ALLEN'S POINT [Editing]

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-XX-

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For a little while, Marvin was looking blankly at the sky. He slowly rose and looked at the very spot where Allen's Point cafe stood.

There was nothing left in there. There was silence and for a moment he waited for a signal coming from Jarred's thoughts. But there was none.

He concentrated.

None.

There was a deep and deafening quietude. The silence in the aftermath of a violent storm.

But of course, it was the dead of the night. The dead remain silent. A part of his mind wanted to refuse to believe what had just happened but his stinging leg reminded him that it did happen. That everything was so damn real as the beating pain from his wound spreading the ache to every part of his body.

Before he began to walk he waited for Charlie to say, Iz jaz a Boinkie Toinkie Boo, kuya! But nothing came. The magic word didn't come.

Marvin walked limping with the consistent sting from the wound. He began with a few steps down the street leading to their house. He walked without stopping or turning back. The road was deserted as it was lighted by the lurid light from the lamp posts that looked dizzier and exhausted than he was.

Marvin walked half a kilometer already when a cold breeze passed by him.

Marvin heard noises--clamoring voices. He's not sure if it was just an imagination. Crazy things had just happened to him, his head had no space for something impossible.

Then his pacified heart began to thump. A ghastly image of his mother lying unconscious on a hospital bed came to him. She didn't look like a Vetruvian man but the bed looked much like a normal hospital bed. His heart was beating with worries. He stopped, closed his eyes, placed his shaky right hand on his chest, and whispered to the silence of the night, "No, that can't be true."

Aye! aye, captain. You silly, that is jus a Boinkie Toinkie Boo, kuya!

Marvin smiled. "Of course."

Charlie's innocent voice had always been soothing. Marvin opened his eyes and continued walking. In a few minutes, he started to have a glimpse of their house.

When I get home, Charlie, I'm going to tell you that "Boinkie Toinkie Boo!" means 'stupid.'

Marvin let out a sigh of relief.

I missed you, kiddo!

I missed you, ma...

As he got closer and closer to their house, he could make out a familiar figure of a woman sitting on a chair positioned outside the doorway.

Marvin couldn't stop his tears from falling. But yeah, he missed being at home.

--End--

I hope you enjoyed the story.

Boinkie Toinkie Boo!

-VON IVER [Brile San Jose]