A Girl From the Past

Chapter 24

After three months passed, Charlie had gotten better with his throat. He could speak so fluently already. The tremendous development made people around him happy, since turned out, he was quite a funny man.

He helped Lucas a lot with his work. Though he had gotten a shelter and food from Lucas's home, Charlie still getting paid for his job as a receptionist. At first he refused, but after some coaxing and persuading from Lucas, he finally agreed.

He wouldn't say it for loud, but Charlie had already made a place in Lucas's life. He was like a father to him.

As for Adrian, he would often seek for Charlie's presence. He was like the little boy's babysitter. Lucas had tried to search the perfect babysitter, all of them were women. Most end up getting fired or quitting by themselves.

Thoss babysitters used the opportunity just to be close to him, that's why. Most of them couldn't be patient with Adrian's rambunctious actions that they often scolded him. Lucas immediately noticed the different with his little nephew, Adrian being more silent and he became stressed.

The maid in the house told him the cause. Lucas was furious, that didn't happen only once, but a few times that he stopped getting a babysitter for Adrian.

The little boy was alone at home then, as Lucas went to many business trip. Now that he had Charlie at home, everything was better.

The three people which consist of Savannah, Lucas, and Charlie currently was sitting on a restaurant nearby right now. It was lunch time, and the old man had taken them there to treat the two.

"Order whatever you two want," Charlie grinned at the two, his voice somehow managed to sound soft and firm at the same time. His eyes held a happy twinkle in them, making him look more cheerful.

Savannah smiled excitedly, she appreciated Charlie's kindness towards them. Lucas's eyes also held a small sparkle, then, his lips began to curve upwards in form a smile that mirrored Savannah's.

The two nodded. They called the waiter, and ordered some food that they wanted. Charlie even forced them to order more. "Order more, come on. Don't be so shy. The treat is on me. I'll be happy if you order more!"

Savannah made eye contact with Lucas at some point, which somehow made Lucas looked at the other way and pretended to be busy with himself by whistling lowly. She didn't know it, he was caught staring at her.

Lucas complied to Charlie's request and order more some small desserts. Savannah frowned at Lucas's weird behaviour, but she said nothing. She ordered a small cake after Charlie recommonded it to her.

As the waiter took a note of their order, he nodded and left their table. Charlie smiled happily as he managed to return their kindness, though it was still far from what they had done for him. If it wasn't for them, he would still be a homeless man right now.

"Charlie, are you alright?" Savannah asked, noticing that now the man was silent.

It broke Charlie out of his reverie. He turned towards Savannah with a small sad smile. "Yeah, I am alright." He continued, "I just want so say thank you to you both, if it wasn't for you, I would probably still scavenging around."

"We are also glad to meet you." Savannah said happily.

Lucas cleared his throat. "If you don't mind, will you tell about your story?" Lucas paused, "You once promised me. Savannah is also here..." and he finally trailed off.

Charlie's gaze became wistful as he stare at a napkin in front of him, it was as if he was remembering his past. "It was my daughter."

Savannah's expression turn into one of a concern.

"My daughter was quite rebellious, she didn't like the fact that I disappear in her whole childhood. I didn't know that the woman I dated got pregnant back then. We break up due some issues." He paused for a moment. "My wife and I got married after that, but my daughter is still holding the grudge against me."

"A few years after our marriage, my wife died..." Charlie's eyes began to water slightly. "My daughter drowned herself in depression. She became alcoholic, always drunk all the times. That's until she run out of the money and sold our house."

"She went somewhere with the rest of the money, and I was left all alone after that, I became homeless." Charlie said, wiping his watering eyes with the unused napkin. "But, I didn't regret my decision to marry my wife, she was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Savannah didn't realized that there was tears in her eyes, it stung. She wiped her eyes with a tissue from her purse. "I am sorry that it happened to you."

Charlie lifted his head to look at Savannah and smiled wistfully. Lucas was trying to look like unaffected, but there was a frown in his forehead. He tried to reassure Charlie. "It's going to be alright now. You have us."

Savannah nodded at Lucas's word, smiling softly at the two. She didn't expect that Charlie would have such a heart-wrenching story, being abandoned by his own daughter.

"I am so thankful that I have got you two, I can't thank you enough," Charlie said with a grateful smile.

They enjoyed their time together after the order came. Somehow their friendship strenghten, and it was like the fate had decided that the three would've meet.

Throughout the dinner, Lucas's heart felt some strange feeling everytime he saw Savannah. Her motherly gesture whenever she wiped the ice cream off Adrian cheek, taking care of the kids when they accidentally got sick due to the rain.

Lucas realized that Savannah's presence  also made him happy. Just what's this new feeling?

Sorry for the late update guys, I was in writer's block for the past two weeks, and that kinda made me forget to update.

By the way, does anyone here like horror stories?

Well, do you believe that ghost exist?