As the door creaked open, she turned back to me. “well aren’t you coming?” She asked. “That’s it?” I asked confused. “Yes…now hurry up, the rain’s about to fall, and for the look and smell of you, you’ll need a shower to enjoy some rest when it falls.”

I checked my weather app, and there was no indication of rain in sight, which left me as confused as anyone.

The old lady carried me through her house, which was decorated. On my left was the sitting area, which had one couch, and two separate chairs divided by a coffee table. On the wall, to the left of the sofa, was a divider. It had two dozen ceramic art pieces of porcelain-style make, which were divided into eight different levels.

Out of all of them, the one that caught my eye the most, was the slanted trident, which was embedded into what seemed to be a limestone rock, and a man, crouched upon it, like a god. Interesting I mused.

I continued following the old lady down the corridor, passing a storage room on the left, then the kitchen on our right, then the bathroom on our left again.

She opened a white door at the end of the corridor, and we went down a small flight of stairs. Then, she went right. The soothing feel of the grass as I stepped on it, gave my knees the cushion I needed as I followed the old lady to a small shed at the back of her house.

The shed was small and built of wood. It was neatly designed and painted yellow, with three windows sitting beside the white door. She fished into her pocket, unlocking the door.

I was hit with the strong scent of sunflower and pesticide. The old woman turned to me after flicking the lights. “Sorry about the scent. I didn’t know I’d have someone staying. It’s a bit dusty, so I’ll clean up a bit.”

“There’s no need for that. I just need the bed.”

The old woman began cleaning, completely ignoring my words as if I was some brat, she could ignore. The old lady clicked a switch, which was to the right of the light switch and mist began to fall from the faucets above us. “Steam clean.” The old lady said, “it’ll be finished in fifteen minutes.”

I stuck out my tongue, to get a quick whiff of the steam. It tasted like sunflower butter. No wonder in here smelt of the sunflower I noted. “Careful with that steam it has pesticides woven in, alright?

I nodded at the old woman, whilst she went to the back of the shed and began changing the bedsheets. “I have some tea brewing, the cups are on the counter bring two for me.”

The way back inside was short, but I knew the old lady wanted to just shoo me away from her cleaning, so I obliged, returning with the tea.

The scent of peppermint was unusually thick and fresh, and my mouth water instantly. Not that I complained, I genuinely preferred tea over coffee, which for some reason most people within the city couldn’t live without, synthetic or natural.

The chattel house was sparkling clean, which left me dumbfounded. I only left for a mere five minutes but came back to a room beaming with colour and a strong sunflower scent.

The old woman had already made herself comfortable by the table, which was on the right, looking through the window where a pea tree was outside.

The cool sound of the rustling leaves was soothing to my ears, and as I laid the tea in front of her, I sat down. “Drink up, you’ll feel much better, trust me,” The old lady said, smiling with her eyes. I scoffed a laugh and shook my head. “…there’s nothing in his world that’ll make me feel better,” I said.

It was a lie. Having Hannah and Shin-Lee would quell the sorrow I felt. Ease the pain that throbbed throughout my body. Hannah’s smile and giggle could empty my sorrow with the gentlest of hugs, whilst Shin-Lee’s scent would evaporate all my wounds.

That. That is what I truly needed. Them. My family.

“Lost can do that son.” The old woman said, startling the shit out of me. “Lost?” I asked confused. “Yes. Lost. I know it when I see the child. You think you hide it well beneath that stone-cold face of yours, but you flash like a child’s smile. I’ve lived 80 years. I think I know when someone’s hiding their loss.”

“This is my permanent face.” I lied.

“Then why does your face have smile creases across your face? You can’t make those with scowling alone.”

“Surgery.”

The old woman cupped my cheeks, then firmly caressed my face like a doctor searching for anomalies in my face. “It’s well done, perfectly mirrored.”

“Perfectly mirrored?” I asked confused.

“You lost half of your face right?”

“Body.”

“Right…body. You lost half your face and the doctor mirrored the right side of your skull, to match your left.”

“You got all of that from touching me?”

“How else would I know? I don’t have an X-Ray eye.”

“You sure about that? Your eyes smile naturally, they make me feel naked.”

“That’s of your imagination child.” She said firmly. “I won’t ask you questions, but I’ll tell you a story so listen carefully.”

As the steam from the tea wafted around the air, the old lady took big a gulp before starting her story, once the tea had settled in her stomach, virility appeared within her eyes and she looked at me with stern eyes. “There was a little boy who once found a stone, sphere in shape, but feather in weight. It was grey, with blue circular markings which made it different from anything stone he’d seen. Usually, he’d flicked stones across the water surface, counting each skip, but no, this stone was too pretty to throw, so he stuffed in his pocket and carried it home. Like a big secret. Once he got home, he opened his lock-it drawer and tossed the stone in there. The next day, he went back to the riverside again and found another stone, this time, it was black, crooked and had green streaks, like moss. He hated it! So he tossed it in the river, skipping it across the water surface. When he got home, tired from playing, he rushed to open his locked drawer…only to find the black stone with green stripes sitting where his grey stone with blue streaks should be.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, confused by the story. “Of course, you are, exactly like the little boy. He thought he had the stone he wanted but when he got home, it wasn’t there.”

“Did he throw it in the river?”

“Maybe…it’s all down to your interpretation son. But the most important thing you should notice was, when he got back, the stone was gone. How did that make you feel?”

“I don’t know…like a fool?”

“…do you think that’s how he felt?”

“Yes…yes, I do.”

“Right.”

“Did he go back to the river to look for the stone?”

“I don’t know.”

“…wait, is that how the story ends?”

“Yes”

“The ending makes no sense…”

“It does make sense, to you, did he give up after he found that rock, did he go looking for another rock? It makes sense, because of what he did, or your interpretation, don’t you think?”

“I’m not sure,” I grunted, feeling annoyed.

“Well tell me, child, what would you have done, if you came home to find something you didn’t expect.”

Shin-Lee and Hannah-Lee, “I’d look for them.” I answered.

“Them?” The old lady asked confused.

“Yes. I’d look for them”

“I see…and how would you find them?”

“Find out how they were taken?”

“How…and not why?”

“I know why. It is like a stone. I’m sure if the boy had appreciated the ugly stone more, he would’ve been able to keep the pretty one. The stones might’ve been a pair, once they’re separated, they turn black and ugly.”

The old woman lips creased into a knowing smile, and she nodded her head approving of what I said. “Well said, so is that the lesson you took from this?”

“Yes…and no, I’m still trying to rationalise it in my head, but that was the only thing that came thus far.”

“I see.” She answered, nodding once more. She got up from her chair after taking one final gulp of her tea, then pushed her chair from behind her. “If you think you’ve found your answer, I hope it’s not in that box,” she said, pointing with her nose.

Heh, I even forgot I had it in my hand. I mused bitterly. “It isn’t.”

“Good.”

She walked through the door, leaving me to my machinations. I stuffed the box with more ice, ensuring the Shin-Lee’s finger didn’t deteriorate any further and plunked myself on the bed.

I stared at the ceiling for hours, not realising how time had passed, pondering on the story The old woman told me, other than what I told her.

Nothing came to me and it was frustrating. However, after two more hours of fretting, I finally dozed off to sleep…getting some form of rest I truly needed.