Not long after our little detour, I'd gotten a call from the front desk informing us that our room was ready. So, I brought Althea up to the suite that was prepared and made sure that everything was in order. We kept our new purchases down in the closet and promptly left the twin room.
Usually, one would take a rest after checking into a hotel. However, our day was just beginning.
Althea had already said that she wanted to tour my hometown, to see the place where I grew up with her own two eyes. And according to the itinerary that Len had set for us, this was the only time that we could do so.
The next few days, we would be lounging at the beach or hiking in the mountains. If we wanted to have a pleasant and comfortable tour, our first afternoon here was the perfect chance.
Thus, I brought my girlfriend down to the rental car before asking: "So, is there any place that you want to visit first?"
"... Yes, there is," Althea replied with conviction behind her words. "I want to see the place you've grown up in. Your childhood home."
"That place?" I furrowed my brows. "But there's nothing much to see there. We can't even enter the complex without permission."
"Looking at it from afar is good enough!" Althea smiled.
"If you say so..."
To be completely honest, I don't really want to go back there. Yes, that place served as my home throughout my childhood years. And yes, there were plenty of pleasant memories that my mom and I shared in that tiny little apartment.
But… The ugly memories were far more abundant than the happy ones.
Still, I wasn't that immature to deny my girlfriend's request just because of some emotional issues I had. Slipping into the driver's seat, I steered the car smoothly without the help of the GPS. Wow, I haven't been home in more than four years, and I could still remember the roads this well. Rather, I'm glad that there wasn't much change in this rural area.
I could still remember the road leading up to my school. The winding hill up to the library. The five-minute walk to the local church. The drive to the ocean. And most importantly…
The way back home.
It didn't take long for our sedan to reach our destination. Being this far out in the countryside, it was hard to find any traffic. All I needed to do was to drive according to memory, and then…
"So it's here?"
Althea stepped out of the car, mouth agape, and eyes widened. She looked around in wonder, hoping to absorb as much as she could from the old area. And when I said it was old… I meant it.
The building complex that I brought her to was just two stories tall, with six apartments on each level. The paint on the surface had begun to wane, and there were broken pieces of brick laying all over the concrete floor. I could even see cobs of spider webs spun around each corner if I looked closely, making it look genuinely like a dilapidated zone.
There was a security outpost, but it was only for show. There haven't been any security guards living in the quarters for over thirty years now. According to what I heard from my mother, this apartment complex used to be a place for nuns to stay during their prayer retreats. However, the church sold the area after it ran out of money.
In an area where everyone had their own houses, only the extremely poor would consider buying such a cramped apartment. However, my mother believed that it was the best purchase at the time. And looking back, I think that her decision made sense.
Our family was small and didn't need a lot of living space. Also, when living in such a tight area, we formed a lovely community with our next-door neighbours, allowing my mother to have ease of mind if she left me alone at home.
Also, we weren't that rich either. My mother was a shop assistant with no formal degree other than her high school diploma. If push comes to shove, she could work two jobs to improve our living conditions.
But honestly… That would be too much of an ask for a single mother.
So, my childhood had been spent counting the spiders on the walls or catching lizards in the fall.
"... It hasn't changed," I remarked with a sigh. "I wonder if the person I sold the place to is still here."
"What kind of person did you sell it to?"
"Just some random person the housing agent recommended," I shook my head. "Rather, I'm surprised that it's still standing! I'm sure that there are countless housing code violations!"
I expressed my disgust at the place that I used to live in. Even from this distance, I could smell the rotting wood and the musky scent of mould. Not to mention the countless untended patches of grass or the unbearable stench of subpar plumbing. How on earth did mom and I live here for more than twenty years? It's a mystery.
"Really? I think that it's a splendid place."
"... You're joking, right?"
I frowned at Althea's absurd comment. If you brought ten people here, all ten of them would be sickened by what they were seeing. Althea was a pampered young lady, a girl that had been living in nice houses all her life. Why on earth would she like this horrendous place?
