I had come to know a lot after that conversation, like how even the closest aides of the Mayor were unaware of her existence even though some of them were aware of his 'brother' who spent his days quietly in 33rd Street.
Yes, this was another crucial piece of information I was able to confirm. Uncle Albert was really the brother of Ms. Anne's father and her biological uncle.
She told me that my best chance of success rested with Uncle Albert because if he took me to the Mayor, it was almost certain that he would awaken me, not caring about his 'retired' status as a teacher but convincing Uncle Albert was much more difficult than I initially thought.
It was because if he decided to help me, he might have to pay a heavy price. I asked her about it but only managed to receive 'It's very complicated' and 'Too much information would harm you' from her.
Helplessly, I could only shuffle through the information as I approached Uncle Albert's shop. Nothing seemed to have changed. My plan was still nothing more than to use my stare to wear him down.
But she had appeared at a crucial moment, and the seemingly minor bits of information that she had left me with had a profound and life-changing impact on me.
I began to realize this when I found Uncle Albert standing behind his counter, following me with his eyes as I entered instead of treating me like air.
His expression had an additional trace of gentleness and complexity that shocked me. For the first time since I saw him, he spoke to me first as he asked softly,
"How was your meeting? What do you think of her?"
I didn't know what he was trying to know but Ms. Anne had warned me about not disclosing her identity to anyone and so I wasn't prepared to tell that to even her biological Uncle and the seemingly trustworthy Mr. Albert.
"She is a very graceful and fine lady. We mostly talked about my past."
Uncle Albert was a man of few words. I knew, therefore, not to answer him with too many flowery or diverting words. He didn't mind it and nodded his head, "She has indeed grown up well."
After that, there was an awkward silence, in which I affirmed that if I let this chance go, it might not appear again for a long time.
Just as he was about to sit down, I started begging him again, "Uncle Albert, can you please recommend me to the Mayor? Don't you remember Sister Hin, who used to come together with me? Can you please help me save her? This is the only chance I'll have–"
His attitude that day was just too different from his usual nonchalant one. I wasn't able to adjust to it quickly, and therefore, didn't have much expectation. I had repeated that line in many different ways already.
Surprisingly though, he didn't leave me hanging and instead responded with a sigh, "I'll think about it. Come back next week."
Even though he said that he would think about it, it was a drastic change from how he used to treat me. My heart burst forth with joy as I went to his side to give him a quick hug and thanked him.
He sat on his chair as usual like a stone and flipped open some pages after I left.
A small raindrop fell on my nose when I walked out. It was about to rain after a long time, perhaps more than 4 months of heat.
The season had shifted, and the rain was going to be revitalizing.