"Are you sure about this?" Celia said as she checked the duffel bag she had packed for him.
"I am sure, Ma. Don't worry about me."
"How can you say that? How can I not be worried after all that has happened these past two months?
Simon smiled and slung an arm over her shoulder as he carried his bag with the other. "I mean, you shouldn't worry too much. I will be back before you even know that I am gone. I promise."
A sad look crossed her face but she nodded. "Just...please,"
Simon nodded as he saw where her eyes went. They both stood looking at the empty, high-backed chair.
The grey scarf was draped over the beige cushion as if awaiting its occupant.
Simon held Celia tighter to his side as he remembered the incidents of the past two months.
Gabriel Mathews was long dead before they could get him to the clinic.
Simon's family did not have a truck or car and their closest neighbours were not home.
Not that Simon had waited for long, as he immediately put Gabriel on his back with the help of Celia.
When they were halfway, someone helped them with a bike, and they soon got to the clinic where he was confirmed dead.
The doctor was not so sure if he actually died from his sickness or because of something else.
He just said a seizure was not a rare occurrence for someone who had been immobile for so long.
They had to take him back home and prepare for the funeral as soon as possible because there was no funeral home in the village.
Simon tried to call Mandy over and over on the only phone they had, but she didn't pick up the call.
Even Theo and Hans' father had attended the funeral.
Soon after that, Hans' father came calling for the $20,000 loan the family had borrowed from him to send to Mandy.
When they couldn't pay, Hans' father took the one thing that was used for the collateral. The land.
"I don't want you to fight them. I can't lose you too." Celia had said when Simon told her this was all a scheme to give the land to Theo.
So as not to upset his Ma, Simon agreed not to do anything.
So, while his Ma was still in mourning, he started working as a labourer on other people's farms so he could earn enough for their needs.
All the while, he plotted on getting their land back.
When he saw Theo's men building pigpens on the land, he said nothing.
Not even when Hans openly mocked his family's misfortunes did he say anything.
"They will all pay," he vowed to himself as he worked hard to help his Ma and cheer her up.
But it soon became clear to him that Celia would never be cheered until he did one important thing.
His Ma was getting thinner, not just because she was not eating much or grieving for her husband.
Celia was more worried because of her lost daughter.
"I will bring her back to you, Ma. I promise," he said with assurance in his tone.
Celia nodded just as a horn blasted loudly outside.
"That's Leo. I have to go. Ma, promise me you will eat? We have enough food at home now, and I will get more when we get back, so promise me."
"I promise," Celia said in a low tone.
Her skin looked even more sallow in the black overalls she had on and Simon hoped getting Mandy back would change things.
He quickly rushed out as the horn blasted once again.
He waved at his mother as Leo's plank truck pulled away.
He was worried about Celia, but he knew he had to go.
Theo and his accomplices have left them alone since they took the land. Simon just hoped it would stay like that.
After all, bullies don't need a reason to hurt others, do they?"
He thanked Leo again for giving him a lift and the latter grunted in response.
Leo was the owner of the only mini-sawmill in Papaville, and he hardly spoke much.
When Simon approached him, he didn't really expect much, yet he was surprised when Leo simply said, "I will be delivering planks in two days. Be ready by ten."
Simon was pulled out of his thoughts as they left the village behind, and he began to see some changes.
In all the twenty years he had lived in Papaville, his parents had never allowed him to go to the city.
He had been curious when he was still young, but then the urge had stopped long ago.
Now, he just wanted to work hard and get enough money to get their land back.
But as he saw the skyscraping buildings, several cars zipping by and more people than he had ever seen together in the village at once, Simon realised there was more to life than Papaville.
Leo soon dropped him off at a bustling area.
"You will be okay, right?" Leo asked.
"Yes, yes. I have enough to take me back home. Thank you for the lift."
"Okay then," Leo said before driving off.
Simon looked around to find a payphone.
Mandy had not been picking up their calls anyway, and he was sure there would be no point in thinking there would be a difference now.
A vendor pointed him towards one, and he quickly headed there.
One man was inside the box while two ladies stood outside.
One of them turned around, and her eyes widened as she automatically fluffed her red hair.
"Hey, are you not that..."
"What are you doing?!" the other asked as she saw Simon. "Why are you talking to a...thing like that? Uggh, what's that smell?" she asked no one in particular as she wrinkled her nose again.
The first one moved to her and whispered something in her ears.
Her eyes widened for a moment before she snorted, "What? Don't be ridiculous? How can you even think of that? That man is like the lofty sky, while this one is..." she paused as if she wanted to vomit before she continued, "... just like the worm in the poorest dirt. Where did you get that shirt from? You wrestled a homeless man for it? Oh, wait, what am I saying? You are the homeless man."
Simon couldn't believe that someone that beautiful would have such filthy words in her mouth.
He had thought that exception ended with Mandy. He could see now that he was wrong.
Before he could say anything else, the redhead said in a not-so-low tone; "What if he is, you know, ...him, but he is just pretending to be poor so he can find his true love? Just like in the..."
"Stop watching too much drama, will you? A rich prince? Ha! This one here can only be the prince of the homeless. You know what? I can't breathe the same air with this for another second. Let's leave now."
"But..."
"Let's go!"
Simon watched with confusion as the two of them walked away.
Then he looked down at his simple navy blue polo, khaki trousers and sandals.
Though they were not new, they were very clean.
His Ma had even used her soda soap to wash it specially, and he had kept it beneath his pillow for two days so it would smoothen out like it was ironed.
The man using the phone was done so he moved closer to enter.
The man suddenly pushed him back as he said, "Back off, man. You stink. I bet you must be one of those wannabes from the village, asshole."
The man immediately called a cab, then he stuck his middle finger out to Simon as the car drove away.
"What is wrong with everyone?" Simon wondered as he went to the glass-and-metal payphone.
He fed the coins in and dialled the number.
It rang almost immediately and the call was soon picked up.
"Hello?" a sweet voice said from the other end.
It was so unexpected that Simon almost thought he had dialled the wrong number.
Then he remembered how Mandy had used this same tone when she was speaking to that man that day.
"Mandy? This is Si..."
"What the hell? You are stalking me with different numbers now? What is wrong with you?!" she yelled into the phone.
"Mandy, wait... Pa is..."
"If you don't stop disturbing me with calls, I will... sue all of you for disturbing my peace! Nonsense!"
The disconnecting tone sounded before Simon could say anything else.
He tried the number again and again, but she didn't pick up.
When Simon saw others waiting outside the payphone, he immediately left.
"What would I do now?" he thought as he began to realise the extent of his problem.
He didn't know where she was living.
And if she wouldn't speak with him for long on the phone, then there was no way he could tell her that Pa was dead and make her come home.
Simon thought of looking for another payphone down the lane so he could call back.
He was just passing in front of a mall when he saw a couple step out through the massive revolving door.
"Mandy?!" he called out with disbelief.