"No, I'm not..." Althea replied with a smile. "Everywhere I look… I can see glimpses of a small Desir running around. He would play ball in the carpark… He would climb the pipes for fun… He would get into trouble just trying to roll in the mud… Just thinking about that adorable sight brings a smile to my face."
T-This girl… Is she an esper?!
How could she pinpoint all of the things that I did when I was a child?!
Instead of addressing my shock, Althea's eyes became warmer as she pointed at the broken down apartments. "Which one is your home?" She asked in earnest.
"... Second floor, fourth one from the front."
"That one, huh..."
Althea traced her finger towards my former home, and warmth beyond that of happiness crept up her face. She smiled and remarked: "It's a pity that we can't enter… I would have loved to see the room that you grew up in."
"... There's nothing remarkable about it," I shook my head. "I only have bad memories about this place."
"If that's the case..."
The goddess beside me reached out her arms and circled them around mine. Leaning her head down, she rested on my shoulders and snuggled up to seek warmth, even though it was the beginning of summer.
"We can always overwrite the sad memories with happy ones."
"Althea..."
Ah… What's with this fuzziness in my chest?
This warmth, this happiness… Somehow, Althea made me think… Even if we stayed together in such a broken house… Maybe it wouldn't be that bad?
My goodness, Althea is really the ray of light in my life.
… It's a pity that mom isn't here to meet her.
A real pity.
❖❖❖
After showing Althea around my apartment complex, I was brought on a journey down memory lane. I brought her around my former home, introducing the little happy stories I had growing up. There was a tree nearby that mom always frequented. Mom never told me the reason, but I'd always believed that she loved this tree as she wanted me to grow up to be just as strong as it was.
I'd also brought Althea around town as promised.
We drove to my previous schools, the institutions that defined me. It was a place filled with painful memories from the past. I had been bullied because of my size. I had been ignored and brought to tears due to the constant betrayals.
However, it was also the place where I'd met Len for the first time. Haha, how young and stupid we were back then. We would often sneak out from class duty just to play ball at the park. Sometimes, we would even cause trouble for the teachers by dragging wild animals into the school.
We went to the library, the place where I'd spent most of my time. Due to my horrendous living conditions, it made no sense to study at home. Because of that, the library was also a painful place for me to visit.
But as I entered it, a wave of nostalgia hit my soul, soothing it from the pained past that I was shackled by.
… It's odd.
I clearly had more painful memories than I did happy ones.
So why am I filled with happiness every time I visit a relic of my past?
Jesus, why else?
It's because of the girl by my side.
Althea held my arms in bliss, even though the heat of summer filled our nostrils. She questioned everything with the innocence of a child. She wanted to know everything about my past. What kind of child I was. What I liked when I was growing up. The places and people I hung around with.
For some reason, with Althea by my side, none of my bitter memories came to mind.
And for the first time in years… I realised that my hometown wasn't that bad.
Unshackled by my fears, I brought Althea everywhere that I loved as a child. The community centre with the best badminton courts. The local arcade that only had a few gaming devices. The candy shop that I loved as a young boy.
Everything…
I wanted to share all of my happy memories with the girl I loved.
And that's how our afternoon went. Time flew by as we drove around the small neighbourhood, and before long, the light had retreated from the heavens. With the day quickly coming to an end, I brought Althea to the planned ramen restaurant for dinner.
Initially, I'd thought that we could eat at the resort's restaurant or a famed seafood place near the beach. However, Althea wanted to taste my favourite food place as a child. So, I had no choice but to bring the girl to this subpar ramen restaurant.
Compared to other ramen places, the one in my hometown was rather lacklustre. They didn't have the best decor, and their ramen wasn't anything special either. At most, they had tastier fishes since we were this close to the sea.
However, as a child, I loved this joint. It was cheap and at the same time delicious. As a poor child, whenever I begged my mom for some ramen, she would bring me here. It even came to a point where I was visiting every other week.
It was an odd thing to be excited about as a child, but for me… This ramen store was a simple luxury that I would enjoy.
"How is it?"
