"We're here!"
I roamed my eyes at the vicinity. It's like a small cabin home, surrounded by lots of big trees. Yet, we are still at a village.
As White enthusiastically get off the driver seat and jog his way at the trunk to get my things. I also opened my door and stepped out of the vehicle.
I inhaled the mixture of forestry aroma and smiled as I felt the calmness it brought into my senses. It somehow soothes the anxiousness that I felt. Because after several years. This is it.
I finally got to meet my father once again.
~~~
"HEY UNCLE MARCUS! WE'RE HOME!", White shouted as soon as he stepped inside the abode, and I was just right behind him trying to observe my surroundings, since it's my first time being here.
"SHIT!"
We both flinched as we suddenly heard someone cursed along with a loud thump in the dining area. Me and White both rushed to check what happened, and to our surprise, we saw a man in his 50's at the floor, rubbing his butt, as he was also holding a hammer at his other hand.
"Uncle? What are you doing in the floor?", White asked in confusion.
The man finally noticed our presence, due to White's voice. He looked up and from seeing White, he immediately glided his gaze towards me, which made me smile timidly.
"Gun..", he said as he is still looking intently at me.
"Hi dad", I said as I suppress the shyness in my tone.
It's weird to see how your father suddenly changed it's appearance from the last you saw him. He absolutely aged. Some of his hairs turned white. His face wrinkled and is evident at side of his lips, and most of all. It look like he barely even slept a wink. His eyes are encircled dark, yet the good thing is he's still in perfect shape. Overall, he looks fit in his 50s but he looks very tired.
"Y-you can take a seat", my father said as he hurriedly stood up, and even stammered in his words before he could even speak.
I just flashed a sincere smile to calm him, and sat down in the seat near me.
I can clearly see the nervousness in his eyes and actions. I can actually feel it. Even I can see White in my peripheral vision tend to throw glances at me.
"I-i made you a roasted chicken", he said as he shakily lifted the steel cover of the tray at the middle of the table.
I even flinched as I hear the resonating sound of the steel cover dad dropped in the table.
"Uncle. Let me", White said as he reached out to get the cover from my dad's hands.
"U-uh.. o-okay", I just smiled at my stuttering father across the table.
White looked at me and flashed a smile as he paved his way towards the kitchen leaving me and my father alone.
The silence between me and him is deafening. I could see him fidgeting at his hands.
It's a lie to say if I wasn't hurt at the time that he didn't came back to Thimphu. Even just to visit.
Numerous questions flunctuating in my mind. On why he didn't came back? Does he not love me anymore? What is the reason why he can't go back? I even got to ask myself, if he's still alive.
But my mom always make sure to give me answers. She made me understand Dad's situation. Besides, she and dad is still friends. They ended with no shattered pieces left behind. It's not like they wanted to fell out of love for each other.
"S-so.."
"I'm fine Dad", I immediately said as I cut him off and flashed a smile.
"T-that's great", he said as he was also avoiding my gaze.
I let out a sigh, this will still be harder than I thought, "How bout you?".
He tilted his head to look at me with his reaction in awe at my question, "How are you dad?", I asked.
He gradually smiled at me, "I'm fine too son".
After his reply, we came back in being silent at each other. But the heaviness of the atmosphere became lesser, as we are just both smiling at each other.
I shifted my gaze to the person in entrance of the kitchen when I suddenly heard sniffs coming from him.
"What's wrong with you White?", I asked as I was also chuckling in between my words.
"Nothing. I just inhaled the smell of pepper in the chicken", he said in his sniffs.
"Hurry up White. I know you two are already hungry from the travel that you both gone through", Dad said as he gestured White to sat down in his seat.
White looked at me, meaningfully as he was walking towards his seat, and I already got what he was meant to say. I smiled at him and nod my head.
I am quite full already because of the food in the diner, and it looks like White just completely forgot that Dad prepared a food.
Dad smiled at me as he leaned at the table to slice the chicken, and gave some of its pieces on my plate.
