Steven and Eliza lingered in the room for about ten more minutes, exchanging polite conversation with Kai and doing their best to reassure him. Their warm presence was comforting, but Kai couldn't ignore the heavy sense of uncertainty looming over him. Eventually, the couple left, but to Kai's surprise, Jeffrey decided to stay.
The old man settled into a chair near the hospital bed, his movements slow but deliberate. Despite his blindness, he radiated a calm presence that seemed to fill the room. Kai, still reeling from everything that had happened, remained silent, staring at the ceiling with a distant look in his eyes. He was trying to process the whirlwind of events that had uprooted his life in the past 24 hours.
"Kid," Jeffrey's voice broke the silence, gruff yet comforting. "Don't overthink everything happening. Just relax for now. Overthinking won't make the next few days go any faster."
Kai turned his head slightly to face Jeffrey, his amethyst eyes dull with exhaustion. He nodded faintly, unsure of how to respond. The old man's voice carried a kind of wisdom that demanded attention, but Kai's mind was too scattered to fully grasp it.
Jeffrey continued, undeterred by Kai's silence. "Also, I've spoken to Steven, and once you're out of here, I'd like you to come and stay with me. That is, if you want to, of course. You don't need to worry about bills, fresh food, or anything else. My family can take care of you, at least until you're back on your feet."
Kai's eyes widened in shock. He wasn't expecting such an offer, especially from someone he barely knew. His expression quickly shifted to one of skepticism. "Why?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. "You don't know anything about me. I could be a crook at best or a murderer at worst. Why trust me?"
Jeffrey snorted, a dry chuckle escaping his lips. "Do you think Steven didn't do any research about my 'savior' before you went into surgery?" he asked, his tone laced with amusement. "I know a fair bit about you, Kai. Your medical records were easy enough to access, along with some details about your family history."
Kai stiffened, unsure of where this was going.
"You lived with your grandmother for most of your life after your mother passed during childbirth," Jeffrey continued, his voice softening. "My condolences for that. After your grandmother passed away six years ago, you've been living alone, surviving on the savings she left you and working odd jobs to make ends meet. Your employers have good things to say about you, by the way. They describe you as a hard worker, honest, and helpful."
Kai's lips parted slightly, stunned by how much Jeffrey seemed to know about him.
"And then there's your education," Jeffrey added. "You graduated from Port of Los Angeles High school this year where you're quite the model student, according to Steven. Impressive, kid. You've been through a lot, and you've managed to stay on track."
"How…" Kai's voice trailed off. "How did you find out all of this in less than 24 hours?"
Jeffrey chuckled again, the sound warm and reassuring. "Peace, kid. The doctors needed to know about your guardians to contact them about the surgery. Once I got the basics, I asked Steven to dig a little deeper. You've lived quite a life, young man."
Kai exhaled sharply, leaning back into his pillow. "Yeah, I guess everything you said is true," he admitted. "But it still doesn't answer my question. Why are you offering me a place to stay? You could just walk away, and I wouldn't blame you."
Jeffrey's tone shifted, becoming more serious. "Just like you could've walked away when you saw me in trouble at that convenience store? You could've run off the moment you reached the counter, but you didn't. You stayed to help me. That tells me everything I need to know about your character."
Kai's throat tightened. He wanted to argue, to say that he'd only done what anyone else would have done. But deep down, he knew that wasn't true. He'd acted on instinct, not expecting anything in return.
Jeffrey leaned closer, his hand finding Kai's and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You saved my life, kid. The least I can do is take care of you in your time of need."
Kai's eyes burned with unshed tears, but he refused to let them fall. He nodded slightly, unable to find the words to express his gratitude.
Sensing the heaviness in the room, Jeffrey decided to lighten the mood. "Enough of the sappy stuff," he said with a grin. "So, I know a lot about you, but you don't know much about me. Let me introduce myself properly. As you know, I'm Jeffrey August. I'm retired now, but back in the '70s and '80s, I was a pretty well-known musician. Ha, those were some wild days!"
Kai's eyes widened in surprise. "A musician?" he echoed. "Were you a singer or part of a band? Can you tell me more about the music industry during your time? And what do you do now?" His voice carried a hint of excitement, a stark contrast to the somber tone from earlier.
Jeffrey laughed heartily. "Slow down, kid! One question at a time. First off, don't call me 'sir.' Just Jeffrey, or Jeff. Or even 'old man' if you want to." He smirked. "And to answer your question, I was a singer. A pretty big one, too. But I used a stage name. Let's just say 'Jeffrey' isn't exactly the most exciting or catchy name for an artist."
"A stage name?" Kai repeated, his curiosity piqued. "What was it?"
Jeffrey's smirk grew wider. "Don't you want to get into the entertainment industry? Come on, give me a guess or two."
Kai huffed, a small smile tugging at his lips despite himself. "Were you ever part of a band, or were you always a solo artist?"
"What is this, 20 Questions?" Jeffrey teased, laughing. "I was always solo. Had a few collaborations, sure, but my music was mine and no one else's."
Kai furrowed his brows, thinking hard. There were plenty of artists in the '70s and '80s. The list is too long and with so many artists, it was too difficulty to narrow it down to a few guesses. So he decided to probe further
"Were you a big artist or an indie one?" He asked first to get a sense of the old man.
"Hmmm..... If I am being modest, I was a pretty big artist..... yeah definitely huge" The old man grinned at the teen.
Kai deadpanned. While Jeff couldn't see him, he certain sensed the look and laughed out loud. "What kid, I'm being honest you know!"
Putting aside the eccentric behavior, Kai hummed. 'Alright. Moderately to widely successful. While male, probably around 70 or 75 years of age, so should be in his early 20s during that time. He also mentioned that he was popular in the '80s too. So continued growth. But not '90s. Also he's blind and seems pretty used to it. His senses are well trained. So probably something could have happened during his career that maybe forced him into an early retirement. But who could it be?'
Kai's brain started going through all the famous artists from the '70s and'80s. Solo artists and otherwise just to be sure. He also started going through the most famous songs from that era. His brain's synapsis started rapid firing simultaneously. A name began to form in his mind, a faint memory of a legendary artist who had risen to fame in the late '70s and early '80s before abruptly disappearing from the limelight.
His heart raced as he hesitated, unsure if he was right.
'No! It can't be him right? There's no way. But he ticks all the boxes'. Unsure if his answer was correct, he still decided to guess.
"Zephyr," Kai murmured, the name barely audible.
Jeffrey's expression shifted, his smirk fading into a bittersweet smile. The name seemed to hang in the air, heavy with memories both joyful and painful.
"Nice to meet you, Kai," Jeffrey said softly, his voice carrying a mixture of pride and sorrow.
Kai's jaw dropped. He stared at the man in shock, unable to reconcile the humble, blind elder before him with the musical legend he admired.