The next day, I went to school like how normal teenage girls would. When I stepped out of my house gate, I saw Zale watering some plants while whistling. His house was two houses away from mine. After a few seconds of staring, Zale looked up and saw me. I had no idea what to do so I just waved my hand. Zale smiled and waved back. Then he opened his gate and walked towards me.
"You're going to school?" Zale asked.
"Yeah!" I replied half excitedly
"Can I come with? My dad asked me to take care of some things with the teachers there."
"Oh sure, why not. It's always great to have a company" i said and smiled.
"Great! Wait here, I'll take some documents." He went inside his house and grabbed some documents next to his house door.
"Okay. Let's go." he said when he came back.
Both of us strolled down the path to school. Of course, first we have to go to Dean Enright Station and take a train from there to school. Zale was walking right beside me. Although I just met him yesterday, he's the kind of guy that has the warmth of hospitality and I'm kind of glad we made friends.
"You slept well last night?" he started.
"Yeah, all thanks to you . . . How long?" I asked
"Pardon?"
"How long were you there, watching me?" I said painfully.
"Long enough to see him leave you in the rain."
I was silent mostly because I didn't know what to say. Zale - a total stranger whom I didn't know before - helped me in my weakest time. That's seriously something to be pondered about. We were walking in awkward silence as we pass through a park. Suddenly, a kid - not more than 7 - came upon us crying.
"Waaaaaaah!!" the kid cried
Zale knelt down and asked "What's wrong?"
"My mom! She left me! Waaaaaaah!!" the kid cried again
"Hey, it's alright. We'll find your mom soon enough, okay?" Zale said and made a promising smile. That obviously got the kid's attention because he kept quiet after that.
"Come on, let's buy you an ice cream." Zale ensured the kid again that he'll be alright and went to an ice cream stand. Then, he signaled me if I wanted any ice cream or not. Of course I said no, but he still bought three ice creams and gave one to the kid. Both of us agreed to stay and wait for the kid's mom to arrive. So we sat on a bench. Zale handed me a blueberry ice cream he bought. I whispered a thank you to Zale.
Shortly after that, the kid's mom arrived. He hugged her so tight, we didn't really have any doubts about the woman being his mom. She thanked us and offered some money as a token of appreciation but Zale quickly declined. Then, the kid stepped up towards Zale.
"Big brother! Thanks for finding my mom! Here, have this!" the kid said and handed Zale some kind of a locket. Zale hesitated at first but took it as the kid insisted.
The woman thanked us again and departed with her smiling kid. Zale opened the locket to find a slip of paper under a glass slide. The words Mar and Ed were written on the paper separated by a thin line.
"Mared?" Zale looked at me in confusion and I returned him the same look.
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