The Rhyme of the Depositary

THREE TWO

Determination is a spirit in which you have the motive to survive and succeed. If a person's determination begins to disappear, slowly the lifeblood begins to disappear. Leaving a body torn apart without emotion.

Alice was at that point. His spirit is running low every day. There is no intention of living life. Everything he had vanished leaving him for no reason. One by one.

The first tragedy began when both of his parents died. At that time Alice seemed to lose her main support. Struggling without certainty. The second tragedy of Alex's death. All beliefs about marriage had collapsed by then. The man who claimed to love her, took all the property he inherited from his parents. The third tragedy occurred when Anson left her with their son. Bringing something that is half of his life. The next tragedy is the departure of Kendrick in the most cruel way. Killed before his own eyes. His last tragedy was the accident that hit him, making both his legs lose function.

The events that happened to hit Alice's confidence. Even now he was forced to be under the control of Anson, without Rachel or Daniel who could comfort him.

There's nothing left for Alice now. He lost his way, he lost his ambition. Every day he went through with a blank look. The sunlight that always touched his arm no longer felt his warmth. The cold water that washed his face also no longer had any meaning. The air he breathed was just a complement without being able to thank Alice anymore.

Alice turned into a robot. His body acts and responds according to its main function only. He performs all actions automatically. There is no meaningful development. Even his legs had not shown any improvement.

That state lasted for ten more days. William who faithfully accompanied him began to suspect something was wrong with his mental development. One morning later, William managed to persuade Anson to see firsthand the condition of the woman who had been present in his life.

Anson entered where Alice's room was being treated. He walked gracefully as usual. Without asking for approval, the man stood at the side of the bed, approaching the woman who was now looking out through the hospital's transparent glass.

"You've improved?" Anson asked. But not once responded by Alice. The woman was busy looking out.

"Alice."

Alice seemed to flinch and looked surprised. His eyes looked confused looking at him.

"Are you okay?" Anson asked.

"Okay" he answered. The water's back flat. There was no hatred or anger like Anson used to see from his two brown neutrals.

Anson stared at the two trays on the nightstand beside Alice. The food was not touched at all. Anson frowned confused. William is right. Alice's condition is in decline.

"Have you eaten?" Anson asked slowly. They were silent for quite a while, making Anson's question float without any clarity.

"Alice." Call Anson.

Once again Alice flinched. His eyes were confused again.

"Have you eaten?" Anson repeated the question.

"Eat?" Alice asked back. He blinked his eyes several times not understanding.

Anson shook his head slowly, picking up a new tray by his side. He scoops the chicken broth and feeds it to Alice. Anson did not know if this worked, considering Alice had hated him half to death.

Anson was a little surprised when the bribe he gave Alice was well received. The woman took a slow sip like a child being guided to a meal by her parents.

"You should eat, Alice. If you hate me, you need the strength to fight me head-on. Get well soon so you can avenge my actions."

There was no answer given by Alice. The woman just stared blankly and did everything according to Anson's direction.

Anson feed the broth until the toilet is not left. He observed whenever Alice's mouth opened and closed automatically. There was no expression Anson could take from him. Hatred, anger, disappointment, sadness or whatever it is.

"Open your mouth, Alice," Anson gave him two pills. Alice follows Anson's instructions and swallows the medicine quickly.

"You must be diligent about taking medicine if you want to get well soon." Anson gives advice that Alice still doesn't pay attention to.

"Alice," called Anson back, troubled by her flat reaction.

"You hear? You should take your medicine regularly." Anson stared firmly at the woman before him.

"Medicine," repeated Alice parroted.

Anson breathed heavily. He observed the figure of the woman. Did Kendrick's death have that much impact on Alice's psychic? Is that how it means? Alice is more aptly referred to as a statue than a human. Doing all things automatically, as if his soul was no longer his.

"Alice." Anson rubbed the hair that was still dyed in dark color by Alice.

"Cheal soon" he asked.

...

