Recently, Nobel Lin had been drawing the same picture repeatedly. It's more than two or three in quantity so Dun couldn't help but be concerned. Nobel Lin, ignoring daily routines he used to do, was always there near the painting. In the end, Dun couldn't control his curiosity. As a result, he sneaked into the boy's room and inspected those pictures. A woman was teaching the kid who was sitting on her lap. Although the lady was facing back, the surroundings around her were vividly depicted. The woman and her child looked alike although the environment and the weather were illustrated differently. In the painting, other children were playing by themselves and the pair were in their own world. 'Sandar' was a name Nobel Lin once uttered. Was she related to the painting? Nobel Lin portrayed these paintings without eating or sleeping.
Dun looked back at Nobel Lin on the bed and found that he was sleeping while breathing in and out steadily. His chubby cheeks were softly placed on the pillow. He seemed to be peaceful when he was sleeping. Dun walked towards the boy and pulled up the blanket that's at the footbed and covered him. His bangs nearly reached his eyelashes. Dun forgot to accompany him to get a haircut. Dun lifted hair on the boy's forehead and sighed while observing his face. 'I wanted to know more about you, Nobel Lin. Is there anything I can help you with?' That was Dun's words coming out from his heart. Dun now decided to let go of the grudge. Because Dun's parents were gone forever so he didn't need to compete with the boy. Which orphanage did his parents take the boy from?
Dun didn't feel like going back to his room so he just lay down beside Nobel Lin to sleep. During his childhood, he deliberately used to sleep in this room where his parents carefully decorated. Only now, he noticed that this room was small compared to his own room, even smaller than his sister's room. He even had to avoid the pictures to walk through the room. After recalling the past, Dun felt like he was really childish and inconsiderate.
The next day, Dun didn't need to go to the hospital so they prepared to arrange the things. Aunt Mya planned to wash his mom's clothes to donate for the orphans. Dun had no objection though. It was a good deed and his mom would be able to chant "Sadhu" three times. ( this is used when someone has completed some task with excellence or fulfilment , often religious related)
Someone gave a ring to Nobel Lin. He was holding the phone for some time and walked up to Dun. He handed the phone to Dun.
"Who is it?"
Nobel Lin didn't answer his question so Dun had no choice but to pick it up.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is it Dun?"
It was the man from the other side and he sounded similar.
"It's me, Lim."
Dun took a glance at Nobel Lin who was cutting the vegetables to cook.
"Yes, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Noh Noh's painting was successful in bidding and the bidder wished to award Nobel Lin. I've already transferred the money into his account. Could you check it out, please?"
Huh… Nobel Lin? Did he earn money by selling his paintings?
"Alright, I will check it out."
"And another thing, I wanna come meet Noh Noh. Could you send me the address as well?"
"Okay, I'll send it to you."
"Thank you, Dun."
When they met last time, Samuel Lim didn't seem to like me as he wanted to adopt the boy. How come he thanked Dun out of the blue?
"Why are you saying thanks?"
"Noh Noh was getting better at painting. He always sends his pictures to me. He seemed ecstatic when he's with you. I am accustomed to putting his paintings up for auction online. Now, an organisation has contacted me to hire him as an ambassador. Congratulations for his success."
Dun was also happy for his success. But as the psychiatrist, Dun was worried that being an ambassador would be a huge pressure for Nobel Lin. He would feel confused when he had to show his face on camera.
"I'm delighted as a brother, Lim. But in my opinion, I reckon it won't be alright to assign him as the ambassador. You know his situation."
"Yes, I know. Thanks for telling me this. I was preoccupied with his success so I didn't think of his situation. Thank you again, Dun"
Dun had a smile when the call ended. Nobel Lin could survive anywhere he was. There were lots of people who wanted to take care of him.
Uncle Naung was not at home so Dun was the only one who had to move things around the house. While he was spring-cleaning his parents' room, he discovered a vintage drawing paper from his mom's drawer. It was a pencil drawing of his parents, his sister, uncle Naung, aunt, and himself, which was drawn before.
By the time Nobel Lin first came to his home, he drew four circles and lines to make a person named 'Nobel Lin.' His mother saved this picture. After he cleaned his parents' room, he got ready to wash his dad's old jeep from the garage. Looking for the things in the car, he found a paper roll that was stuck in the chair. It was nearly torn. He was about to throw the paper but then, 'Noh' on the paper attracted him and he stopped his action. The words before 'Noh' were torn. However, underneath the word, the 'age' was written. When Dun put one and one together, he thought the words before 'Noh' would be the 'name.'He tried to read other words as the ink was unreadable in some parts and stained in some parts. The footer of the paper seemed to be stained with blood and it was dirty like rusting. The handwriting was not his dad's nor his mom's. So whose handwriting was it?
His mother told him that November 18th was the birthdays for both him and Nobel Lin. At first, he thought his mom named that day as she didn't know about Nobel Lin's birthday. At this moment, Nobel Lin's age and birthday was clearly stated on the paper. On the space for the address, he could read only 'highway' as the other parts were badly torn.
"Nobel Lin lived on the highway. Tsk, and what comes next ?"
How could he afford to find the boy's home as it's a long way?
"Noble Lin, come here for a moment."
Dun asked the boy who was drawing under the tree to come over. The boy came to him and Dun handed the paper so he looked at it.
"Do you know this?"
Nobel Lin took a while looking at the paper and his eyes widened and uttered the name Dun was familiar with.
"Sandar"
"Sandar, again?Hey, Nobel Lin, could you care to explain what it is? I will help to find her however I can."
Nobel Lin pulled Dun's shirt like he wanted Dun to follow him. Dun traced behind the boy and when he got to the place where the boy was drawing, he saw the picture of a woman without a face. If he didn't assume wrong, it must be the woman from the picture of a lady and a kid.
"Don't you remember her face?"
Nobel Lin just stared at the painting and chanted only one name.
"Sandar"
Dun was thinking hard and the first thought popped up on his mind was,
"Perhaps she is your mother?"
Nobel Lin gazed at Dun with his round eyes and he didn't have the answer to his question.
"Sorry, you don't understand the relations between people. Let it be. So she was a person you know, right? That's why you ran after the bus because you saw her on it."
Nobel Lin tried to understand what Dun said and nodded after he listened to it. And he pointed at the picture and stuffed the paper into Dun's hands. He could learn the languages but he had to take time to reply. He would be thinking what he had to say. At last, he could only afford to mime.
"Okay, I will search for her. It looks like she could be the last person on earth who knows you."