Looking at one of the Dutch Impressionist’s later painting brought back recent memories of his parents, at least what they were before they were harmed, humiliated, and died. The work Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds recalled the memories of a posing growth of slowness and thoughtfulness.619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqZHfUZMUb
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Cay was going through the paintings like an amateur connoisseur, he would not dare judge his companion more if he could not see through the feelings of Van Gogh as his more developed works were made. Probably just sadness in the last stages of blooming. The museum was an articulately designed building that just so happened to be the centre of the artistic side of Amsterdam. Lookers scrutinising the paintings in different pace and expressions; facilitators expressing their thoughts about the images with levels of enthusiasm. It must be interesting, to be working at a solemn place containing the legacy of a diseased artist.
His memory did not bring sadness but emptiness and chaos to his body, the recollection sending an inhibited shockwave throughout his body, especially his quivering mouth. He did not show but looked on. Cay with his usually strolling, he could imagine his fingers running through the paintings without the consequences, lolling peacefully under the steel and cement ceiling built solely for the impressionist and the comfort of people. It did not take long before their tour was finished and after the tour guide gave handshakes to the followers, they left.
Cay had a few plans for the city while Judas excused himself to be excluded, mentioning that he would be traveling to the opposite directions and visiting different places. They scheduled a place to meet after their own ordeal and left for their own destinations of interest. Cay by a rented black bicycle, Judas by feet. He was wearing his casual brown leather shoes that afternoon. The cobblestones reminded him of Bath during his conversations with Cay when they were on the flight from Gatwick Airport. His friend laid out the details in meticulous form from the uneven paths of access to the rough grains of the sandstone bricks, he could almost picture himself strolling in the alleyways of the small city. He was thankful for his travel companion not for his attention to certain details but his considerate quietness even when they both did not need. It was as if they were in synchronisation when the time was right, it was crave-worthy.
He gave himself rest when he was at Sloother-Noordoost, a residential part of western Amsterdam where buildings are standardly the same height and children and mothers could be seen at lively parks, the greenery was an urbane planned design and the atmosphere felt neutral. He sat down on a bench just along a small road, there were kids who noticed him but did not take time to linger around since he was no one of interest, which would not bother him any other way. Business was as of usual even though he had not been there for long but could imagine the mundane but comfortable daily life there. His hand held onto a lukewarm coffee made cool by the brisk breezes and unprotective paper cup. His schedule was not tight, he could expense his time here, to gaze and to slow down.
The man wondered about the past commitments and chuckled at the past with a deepened thought, he carefully recalled and tidied himself mindfully for there were people occasionally walking past apposite of the side of the road. They acted as anchoring distraction before the next stroller-by, he was glad that there were some realities to keep his close to how he was acting. His cool-minded face storing up the tensions that would sometimes leak from uncovered cracks of his features.
Think for yourself for just a moment, Judas, he thought to himself. It was not as his someone would just swoop by and just give him an uninvited but unusually warm hug anytime soon.
*
It was not long before the authorities apprehended the perpetrators. Judas was called by the policeman who visited him at the hospital while his mother was still under the influence of what happened before she was admitted.
Alexandre was in no condition nor was she mentally prepared to see the people who had killed her husband, so only Judas went. Detective Anderson Perkin greeted him with a worried look. He made the statement short to the young man before leading him through a room with a glass view of 4 kids sitting on a table in another room. Most of them looked anxious, a girl was crying and one of the boys was just staring into the glass panel absent-mindedly, not that he could see whoever was looking back at him from the other side.
Judas was conflicted as soon as he saw their young features, part of him wanted to blame them for what they had done but another broke down into scattered confusion.
“We’re still questioning them about what happened that night.”, Anderson looked at the kids, his side of the eyes could be noticed looking at Judas for any sort of registration of what he said.619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFLXsjLWkh
“We have reasons to believe that they were under the influence when it happened.”619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IKkXRzJPz
“It happened”, Judas repeated the two words as if they held a heavy place in his mind.
The detective had been carefully weeding out words that might cause any harm, he tried explaining the incident in general details, which some people might have taken it for inconsideration if not for his tone.619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbkC7pgcTT
“Can I see them?”619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeR5xtQ7n4B
“You’re looking at them now.”, Anderson replied with a lingering thought.619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfFHBpYStx
“No, not like this.”619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtSFvrcObn
“I understand.”, he led him through the exit door before seconds of contemplation.619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MWiR3G9mV
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The detective left him in a different room unlike the interrogative one where the kids were held and told him to wait for him to be back, a plastic cup with a recyclable signed imprinted on the lower side was left in front on him while he sat nervously on one side of the table. The children were brought in a few minutes later, they did not have a surprised looked probably because the detective have told beforehand who they were meeting next.619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbIWHdjRlF
Anderson mentioned their names starting from the boy of the left to the girl on the right, Jake was the one who had a staring look earlier. As soon as Libby saw Judas’s face, he already tear-stricken face broke down in an instant downfall of moisture, it only made the entire room more stagnant than it already was. Judas scanned through the table of people as the detective spoke to him, not registering what he said, occasionally nodded when it seemed like a question. Anderson had empathy for him while kept a degree of authority over the kids who killed his father and gravely injured his fragile mother.
“Detective.”, he asked when it seemed appropriate.619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5JLthkMxG
“Yes?”619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZcy4XIuLF
“Could you leave us for a moment.”619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuk3DEczGX
619Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomPTvrrgNU
Anderson considered for a moment and said he would be outside if he needed him and left with another officer.
