Ravela stepped out of her car and parked close to the beautiful small park by the lake. It was just as she had left it. The flowers in the park smelled almost like home.
‘Sentimentality, really?’ The voice mocked her.
The crank voice in her head was getting old by now. She was really over her companion’s complaining about the peace-and-quiet thing. ‘Have you no appreciation for nature? Really, none? I, for one, find it quite…relaxing.’
By now, Ravela knew when she was abandoned mid-conversation. She made her way through the park, enjoying the early morning sun. She sat on the bench under the big tree near the water, her favorite spot in town. Watching the small ripples over the water and feeling the breeze of the warm summer air gave her an appreciation for the season.
It took her a while to gather her thoughts. She came here for a few reasons; among them, Laena’s education was the most delicate topic of the day. Ravela considered Ma Stone a proud woman who would make handing her the money just like that impossible. But Ravela wagered that she was also a sentimental woman, and going the route of the grateful guest would go a long way in convincing Ma Stone to accept her help.
She sighed and watched a bird fly over the water, free from the burdens of society, just carried by the wind wherever it wished. Ravela felt she had tied herself to this place more out of the need to belong to a community than out of actual necessity, and looking back on things, she could have easily left this place behind without a second thought.
Life would have gone on, but it would have been radically different. She had no doubt in her mind that without her further intervention, Safora would have been one of the very few children in town by now. It wouldn’t be wrong for her to say that Gradjia’s old town and droves of the newer town wouldn’t be populated anymore. Laena wouldn’t have had her powers, and thus, she would have died.
‘On the other hand, there would be so many people running about with superpowers now, would there?’ Ravela lamented her companion’s return as soon as she decided to share her opinion regarding that topic.
‘I really don’t need you to rain on my parade here. Had we moved on from here, I, for one, feel we would not have been better off.’ Ravela argued.
‘Maybe, but what makes you think involving yourself further is a good choice?’ Her companion voiced the gnawing uncertainties rumbling in Ravela’s mind.
Ravela shifted on her bench. ‘But what speaks against doing something for Laena?’
‘Attachment? We can’t just walk away if we involve ourselves so critically in someone’s life. Bad enough that you took up residence somewhere and even found yourself a job. Now, you want to take responsibility beyond what you already shouldered for her sake. You may as well adopt her at this point. Keep some distance between you and these children, for our sake.’ The voice tried to persuade her against her resolution.
Ravela stood from the bench. “And what of it? Would we be happier isolated in this strange world and time?”
She approached Ma Stone’s house with determined steps. Ringing the doorbell made a retreat impossible. Ravela sincerely hoped Ma Stone would accept her offer.
The price list beside the front door suggested that all the rooms were occupied. That was certainly a surprise for Ravela. It was odd, to say the least.
Ma Stone opened the door, seemingly exasperated. “I’m sorry, we’re completely booked out.” She started a well-practiced greeting.
Ravela just stood there while Ma Stone realized she knew him and exclaimed. “Oh, Ramiel. Oh dear, I am sorry. Come in, I’ve been overrun the entire spring. How are you doing these days? What can I do for you?”
Ravela followed Laena’s grandmother into the house. “Sounds like business is going great. I dropped in to talk to you about something important.”
Ma Stone had made her way back to the kitchen in Ravela’s company. “Oh, something important? What could that be?”
Ravela sat down at the small table Ma Stone used to cut vegetables. She watched Ma Stone prepare breakfast for a moment before she spoke again.
“It’s an issue of gratitude and appreciation,” Ravela said, shifting in her chair.
Ma Stone turned her head without stopping the work on the scrambled eggs in one of the pans on the stove. “That sounds odd. What are you trying to say?”
Ravela chewed on her words for a moment. “I owe you and your family a lot for the help I received.” She paused and let the words float through the room for a moment.
Ma Stone let her think in silence and kept working on the breakfast for her guests.