~~~
"Gun I'm so sorry I completely forgot about the part that your dad is going to cook for you. I mean of course he will cook for you. You're his son. But I'm really insen-"
"White. It's fine", I immediately said as I held him by his wrist, as we were bringing my things upstairs to my room, and continued to walk up after.
"You sure? Maybe you'll get an upset stomach and it will just add up to your jet-lag. I don't want you sick on your first day here in Macedonia"
"Thank you for your kind consideration White", I said as I chuckled at the end and led the way up.
I heaved a grunt as I finally placed luggage as soon as I got up at the top of the staircase.
I roamed my eyes to check the corridor, and found pictures hanged in the wall. I slowly paved my way towards it.
"I didn't know we have a family picture", I said as I look closely at the small portrait of my dad and my mom carrying a baby, which obviously i assumed me. Unless I was adopted.
"It was Uncle Marcus's last request to your mom, before you two both left for Thimphu", he said as he was smiling looking at the portrait.
I gradually shifted my gaze away from him, and cleared my throat, "So.. where's my room?".
White is startled by my sudden question as he blinked two times before he came back into reality, "Oh. There!", he said as he points at the room located in the right side and walked ahead of me while pushing some of my luggages towards the room.
As I followed him, I was in awe when I felt the homey accent of the room. It was like the same room I have in Thimphu. Everything. From the position of the bed. The shelfs, and even the canvas of Thimphu's wave of sea. It's like the same replica of mine back at home in Thimphu.
"Just shout for help whenever you need anything", White said with a smile after placing my luggage at the side of my bed, "I mean literally just shout for help. My room is just right across yours".
"Okay. Thanks White", I said with a smile.
"No problem. Just shout okay?", he said as he was already holding the doorknob and his head is stucked out in the door.
I smiled and nod at him as a reply, before he completely shut the door.
I heaved a sigh as I look at my things then to the wholeness of my room. My eyes halted in the window with a seat.
I slowly walked my way towards it and opened the window, as I inhaled the forest scent once again.
I looked up in the sky as I heard flock of birds chirping in unison. Who would have thought that from the vast sea that would always welcome me before would be changed into a forestry like neighborhood.
But whenever what their difference may be, there's that important thing that they both have in common. They are the places which I could call home.
~~~
After an hour and a half. I finally finished fixing all of my stuffs in my room.
I roamed my eyes across the room. Thinking that I felt I still have something left to do. What did I forgot?
I was brought back to reality when I suddenly heard my phone rang. Now I remember what I forgot. I forgot to tell mom that I already got here.
I rushed to my bedside table to reply at my mom's message when suddenly my phone turned off.
I stood up to get my gadget pouch, and fished out my charger. But unfortunately, as I walk towards the socket, I found out that my charger's plug is not compatible with it. I tried to look for any adapter in my things but I can't find any single one.
I decided to walk out of my room, and knock at the room across mine.
"White", I said as but he didn't respond.
"White", I repeat but got no response.
"White", still got no response.
Maybe he just fell asleep.
I was about to step back but as I look down, I saw his door is slightly opened, and they were this red lights emitting from the room.
I began to ponder whether I should open it or not. But as I was about to push the door open, I halted.
What am I thinking? I shouldn't impose on White's privacy. I'll just wait and explain it to my mom later when my phone got charged.
I turn around to took a step away from the door when it suddenly swung open and revealed White.
"Gun?"
I turned to faced him and lifted the side of my lips to smile at him, "Hey. I'm sorry I didn't mean to..", i blinked twice as I avoided his gaze, "intrude".
"Well you didn't Gun", he said as he chuckles at me.
"What's the matter? Do you need anything? I told you to just shout, or you should have knocked. Although it's not locked apparently. You should have just come in"
"No. It's your room. So I shouldn't-"
"Jeez. Loosen up a little bit Gun. Don't you worry you didn't commit any crime", he said in between his chuckles and swung the door wider.
"What's the problem?"
"Oh. I just need some adapter. I forgot to bring one. I have to charge", I said as I show to him my charger and phone.
