The Cure

Six

  Six

Maggie sat up straight. She let out a sigh while looking away from Jerry. She didn't expect the sudden change of topic.

"You don't have to answer it, Maggie, if you don't want to," Jerry said.

Maggie just nodded, but she started to tell Jerry. "I didn't receive that journal from my mom."

Jerry looked confusedly at Maggie. "My mom died in a fire three weeks after she gave birth to me. So she typically didn't give it to me, but if she ever left that journal to me, my dad should have given that to me earlier."

Jerry nodded as he listened to Maggie. Maggie closed her eyes as if she was trying to remember a memory.

"Every Christmas Eve is my birthday. Each year, a mysterious person always leaves a present at our door. I tried to ask my dad who it was, but he wouldn't answer, so I thought maybe it was just Santa Claus or someone with a good heart. I would either get a new pair of shoes or a dress. But it stopped one Christmas Eve. My dad held a party at our house. I was turning 13 at that time. I waited beside the window for that person to give me a present. I was desperate at that time to find out who it was. I waited while watching the December snowfall, and then a guy came. It wasn't my dad. He was a guy in his near 40's, I guess. He wore a checkered polo then, but I couldn't see his face. He talked to me and handed me the journal and told me that my mom wanted me to have that journal."

"Did you ask for his name or something?" Jerry asked.

"No. My dad called me even before that guy introduced himself." Maggie looked at her feet. Jerry just nodded. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Maggie's mom.

"But I think I heard my dad call him Gilbert Haynes," Maggie said.

Jerry looked at Maggie. "Gilbert Haynes?"

"I don't know. I just heard my dad say it."

Jerry nodded and tried to think where he heard that name. "Gilbert Haynes. I thought I heard it somewhere."

Maggie smiled and hugged Jerry. Jerry looked at Maggie and pinched her nose. Maggie laughed warmly.

"But Mags, did you find out who that mysterious person who left gifts to you?" Maggie just shuddered in dismay.

"The truth is, that person stopped giving me gifts on Christmas Eve. So I thought, maybe that guy who gave me the journal was the same guy who gave me gifts. After my 13th birthday, I didn't receive any gift from that guy again."

"Oh." Jerry nodded.

Jerry thought, "Why would that guy leave gifts at your door?"

"I don't know, and maybe he's Santa Claus." Jerry laughed upon hearing Maggie.

"That's ridiculous," Jerry said.


********
Flint felt his stomach growling.

"I'm so hungry." He muttered. He went to look at his bag, but all he could find were plastic wrappers of candies and Maggie's journal. He indeed travels light.

He decided to find something to eat. He picked up his gun beside his bag. He went outside his room and looked through the hallway. He went to the elevator and pressed a specific floor. When the door opened, he went to the kitchen far east of the hallway.

He entered the kitchen and looked for the storage room. He opened every door he passed by and aimed the gun toward it. He opened a steel door in the kitchen and revealed a room full of spices and ingredients.

Flint entered and looked for something to eat. Luckily, he found some fruits inside a fridge. He took an apple and took a bite from it. He searched for a plastic bag into which he could place the rest of the fruits. He happened to see boxes above a table in the corner. He went to the table and chose a box he would use.

He went back to the fridge and placed the fruits in the box.

"Do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man," He hummed as he placed the fruits in the box?

He turned to storm out of the room and opened the room, but he was surprised to see someone there. He automatically threw the box of fruits toward the person and aimed his gun at him.

"Hey!"

Flint held back upon hearing April's voice.

"April?" Flint went near her and helped her up.

"Yeah."

"You gave me a fright!" Flint exclaimed.

"I frightened you? Whoa! Hang on! You're the one who stormed out of your room without telling me. I just followed you, and now I'm scaring you?" April snorted mockingly.

"What are you doing here?"

"As I told you, I followed you. I didn't know there's a kitchen here." April picked up an apple from the box Flint threw.

"And deliciously fresh fruits." Flint continued.

April nodded, took a knife from the kitchen counter, stabbed the apple, and took a bite from it. April paced the room. Flint watched his sister while she was walking.

"April, I want to tell you something," Flint said. April just nodded, but she didn't look at Flint.

"Remember that corpse that Minho killed in Uncle's house?" It caught April's attention, and stared at Flint.

"I think it was Uncle Gilbert."

"Why do you think so?" April asked.