“It would be more accurate to say that I owe the entire town a lot for what they and you have done for me,” Ravela continued talking. She looked out of the window into the vegetable garden behind the house, then added musingly. “But how do I repay an entire town? So, I’ve been thinking for a while, and I finally had an idea that may appropriately show my gratitude to at least your family if you find it agreeable.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Ma Stone looked back, raising an eyebrow and urging her to get on with whatever she wanted to propose.
“I have money. Too much of it, which I do not know what to do with. I am not too sure why I had this much money on me. Lately, I’ve been thinking that raising a child on your own couldn’t have been easy. Even though you raised a formidable young girl, she is now entering the age where the costs of fulfilling her dreams may well outrun your ability to sustain this house and her dreams.”
Ravela paused and saw in every facial movement and in Ma Stone’s eyes that she had been aware of that reality for a long time. The old woman turned back to her cooking. She was obviously uncomfortable with showing such weakness to anyone.
She took a deep breath before continuing. “I want to create an account to rid you of that worry. I was thinking of putting enough money in it so that Laena wouldn’t have to miss out on anything regarding her education, not high school trips, not vacation activities, not extracurricular groups, and not college. If you allow me, I will ensure she can go to any college that will have her. I was thinking of 50,000 dollars, and the day she graduates, any money left in it is hers.”
Ravela quickly laid out her entire idea and now waited with bated breath for a response from Ma Stone. She sat patiently as Laena’s grandmother went through a range of emotions and thoughts without turning from her cooking. There was, at times, a suspicious lifting of a kitchen towel dapping on her face close to her eyes. Noticing that made Ravela shift in her seat a little, and she turned her attention back outside the kitchen window. She was not sure if she had offended Ma Stone or made her happy with the proposal.
The silence dragged on, but Ravela resisted the urge to interrupt Ma Stone’s contemplations. It was quite the news she had delivered, and pushing the nice old lady into a conversation when she was still busy digesting it all and thinking the idea over felt inappropriate.
It took until breakfast was fully prepared, and then, in the dining room, Ma Stone sat down on the other chair at the small kitchen table. Ravela turned her attention to Ma Stone, who looked a lot older now, with worry and gratefulness written plainly on her face.
“We will need to set this up right, so I propose we meet up with a lawyer. I would choose Jason Taper from here in town, and Keeper Namon should be there.” Ma Stone finally spoke.
Ravela nodded. “Setting it up officially with a lawyer seems reasonable. Why Keeper Namon, though?”
Ma Stone pursed her lips. “I feel having a witness present for the whole procedure is necessary, and I further think it should be someone we both hold in high esteem and trust implicitly, don’t you agree?”
Ravela leaned back in her chair, rubbing her chin. ”Yes, it sounds perfectly reasonable when you say it like that.”
“So when do you suggest we set this up?” Ma Stone asked.
She shrugged. “We can make the agreement right now if the lawyer and the Keeper have time for us. We can set up the account as soon as we iron out the details with the lawyer and the bank.”
Ma Stone stood up. “After my guest had breakfast, I’ll call Mr. Taper. Could you be a dear and inform Keeper Namon of his plans for the morning?”
Ravela laughed at Ma Stone, just deciding that the Keeper would have time. “I will go talk to him. I think he will make time for us.”
She got up and walked behind Ma Stone into the dining room. The table was full of guests, and all of them gave Ravela an odd side-eye. She smiled, trying to ignore the odd atmosphere.
With a nod to the guests and Ma Stone, she left the house and made her way through Gradjia to Namon’s Safehouse.
It had been a long time since she had last seen the small temple. Looking at it now that she had lived in Pliada City for a while, it looked humble in comparison to the big temple, more dignified. She was not about the fancy windows or the white stoned exterior. Namon’s Safehouse just felt closer to the people, or maybe it was just her own feeling. She didn’t know the Keeper in Pliada City or much of its congregation.
Ravela entered through the front door, musing that knowing the people in Gradjia better made this Safehouse different from the others. In a way, this was also her Safehouse. Keeper Namon was busy moving things around at the central altar.
