When he inserted the key and turned it, he noticed that the door was already unlocked. He pushed the knob open but the lights inside were all off.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOliZmSs5V
"Mom?" He called out. He saw her shoes sprawled at the floor and picked it up. He placed them in the rack beside the door and untied his shoes.
"Mom?" he called out again. He turned on the lights and still found the kitchen and living room empty. He took a deep sigh. He placed down his bag in the nearby chair and went to his brothers room. 336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWENOZchBO
He checked the room and found it empty. His mother's room was empty as well. The bathroom was empty as well, exasperated, he went into his room to change. When he was finished he thought of giving his mother a thorough rant about leaving the door open. 336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jdUKCwNfC
He was mumbling to himself as he went back to get his phone in his bag when he heard a moan somewhere. He froze. A chill passing through down to his feet. He didn't turn on the lights in the living room leaving the space in the dark.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZ6g2aaRrF
"Rook?"
No answer. Samuel took a deep breath before-
"STOP MESSING AROUND!!"
Giving out a shriek, a shadow bolted sit up right from the couch.
The sudden movement made her head throb so much her hands immediately went to her temples to massage them out. With a moan, she opened one eye and glanced at her son a distance away.
"For Christ sake Samuel, stop shouting."
"Mom!"
"Obviously I was knocked out! Leave the old lady alone." She said before lying slowly back into her position on the couch.
"Do you want tea?" Samuel calmly said, relieved that she was finally home from days of working in the studio. 336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OhG6xyjjf
His mother only groaned in response.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2g6FGb44rj
Samuel went to the kitchen and made as little noise as possible. He started by taking out the ingredients from the counter and honey from the fridge. He cut up some pieces of ginger and placed it in a pot half filled with water. He nearly forgot about placing some cinnamon to it before turning on the stove. When it was done, he poured the contents inside a metal teapot. He then poured the honey on it and tasted twice if it reached the right amount of sweetness his mother liked.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDDfZHKRgu
"Your brother?" his mother said in the living room.
"Probably in school. His exams are coming."
"How's school?" She said in a breath. She moved her body in a more comfortable position and stretched her limbs.
"Fine."
"How suspicious~" she said chuckling a bit.
"Ha. Ha." Samuel stirred the tea one more time before pouring it on a glass tea cup. He placed the cup and teapot on a metal tray then took them to the living room. The smell of her favorite tea made her open her heavy lids and sat right up. Her stomach suddenly rumbling. She whined to Samuel "No biscuits?"336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7sDzsibVZ
"No." Samuel placed a plate of two cinnamon bread instead. She gasped and grabbed one before he could place it on the coffee table. "Geez, have you been fasting while you worked? Not like you gained a gram or anything."
"Are you dissing me?"
Samuel just shrugged and started back to get his bag. "Oh, and uncle has been calling you for a day now, saying that he couldn't contact you. It's about the project."
His mother pondered for a while.
"Just to update you, the graduation is next week. He's going to be out of the city for a few days with his friends."
"Samuel... I-"
"If you can't come, that's alright."
"That's not what I mean. I was about to ask what graduation gift you would like to have."
"I don't know."
"Surely, you have one."
"I'll think about it."
"As for your graduation, Solomon and I are gonna be present." she said throwing it out on the table, figuratively.
Samuel smiled bitterly at her. He grabbed his bag and went to his room.
