The kid ran away towards his mom while Gyro gave him a selfless smile. Then he turned towards Charles and walked towards him with the bottle in his hand.
Gyro; ( smiling) So you woke up sleeping beauty?!
Charles; You know me? ( Startled)
Gyro; You remember I helped you get to the bench?
Charles; well… thank you! ( giving a small bow)
Gyro; well an apology would be more appropriate.
Charles; Oh! Did I offend you in any manner?
Charles was shocked and after he had seen this man's mysterious powers, offending him would be the last thing he hoped not to have done.
Gyro; so you've got amnesia as well! It's alright because my old man used to say," a man is defined by not his memories but other's." Forget it my old man used to say a lot. You bumped into me while running like a drunkard and then passed out. You better get this disease treated for your own good.
Charles; I am sorry and would like to thank you again mister...? ( raising hand for a handshake)
Gyro; Name is Gyro Twiner. (raised his hand and gave a warm handshake)
Charles; that's a good name you got there, mine is Charles Evening Vers, if I remember correctly. Haha!
Gyro; looks like I found myself an interesting fellow. Here (handing him the water bottle he was holding and pointing at the bench near), lets sit there.
Charles; fine with me.
They both sat at the bench. Charles gulped the water down while Gyro sat there observing him. After a few minutes of growing silence, Gyro spoke first.
Gyro; What's your story kid?
Charles; kid??
Gyro; you seem younger than me.
Charles; Or you look older for your age.
Gyro; I hear that a lot. I'm 17.
Charles; I'm thirt...cough..I'm fifteen.
Gyro; Told you I'm older.( ignoring the weirdness of this little freak.)
Charles; My story you ask….. As I told you I'm fifteen and I'm poisoned. I have one year to live at maximum. At my current age, I'm supposed to go to The Academy, but just hearing its name makes my heart pound so hard that it feels like it's about to explode. I get this mixed feeling of fear, anger, guilt and despair that I really start thinking that the one year that I have left is very long.
After hearing Charles, Gyro stared at the clouds floating in the sky. Then without looking at him he said just two words that shook Charles in and out.
Gyro; so bullies? Huh?
Charles was not expecting Gyro's reply to be this.
Charles; y..yeah.
Gyro; right..(sighs)...(takes out a cigarette and lights it). You know my old man used to say don't dawdle on something you can't change, but also don't dawdle on something you can change.
Charles looked at Gyro letting his words sink in, and said standing up in front of them doesn't work, beating them doesn't work either. What is the way out?
Gyro; use force on a wheel and it will move. Use force on a mountain, it won't budge and use force on a bamboo and it will break.
Charles; what's that supposed to mean?
Gyro; violence is not always the answer.
Charles; You mean to say we should just bear with it silently? Let them do what they want?
Gyro; I never said that. Hear me out first. Lets see..suppose imagine there is a house, built on a pillar with nothing around it, just a big hole. You are standing in front of the door of the house and you want to go inside but the door only opens outside and if you step back you'll fall into the great hole. What would you do?
Charles; I would push the door hard enough to break it and enter.
Gyro; right.. That's the answer I expected you to give… completely wrong!
Charles; b..but why??
Gyro; you say break the door of the house?
Charles; yes.
Gyro; if there is a house there must be an owner. Do you agree?
Charles thought for a second and started to understand what Gyro was implying, though he had learnt this the hard way in his previous life.
Charles; yes.
Gyro; I think after seeing your face that you're getting what I'm getting at. If there is an owner of the house, would he stay still if you break his home?
Charles; No.
Gyro; so what should you do? What is the reason for your problem?
Charles; the door? I think.
Gyro; right. What makes it your enemy?
Charles; It's outward movement.
Gyro; how can you change it?
Charles; probably only by breaking it.
Gyro; nope, there are two ways. One, by clinging onto the door as it opens. It would be difficult but you'll be able to enter. Two, change the door's hinge, that makes it open outside and make it open inside. This one is tough, because you may lack the tools, but if you have them its easy as a stroll.
Charles sat there thinking about it. Then turned to Gyro who was by then making smoke clouds and busy making more. Then nodded.
Charles; you're right I guess.
Gyro; I might be right or wrong but here you're forgetting the biggest issue.
Charles; What??
Gyro; the house owner. You might pass the door but you will still have to deal with the owner, kid. What about that?
Charles; yes! What about that?
Gyro; I don't know. Figure it out yourself.
Charles; huh? Come on don't be stony! Tell me!
Gyro; Somethings, you must find yourself or they lose their value.
Charles; cheapo! Well that's that, but I don't think I will be able to go to the academy to find that out. My guilt won't let me.
Gyro; you lose someone?
Charles; Everyone.
Charles' eyes were on the brink of flooding by the thoughts of his past.
Gyro; so you wanna stand in front of the house in the fear of losing more, but what do you have to lose when you know you're going to die next year anyway. Think Charles. Don't dawdle on something you can't change, but also don't dawdle on something you can change.
Saying this Gyro stood up the cigarette had burnt out. He threw it and jogged towards the gate.
Gyro; It was nice talking to you.
Charles; yes it was for me too.
Gyro; then forget you ever met me. ( smiling)
Then soon he was gone.
Charles also stood up for going back home. After a few minutes Charles reached the front door of the manor, where stood a man dressed like a butler.
Herbi; So you're home master Charles. Mr. Vers has given me the instructions to tell you that you are no longer welcome in the Vers' mansion. So I would have to stop you from entering.