She walked halfway down the central corridor between the benches and then sat down silently, observing the Keeper in his busy frenzy. To her, he looked more nervous than usual and even slightly tense. Ravela wondered what was on his mind.
Then she spotted two other Keepers coming from the backroom with more utensils. She knew those two from back when the explosion happened during the game.
The apprentice from back then was in full Keeper regalia. It seemed like he had finished his studies and had become one of the priests. Ravela kept watching them with a sly smile. Something about the young man’s eyes unsettled her. Maybe that was owed to his first reaction to meeting her.
He was the first of the trio to look up and into the room, meeting her gaze. The way he froze upon seeing her was unnatural. Ravela slightly tilted her head, realizing that his reaction back then had not been some fluke. Something about him was different.
Ravela held eye contact with the guy for a moment, studying his pale complexion. She got up from her seat and switched her attention to the still-oblivious Namon. “Keeper Namon.” She called out to her friend.
The other keeper was a problem for another day, and Ravela was on a different mission already.
Namon met her halfway and greeted her with a wide smile. “Blessed morning to you, Ramiel. Look at you, finally visiting your friends all on your own. Who would have thought it possible?”
She chuckled. “Really, I come to visit, and you’re still sitting on my back?”
“Always,” Namon said, his smile now warm and kind. “It is my calling, after all.”
Ravela patted him on the back. “There is a reason for my visit besides wanting to visit you. Ma Stone requested that I ask you a favor.”
Keeper Namon looked back at his colleagues before answering. “I am actually getting a, let’s call it, promotion around noon today, so anytime after 2 pm works for me. We’re expecting some more guests.”
Ravela smiled. “Congratulations, look at you, moving up in the world. So, I will go back to Ma Stone and tell her about your prior engagement. When is that ceremony? Can a friend come as a witness?”
Namon gave her a pat on the shoulder before responding. “It’s a very official event. I appreciate the gesture, but only officials of the church are to be present for such occasions.”
She felt a bit disappointed. “Oh, I’ll be with you in spirit anyway. I’ll pick you up afterward, then. Don’t let the rank go to your head till then, okay?” Ravela said with a wink.
She departed as quickly as she had walked in. Ravela returned to Ma Stone’s house, starting to feel like a messenger. The fact that she had done this to herself was slightly amusing and the cause lessened the awkwardness of the ordeal a lot.
For the second time today, Ravela knocked on Ma Stone’s door.
----------------------------------------
Laena lay on her back on the lawn of the dorm grounds. The shade of the trees, letting through rays of warm sun and the light breeze, made this one of her favorite spots to relax beside the library or the practice room where she could play guitar.
With her eyes closed, she smelled the flowers around her, soft and soothing. Safora was probably still fast asleep, and Laena was still trying to come up with a plan to keep her friend from going crazy with all the free time on their hands. The notepad and pen resting on her stomach had yet to be used to pen her suggestions for her friend.
Pursing her lips a bit, Laena reached to her side for her backpack. Today was her turn to listen in on the lectures of the teachers. Another day of proposed trips she won’t end up taking.
But it didn’t really bother her as much as last year. She had superpowers now, something no amount of money could buy.
Sitting up, Laena pushed the notepad and pen back into her backpack. It seemed Safora would have to come up with her own entertainment for the day. She was certain her friend could handle that for a day.
On her way to the homeroom of her class, Laena saw Troy and Beth sitting together in the detention classroom with their entire group. Laena thought it extremely unfair that even the kids that didn’t fight an ran away were sitting in the detention room.
The school had an odd way of dishing out justice, but over all Laena had to admit detention was better than these kids getting thrown in jail like some other vigilantes. She didn’t doubt that the state had a heightened interest in appearing favorable to the parents and superpowered kids, and imprisoning teenagers who just happened to be there and tried to help was probably the opposite message they wanted to send to the various potentially still-hidden Powered.
Laena looked over her shoulder back to the detention classroom. It wasn’t like that would get Safora or herself to reveal her powers. She had realized the truth of Ramiel’s words over the past few months. Anonymity was a blessing.