They both were felt relieved after returning to the hostel and after conquering the steep stairwell again, the warmth emitted from the heater behind the till were brought to them by the warming glow of people passing-by them. The man with the smile as inviting as the sol españolI greeted them like familiar friends and asked about their short expedition. They exchanged a few conversations and left the two to their own business.
Cay bought long joints of cannabis from a “convenience store” apposite to the hostel as a last-minute decision when they stepped out of the tram. The twelve Euro worth of rolled-up plant leaves in smoking papers were wrapped neatly in a translucent plastic bag by the seller. Enjoy was the last word the man said to them when the two stepped out of the shop with the goods. It was obvious the smoking room behind the reception was occupied, the whiff of distinctive smoke only reminded them of why some people would visit Amsterdam. Judas never smoked cigarettes in his life. However, cannabis was a different entertainment, at least to most youths nowadays and it was an exception for him as well.
The scene behind the door was an expected one: people who were smoking, people rolling (or attempting to) the psychedelic leaves into steep cone-shaped joints with papers provided on the small and long wooden table, people with glassy-eyes and unconsciously still eyes staring towards anything, and no chatters. They walked in and were nearly ignored by everyone else, which was acceptable given the situation when half of the people were not fully aware or had not the need to.
Cay felt ashamed for not being able to produce a finely rolled joint as displayed by everyone in the room and had to procure a ready-made one by the dealer. Judas had offered his help, but Cay did not mind about the minor inconvenience before they went into the room. They did not say much as Cay quickly opened the sealed bag and brought a joint to his mouth, he lighted it before inhaling deeply. Tasting the smokiness of the ganja, he exhaled with relief. The nostalgic taste recalled the night before he departed for Gatwick Airport, when he was in a circle of acquaintances signing and passing joints amongst each other.
It only took a few minutes for Cay’s earlier anxiety to die down in a speed only obtainable through a mind losing its’ functionality, he relaxed more with each deep breath of burning greens he took in, exhaling the worries of the past and future. He passed it to his companion on the apposite side of the table, the latter did the same procedure as Cay and soon looked even more at ease when the puffing of smoke escaped his mouth. Cay took this opportunity to survey the room once again. At first, it felt awkward when they entered, at least to him. However, the self-consciousness faded away, out of the window opening along with the haze in exchange for the cool, wet breeze.
The room was in complete silence, only a few occasional coughs and dry snorting were sounded but had no disruption towards the conducting activities by each person. Their look was not an inviting sight, but who was to judge them, thought Cay. He would probably have the indistinguishable traits as the “stoner” in a matter time. Judas had been taking his time with drawing the smoke into his lungs, the psychedelic particles working their way into his blood stream and ultimately dominating the brain.
The thought of how humans were intelligent enough to utilise cannabis as a wonder drug to treat patients made Cay giggled subliminally. They would always find a way to maximise the usage of anything they could obtain: for pleasure or monetary incentives. He let the thought sink into his mind as he felt his consciousness slipping away little by little, his body solidifying in the very room just like any present individual.
*
Judas spent a few days staying in the patient room beside her unconscious mother on one of the hospital beds with its’ white linen bed sheets and pillowcase. He only left the room to eat (although he returned in a matter of 10 minutes every time) and to provide statements to visiting police officers. The latter patting his shoulder and attempted face-strong reassurance, mostly about arresting the culprits as soon as they had further leads.
It was during that time he was able to speak properly since coming back from Myanmar, although the conversation was mostly one-sided. The only responses were the shallow wheezes drawn into Alexandre’s mouth and through her slender neck, the latter hidden with the wrap of a cervical collar. The surgeon which spoke to him when he first arrived said it would take a few days before her mother would be fully-conscious, and a few good months before she could conduct complete unaccompanied activities. He believed the surgeon’s estimation as he was reminded from her covered right eye to her bruised ribs wrapped by medical dressing, it was a heartbroken sight to every child who saw her maternal parent, which was once healthy and full of emotions turned into shattered and nearly lifeless body.
The only recognizable features left by the assault were her dark blonde hair and her strong but delicate cheeks, her thin and bloodless lips, and her dainty but sharp nose, which looked out of place compared to the entirety of her state. He would kiss her on the four head that tasted familiar of aromatic sweat every night before he went back to the cushioned chair and slept, only to wake up feeling uncomfortable with the back of the neck filled with aching soreness, her mother still the same as before. The food at the hospital was manageable but his appetite was dictated by his hopefulness of the day.
A week later, a police detective by the name of Anderson Perkins gave Judas a further update about the investigation into his parent’s unfortunate incident. They were just outside of his mother’s hospital room when they spoke, both knowing that there would not be any difference if they had brought the matters inside, but Anderson insisted out of respect.
“Firstly, we know this was caused by a coincidental encounter by a group of robbers that were escaping from a convenience store they jus robbed.”, he looked into Judas’s tired but attentive eyes before continuing.
“We still couldn’t identify them yes due to the lack of evidence left in the scene where….”, he was not unsure whether to mention the place of the crime in details. He has not been in the field as much as his seniors and superiors, the delicacy of his heart only anticipated the listener’s feelings however urgent the news might be. He straightened his red tie up with his right hand before continuing.
“However, the incident was a unfortunate coincidence that your parents were caught up in the incident. The good news was that we have the store owner to help us find out who the perpetrators were. For now, there’re 4 people involved, all possibly in their teens by the description of the height as given by the store owner.”, He said it without ever pausing, the informant’s eyes were unhinged but begged for more information.
“I should leave you to your mother, then.”, he gripped Judas reassuringly firm by his left shoulder as they ended the report.
“We’ll catch them soon, I promise.”, the detective turned his back towards Judas and slowly faded from sight.
Judas reverted to his idleness once he was back in his room, His mother only visibly surviving as indicated by the complexity of the apparatus on both of her sides of the bed. He shadow casting on the floor by the seemingly warm glow of the fleeting sun.
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