Deeper Blue

III

It was a little before noon when Edgar and Rupert stood outside the front entrance of the train station. The westbound train was due to leave in a few minutes, so the brothers didn't have much time left. Rupert had been helping his brother gather the most necessary items, such as provisions, cleaning supplies and kerosene oil for the lamps, since early in the morning. The packages were already loaded onto the wagon that would take Edgar to the lake house immediately after Rupert's departure. The lawyer had hoped to help his brother carry all the things home and unpack them, but the shopping had dragged on considerably. The coachman wouldn't help either, as he expected extra payment for carrying the heavy bundles, something that both Rupert and Edgar himself refused to agree to. When the boy gets there, he will be left to his own devices.

- Write to me often. - Instructed the older brother, checking the time on his watch. - Regularly. I don't want to worry.

- I will send letters often, I promise. - Nodded the lynx. - It will be fine, you'll see.

- I hope. - Replied Rupert, who then unexpectedly hugged his brother. - But I'll still be worried. Our mother will kill me when she finds out about everything.

- If she wants, she can come here at any time. - Edgar replied uncertainly.

- Would you really want that? - Rupert asked, smiling under his breath.

- No, I guess not. - Replied the amused boy. - She is even worse than you.

- I'll agree with that exactly. - The lawyer laughed, finally letting his brother out of his embrace, and after that he looked straight into his brother's eyes. - Will you promise me something?

- It depends on what I have to promise.

- Find some friends quickly. I don't want you to sit alone all days. Someone has to keep an eye on you.

- Should I look for friends or nannies then? - Asked the younger brother sarcastically.

- Don't play dumb, you know what I mean. - Replied the man, smiling slightly from under his mustache.

- A lot of tourists here. - Edgar remarked, looking around left and right. - I think it won't be difficult to find some company.

Rupert once again grabbed his pocket watch and furrowed his brow. He adjusted the bowler hat on his head and squeezed his black long cane tighter. He grasped the suitcase in his hand and looked his brother over from top to bottom.

- It's time for me to go. I'm leaving you in one piece, when I come back, you're supposed to look the same as you do now.

- Roger that. - Replied the boy rolling his eyes from top to bottom. - Have a safe trip, brother.

After that, the men hugged each other goodbye once more, so that Rupert could finally disappear behind the walls of the train station, leaving his brother at Deeper Blue Lake.

Once Edgar was left alone, only then did he feel momentary trepidation. Until then, solitude had accompanied him for the longest few hours. There was always someone in his family home, always someone "keeping an eye on him."

Before leaving, Edgar went to a nearby market to buy some baked potatoes for the road. The smell of them wafting through the air was just as tempting as the previous day, and the boy couldn't help himself.

It took a few moments to push through the crowd of people buying local products and handicrafts. There were lots of sewn clothes, shoes and also hawt curtains or tablecloths. There were also handmade pots, flowers, fried eels and other products, but these did not interest the boy at the moment. He followed his nose, tempted by the smell of charred coal and salt. When he finally arrived, he knew immediately that it was worth it. The potatoes shimmered and glittered in the sunlight completely as if they were nuggets of dark, precious gold. Just as he was about to turn to the elderly peddler selling food he realized that there was just some commotion going on behind the wooden counter.