Marco pulled the trigger of the pistol
Letta fell silent, feeling the wind now blowing across her face. She could finally sense how liberating it was and how the tightness had vanished. It was as if Letta could breathe freely again, as if she didn’t need to worry just to inhale the air around her. Finally, a pat on her shoulder brought her back to reality, and Letta turned around.
“Where are you going? What’s your destination?” asked a middle-aged woman she met at the fish market. The woman was willing to help her.
“I don’t know yet. I don’t have a destination,” Letta replied, making the middle-aged woman look at her with a sad gaze.
“Do you have any family?” the woman asked. Letta shook her head.
“Then why did you leave if you don’t have a destination?” the middle-aged woman asked again. Now she was sitting beside Letta. Currently, Letta was on a small boat heading towards a city. She chose this route so that Marco’s men couldn’t find her.
“I am a victim of a crime. I was robbed and held captive for several days. I don’t want to go back to that city, so I chose to leave, even though I don’t know my destination,” Letta explained, choosing not to disclose her tragic life story to a stranger. This made the woman look at her even more sympathetically.
“Would you like to work at my place?” the woman asked. Letta immediately looked at her with sparkling eyes.
“Can I?” Letta asked. The woman smiled and nodded.
“I have a Fried Chicken shop. Although it’s not busy, it seems like I need one more employee,” the woman continued. Letta nodded her head.
“Of course, I’d love to. Thank you for your kindness,” Letta said. The woman nodded. Somehow, the woman always looked at Letta with a sad gaze, as if she could feel what Letta was feeling. After two hours on the boat, Letta finally arrived at the port of her destination city.
“Well, here is where I live. From this port, we just need to take a fifteen-minute bus ride, and we’ll be there,” the woman replied. Letta nodded her head. Letta saw the woman carrying some belongings and immediately rushed to help.
“Let me help you,” Letta said. The woman smiled, allowing Letta to carry some of her shopping items. Letta followed the woman to a bus stop to go to her house, as the woman had explained. Finally, after fifteen minutes, Letta got off the bus.
Letta saw a very different city, bustling but not too crowded with vehicles. Perhaps because people in that city didn’t like to use private vehicles too much, so the city didn’t cause the pollution that made the air feel tight. Letta smiled, feeling comfortable staying in this city. The woman led her inside.
“This is my house, and a few meters ahead is my Fried Chicken shop. Please come in,” the woman said. Letta nodded awkwardly. She entered the modest house with inconspicuous furnishings. Letta looked around.
“Sorry, my house might not be as nice as you think,” the woman said, carrying her belongings to another room.
“It’s okay, your house is comfortable,” Letta replied, making Meri smile.
“Oh, by the way, you can call me Meri,” the kind middle-aged woman said, making Letta smile.
“Do you live here alone?” Letta asked, making Meri pause.
“No, I live with my son. At this time, he’s still working at his office, and after returning from the office, he usually helps me at the Fried Chicken shop. However, with you here, maybe I won’t need to trouble him too much. I sometimes feel sorry seeing my son always using his energy. I’ve told him that I can handle the shop on my own, but he always can’t bear to see me alone at the shop. I’ve also suggested hiring someone, but he always refuses, saying it’s a waste of money to pay someone else. It’s better to use it for other needs,” Meri explained, making Letta smile and nod.
“It seems like your son is very kind,” Letta said, making Meri smile again.
“Yes, he’s the only person who can keep me motivated in this world. I don’t know what I would do without my son. Maybe right now, I would just be sitting at home enjoying my old age without thinking about my future life,” Meri said, making Letta smile.
“You must be tired. Clean yourself first, and rest when you feel enough. I’ll call you and take you to the shop,” Meri said, making Letta nod, as she also felt the need to freshen up and at least rest her body for a while.
“Here’s the towel, and I’ll prepare some clothes for you. Fortunately, our body sizes are the same. Although our skin tones are far apart, I have some clothes you can use,” Meri said, making Letta smile again. Letta then took Meri’s wrist and held it tightly.
“Thank you for your help. You have helped me so much. I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t met you. I would probably be like a lost soul in this unfamiliar city,” Letta said, making Meri shake her head.
“It’s okay. I see you like my own daughter. So, hurry up. You need to rest because the shop will open in a few hours,” said Meri, making Letta nod. Letta then cleaned herself and rested in a small room.
Letta guessed it was Meri’s room, and she was right. Letta felt tired, and when she closed her eyes, she fell asleep right away. Letta felt peaceful, and for the first time, Letta could sleep without fear. It was the first time Letta could truly close her eyes with a calm feeling. Letta didn’t know how long she had been feeling tired and depressed, until she felt a jolt on her shoulder.
“Letta, wake up,” the familiar voice said, making Letta furrow her brows in her sleep. Letta knew that heavy voice well.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
“Are you listening to me? Wake up,” he said again, making Letta immediately open her eyes wide when she saw Marco now staring at her with a sharp gaze. And it wasn’t just that that made Letta afraid, as a pistol was now right in front of her face.
“Bingo,” Marco said, and after that, Letta could clearly see how Marco pulled the trigger of the pistol, aiming it directly at her head.