The apartment felt like a soft embrace, in the quiet room with notebook, pen, and soft lighting from the lamp.
A hand moves slowly, sometimes writing sometimes halt for a brief moment. That hand moves again, writing something in a notebook.
"Sigh…"
A weary sigh can be heard then the hand stopped, a man with silver gray hair can be seen, his gray eyes looking at the notebook that he's writing at, "how long has it been since the incident?."
"Two years…? Three…? Five…?"He muttered, his posture looked tired and composed, his gaze filled with nostalgia and Reminiscence of the past.
He continues his writing in the note book, while he still vividly remembers how that incident occurred. The pen that he's holding roamed across the paper, forming a sentence each time.
Even though still scribbling and writing something in the notebook, clearly his mind has drifted off to the past where everything began.
5 Years Ago
Allen Rainsfeld POV
A boy is seen walking in the estate enjoying the soft sunlight that envelopes him, a gentle smile plastered on his face looking ahead.
There was a girl's soft laugh, her beautiful blonde hair fused with sunlight, her blue eyes clear like the ocean looking at the boy behind her. "Brother what do you think we should paint today?," she asked with a confused look.
"I don't know, lately I don't have inspiration or feeling to paint maybe another time Erika, "I said to her looking at her eyes. "But I feel like trying another thing to pass time."
Erika looked confused, her hands crossing as she pondered. "Um… ugh, I don't know, brother. How about you just accompany me to paint, pretty please?" she gave up pondering.
I chuckled a bit at her reaction, "Hahaha..." clearly amused, "Okay let me accompany you paint then, you like a little kitten."
Erika looked at me angrily and grumbled, but still took my hand and led me away. To the art room where one of the most visited in the estate, When we entered, the scent of oil and flower hitting me.
She hurriedly took a seat and began focusing on her painting, while I sat by the window, looking outside before turning my gaze back to Erika. Her hand moved slowly across the canvas, the paintbrush pressing gently as it glided, leaving trails of color behind.
Slowly the image in the canvas began to form then Erika put down her paintbrush gazing at the painting. It depicted a boy holding golden wheat, standing in the middle of a wheat field. A gentle smile was plastered on his face, as if he were looking directly at her..
"How's that, brother? My painting's good, right?" she said, a smug grin forming on her lips. I stepped closer and studied the canvas.
"Hmm… good, good. Just passable," I teased. "Hmph…" she muttered under her breath, clearly dissatisfied.
I composed trying to hide but clearly my eyes looking at her amused, "Okay, okay. Your painting is excellent. Can we decorate it to hang on the wall or just keep it here?" i ask waiting her answer She shook her head.
"No, just leave it here. By the way brother, can you paint something too?, i want to see it?,"
I replied with a nod even though I didn't feel like painting and sat beside her taking another canvas and began painting.
Sat quietly before the canvas, holding my brush as I began to move. Spreading soft colors across the surface. Stroke by stroke, the image formed a young man standing among flowers, bathed in gentle sunlight, his gaze lowered. Flowers and petals drift around him, and I then stopped putting down the paintbrush.
Erika looked at the painting with awe, "Brother your paint still beautiful as always hehe," her smile blossomed taking her gaze to me, "Lets keep our painting together," didn't wait for my response she took our painting and placed it in the side.
The paintings are placed on the side of the wall with others. There are paintings of white rabbit hiding in the root of a tree, a woman walking in an alley, or a man in a trench coat on the roadside.
"Really brother, you should try to paint more, why are you lately rare to paint," Erika asks clearly confused, "well it's because I became interested in something else so it's seldom to see me here."
"Huh, interested in what?" she asked, her curiosity piqued and wondering what thing her brother was interested in, "Nothing much, just interested in cooking that's all," I answered.
Unconsciously, her hand touched my forehead, "brother did you catch a cold?" Her question made me speechless and I replied with a pinch to her cheek with my hand, "hey erika do you think your brother is what huh, why did you ask that?."
Her face stretched moving along my hand, "ouch, stop it okay im sorry didnt know that you interested in that," she answered quickly afraid that a little longer will make her cheek so red.
We bickering back and forth until the door cracked open, now standing inside is our parents looking at us, "fufufu, my my looks like you guys quite so close," our mother said teasingly.
Erika abruptly pushed me to the side, "mother what are you saying, brother clearly bullying me," she complained, "he is so mean to me," she continued.
Our parents only replied with a low chuckle while I was giggling, Erika only looked at me resentfully and sigh in defeat, "well I just want to tell you guys, your father and mother will go to work ," she said after composing herself.
Our father nodded to confirm, "good for you guys after our work is done we can go out to play," he said, " just wait for us to come back," then they closed the door as the footsteps were fading away.
"Something seemed off," I thought when they walked away. I don't know why my heart feels uneasy, maybe I just have too much though, I am calming myself.
After that, Erika continued to chat with me for some hours, then he requested for me to make her food, as she thinks that her brother is good at cooking.
I complied and walked toward the kitchen while Erika went to the dining table, "hmm maybe just omelet for her," I said and began to prepare ingredients.
