Chapter Two

Ending our embrace, Kavi agrees, “Alright, I’ll help, but you have to fill me in on what’s actually going on later. This ain’t going to be one-sided.”

I sniffle, “I will, thank you so much.”

We head to a local pharmacy, and Kavi buys Mom a week’s worth of medicine. On the way to my house, I thank him so much that he awkwardly tells me to stop. Once we arrive, I quickly run inside and give Mom the pills she needs.

Only after I was sure she would be okay did I leave her room and hide the pills in a place my brother would not find them.

Walking outside the front door, Kavi asks, “I’m feeling a little hungry. How ‘bout we swing by the bakery?”

“Sure, I can always eat.”

Following Kavi into his house holding a box of cherry pie and chocolate chip cookies, Kavi says as he turns on some lights, “You can leave your shoes at the door.”

Sliding my feet out of my Defiantos, I gaze at the inside of Kavi’s well-kept house, the sweet scent of lavender in the air.

It’s beautiful… but it feels so empty.

I follow Kavi into his living room, and he tells me I can sit on the couch before disappearing. Returning with two plates, a knife, and some silverware, Kavi places the items on the coffee table before sitting in a lounge chair. Leaning forward and cutting the pie into six pieces, Kavi plates a slice and holds it out for me.

“Here you go, dig in. We'll talk after.”

Nodding, I thank Kavi as I accept the plate. Slicing into the cherry pie, I slowly bring the fork to my mouth. My family has never been able to afford something like pie, and it's been years since I last had some at Ray's house. Biting down on the fork, I instantly relish the sweet, savory taste.

After having two slices, we both agree to take a break from eating. During this break, I fill Kavi in what’s going on in my life like I did earlier with Ray. Kavi shares a similar expression of bewilderment.

“I– I’m the one who should be apologizing,” says Kavi, ducking his head. “I could tell you and your family were struggling from the passing of Sergio, but I had no idea how much. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I say, a question creeping into my mind. “If you don’t mind me asking, why did you attend Dad's funeral?”

Kavi lifts his gaze, “I met Sergio when I was still a tepran. We became friends.”

“That explains a lot. Dad always liked going to tirika for more than just faith.”

“I’d like to thank you for opening up, Mateo. It must not have been easy, but I appreciate that you trust me a little more now. It’s only fair I do the same.”

“Look, if you don’t want to–”

“I do. I do want to tell somebody. Is it okay if I tell you?”

“Y– Yeah. After everything you’ve done for me, it’s only fair.”

Kavi smiles, “Thanks, you’re a good guy. We’ll have more pie afterward.”

I merrily nod, and Kavi begins.

“Twenty-six years ago, my wife died giving birth to my only daughter. I didn’t know how to feel, but I was relieved that my daughter at least survived. I named her Karla, after my late wife.”

Karla? I’ve never heard of her…

“I raised Karla on my own. As a single father, I thought I was doing the best I could. And for sixteen years, I genuinely believed I was giving her the best life possible. But our close relationship soon fell apart for reasons I couldn’t understand back then, and Karla ran away. I grieved for weeks.”

Kavi sits back in his chair.

“I stepped down as a tepran so I could devote everything to finding my daughter. For years, I looked, I searched everywhere, but nothing. I was losing hope, but eventually, something came up. Around one year ago, I received some news for the first time. I just wish it was better news...”

Kavi takes a deep breath, but his voice begins to crack, “Karla was killed in Taliarusa’s civil war, a continent she had nothing to do with. I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Who would believe something as far-fetched as that? But when I saw her body, I knew it was her. I knew.”

Taking a few seconds to compose himself, Kavi continues, “I blame myself for her death. While she was missing, I had time to reflect, a lot of time. I realized how much I pushed her to become religious like me. If I had just tried to listen and be more patient with her, maybe Karla would still be alive. I nearly even questioned my own faith, but I held firm.”

Gazing at Kavi’s eyes, only now do I realize how weary they look.

“If I’m being honest, I didn’t go to your dad's funeral entirely because of our friendship. It’s selfish, but I was trying to distract myself. For the eight months after I heard about Karla, I paced through life like a zombie. Lucy told me about Sergio’s funeral, and it was just something to do. Your dad was also buried in the same graveyard where my wife and daughter are, so it gave me an excuse to visit them again.”

