The next thing she wanted to do was investigate her brother's death. She couldn't cry and go into depression for once more. The grip around the card the old man gave her tightened and her hand loosened its blood becoming paler. She took her phone and dialed his phone number.
"Harris speaking."
"I am Minha."
"Oh, greetings miss. What can I do for you?" His hard tone changed.
"I want to know about what happened that day." She sensed him smile. "Sure. Meet me at the coffee shop at 4 straight." She nodded and disconnected the call. 15 minutes.
Minha never trusted people so soon, but she couldn't wait. The curiosity and the haunting entity in her nightmares were slowly going to paralyses her and she would not let that happen. She was going to take the risk.
She got up, changed into random jeans and shirts with a jacket and a stole. Took the keys and marched down the building.
"Kid! Where ya heading to?" surely, it was no one but Gran. She smiled and walked to the bakery. "Hi, Gran!" Kissing Gale and playing with its hair, he snorted and jumped onto Minha. She smiled and winked at the cat. She took a few pennies and placed them at the counter, "A cheese butter sandwich."
Gran nodded and bought the sandwich. "Your eyes gleam today."
"Just getting things back to normal. Why don't you come to my house at dinner tomorrow? My salary increased." Gran grinned and said, "Getting things back to normal. I see." She stared at gran. She couldn't lie to her. But she wasn't lying. Nights were never going to be normal. She hugged her and thanked for the sandwich.
Walking to the coffee shop, she didn't wait for the old man. He was already restlessly sitting on the corner table. He smiled when he saw her. She returned it this time.
"Aim high school. Blue Street, 4th Avenue." He explained. She nodded and inhaled the knowledge.
They walked across the street to the old red pickup. It was noisy but he drove like he has been driving all his life in this red pickup. "You seem to like this vehicle a lot." She complimented.
He smirked. "Of course. Elisa's mother used to drive this car. She died right here in this seat. I can't just throw it out. This car. It's my second wife." She chuckled. And looked at him.
The old man. Short height. Red and white button down shirt. Almost no hair. He resembled master Fu from miraculous ladybug. She liked this old man.
"Maybe I can get you a nice human wife." He smeared again: "No chance. I am so damned pretty that this wife can't handle me anymore." She laughed this time.
"Your humor department is honorable, sir."
"Did you just crash on me, miss?" She pursed her lips trying to control herself.
"I most probably didn't. I am not the pickup."
"Look out for what you say, miss. This car can really drive you insane."
She laughed. He was a thing for sure. She thought. But before she could be enlightened by the gleaming laughter, she knocked herself with the agenda of today's meeting.
"So, the school." She began the topic again.
"The school head, Mr. Peters. He was involved in illegal trades. During those days, my daughter, Elisa took part in one of those intra school competitions, but the head gave the credits to some other kid. She went to him and complained about it, I wrote an application and later on went myself to talk to him, but he had no humanity. He clearly excused us. I told my daughter to let go. She could be expelled from the school in the name of disturbed discipline. I thought the matter was buried, but she didn't let it go. She knew the principal won't change his mind until he is forced to do so. I don't know how she got into school politics and concealed the information that the head was working illegally. She decided to trust this information with her best friend, Maaz." He looked at me and smiled.
"They thought my place was best to discuss this. They pretended to study and they lied to me about it. But one day overheard their conversation and warned them to stay away from this. But the school got to know about it and on their farewell, I received a call from school informing me about their death." He stopped and groaned.
The rest of the way, they let the silence take over. She had her palm against her one cheek, her arm resting over the pulled down window of the car. The sun wasn't down completely. And she was absorbing all the information she just heard. The confusion was at its peak and she couldn't do anything about it.
The car stopped. She gazed out in the barren land with the dust all around and was awestruck by what she saw. Opening the pickup door, she walked beside Harris.
"This place was targeted by an explosion and a lot of students died. They say the principal died too. But they found no evidence of his body." Harris spoke and his words felt like a slap to Minha.
"What about the newspaper editors? The investigators? The police? Didn't they look into this? This isn't just an accident." The emotions guttered up inside her.
"We didn't hear about it again." He said and crossed his hands over his chest. She walked ahead and went inside. "Do you want me to come, miss?" he yelled but she answered; No.
Minha walked ahead into the city of broken pillars and memories. Tears swelled her eyes. There were dark black oozed blood splashes everywhere, stains of ash, there was debris and there was no sign of life.
"What am I even looking in here? There's nothing here." She whispered to herself while walking through the broken mass of school. She wiped her tears roughly with her palm so hard that her eyes hurt. She felt something beneath her foot which unbalanced her and she fell on her face. "Ouch!" she cried in pain and pulled her hair behind her ears and shook her hands trying to get up. Dusting off the dust on her jeans, her eyes fell on something black near her feet. Obviously the thing which caused her to fall. She bent down and brought her arm forward to pick it up.
It was a camera. Broken and muddy. Her eyebrows came together and her face tensed. Something felt missing. She tried to look for evidence or a hint in the broken lenses. Leica 0-series no. 122. That was the most expensive camera in 2018. 4 years back. Her lips pressed against themselves, she was not shocked. After a minute, she exhaled heavy air in and squinted here and there. Running over to one corner and then to another. Hoping to seek some other evidence. But there was nothing in the debris. It was a spooky end to anything that ever existed. She gave up and carried the camera back with her to the pickup.
Harris was waiting for her there with his hands still crossed on his chest. He was watching her come back with his small squinted eyes.
"Did I make you wait for long?" she asked politely. He looked up at her and nodded. "I was wondering what made you stay in that trash." She smiled which faded after it appeared.
"I found this." And brought the Leica 0-series no. 122 in front. Harris raised his brows, "Where did you find it? This is Leica. This used to be my pet a few years back!" He kept on questioning and looking at the insides of the camera. "But this isn't shattered into a lot of pieces. Looks like someone has been coming here to photograph in recent days."
She was more precisely looking at the bigger picture, "Are there any cameras or stuff near?" she asked.
"No, miss. I am afraid there are none." She pursed her lips again.
"Looks like it belonged to a lady. Has a sticker on it." She came forth to see, "Where?"
Harris pointed at the right side of the lens. There was an eye symbol there. "Oh my god." She whispered to herself and took the camera from the old man. "I want to keep it with me." He shrugged and walked to the pickup's driver seat. She followed the instructions and walked to her place.