I took cautious, measured steps toward the noise, my heart thudding in my chest. As I approached the corner, I peeked around the doorway, half-expecting to find an intruder.
Instead, I was met with a puzzling sight—a shattered vase lay in pieces on the floor, surrounded by scattered pumpkin seeds and pulp. A half-opened pumpkin sat nearby, its insides partially scooped out.
And right beside it was a cat, its fur a messy blend of grays and whites. Its head was buried deep inside the pumpkin, munching away without a care in the world.
I blinked, momentarily stunned by the bizarre scene. "You... did all this?" I muttered, unable to help the disbelief in my voice.
The cat pulled its head out, its face smeared with pumpkin, and looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes. It gave a small meow before returning to its messy feast.
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Just... great."
I crouched down near the cat, "Here... kitty, kitty."
I expected it to run far away from me, but instead, it gave me a "shut up" look. I frowned and crawled closer, expecting— no, hoping it'd scurry out of the house. But this confident and stubborn creature, kept munching on its food without even bothered in the slightest.
After a few minutes, when it was full, it laid down near the fireplace on a soft cushion, as if it owned the place. Miss Gertie came out, yawning and caught sight of the cat. An amused smile played on her lips as she turned her gaze to me. "What a cute little thing."
"It messed up the kitchen," I spoke, slightly irritated.
"It must have been starving for who knows how long," she said in her usual soft and calm tone, carrying a hint of pity.
"Yeah..."
Her gaze shifted to the apples' basket that I was holding. I followed her gaze and smiled, "Bought these for you."
"Thank you, dearie," she smiled tenderly.
"Uhm... Miss Gertie?"
"Yes, dear?"I paused, hesitated but spoke in a tone filled with gratitude. "I never thanked you properly, for all that you have done for me. Living this whole year with you, spending every moment with you, was the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm grateful for everything... your care, your support and... your love. I love you like any daughter would love her mother.
"Miss Gertie smiled warmly, "Oh dear, you are my daughter..."
We shared a hug, filled with compassion and love. Just then, I felt a bite on my leg and shrieked, looking down to see the damn cat who I swear, was smirking like that boy Tom.
Miss Gertie chuckled, her voice filled with amusement as she spoke, "She seems to have taken a liking to you."
"As if..." I scowled.
The cat walked stylishly like a diva, pushing open the window and jumping out. "Good riddance..." I muttered to myself.
Miss Gertie and I spent the rest of the day together as we usually did. I helped her selling medicines and ointments as we talked and complained about Raylin and her awful routine. She was sort of a mystery, one that's hard to see through. Though, the real mystery still remained, who was that hooded man I met an year ago?
After a month, Miss Gertie told me about a festival that was taking place in the kingdom of Veliton. I was quite excited, but Raylin... let's just say we have a different way of thinking. I thought I'd go and buy gifts for Miss Gertie and make new friends, while Raylin would fulfill her duty as a prostitute.
Miss Gertie knew a man named Joseph who she introduced us, as a rich merchant. He was the one who took us to the kingdom. As we stepped out of the cart, I was met with a captivating sight. The kingdom's streets were decorated with roses, tulips, hyacinths and plenty more flowers. The people were laughing, chatting, dancing, and playing musical notes on lutes and lyres.
Raylin left Miss Gertie and I alone to find herself a man. I walked through the streets holding onto Miss Gertie's hand as we walked through the crowd. I sat beside Miss Gertie on a bench and spoke in a voice full of awe. "Amazing, right?"
"Indeed." She replied, nodding her head. I could tell she was just as excited as I was.
I got up, "I'll go get some drinks, stay here."
"Sure, honey."
As I walked around, I met new people. Though they were brief conversations, I still felt contented as it had been quite long since I last interacted with strangers. The people back in the black market were rude and grumpy, but these people, they were nice and kind.
I bought some jewelry for Miss Gertie and... Raylin, though I hate to admit it, she is like a sister after all. As I walked further, I found a stall with formal men clothing. It reminded me of Tom... who wore dirty and baggy clothes.
I purchased some clothes for him, some souvenirs, and food. I bought two drinks and made my way back to Miss Gertie. She smiled at my return and took the drink from my hand.
We drank silently for a while before Miss Gertie broke the silence.
"You know... I saw some fresh, red apples here." She spoke in an amused tone.
"I've noticed. I'll buy some."
"Sure. In the meantime, I'll buy some other herbs or ingredients." She paused before winking at me, "Pick the best ones."
"Will do!" I waved at her before walking away.
As I wandered around in the streets once again, I caught sight of the apple stall and bought plenty. The apples were red, juicy and cheap! I placed the apples in the basket and made my way through the crowd.
I spotted a few children playing tag and slowly stepped towards them. "Hi," I spoke in a friendly tone.
The children were shy and started fidgeting, but one of them, a girl spoke up, "Hiiii!" Her voice enthusiastic and friendly.
I shook her hand, and at the sight of her, the children started to relax. One by one, they came up to me, shook my hand and introduced themselves. Afterwards, they started to laugh and play again. I smiled warmly and turned to leave but I tripped on a twig and fell right into some strong arms.
My basket fell on the ground and the apples scattered everywhere. I held the arms tightly as I looked up to see...