I sit up and place my elbows on my knees, “And that’s when we met.”

“Formally, yeah. I have known you since you were little, but I haven’t ever really talked to you. We were the only two people to show up at Sergio’s funeral, and for some reason, I decided to reintroduce myself. Perhaps it was fate. Maybe it was the work of Nevis. I don’t know, but I’m glad I did. Because as we spoke, I felt my shoulders grow lighter, and my throat loosen.”

“Yeah, but we didn’t talk much. Did we?”

“Didn’t matter. I hadn’t realized it then, but you reminded me of my daughter. And reliving that feeling of talking to somebody like her was enough.”

“Is that the real reason why you kept bailing me out of trouble?”

“That’s… part of it. I know it’s selfish. I do genuinely care about you, Mateo. I just didn’t want you to end up like Karla. She didn’t have anybody who would listen to her, and I didn’t want it to be the same for you. I know you’re your own person, but I can’t help but reminisce about my daughter when I speak with you. I hope you can one day forgive me for that.”

“Well, you’re forgiven,” I say, leaning forward and putting another slice of pie on his plate.

“Wh– just like that?”

“You’ve gotten me out of trouble, helped my mom. To be honest, I’m not offended if you see your daughter in me. You still want to help me, and that can’t be changed, right?” I ask, handing him his plate.

“Yeah…”

“It’s my turn now. I knew I was mistreating you, yet I didn’t hold back once. I judged you prematurely; it was unfair, but you still put up with me. I’m grateful.”

Kavi smiles, “Don’t worry about that. I understand why, and I wasn’t fair to you either.”

Kavi takes a bite of the pie, “Mmm, this pie really is good. The last of it is all yours.”

I place the final slice on my plate and sit back. As I dig in, Kavi says, “Mateo, I’m not asking you to be my son. Nor do I want you to feel like you have to see me as a father. I just don’t want history to repeat itself… for both of us. Let’s help each other.”

After swallowing some pie, I tell Kavi full-heartedly, “I won’t steal anymore. I’m done with that. Do you think you could find me a job? I want to do things the right way from now on.”

Chewing some pie, Kavi nods, “Yeah– definitely. We’ll figure something out. Together.”

As we finish off the rest of the pie, we tell each other more upbeat stories from our pasts. The mood lightens the more we talk, and before I know it, Kavi has become a genuine friend.

***

It’s been a little over three weeks since I asked Kavi for help. Since then, I’ve been working in the Midlands at a warehouse run by one of Kavi’s friends. From sweeping the floors to restocking, this job certainly keeps me busy.

At first, Kavi offered to buy enough medicine for the next two weeks as long as I worked hard and didn’t lose the job. After that, he explained that even with my starting salary, I should be able to afford Mom’s medicine all on my own. And he was right.

Walking into a convenience store late after work one day, the owner quickly grunts in disgust.

“Hey! You think I’m stupid?! If you don’t get the hell out of here right now, I’m calling the Mako!” he threatens, grabbing the store phone.

Shoot. I forgot I shoplifted from here.

Ignoring him, I calmly walk to one of the aisles.

“Hey! Your ears clogged or something?!”

After grabbing the medicine I need, I walk over to the counter and slide the medicine across with some cash. Staring at the medicine and cash, the owner cocks a brow.

“What? Is that not enough?”

“It’s enough. Where’d you get the money? You rob someone grounder?”

“No, I work in the Midlands now for a warehouse.”

A sheen of admiration glints in the owner's eye, “Well, I’ll be damned.”

Ringing me up, the owner hands me a plastic bag with my medicine inside.

“Thanks,” I say as I start toward the exit, but the owner calls for me to turn around.

Facing him, he tosses me a chocolate bar. As I catch it, it’s my turn to be confused.

“I only bought the medicine.”

“I know, that’s on the house.”

Grateful for the gesture, I thank him again and leave the store.

As I get home, I walk in to see Eric in the kitchen, the house smelling of cooked pork chops. I ask him where he got the chops, and he replies that he found them frozen in the freezer.

He’s shaved for the first time in months, and he’s wearing more than just a shirt and boxers. What’s going on?

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“You haven’t cooked in forever. Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” says Eric. “You get home pretty late now. I thought I should start making dinner earlier for us.”

I don’t say anything, and Eric looks back for a quick glance before he refocuses on cooking.