Two eggs, a splash of milk, a pinch of salt, and little pepper are set on the counter. A small onion and a few chopped vegetables wait nearby ready to add flavor.
Putting the pan on the stove and warming it, I crack and whisk the eggs until smooth. Pouring it into the pan, listening to the gentle sizzle as it spreads, with careful motion I folded the omelet and vegetables inside.
Putting it into a plate and presenting it to erika clearly waiting with eyes that look like drooling, "C'mon eat it."
Ring...
Ring...
Ring…
Phone ringing from the nearby table, our house phone used when receiving news or related to that. I walked to the table as Erika began to enjoy her food.
"Yes this is Rainsfeld family estate, with Allen speaking," I said as a small sound came out from the phone as I listened attentively, "Huh, that's... impossible," my hand went rigid as my body completely still didn't believe what the other side said.
I forcefully closed the phone to deny the information I received, and walked hurriedly to exit, "Erika lets go, follow me," Erika in her half eaten food put down her fork and followed me.
She didn't know what made me agitated but followed silently even though she was confused. We walked towards a car and drove it away as our family does not own only one vehicle.
After some minutes, we arrived at the hospital and I led Erika to one of the wards, "Is, is that really true?" my voice came out hesitant and disbelief when we encountered the doctor who recently quit the room.
The doctor didn't answer immediately but looked at us with sadness, "Mr. Rainsfeld, I'm sorry you have to hear this news," the doctor began to explain what the information he got.
The news he delivers will be remembered for a long time, that sadly our parents met an incident while they were driving in the road, it was a car crash with the other car driving fast when our parents passed the traffic light, they received the impact head on collision that killed them.
My body became still like statue sadness and the unease in feeling back then overwhelmed me. Erika started crying on my side when hear the news. As the doctor walked away we opened the door and walked inside.
The smell of disinfectant and medicine filled the room, but our focus was only on two white cloths that covered bodies on the mattress.
"Dad, mom...," Erika cried while walking towards the beds, while I silently walked beside her, "No no no, this can't be happening, brother... daddy and mommy" she began to cry more, her hand reaching towards their cold hands.
My sadness overhelm me. It looks like I weep in silence, remembering the morning when our parents said goodbye and that feeling uneasy.
After some minutes weeping in silence my hand reached erika's shoulder, "Erika please wait here yeah," didn't wait for a reply walking away from her.
Walking in the long corridor, meeting with the doctor to proceed to bury our parents, the doctor nodded and began to bring the corpse in the ambulance after wrapping them.
We get into an ambulance and drive to the graveyard beginning to bury them beneath soil, taking the white cloth that has been wrapped up and putting it on the ground that has been dug and start to fill it up.
After bury them erika and i standing in front of our parents tomb. Coincidentally, the weather becomes gloomy and starts to rain, like the world is also grieving with us.
Raising my head to look up, "Huh... raining" I only gave a wry smile and gently put my hand around Erika to shield her, "Brother..." erika burying her face to my chest to hide her sadness.
After some minutes, we began to leave the graveyard, ride in the car and drive to the estate, getting out of the car we started to enter the estate. The first thing I notice is how gloomy and silent the estate becomes.
"I'm home" i know that there is no one who answers me but it has become a habit to me, erika immediately went to her room i know that her mood is still heavy, i also go to my room to rest from all of this.
A months has passed, I'm naturally inheriting the inheritance but life is still busy, going around the city back and forth to continue the work that our parents leave behind painting commission and presenting in museums.
Erika began to improve her mood and move on even though still occasionally remembers our parents, she began painting more injecting her emotion and thought to painting like venting it.
Our life has become more steady but we still feel the lingering memories of our parents in the estate, so I talk to my younger sister.
"Erika," I said looking at her while we were sitting on the sofa, "Yes brother?" she looked up from her painting, it was on a small canvass.
"I know this sounds sudden but do you think we go somewhere else away from the estate, just to sort of feeling the memories here..." I stopped, continuing feeling complicated.
My sister did not urge me to continue but to contemplate my words. After some time, she agreed to leave this estate for the time being.
We prepared our belongings and contacted a person to manage the estate while we were away. After preparing everything and checking everything was okay, we got in the car and drove away to the outskirts of the city.
Erika looked out towards the scenery while I focused on driving to the outskirts, in the outskirts we found a place to stay and acquired an apartment to live in.
Our life began to take a shape, Erika having her mood lightened considerably returned to her cheerful personality and took a painting commission.
My life became lightened after some time living there, getting a job in a cafe there, even though Erika felt that I became more protective of her.
Back to present
Third POV
He stopped his hand and closed his notebook, "Huft..." after that tidied up the notebook, at that moment there was a knocking sound in the room door.
A gentle and youthful sound appeared from the outside room, "Brother, do you already make dinner? I'm quite hungry," he smiled toward that sound and got up walking to the door.
"Coming, maybe you should learn cooking too Erika," he open the door looking at the younger sister who replying him with playful wink and outstretched tongue, "Hehe, maybe later," then leaving the room and close the door, walking toward kitchen to make dinner while erika strode to dining table ready waiting the meal.