Days After You's

Chapter 26 - Former Class Brother

The second night, I had to go back to sleep in the same bed as Stella. This time he did not have bad dreams so I can sleep well even though I had difficulty sleeping for two hours due to continuing to ring Stella's face in the sunset view when at the wedding.

I woke up hugging the bolster pillow I had placed in the middle of the mattress like the night before and found Stella doing the same thing, our hands were almost touching and my face was directly face to face with hers who was still asleep. I can see her eyelashes from this distance.

"Mr..." Stella frowned before slowly opening her eyes. I should have gotten up at the first moment when her eyelids started to open but instead I was pecking at my position. Stella looked back at me, "Luiz is up?"

My entire nervous system reacted a few seconds later. I spontaneously got up and sat down and nodded slowly.

"Hm, just now," I said, "We must get ready immediately for taking your parents to the airport."

"Oh yeah..."

Stella and I didn't take long to get ready because we had all our luggage packed up last night before going to bed. We then waited for Stella's parents in the lobby before leaving for the airport.

"Oh you're here already" Stella's father came by pulling a big suitcase followed by his wife.

"Papa's morning, mama's morning," Stella's greeting was followed by me. After greeting each other and making sure no one was left behind, we went to check-out and left the hotel.

There wasn't too much chatter during the trip other than just pleasantries about the weather and the street atmosphere of Stella and her parents. I also only hoard once in a while if they ask my opinion of something.

"Ah until also. Thank you Luiz and be careful on your way home. Do not drive too fast even on a quiet shaft road," said Stella's father when going to say goodbye. Stella's mother smiled and poked us one by one, "See you guys later. Listen to dad's advice."

Stella's parents then walked into the airport waiting room while Stella and I went back to the car. Although Stella wanted to wait until the time the plane was boarded by her parents took off, we ourselves had to leave immediately because we planned to stop buying souvenirs for my family first before going home. I don't want to be up too late in City A so it's better not to delay time.

The souvenir shop we stopped by was one of those located on the road to the exit gate of the city, so there were quite a number of people who also stopped there to look for souvenirs besides us.

"Luiz, do you think grandpa would like this?" Stella raised a wooden carved bowl on the shelf. He remembered that grandfather likes to collect antique carvings like that.

"I think grandpa would like."

"Then take this one. To your mom and dad.What's good?"

Dad never showed any special interest in anything, but I think mom would love it if we brought her a bag or jewelry typical of the area. Although I'm sure he already had some of his previous visits to this city.

"Take anything for dad, if mom might be a necklace or a bracelet."

"Oh okay. I'll take a look at the accessories then. Looks like a lot of pretty ones are there for your mother."

It's a little strange to see Stella so enthusiastic about choosing a gift for a mother who often treats her quite coldly, but again maybe it's just her who really likes to choose a gift for someone. She chose a bag, necklace and bracelet for mom while I chose some miniature wooden mini, sarongs, and some other carvings for dad and also grandfather.

"Luiz?"

The voice of the man I didn't know was suddenly heard from behind me, just then Stella was on the other side of the shop and couldn't hear anything. I turned to find a man who was a little taller than me, thin and wearing a shirt with slightly oversized cloth pants was smiling broadly at me.

"Yes...?" I replied hesitantly because I did not recognize this person before me at all, "Sorry, I don't remember having met you before."

"Oh it's been a long time, it's only natural that you don't remember me. I'm Carlos. Carlos Benjamin, the troublemaker of the twelfth grade remember?"

I thought for a moment as I looked at the man's appearance before a bulb seemed to light up in my brain. Oh. I recall. He was a senior who was one level above me back when I was in High School. He was very naughty and was famous as a class rebel. Since I was the chairman of OSIS, I automatically dealt with him a lot during that period as well. It's only natural that I have trouble recognizing him. This man is much different from the cat I used to know.

"Oh.I remember. Hello."

Carlos laughed, "Surprised to see my change? Well let's say this and it's been for a few years since school and here I am with this store."