“I’m sorry for not… being all there recently. I also shouldn’t have said that about Dad a few weeks ago.”

“Yeah, you shouldn’t have. You still stealing drugs from Mom?”

“I’m– I’m trying not to take as much as I used to.”

“Thought as much,” I say, internally glad that Eric answered honestly.

“You have every right to be mad at me. After Dad died, I– I left you alone to take care of Mom.”

“You did.”

Eric faces me, “I’m sorry, okay! I want to make it up to you, though! To Mom, too!”

“Good, I could use the help.”

Eric grits his teeth, “Look, I want things to go back to how they used to be between us! At least a little bit!”

I remain quiet as Eric starts walking toward me, “I want us to at least talk to each other like we used to! I’m prepared now, so go on! Say what you want to say! Yell at me! Just say something!”

I abstain from speaking, but I don’t dare look away.

Eric then painfully smiles and tries to go in for a hug, and I push myself away. I give Eric a stern look, and he quickly averts his gaze from mine.

Ambling back over to the stove, he says, “Dinner will be ready in ten minutes.”

Diverting my attention from Eric, I head to my parents' bedroom. Quietly opening the door, I realize Mom is asleep with her knitting tools resting on her lap. Walking to her side, her skin looks noticeably better, and I gently shake her awake. As Mom wakes up, she realizes it is me and asks for a hug.

While we hug, I say, “Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Eric made pork chops.”

“It smells good.”

Lying her back against her pillows, I ask, “What are you knitting?”

“Oh, I don’t know… just knitting,” says Mom with a smile. “How’s work going?”

“It’s going well, although it gets boring at times.”

My mom chuckles, which makes her start to cough. I quickly reach for the filter, but Mom puts her hand on my arm as she clears her throat, “I’m okay. I’ve been feeling a lot better ever since you got that job. Also, what’s that old saying? That laughter is the best medicine?”

“I think that’s it," I smile. "Hey, can I ask you a question?”

“You can ask me anything.”

“How did Dad meet Kavi? He wasn’t very religious.”

Mom smiles, “Before you were born, your grandma passed away. Your dad loved your grandma more than anything, so when he lost her, he also got lost. I tried my best to help him, and he always thanked me for that, but he needed to talk to somebody else. He decided to try going to tirika again. He hadn’t been since he was a kid. It took maybe a dozen or so services, but your dad eventually consulted with the tepran about how he was feeling. And that tepran was Kavi.”

“Huh,” I rub my fingers along her frail hand. “So that’s how they met. Thanks, Mom.”

***

Within Opuree, religion is at the height of importance. Many even value their faith over their own lives. As a society built around Nevism, teprans retain an integral role. A popular tepran makes more money than a doctor or lawyer, and they may also have sway over the Mako and the court system. That’s why Kavi has been able to bail me out of legal trouble a few times.

I don’t know much about Nevism, but I do know there’s a prophecy that one day, when humanity needs him most, an ancient hero named Nevis will return to save us once again. It’s a vague ordeal; however, there is one fundamental philosophy that has never changed. And that is that those who lack faith or belief in Nevis and his teachings are doomed on the day of darkness that will soon shroud us all.

Wearing some of my father’s nicer clothes, I stare at the vivid sunset, waiting for Kavi outside his old tirika.

“Oh, ho! Look who's all dressed up! I’m surprised you wanted to attend a service!” says Kavi, walking up to me.

Turning around, I say, “I just wanted to see what it was like.”

“That alone is more than enough reason to come.”

As we find a pair of available seats inside, a man named Deniz walks onto the stage and welcomes everybody.

Deniz took over Kavi’s tirika after Kavi stepped down, and he’s maintained his position as one of the most popular teprans in the Groundlands ever since.

As teprans go, Deniz is on the younger side, nearing the end of his thirties. He stands at roughly six feet tall, broad-shouldered, and his dirty-blonde hair has been the talk of the town for years.

I expected to be bored, but the service was actually pretty interesting. Deniz’s charisma, entertaining stage presence, and passionate devotion to his faith even rubbed off on me and kept me engaged. The main topic was about an ancient battle that took place many years ago between two civilizations. The Battle of Halos and Kadillan.

