48 hours to fall in love

Part 33

Meanwhile, outside the castle, a little far away, there were Paula and Peter, who had already left the hostel, with the intention of finding the place where Eydelme was, they were heading towards the only place Peter knew where old people who had no family to take care of them lived: the asylum.

-And tell me, why is Eydelme so important to you? -asked Peter. He was quite nervous walking through the streets of the kingdom, knowing that he was a fugitive from the law, so he had taken some old dark glasses that he had found lying outside the shelter, in order to try to pass unnoticed by the officers he might meet on the way.

-It's that she, she protected me from my father, to the point that she was going to give her life to save me, my father, he..., -Paula was silent, however, she recovered her voice a few moments later, -my father cut her throat, or at least, a part of it. And I've always wanted to see her again, to know how she is, if my father hadn't done what he did, I would have grown up with Eydelme, she would have become my mother, but things didn't work out that way, -Paula sighed-, now I hope to see her again, to know how she is, to know if she's alive at least.

If it's any consolation, count on me to find Eydelme, take as long as it takes, I promise," Peter promised her.

-Oh, Peter, you really are my angel, how is it that there are people as good as you," said Paula.

At that moment, Peter saw an image attached to the lamppost that shocked him. And it made him stop to read the caption of the photograph, which showed the face of his gang mate and, above all, his friend Koda.

Wanted: Koda Hernandez C. Great reward to anyone who obtains information that may lead to his whereabouts. Crime committed: armed murder of the executioner of the royal family.

-Who is he? -asked Paula, seeing that Peter was stunned by the image.

-He used to be a great friend to me, I never expected in a million years to read this," he said to Paula.

-I'm so sorry, it must be very painful for you," she whispered as she hugged him tightly.

-Yes, it certainly is," said Peter, hugging her back.

Peter, aware that if they found Koda, he would be sentenced to death, got a lump in his throat knowing that he was in the same situation.

-We'd better get going," he told her.

-Yes, yes, of course.

Five minutes later, they were in front of the nursing home Peter had spoken of.

-This is it," he said.

-I think it's better if I go in and you wait at the reception desk, don't you? -Paula asked.

-Yes, that's best.

Peter looked back at the asylum, then back at his briefcase, and then back at Paula. Unexpectedly, he felt a hunch, something inside him telling him that he should give the briefcase to Paula. He was now a fugitive from the law, and always would be, even if he escaped to another realm, his face was on the news, and the cops wouldn't stop until they found him. He could never enjoy his money, he could never spend it, but he knew someone who could.

-Paula, take this, please, look at it as a gift from me.

Peter handed her his briefcase. She wanted to check what it was or what was inside, but Peter told her to open it later, when he wasn't there.

-I don't know what this is, but I can see from the look in your eyes that it is very important to you, and that it represents many things in your life. I can only tell you two things, the first is thank you very, very much. And, the second is that I promise you that I will take care of it with my life, whatever is inside this briefcase," Paula replied, as she gave him a big hug and tears welled up in her eyes.

-I love you very much, never forget that," said Peter.

-I love you even more because if it hadn't been for you, I would have died in that cabin, I owe you everything, and never in a million years will I be able to repay you.

-You don't have to, it was a real honor for me to get you out of there, and I assure you that I will always treasure it and carry it in my heart," he told her.

After a moment, Paula and Peter entered the reception area, where she asked the secretary if a woman named Eydelme was staying there. The secretary did the respective search.

-Yes, that's right, excuse me, miss, how are you related to Mrs. Eydelme? -asked the secretary.

-I, I am an old friend," Paula answered.

-Okay, go to the end of the corridor, last door on the left. That's where the guard will be, give him this voucher and you can go in to see Eydelme," said the secretary.

-I, I am an old friend," Paula answered.

-Okay, go to the end of the corridor, last door on the left. That's where the guard will be, give him this voucher and you can go in to see Eydelme," the secretary recommended.

Paula took the voucher and said goodbye to Peter, who took a seat on one of the benches in the reception area. She walked down the hallway until she reached the last door, opened it gently and entered. Behind it, the guard was waiting for her and Paula handed him the voucher.

-I don't know if they told you at reception, Miss, but after the accident Eydelme lost her memory, she doesn't remember anything," said the guard, while pointing to an old woman sitting in a wheelchair, about six meters away from Paula.

-I thank you," she replied, and approached until she reached Eydelme, who was alone, disheveled, and with an absent look.

-Eydelme, you don't know how much I've been looking for you, I've missed you so much, you don't know how much," exclaimed Paula, while giving her a tight hug; however, she remembered what the guard had told her, Eydelme could not remember her, no matter how hard she tried.

-Who, who are you? -she whispered to him, in a barely audible voice.

-I'm Paula, have you forgotten me already? You were the one who discovered my mother's past that January afternoon, you were the one who confronted my father, and forced him to leave us, oh, Eydelme, how sorry I am that you lost your memory, you don't know how much.

-I'm sorry, Pa... Paula, but I don't know who you are," she told him.

-Don't worry. Don't worry, the important thing is that we are together now, after so many years that we were separated, and nothing and no one will ever separate us again," the young woman told her, with tears in her eyes. -I will take care of you, I promise, Eydelme," she said as she gave the old woman a big hug.

Eydelme was no longer the same as before, and that should have been clear to Paula. However, her good heart was still there, she was almost sure of that.