An Anonymous Call

Chapter 10- Answers

My theory could be correct. That man in black could've possibly been the anonymous caller. But how? Why? 

How had he detected me? How had he contacted me? 

My head was spinning. I had to ease myself. There were so many things going on in my head that I could not describe. 

It had been over ten years now. Why had this man have come back? Had he revived? Out of all people, including Channy and I, why pick me? What crime or nonsense had I commited as a child to drive this man into finding me? 

But I was just guessing. It couldn't be possible. I hadn't discovered the truth yet. I can't simply accuse this man. It was a wrong thing to do. 

But he was a suspect. 

And he was never giving up. 

. . .

Channy and I chatted on the Messenger. We were sharing our experiences in school, how everything went and how we met some friends. It has been a decade since I've talked to someone as bright and friendly as Channy. I missed her. 

"Haha, and then there was one time when the electricity went out in the entire school, and the music room was so dark and creepy, this dude from my class started playing the flute eerily to scare us out of our seats and this boy peed his pants," I joked. 

"Oh by the way, I have to tell you something," Channy interrupted me, mid-sentence. 

I paused. She was typing. 

Finally her message had come out. It was quite a long paragraph.

"That day I lost my phone at a restroom in a shopping complex... I had menstrual cramps and I didn't notice that I had carelessly dropped my phone or left it there, until when I came home, I was searching for my phone throughout the whole room, like a burglar thrashing stuff here and there. I couldn't handle the agony while we were shopping, so I... I just had to go to the restroom," Channy explained. 

'HOW COULD CHANNY BE SO CARELESS?' a voice boomed in my head. Doesn't that explain everything? Channy losing her phone out of the blue, and a number spamming me with calls the next day. But I needed to know the specific date that her phone had gone missing. It could've been recent, or maybe a few months back, even before the spams began. 

"When did you lose your phone?" I queried. 

"Oh.. uh... wait a moment, I need to check. I roughly guess that it was maybe, two months back?" she answered.

"No, I need a specific date. This is important, Channy. I need to know now. No matter how long you'll take to find the specific time and day, just make sure you come back and report it to me," I typed in sternly. 

"Oh... uh, okay. I'll be back in a sec," Channy excused herself, going off to complete her task I've set. 

This could be it. If only Channy's phone would've gone missing in mid February, I was sure that I could find the culprit soon. 

If only Channy wouldn't have lost her phone, this whole incident wouldn't have come up.

I could've lived in peace. 

. . .

Ten minutes passed, which felt like hours. What took Channy so long? Was finding the time and date that laborious?

My patience was spent. In Caps Lock, I typed, "ARE YOU THERE?"

Awaiting for an answer, Channy immediately replied, "Yes, yes I am."

Had she forgotten the task she was required to do? I was upset. 

"Did you manage to find what I requested?" I said firmly. 

"Oh, uh.. the thing is, I remember that it was a Monday. Maybe a Monday on the last week of February?" she wasn't sure. 

That had helped me enough. Monday, last week of February. 

"Got it," I typed in, ending the conversation.

Channy was confused. "Why are you acting like this? Did something happen?"

I knew that this event was one that was not worthy of Channy's time. I did not trust her. I did not trust her at all. 

I lied, "Nah, just wondering.." 

Then, Channy did not reply further. The conversation had ended. I had the time to think to myself and solve this; I did not expect anyone to help. 

Unless Sai wanted to, of course. 

But Sai was overseas; she was on a family vacation. She couldn't help now. 

. . .

The table calendar was infront of me. I flipped the cards to February. I traced my finger on the last week, double tapping on Monday. 

My finger was covering the date I anticipated.

This is it. I would find the answers behind this mystery.

I lifted my index finger, to reveal it was 24th of February. 

It was two days before the madness had started. 

I found it. 

Was the mystery solved?

No, not yet. 

Channy had lost her phone in the women's restroom. But why was a man calling me? 

I had to sum it all up before I went insane. I needed Sai to come home, to help me. 

To help me with all this madness. 

Or was Channy just deceiving me?