The Halos Republic had long been oppressed by the Kadillan Empire, as the Kadillans stole their food and resources while antagonizing the Halos citizens. So, the Halos gathered the strength to fight back. A legion of their nine mightiest warriors came together, Nevis being one of them. Using their abilities, they fought against the wicked Monarchs of Kadillan, eventually defeating them. Relishing in their victory along with the people they freed from anguish, the sheer intensity of the battle took its toll on the land.

While the direct cause is still unknown, this battle caused the land of Thera to split into the six continents that exist today. Using his fabled angelic wings, Nevis protected the first-ever inhabitants of Opuree as the land violently transformed itself into its current state. Nevis lost his life in the process, and in honor of his name and heroics, the teachings of Nevism were born.

As the service draws to a close, Kavi nudges my arm and proposes we go speak with Deniz. After waiting our turn, we approach Deniz, and Deniz’s face quickly lights up as he outstretches his hand to Kavi.

“It’s always an honor and a pleasure to see you again, Kavi,” bows Deniz.

“You as well, Deniz. I brought along a friend today. I’d like you to meet Mateo.”

“Mateo, a wonderful name,” says Deniz, shaking my hand. “How’d you like the service?”

“It was good. My family used to attend Kavi’s services when I was younger, but I haven’t been to tirika in a while myself. I found the battle super interesting.”

“I’m glad that you liked it. Our savior, Nevis, sacrificed everything for us. It’s quite a tale. It’s also never too late to pay your respects to him, so thank you for coming today.”

“I knew his late father well," says Kavi. "I like to think it's the work of Nevis that brought Mateo and me back together. It’s the reason we’re both standing here today."

“Nevis sometimes pulls us in odd directions, but he always knows what’s best for us,” says Deniz before he dips his head. “You have my condolences for your father.”

“Thanks,” I say, starting to grow uncomfortable.

Kavi must have realized this because he quickly starts to wrap up the conversation with a bow, “Thanks for having us at such a wonderful service.”

I slightly bow, too, and Deniz says, “I should be the one thanking you, Kavi. I hope to see you both back for another service soon. If you're up for it, there’s another one this Friday night.”

“We’ll see. Mateo typically works in the evenings. Tonight was his night off,” says Kavi, directing his gaze at me. “How’s Friday looking?”

“I think I got work.”

Kavi looks back at Deniz, “We’ll come if we can.”

Deniz nods, “I understand. It was a pleasure talking with you both.”

Kavi and I split up after that. Arriving at home, I retrieve the pills from their hiding spot and find Mom reading a book as I enter her room.

Putting the book down, she says, “Those are some nice clothes. You’ve grown into them well.”

“A little too well,” I say, pulling down on my tight sleeve. “What book are you reading?”

“It’s called ‘The Emerging Paramount’, one of my favorites. It follows the journey of an outcasted man named Percival, who becomes a prisoner of war. Seeing him open up and accept that it’s okay to trust in people again always touches my heart. Percival was willing to do anything for his friends, and his friends felt the same way about him. I hope one day you have a group of friends like that.”

“Maybe, but it’s not like I can make friends. I don’t have much to offer.”

“Oh Mateo, come on. You’re smart, handsome, funny–”

“A grounder,” I say, cutting her off as I hand her some pills and a glass of water.

While she takes the pills, I ask, “Do you need anything before I go to bed?”

Mom shakes her head and smiles, “No, I already have everything I need. Your birthday is Friday, Mateo. Do you have any plans?”

Shocked that I have forgotten my birthday, I sigh, “Work, I guess.”

Placing the glass back on the nightstand, I give Mom a quick kiss on the forehead and leave the room with the pills. Entering my brother’s room unannounced, a wave of warmth hits me, along with the mixed smell of sweat and deodorant.

Lying face down on his bed in only his boxers, Eric slowly rolls his head over and grumbles, “Oh, Mateo. You need something?”

Observing his sickly appearance, I counter, “How are you feeling?”

“Like hell. Got this killer headache, and I feel like I’m burning up.”

“Have you been taking pills again?”

“No– not like that. Pretty sure I’m just sick. It’s not like I could get back on the pills even if I wanted to. You hid most of them from me.”

“Good point,” I say, wondering if these could be side effects of withdrawal. “How long has it been since you last took some?”

Eric grunts, “Couple of hours, maybe? Can’t remember.”

I retrieve the container from my pocket and say, “Hold out your hand.”