With him out of an earshot, the place suddenly felt empty and quiet. She scanned the rest of the unit with her eyes, the boys kept their promise of keeping the unit clean, as usual. 336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjodsNasOU4
People would think it's unusual for independent boys living in a minimalistic and clean home. She chuckled inside her head. The plants in the balcony were looked well after by her older son, her string of pearls were alive and thicker. Some herbal ones didn't seemed to be used and was just grown as it is. The only clutter evident that someone was living in there was their rooms. Samuel didn't close his door making the light escape in the hall. 336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhjkRwIGef
It was the opposite environment of what she was used to in the past days. All the sound of clothes rustling, buzzing of the sewing machine, chatter of the people, calls, meeting clients, a busy and upbeat world. This sudden comparison made her feel small and pushed around a corner. It made her calm and be part of the world, the real world as an average by bypasser.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RkShOWTWC
This project Solomon was calling after was the fifth biggest one she had done since her 20's in the university. It was part of her of being so immersed and challenged in her work... or rather the role she didn't even find as work.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcaabMKo5v
She took a deep sniff of the tea and sighed. This is her world, the one under the spotlight, the shadow.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn59IQS9PNe
Samuel is going to be in college soon. How time fly fast, as they said. She remembered the days when he was younger, went to middle school, tried modeling, dodged the media, kept a red hair every summer, and he might even move out if he wants to. He was living a life cut off from hers. She doesn't think she lacked as a parent to her children, they grew up to be handsome men as their father. Now, mentioning about her husband made a heavy pang on her chest.
"I'm thinking too much, aren't I Dmitri?" She gave out a small smile as she took a sip of her tea.
When she finished eating, she dragged herself to her room at the other end of the hall to get some clothes. She went inside the bathroom nearby her bedroom and took a quick wash. She looked at herself in the mirror and stared at her reflection. Her face wasn't as youthful as before, probably because of the stress she has been exposed to, her eye lashes and brows aren't as thick, and grey hair had started to grow behind her ears. She really is growing old.
I might be a little advance but I want to visit you soon. She thought to herself.
She then dried her hair, took her pills and went to sleep.
Since he was no longer burdened with school work, Samuel spent his free time surfing the net, reading some news and checking out his chosen university once again. 336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaq1bpCsc9
He felt that he had enough and turned off his laptop. The living room was dark as usual when he stepped out of his room and the kitchen empty with only the buzzing sound from the refrigerator. 336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQORGw0Sku1
Samuel completely forgot his mother was home and went out of the unit with his keys. He brought with him his wallet and phone, deciding for a short walk around the neighborhood or if not around some place with people, just anywhere his thoughts wouldn't bother him. As he locked the door, he checked out the time on his phone before walking alone in a deserted hall.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9ngCSJiBA
He pressed the button down as he waited for the elevator to arrive. It was 8 in the evening.
He was alone in that wide well manicured space at the ground floor. He saw how different the vibes were from building to building. He found it fascinating. 336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOlpnNwVI8
He went on to walk at the main bridge where the smell of the sea was stronger than usual. He looked up to a cloudy sky and a full moon stared down back at him as well. The cold breeze made his skin crawl, snapping him back into reality.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygI758wRvB
He walked faster and crossed his arms for warmth. There were few people in bikes and some who were walking at the side of the bridge as well, all of them looking like they had came back from work except for him.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1x0YIYDjH
"SHIT."
He cursed out loud and started half- running when a light shower of rain came drifting to the bridge. He didn't thought that the heavy clouds from the city would get so fast in his area. He hesitated of going back to the condominium where no one else was around. His brother was surely going to hang out with his friends later or even right at this moment. He wasn't sure what he was doing. Nikolai was too busy to update or check up on him.
Oh shit, my phone!
He ran faster when he thought about getting his phone wet. He took off his checkered navy green polo and covered his head with it. He had a thin cotton shirt underneath. 336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIPVWczVoR
The more he ran the more intense the rain got. Samuel began cursing constantly in his head when it got too dark to see where he was going, the bridge wasn't that long, and the lights of the vehicles on his left provided temporary guide. The lights on the bridge was working fine but the intense rain made things darker. 336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QAGGB0Cm2
Samuel was getting scared that the bridge seemed to be longer than he imagined, the vehicles seemed to pass by him differently, the rain darker, and the wind colder. He stopped moving, his breath heavy from all the running. And stood still.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhC50HCm0ci