Not that it was disrespectful or anything, but I really didn't expect to see him again with this new look. In the past he always violated the dress code in school, skipping, often fighting with other class children and other schools. Maybe all the bad things that come to your mind about juvenile delinquency have been done by this person first. As bad as it is that if I came to the school reunion and remembered him without knowing all these changes, I would probably think he was a mobster or a thug by now.

Her smile did not fade when answering my question but she looked a little embarrassed, "Yes, I'm real here. This store belongs to my father and I'm going to keep it. It's nothing compared to your family's company but more than enough for me and my little family."

"No need to compare. This store is good and definitely has its own value for you and your family."

Carlos nodded, "Look at you haven't changed at all. Still a fine man who used to always be proud of the teacher and the whole school. I heard you're married? The alumni group had a scene."

Uh. About it. I didn't belong to the same group as Carlos because our forces were different, but something similar happened in my group. I went in there because someone invited me, but never showed up or made a sound at all, so I never told the group anything about my marriage. I think one of my friends knows how to write in a group about it? I don't know, whatever it is, I'll never understand why the news of my marriage blew up in that group, am I such a bad man that the fact that a woman is willing to marry me alone sounds so shocking to them?

I sighed and gestured towards Stella who was still cool to see some accessories, "That's my wife."

Carlos followed my gaze and his eyes rounded, "That woman? People really say that in the end we will marry someone who is not our type at all. Not just me, but you too."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the types of girlfriends you used to be were always beautiful women and who looked smart or classy, right? Your wife seems the opposite of it all..."

I admit the type of woman I like is so, but something is wrong with what Carlos said.

"I never dated anyone before I got married."

"Huh? Then who is in school with the head of what English debate group? The marching band leader? Math olympic kids?"

I'm almost dumbstruck, "I don't even remember them. Where'd you hear that?"

Carlos scratched his hair, "Eh, they themselves said. There's a lot of people coming up to you at school, you know, but those women are making everyone back off. When word got you married, they were all nostalgic because they said you were their first love."

Huh huh? Why did I just know this..It turns out I was quite popular during school?

Stella appeared shortly afterwards. He looked at me and Carlos alternated with curious gazes.

"Hello, I'm Carlos. Luiz's upperclassman at school," Carlos smiled a friendly smile as he extended his hand.

Stella's eyes then rounded as she shook the hand, "O-oh hello. I'm Stella. It's nice to meet you."

Carlos then began to tell me about me during school from his perspective while packing our groceries. The thing that went through my mind while listening to her story was how much my teenage years were monotonous and tended to be boring compared to her life, but Stella who was already curious was listening to it like it was a legend story that he had just heard for the first time.

"Here we go, all of it. A total of seven hundred thousand huh," Carlos passed four large paper bags with a big smile and I gave money to pay him. After that, he reached out to shake me and Stella.

"It's good to see you again, Luiz. I'm sorry if it's been a lot of trouble for you first, believe me I buried all my mischief in advance. Miss Stella too, nice to meet you in the end. The alumni group will definitely be excited if I tell you about this."

"Thank you, but please don't say anything excessive there," I said, "Hopefully your store continues to sell. Bye then...Brother Carlos."

"See you, Brother Carlos," Stella leaned over and followed me out of the shop. I knew he would definitely bombard me with questions during school on the way. Want how else, at least it evokes the topic of conversation on the road.

"Okay, be careful on the road!" Carlos leaned against the door, now with a girl behind him. I raised my hand for a moment before getting into the car.

Talking to an old acquaintance like Carlos made me reflect a little on how dynamic someone is to be able to change one hundred and eighty degrees from the figure I knew first. That sounds scary enough if it's angered at the negativity, but Carlos is clearly turning out to be a better person than he used to be.

I glanced at Stella for a moment. The fact that I could choose to sit with him on a trip that would probably take more than half a day twice in a row rather than take a plane that would make me unnecessarily linger around him and not complaining at all about it made me think whether I too have been there changed since marrying her?