ELLA AND MICHAEL

Have you ever heard of a Blue Beard?

That night, when Michael and Marco were about to go to sleep, Marco came out of the bathroom and walked back to his room.

As he walked, Marco saw an open door. Marco walked near the open door.

As Marco began to enter the chamber, he saw the stairs leading to the basement.

Before Marco came down the stairs, Ella came from behind and held Marco's shoulder, which surprised him.

“It.... Below that.” Marco pointed at the stairs leading to the basement.

“Kak. Have you ever heard the story of ‘Blue Beard’?”

“A long time ago, there was a blue bearded man who lived alone in a magnificent castle.”

“He was very rich, but because he had a blue beard, everyone was afraid and avoided him.”

“One day, a poor woman visited the castle to be the bride of the blue bearded man.”

“The blue-bearded man was filled with happiness. He took out all the diamonds and treasures from each room and gave them as gifts to his wife.”

“However, there is one exception, which is an underground room. He warned his wife not to open the room.”

“However, his wife was very curious, and opened the room without her husband's knowledge.”

“Do you know the contents of that room, Brother?”

Marco who heard that only gawked, and shook his head.

“There are many corpses of women hanging on the wall.”

“There was a tragic end for the wives who ignored warnings from the blue-bearded man, not to open the room.”

Marco, who has an autistic syndrome, still does not understand what Ella's words mean.

He rushed back to his room, telling Michael everything he did and what Ella had told him.

“Kak.”

“From now on, never go to the basement. This is not our home. We have to be polite.”

“Maybe, because he's different from the others. When all men have a black beard, he has a blue beard alone.”

“Is being different that scary?” Marco asked back.

“It seems so,” replied Michael.

“Should stay alone in the castle when we are different?”

“Not really, Brother. One day, he will find true love who is not afraid of the blue beard and say that it is okay to be different,” Michael replied.

Marco slept when Michael finished explaining.

Michael uses his blanket for Marco and goes to sleep next to him.

Outside the room, Ella stood up and listened to everything the two of them had talked about.

Ella went to her room to rest.

***

The next day, Marco was seen sweeping and mopping all the floors of the castle.

Michael was cooking food for breakfast.

As Ella woke up from her sleep, she rushed down from the second floor and saw Marco who had finished mopping, and dried all the pillows and mattresses.

When Marco saw Ella who had woken up, he greeted her.

“Oh. Author Ella. What's your sleep?”

Ella just nodded her head and was still dumbfounded, seeing Marco finish all the homework.

Marco continued his activities tidying up the unkempt items in every corner while talking to Ella.

“We get up at five in the morning, wash all the bed linen, take all the groceries, and make things right, while you're still fast asleep.”

Marco takes Ella to his kitchen.