He reached to grab my charger, which I also obliged to give. He checked the plug, before pushing his door comoletely open.
"I guess I have this kind here somewhere. Come in", he said before he turned around and walked inside.
As I enter his room. I can't barely see the surroundings clearly, but as White adjusted the lights into a mid red. The room became evident in my eyes.
White's place is full of some antique stuffs, polaroid pictures clipped, and books. But what completely caught my attention is his board which have lines with red strings plucked in a printed articles, or newspapers.
As I got near and examined the whole board. That is when I realized they all are pertaining in a particular subject.
"Vampires?".
"Oh. You saw that?"
I turned around and saw him with a smile walking towards me.
"Here. You can have this. I brought a new one anyway. Although, it's already a bit old so it may became faulty within months. But you can still use it for now", he said as he gave the adapter and my charger at me before shifting his gaze at his boards.
"White. You really do believe in vampires?", I asked out of nowhere.
I thought he was going to be offended by the tone of my voice. But instead, he just flashed a grin in his face.
"They say you need to have proofs in order for something to be a fact right? So here is mine", he said as he points at the board, "So yeah. I believe they were existing in this world, and you know you can't blame me. Vampires have been in the history of Macedonia ever since".
"In the history?".
He looked at me and smiled, before paving his way into his shelf, and grabbed an old black book, and showed it to me.
Out of curiousity, I put my charger and adapter in the table, before paving my way at White's bed, and opened the book.
"Vampires are believed to be the ancestors of this town. They were the ones first created a civilization here. Not before the hunters came. The very first humans in the town", I heard White said as I continue to flip the pages, and even found some pictures in it, such as humans with fangs.
"But to think, Vampires should have been the ones who won the war between humans right? But unfortunately, there was this famous hunter named, Richard. He was a very powerful vampire hunter. Someone you could say like Van helsing. But this one's even greater. Because he was the one who killed the leader of the vampires, Lord De Ville", he continued.
"Due to the death of the Lord De Ville. Almost all of the vampires fled out of the town in freight. But do you know what's the biggest mystery in this history?"
"What?"
"After slaying Lord De Ville. Richard wasn't found. But the villagers knew it was him, because his name is engraved at the dagger that was strucked in the Vampire Lord's chest", he said as he even re-enacted as something stabbed his chest.
"How did you know that this is a fact, and not just a complete myth?".
"I told you in order to be a fact you needd evidence, and there it is. You could clearly see it", he said as he points at his board.
I gave him an apologetic smile and looked straight, "White, Vampires doesn't exist", I said without batting an eye at him.
I felt him moved in his seat and looked at me, "But they're already all over the news and the internet. Try opening the television, and you'll immediately find the case your dad was working on. The way of how the victims were killed and slaughtered could also prove it to you", he interjects.
I let out a sigh as I look at him, I don't mean to shatter his beliefs in vampires. But he just have to set things straight immediately.
"What more do you want me to do or to show you for you to believe me?".
"None. Because I know they're just fantasies".
"Shit", he exclaimed as he look at me after.
"You know you weren't the only one to say that to me. But the more infos about them I saw, and the more evidences I could see as their proof of existence. I can't help but to be more alarmed", I looked at him as I sense the worriness in his voice.
"Your dad is the one holding this case. The more your dad could be able to see the killer of these series of murders. The more his life can be in danger. So, I want to be prepared. Truth or not", he said as a faint smile plastered in his face.
I just flashed a forced smile and embraced him to ease him.
"Besides, what if you bump into one?", he asked as he looked at me.
I gave him a meaningful smile, "I know that won't happen. Because they don't exist".
"Yeah. Yeah", White said in sarcasm and even rolled his eyes at me.
"Also you know, I know no one would dare to cross a rough path with you?", what does he mean by that?
"Why?".
White chuckled at me, "Because just like Richard, your dad is the one that everyone is afraid to have bad ties. So technically, everyone would be to for you. Because technically, you are the chief's son".