His Conundrums

Chapter 36

Living with Kindness

“Is Draco your uncle?” Joe asked her even though he knew Draco is an orphan who grew up on the streets where he met him before and became friends. He wants to know why Lula’s so attached to him.

Lula sighed.

“May I?” she asked for a seat.

“Sure,” Joe agreed.

“I’m an orphan. My parents died, leaving me a big sum of debt. Those men keep chasing me, so I have to run away. It’s not even my debt, to begin with. I lived in Folistine before I moved out here five years ago. I collapsed while walking alone in the streets, in front of Draco’s house. He let me in and gave me food. Since then, he took care of me,” she smiled.

“He let me enter school for two years so I’ll get my high school diploma. He said he knew a utility man working in a hospital, so maybe I could get in and find a job. Luckily I did. He helped me how to live alone. He guides me in every decision I made,” her eyes begun to swell up.

“I want to repay his kindness, so I want to get him treated. I always heard him complained about his back, but he denied it when I confronted him with it. Can you help me talk to him?” she asked.

-0-0-0-

They were on their way to Draco’s house after their talk with Lula when Sirius’s phone rang.

“Who is it?” Joe asked him who drives the car.

“Alex,” he said.

“Is it a new case?”

He answered his phone immediately.

‘Where are you?’ Alex asked him.

“Rook City,” he answered.

“Rook City?” Alex was surprised to know Sirius went out of Hallray.

‘Who’s with you? Are you alone?’ he asked.

“I’m with Joe. What is it? Why did you call me?” Sirius asked him.

‘Uhh no. I think you need to take some time to rest. I was checking you out,’ Alex told him.

“Alex, I know you have a new case for me. Tell me or not I’ll still go back to Hallray,” he said.

He heard Alex sighed on the other line and heard him flipping some pages.

‘The office needs you. I’ll tell you when you go back,’ Alex said before ending their call.

“So?” Joe asked him.

“We have a case,” Sirius said.

Joe smiled.

“But what about the photos?” Joe asked him.

“We have to settle that matter before leaving.”

-0-0-0-

“Draco?” Joe called him.

“Draco!”

“I’m in the darkroom,” he shouted.

Sirius and Joe went up to see him. They knock on the door before they opened it, but Draco opened it himself.

“What?” he asked the two.

“We have to talk,” Sirius said.

They went back to the living room and sat across from each other. Draco looked for some juice in the kitchen and brought glasses with him.

“We may not be able to wait for it. Can you mail it to us after you’re done?” Sirius asked him.

“Yeah, no problem. Something came up?” Draco asked him.

“Work,” he answered.

Draco nodded his head.

“This is my contact information. That includes my complete address so you could mail it there,” Sirius told him.

“Okay. I’ll mail it as soon as I’m done, don’t worry.”

“Uhmm, Draco?” Joe tried to look for something nice to say.

“We saw Lula on our way and told us to give you this.” Joe handed him a small paper bag that contains some medicines from Lula.

“She told us we have to see you drink it every morning, but I’m afraid we’re leaving,” he added.

“That brat,” Draco laughed.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take it, and I think I may be able to see her this afternoon,” he said.

“You’ve found a family, Draco, a loving daughter,” Sirius told him.

“Yeah,” Draco smiled.

“So don’t be such an old brat and break this pretty lady’s heart,” Joe joked around.

Draco gave him sharp stares. He started to act like a father roasting some of his daughter’s suitor.

“I’m not what you think I am, okay? I told you she’s pretty. It’s a compliment,” Joe made it clear with Draco, but the old man laughed hard.

“I know. You’re still into that woman, don’t you? Promise me you’ll ask her out when you go back to Hallray,” Draco told him.

“Stop it.”

“What’s her name again?”

“Lori,” Sirius went along the conversation.

“I told you, stop it.”

“Lori doesn’t deserve a loser,” Draco added.

“Neither did Lula,” Sirius really went in.

Joe couldn’t believe seeing these two ganged up against him.

-0-0-0-

“Have a safe trip,” Draco saying goodbye.

“Thanks for having us,” Sirius told him.

“See you when I see you, Draco,” Joe waved his hands.

Joe started the engine and drove back to Hallray. Wishing they could have a safe trip without a killer riding with them and without bagels, he has to worry about how they should finish it. It was Sirius who took a nap while Joe turned on the radio for music but heard the news instead.

‘…today marks the first day as a city of one of the most abundant town, the town of peace, Hallray.’ The radio started.

‘Yes, partner. Congratulations to the people of Hallray. May you…’ Joe switched the station looking for good music.

“Yeah yeah, I don’t want to hear some news now. I want to hear some melodies,” he said.

An 80’s country-pop song played on the radio, and he began to smile.

“That’s what I’m talking about.” He enjoyed the ride in the field of blooming flowers with some good music, a temporary enjoyment of paradise in a place of chaos.

-0-0-0-

Joe woke up Sirius when they arrived at Hallray.

“Where do we head first?” Joe asked him.

“Mr. Lauve,” he answered.

“Mr. Lauve?”

“I still have some bread from the coffee shop. We had breakfast. I left Draco some on his table. I promised Mr. Lauve to bring him some bread from the other stores so he could study how to make it and play on its taste,” Sirius told him.

“How much bread did you bought?” Joe asked him.

“Enough so we could have it until dinner,” Sirius answered.

Joe closed his eyes and calmed himself. He couldn’t believe he’s been hanging out with this kind of man.

“Oh my God, Alex. I’m going to kiss you when we meet. You save me from the hell of bread with this man,” Joe told himself.

“Alex is not interested with guys,” Sirius said.

Joe sighed.