The Secret Girl of Mr. Thelar

Hate Your Shadow

"You really ran away from home?“ The man looked at her with a serious look.

Clara stared with a surprised face towards the man in his twenties. How could he possibly know that he was currently running away from home. With a defensive attitude he immediately circulated a standby look towards the surroundings, which made the young man inevitably smile at Clara's strange and funny behavior.

"Hurry home! Your parents must be confused looking for you" said the man, folding a duster and walking away from Clara to the store.

“Older? Yes indeed ... I miss them so much,” muttered Clara inwardly with a feeling of sadness.

Clara immediately got up from the chair and followed the man's steps into the store. The man walked over while looking at Clara who was busy observing her shop window with a face amazed like a child. The man was astonished to look at her.

“Tokoku is not open yet, it is still half an hour away.” The man put a cloth and a glass cleaning spray device into place then walked again towards the pantry to wash his hands.

Clara looked at the man's back with a astonished face. Why would the man tell her, when she had obviously not asked anything. Was that man a magic human who could read people's minds? Clara sat in amazement.

Clara immediately ignored him, choosing to walk around the neatly arranged cake line on the storefront and shelves. The delicious aroma makes his stomach churned ask to be filled.

"You're not coming home?" asked the man to come closer with a tray of still-warm bread towards him.

“Iya, later,” Clara replied briefly.

Clara immediately straightened up, standing firmly as the man placed the tray on the surface of the shelf. With a quick hand gesture the man immediately brushed off the hand of Clara who was about to take the cake with her fingers.

”Gosh! It's so tickling," grumbled Clara glanced cynically. His lips pursed, exhaling while looking back at the fierce man who had instead responded to his annoyance with a smile.

“Wash your face and hands first. Go to the back, there is a bathroom, later I give another bread for breakfast.” the gentle greeting of the man made Clara feel ashamed of herself.

”Really, can I eat bread here?” clara asked with sparkling eyes. His smile was bright.

“Of course," the man replied nodding, mashing a smile.

”No pay, right?" clara asked with a smile, she turned back to the man while taking a step back to leave.

“Free," replied the man still smiling. "Just go before I change my mind!" added the man teasing Clara.

“Good. Wait, I'll be back quickly,” Clara replied with a very happy heart.

While folding her lips in embarrassment, Clara nodded happily. He walked while lifting the long dress he wore to make it easier for him to step. The man looked at Clara's back while rearranging the loaves before him.

”A strange girl," the man murmured softly. “Very funny.” Shaking faintly, the man commented on Clara's sweet behavior.

The man immediately arranged the cake into a container and displayed it on a storefront shelf. Choose some cakes to give to Clara. Imagining how enthusiastic the girl was, to be honest, she recalled her past little girl.

 

*

Clara ate the second cake that the good-natured man presented with a very happy feeling. Without looking the other way he enjoyed his own food. For too long she has not tasted her favorite food. Wet cake is still warm.

“This time I ate a soft bread with a very good taste until it melted on the tongue," he stared at the bread containing meat and mozarella cheese with sparkling eyes.

His memory goes back to the house that locked him up these few years. He himself forgot not to count since when he lived there. He continued to enjoy the days just by staring at the outside of the house through the glass window in his room. Enjoy loneliness by sitting reading a book until tired and falling asleep.

”It's finished yet?" asked the stranger to come over to Clara.

“Ah ... in a moment, sister," replied Clara rubbing her lips with her long dress sleeves.

”You're a slob too, huh? Just wear the tissue on your desk. Why do I have to wear clothes?" the man commented while sitting on the chair, facing off against Clara.

Clara immediately smiled embarrassedly, her hands moving awkwardly as she picked up the tissue to wipe her smitten lips. The man could only smile amusedly by himself.

“Whose name are you? I'm Rafka. You don't seem to be from this neighborhood. I've never seen you before" he said, handing over a bottle of water and thrusting it right in front of Clara.

“I'm Clara,” Clara replied briefly as she folded her lips before opening the bottle then sipped the water slowly.

“Where is your house? Let me take you home?” bargain the man was still looking at Clara who was back eating her bread with her face down towards the plate.

“Away, very far. Let me go home alone. No need to bother you, Brother Rafka,” replied Clara reasoned.

The girl lowered her head, she did not even know where her destination was after this. Where to go and what to do. In fact, living free is not as easy as he had imagined. However, Clara does not want to trust strangers.

“Are you in trouble with your family? Everybody has problems. It's just that, by running away you will only add to the list of new problems,” advice Rafka while drinking water from his own bottle while turning his body facing the other direction.

They are both currently sitting in the rooftop section of Rafka's bakery.

“Iya, I know. But, my problem is not that simple to explain. I had to run away to find out what I really was. I want to breathe freely.”

“Should be with a run, huh?" tanya Rafka felt what Clara was doing was implying something. ”No other way more exciting and challenging?“ The man smiled a witty smile.

”Iya, should. So that I could feel the beauty of breathing free air," Clara replied smiling.

Rafka simply responds to Clara's innocent-looking story by nodding her head, trying to pry further into the personal affairs of others.

Clara put down the bottle of drink in her hand, returning the man's gaze with curiosity. He could only sigh, harboring for himself without being able to reveal the problem he was facing. The man for Clara is still a stranger to watch out for.

“Did you run away while your family was hosting your matchmaking party?” kelakar Rafka while laughing. Clara frowned in surprise in response to that strange joke.

“Stupid?” the girl questioned.

A word of marriage that he does not fully understand. A husband as a husband? Or another meaning? Clara looked on without laughing or reacting.

“I thought you ran away when your wedding party was about to take place,” joked Rafka again couldn't hide her gel laugh.

Clara frowned when she realized that Rafka was commenting on the clothes she was currently wearing. A princess-like party dress, the clothes Teshar always gives her.

“Huh, if Teshar's brother knew, how much I hated him,” his mouthpiece in heart.

Clara remembers that shitty guy again. On this occasion, he was eager to meet the family and tell them he was still alive. He wanted to report Teshar to the authorities if he could.

“Have my family been frustrated while looking for my whereabouts and hopeless and thought I was dead?” clara was suddenly very sad.

Clara shook her head hard. No, he didn't want to imagine the worst part first. At least, now he is free so he can go home to find a family existence.