cried and was anxious of the nightmare. Alan proceeded to rub my back, and gave me a glass of water. Took me a while to get back to reality, I don't want to talk about my nightmare with him.
"Alan, I need to go and find that girl"
"I will make you breakfast first"
"It's okay I can --"
"No, I will make you breakfast first," Alan interrupted and went to his kitchen.
We sat in the living room and ate our breakfast. We didn't talk for a moment, he knew it would hurt me more if he asked about my nightmare.
"So, how are you going to find that girl Eloi?"
"I am sure she's still here in Asmara, and she knew I was looking for her"
"I see… hope god is helping you Eloi"
"Thank you"
"What about the others?"
"Other messengers?"
Alan nodded
"They are looking for her too"
"Seems like this is something important, sadly I cannot help you that much Eloi, I'm just a normal human with no powers"
"No, you've helped me a lot" I stood up and bow down to him
"You don't have to do that boy" Alan reaches me on the floor. He lifted my chin, saw me sobbing still afraid from the nightmare I had.
"You can always come to my home, I welcomed you as a family" He hugged me, and he too started sobbing.
Again I felt this warm feeling, comfort, someone that you can rest onto. Someone I've never had in my childhood. I want to feel this a little bit more. This is his power.
"I'll be going now"
"Be careful Eloi, stay safe" Alan waves,
"Oh wait! I forgot something"
I look back and Alan is already inside, Pappi is still in front of the house, so I played with him while waiting for Alan to come back. Goodboi Pappi and I were sitting on the floor. Then I saw Pappi wearing a wooden necklace. I looked at it, and it seems to be carved with some letters, a name? It read "Malaki."
"Hah, hah" Alan was running and tired, "Thank you for waiting, here take this"
Two Kebab on my hand, "It's for your meal, I bought it last night when you and Lily were watching fireworks. I also heated it again already, so it would be still warm during your journey"
"Thank you Alan"
"No, thank you Eloi, it was a pleasure to meet you"
"Me too"
I walked, leaving the house, I felt guilt for leaving him and not telling him about myself. I closed myself too tightly, he opened to me, but I didn't. I looked back, Alan still in front of his house, waving and smiling.
"I will meet you again when I'm done with this searching" I shouted
"I will wait for you" Alan shouted back
I smiled, he replied. He gave me a figure that I've never had in my childhood, a father.