This afternoon Anson returns to visit Alice in the hospital. He felt Alice's condition never improved. His eyes still showed emptiness . His soul is somewhere. There was nothing in those beautiful eyes that he had once admired. That woman, like an undead who was forced to endure to not give up.

Anson sees Alice sitting in a wheelchair in the hospital garden. William stood behind him, pushing patiently. The old man seemed to be conversing unilaterally with Alice. Such a scene makes Anson imagine the fatherly soul that William still has.

William has served him long enough. He's survived faithfully on the Anson family side from long ago. He is now aging, towards the end of life. The man should have married, had children and had a life of his own. Anson once offered him a retirement so that he could have the normal life he dreamed of. But it turned out to be rejected by him. He said he no longer had a family. Anson has been considered his family. He decided to serve Anson until the end of his life.

"Let me wait." Anson said to William.

"Good, Sir." William bowed and retreated.

"William."

"Yes, sir."

"How is physiotherapy today?" ask Anson.

Today Alice began to be encouraged to do physiotherapy to restore her motor function. He has got several main schedules according to the recommendations of the doctors who handle it. Anson entrusted it to William.

"It went well, sir. Ms. White was quite cooperative doing all the things according to the therapist's instructions."

Anson smiled wryly. Of course cooperative. Alice is becoming more and more like a robot. He always does what others tell him. His wish has faded. It is like a machine that responds to many things without emotion.

"Is there progress?" Anson was a little bit hopeful.

"There has been no progress yet. Neither his psychic trauma nor his leg paralysis."

Anson nodded in understanding. It was expected that it would not be that easy to restore Alice's condition. I don't know how long this woman chose to live in another dimension.

"Go away, William," Anson's pinta was immediately done by him.

Anson pushed Alice's wheelchair. He walked slowly directing Alice to the blooming flower plant. Some types of flowers grow beautiful and well-groomed, giving a touch of tenderness.

"Do you like flowers?" Anson asked.

Alice was silent, looking fixed looking straight ahead. The reaction is still like this.

"Alice."

Alice looked up in shock, feeling that something that was part of her was being called.

"Do you like flowers?" ask Anson softly.

"Flower," he repeated flatly.

"The fancy rose is perfect for you."

"Match it," he repeated again looking unconcerned.

"When are you going to heal, Al? Don't you want to fight me as soon as you're healthy?" Anson stroked Alice's head.

This woman's hair is still as fine as silk. Carefully, Anson peaked the peak long enough. The smell is still as it used to be. Nothing has changed. A faint mixture like lavender and jasmine.

"Alice," called Anson who only got a wink response from the woman.

Anson let out a heavy sigh, trailing Alice's pretty face from behind. The eyes of this woman did not improve. It's still empty. Meanlessly.

Anson always admired the texture of Alice's face. It is like a very subtle miracle of nature. Which goddess would kindly immerse this face with her charm? Too perfect.

"What if I smash your face into Alice's, you won't express yourself?"

...

Rachel stands in the room that previously belonged to her best friend, Alice. In this room there are many items belonging to Alice that are still left behind. Some makeup on a small table with a large mirror hanging looks scattered, as if waiting for the owner to go home.

In the bathroom, Alice's distinctive aroma still wafted sharply. Jerking Rachel's awareness of her whereabouts. Rachel's breath grew heavier every time she remembered about her best friend.

"You found something?" ask Daniel from the door.

"Eitherway. There doesn't seem to be any leads here." Rachel looked desperate.

Daniel enters the room, researching every corner, opening several drawers and shelves of cabinets hoping to find files, notes, transactions or anything that could be a clue to Alice's whereabouts.

Niente.

"Come into this house was a waste of Daniel. I don't think Alice's whereabouts we can possibly know from this house. I suspect Anson is the one who knows Alice's whereabouts. How can we find him at Kendrick's house." Rachel swept her forehead.

"You're sure Anson's hiding Alice?" Daniel seemed to be thinking hard.

