That fateful day, I met the mysterious Ms. Anne and caused Uncle Albert to change his mind. Because of how smoothly it went, the whole affair seemed unreal to me.
Anyway, it was the fourth day of the week.
Since Uncle didn't clear with me which day of the next week he was expecting my visit, I decided to go on the first day to ask about it.
I spent the next three days daydreaming about it. I would be reading something at one moment and would suddenly begin smiling at the ceiling. I would be eating my dinner and would suddenly stop chewing as I began dreaming. Since I stayed together with Chloe most of the time, she was also most perceptive about my feelings despite her young age. I became aware of this when she became visibly worried about my state and asked me if something was wrong. This nervously asked question allowed her to become the first person I had told that good news to.
I had to use all my savings to buy her a treat from a new bakery that had opened right beside Aunt Enka's shop. When she saw us going there, she gave us a money-hungry smile with some mockery present in it, but Chloe stuck her tongue out at her to tease her.
With that, we went into the bakery and ate some sweets for the first time with our money. I felt the experience of being a grown-up when I saw Chloe's childish smile as she bit onto her chocolate pastry and my pocket almost dried up with that purchase.
We had a good time that day. Chloe didn't ask too many questions and only enjoyed the time I spent with her. Even with everything weighing on my mind and the expectation, responsibility, hope, and despair of both the past and future tugging at me from all sides, I enjoyed my time with Chloe like a normal 12-year-old girl.
We read stories at night, played little games, had interesting conversations during the day, and slept on the same bed for the next few days.
When the first day of the next week came, I picked up the best dress I had, a long skirt with golden embroidery at the edges and a white fur coat. At first, it seemed to be a mismatch but they were my best clothes and so, I didn't change.
I had asked my father about how and where the totems were carved onto the body and he had given me an uncertain explanation, stating that it was supposed to 'light up the dormant potential in me' or something.
It only served to confuse me further but seeing his helpless expression, I kept the questions to myself. He was already trying his best. I didn't want to put him down.
Uncle Albert was sitting in his usual place, but instead of a book, he held a potion in his hand. It was a pinkish liquid held in a thick but small cubical container. The pleasant smell that mostly wafted through his shop was because of that.
He was gently shaking the container and analyzing it from all sides when I walked in. I didn't know what he was doing with it but I was curious and so, I kept observing him from a corner.
After around 5 minutes of doing that, he put the container down, took out a quill and a notebook, and wrote something on that.
When he was done, he looked at me and said in a soft voice, "I've thought about it, come back after four days at the same time."
I wasn't at all prepared for the explosive surprise he gave. "Huh?" I muttered out loud, not believing how something that I had already considered to be a monumental task could happen so quickly.
Last time, he had said that he would 'think about it'. Since he said this time, that he had 'thought about it' and still called me after four days could only mean that he had agreed to help me.
I remembered Ms. Anne's words that Uncle Albert might have to pay a 'heavy price' to help me. I didn't know what it was but considering that it took someone as stern and disciplined as him three days to think about it, it was definitely something beyond my expectations.
Seeing as he was still busy with something, I didn't trouble him further and left his shop, again full of wild joy and gratitude.
I didn't forget to thank him for that change though but my sincere gratitude was casually brushed aside by his nonchalant 'hm'. He was definitely doing that so as to not burden me anymore. Uncle Albert was a good man.
I knew that I had Ms. Anne to thank for this sudden change in his heart.
The next four days that I spent waiting were probably the longest 4 days I ever lived. My mind kept making scenarios that could happen after four days.
I also had no idea about how the Mayor would respond to Uncle Albert bringing me to him for awakening. The nervousness and anxiety that I felt this time was beautiful because it was shimmering with the colors of hope and optimism.
There was also a slightly terrifying thought that kept coming back to scare me frequently. It was that after all the efforts I had put in, everything would suddenly go wrong.