"Delicious," Althea beamed as she tasted the fish broth ramen. "I can really taste how fresh the fish is! This is amazing!"
"... Is it really that good?"
"Of course! It's the ramen that you grew up eating, after all!"
Althea was probably looking at her bowl of noodles with rose-coloured glasses. Since it was my recommendation, her brain had likely hyped it up. Objectively speaking, this ramen wasn't anything special.
Still, it was nice to hear someone commend the food that I liked.
"Yeah… Thankfully, they didn't change the recipe."
"Hehe, does it feel like you're transported back in time?"
"... Just a little," a slight grin climbed up my lips as I continued slurping on my fish broth soup. Goodness, its taste was really enhanced by Althea's sweet words. Maybe I should consider using her as a condiment next time.
Needless to say, when we entered the store, there were plenty of eyes on us. Most of the customers here were locals, and so when they saw an unknown ethereal beauty such as Althea enter, they weren't able to keep their curiosity off us.
While I was a little bitter that no one over the counter knew who I was, I wasn't surprised either. The last time I came back here, I was still an overweight teenager. And that was over five years ago. Perhaps if the owner, who was always in the kitchen, was here, he might be able to recognise my face. But for the part-timers and other customers, I couldn't expect the same.
But alas, as a former local, there were bound to be one or two people who could recognise me.
"Desir? Desir, that's you, right?"
I turned around to the source of the voice and saw a middle-aged man peering at my side profile. He had a belly of fat, though not one massive enough to reckon a health check. His well-rounded face was darkened by the summer sun, and his thick brush of brown hair had shown signs of grey.
However, that wasn't the most significant part of the man who called out my name. The man was wearing a cassock with a wooden rosary hanging over his neck.
Even if we hadn't met in a few years, I could recognise that face anywhere.
"Father Thompson?"
"Oh, it really is you, Desir!" Finally confirming my identity, Father Thompson tapped on my shoulders with a broad smile. "If you'd come back, why didn't you call me?"
"Haha, sorry. I've just arrived this morning."
"Oh, back for summer break?"
"Father, I'm already working." I chuckled at the old man's confusion. The last time we'd met, I was still in university, so it made sense for him to mess it up. "I'm living in Kofuku now, and I'm back to visit for the summer."
"Ah, my bad! You'll have to forgive this old man! My memory hasn't been that good recently!"
Father Thompson slapped his head in embarrassment. While he seemed no older than fifty, Father was on the verge of hitting the retirement age. The only reason why he hadn't stepped down five years ago was because the church didn't have any other replacements for such a rural town. And since the man was still here… The problem likely persisted.
"And who is this lovely lass?"
"Ah, this is my girlfriend, Althea." As Father Thompson's attention moved to Althea, I casually introduced her. "I've brought her back to experience our lovely summer."
"Oh ho? Your girlfriend?"
A sharp glint sparkled in Father Thompson's eyes as he carefully measured the girl from head to toe. The way he behaved seemed like a mother hen who was desperately engaging to protect its nest.
Even Althea wasn't ignorant to malice directed her way. Shaking in her chair, the girl abruptly bowed down as a sign of respect.
"G-Good day, Father! M-My name is A-Althea Kong! I-It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"Hmmm..."
The two began a staredown before Father Thompson finally broke the stalemate.
"HAHA!!! I didn't think that I would see this day!" The boisterous priest bellowed out loud before looking towards the heavens. "Evelyn! You can rest in peace now! Your son has brought back a beauty of a wife for you!"
"F-Father!"
Althea wasn't my wife yet! Why are you yelling at the heavens?! See?! Even Althea's face is turning red from your declaration!
"Why are you so embarrassed? This is good news! Your mother has always wanted to see her daughter-in-law's face! Now that she has one, I'm sure she will be dancing around in the Lord's castle!"
"S-she's not my wife yet!"
"Yet? So have you proposed to her already?!"
"F-Father!"
In the end, it took a good fifteen minutes to unravel the nosy priest's misunderstanding and ultimately…
Our peaceful evening was hijacked by the priest that didn't know how to excuse himself.