He sits up, and I shake some pills onto his palm. Popping them into his mouth, Eric quickly grabs a plastic cup filled with water and splashes the liquid in his mouth, half of it missing. He then chugs the rest of the water before dropping the cup on the ground. Slumping back into his bed, he immediately passes out.

Realizing Eric is out of water, I head to the kitchen and fill up two more cups. Placing them at his bedside, I also bring the fan from my room into his, setting it up so it blows against his face and upper body to cool him down. Lastly, I lay a cold, wet cloth on his forehead.

After Eric is sorted and I say goodnight to Mom, I head to bed.

***

As the end of my shift nears, the bell on the door jingles.

Restocking the snack section, I say, “Sorry, we’re closing soon. If you didn’t call ahead, you’ll have to come back tomorrow if you want to buy–”

Sliding the final snack on the rung and turning to see who the customer is, I realize it’s Kavi standing on the welcome mat.

“Kavi! I can probably make an exception if–”

Kavi puts up a hand, “No need, I’m not here to buy anything. I was just nearby and thought you might be here.”

“Oh.”

“As uh– you’ve probably realized by now, my friend isn’t the type to hand out compliments. But I want you to know that Sydney is very grateful for your work ethic.”

I scratch the back of my neck, “I’m trying my best.”

Kavi chuckles, “And we both appreciate that. She actually mentioned to me earlier that your birthday is tomorrow. If you don’t have any plans, how ‘bout you come over to my place, and we celebrate?”

“I thought you’d want to go to Deniz’s service again?”

“He canceled it. Something must’ve come up. And like that matters to me now, tomorrow is your birthday!” Kavi grins, “No way am I going to let you mope around all day without celebrating your eighteenth birthday!”

I smile, “Okay, but you’re going to have to be the one that tells Sydney I’m not coming in.”

“I already did. She’s well aware that you’re taking the night off to celebrate.”

“And she’s not mad?”

“Oh, she’s mad, but she’ll get over it. You’ve come so far these past few months, Mateo. You deserve this.”

“Alright, alright, what time should I be over?”

“Let’s say seven. Sound good?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there. Thanks.”

“No sweat, Mateo. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says before leaving the warehouse.

Arriving home, I am surprised by not one but two things. The first is that Mom is already sitting at the kitchen table. The second is that I smell food being cooked for the first time in days. Entering the kitchen, I ask Mom if Eric helped her walk out, and she shakes her head.

“Nope. I walked in here all by myself. Happy early birthday, Mateo.”

Overjoyed at her recovery's progression, I wholeheartedly embrace her. Hearing Eric’s bedroom door creak open a few seconds later, I quickly wipe my tears away while hugging Mom.

As Eric enters the kitchen to tend to his stir fry, I walk over to check out how the food looks.

“I’m glad to see you cooking again.”

“I’m sure you are. My food tastes much better than yours,” he teases.

Not willing to verbally agree to that, I only give him a pat on the back before heading to the bathroom to wash up. Afterward, I join my family for dinner, and the three of us enjoy a meal at the table for the first time since Dad passed away.

While we ate, I decided to tell them about my plans for tomorrow evening. I lied that I had taken an extra night shift and would be home early the following morning.

I didn’t want to lie, but I figured this way was better than telling them I was going to celebrate my birthday with Kavi instead of staying home. Mom needs all the rest she can get… and worrying about me will only prevent her from that.

Almost like a normal family again, the three of us chatted like we used to. I told Mom and Eric about some angry customer stories, and we all laughed. Eric brought up some new recipes he wanted to try, and Mom even jumped in with stories of when she worked for a delivery service.

For the first time in a long time, I felt truly happy to be around my family again.

***

By the time I departed for Kavi’s house, it was already dusk outside.

Ringing his doorbell a few minutes before seven, I only have to wait a second before the door swings open, “Mateo!”

The two of us join hands and reel each other in for a brief hug.

“Thanks for inviting me.”

“Of course! Of course! Come in! I hope you’re hungry!”

Merrily entering Kavi’s home to celebrate my eighteenth birthday, it was much to our ignorance that this was no ordinary night. Speckled across the night sky, far more twinkling stars than usual were mysteriously present. And not only were they present, but if you stared at them long enough, you’d realize something unusual was happening.

The shimmering lights in the sky… were multiplying.