"Who else? Do you believe he's doing social work in the middle of nowhere in an unspecified amount of time? You believe the earth is a box, Daniel." Rachel started to get emotional.

Daniel walked around the room, starting to rack his brain. It's hard to detect any Anson's actions. He is a very intelligent, manipulative, and totality person. Hardly have any gaps.

"Alice couldn't have just disappeared for three more weeks without telling me. She was an impossible person to ignore the funeral of her own husband. And I swore that afternoon before Alice left, she got a call from Kendrick, telling her that Axel had managed to take her. Kendrick is killed and Alice disappears. Would I be so stupid as to believe Kendrick died in a robbery incident and Alice was trapped in charity in a war-torn country?" Rachel stomped her feet to the floor.

Daniel was brushing his hair, tired.

"You don't have to repeat your explanation, Rachel. I've heard it fifty times in the last three weeks about your theory." Daniel shakes.

"Then, why do you still doubt Anson's hiding Alice?"

"We need a cup of coffee, Rachel. Let's go downstairs. Let's see if there's any coffee that's still worth it to us." Daniel walked out of the room.

"Coffee? You still thinking about coffee right now?" Rachel really doesn't understand how men think.

"Yes. Coffee can make your brain runny. You need the genius of your brain to hear all the theories about me. Now it's my turn to argue." Daniel kept walking, as if unaffected by Rachel's reaction.

Damn it Daniel. She thought Rachel's brain was too shallow for discussion so it had to be coffee-fished first?

They both hit the hot water in the kitchen used by Kendrick and Alice. The kitchen is still neat, as if it was just abandoned yesterday.

"How did you get the keys to this house?" Rachel began to remember they had gotten permission by Kendrick's lawyer so easily to enter this house.

"Yes .. Kendrick's lawyer was one of my closest friends" replied Daniel.

"Sugar or cream?" rachel asked, pouring coffee into the cup.

"Sugar. Just one spoon, "pinta Daniel.

Rachel offers a cup of coffee according to Daniel's taste.

They sat at the wooden dining table, silent to each other sipping coffee. Rachel's mind started to drift in an uncertain direction. He remembered the many moments he had with Alice. The days when they were teenagers and fussed with each other a middle school boy, until adulthood when they had their own way of life. Out of all the paths Alice goes through, being stuck with Anson and all the crowds isn't something Rachel expected. That's when she started losing Alice slowly.

"What's your theory?" Rachel started the conversation.

Daniel finished the rest of the coffee in his cup, wiped it around his mouth and prepared to speak his mind.

"I also believe all this Anson's action. It's just that I still doubt Anson's hiding Alice."

"What do you mean?"

"Has Anson been hiding it? Remembering Alice was a source of trouble for him that should be silenced immediately. Do you think that hiding Alice can hold back her rebellious nature? Try to think, Alice is very stubborn. Wouldn't it be troublesome to keep asking?" Daniel's a little frustrated.

"What do you mean .... "

"There's a chance Anson might have killed him."

Oh God.

Rachel stood up suddenly, making the wooden chair she was sitting on earlier slam into the back. His face looked depressed, very chaotic.

"No way." Rachel shook her head strongly.

Rachel can still survive this long, looking for Alice, nurturing the hope that somewhere the woman is still alive, waiting for a way to be saved. But Rachel could never have imagined the woman had died, somewhere, buried in the ground in such a stifling way.

"No. I think he's alive." Rachel strongly denied. Imagining Alice's death only made her worse off.

Alice is a strong woman, she always survives in every circumstance. From the past the life he lived was not easy, but he was a person who was able to go through everything in a pretty good way. How could he choose to give up at a time like this?

"I can't have him dead."

Daniel took a deep breath, understanding Rachel's difficulty digesting this possibility.

"Are you sure he's still alive? Do you believe Anson is a man who has the kindness of forgiving his own enemies?"

That's when Rachel fell silent.

Does this search have to end?

...