Mr. President's Lost Wife

8. Adorable Matchstick

Edmund blinked awkwardly. "My wife's compass."

"A compass?" The little girl tilted her head. After blinking twice, she raised her index finger to the side of her cheek.

“It's not left behind, Mr. Beard. I saw it while hiding earlier. Please wait a moment."

The mysterious kid bowed down, checking under the seat. After a few seconds, she exclaimed, "I found it!"

She showed her finding with a bright smile. A cute laugh occasionally escaped her mouth. “We don't have to go back to the hotel, right? Can we continue our journey towards Chamarel now?”

With a sigh of relief, Edmund took Alice's compass. After carefully putting it in his pocket, he put on an unfriendly look again.

“Sorry, Matchstick, but you still have to go back to your parents.”

In an instant, the little girl's smile faded. Slowly, tears gathered at the edge of her eyes.

“What's the difference between us going back later and now? My parents were already worried. Why don't we just go to Chamarel? I don't mind if Mama and Papa punish me. The important thing is my dream came true."

Seeing that gloomy face, Edmund froze. Guilt had crept into his nerves.

“Hey, don't cry. I hate seeing people cry. Matchstick? I said don't cry."

However, the little girl whined even more. She wiped her eyes, which actually had not shed any water.

“Why is everyone so mean to me? Seeing Chamarel Falls is my dream. Now I'm so close to it, but why does everyone stop me?”

Not having the heart to hear the sobs, Edmund sighed in resignation. "Why do you want to go there so badly?"

“Chamarel is a magical waterfall, Mister Beard. It is the highest waterfall in this country. It was formed due to lava flows from two different times. Therefore, in summer, it looks like two waterfalls side by side. But when the rainy season arrives, the water becomes one and falls together. Chamarel is a romantic waterfall.”

A strange vibration suddenly appeared in Edmund's heart. His eyes were unknowingly filled with tears. It was like he was facing Alice. That's also the reason why Alice put Chamarel Falls on her bucket list. She called the waterfall romantic, like fate that united two people who loved each other.

“That's why, Sir,” the little girl shook Edmund's arm, “let's see the waterfall together. It's okay if it only takes a moment. The important thing is, I have seen and admired it. After that, it's fine if you don't want to accompany me to see the giant turtle and the land of rainbows. If I can see the magical waterfall, that's more than enough.”

Edmund's heart was touched when he heard the request. After swallowing hard, he finally muttered, "Okay, you can come with me to Chamarel."

The little girl's eyes widened again. "Really?"

"Yes, but before that, we have to tell your parents that you are with me."

Seeing Edmund contacting someone, the toddler's eyebrows furrowed. “Who are you calling, Mr. Beard?”

"Hotel. I need to leave a message that you are okay. What's your room number?”

The little girl bit her lip and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I can't read it yet. I just remember there were numbers that looked like a clown, an egg, and the New Year's trumpet.”

“Clown, egg, and trumpet?” One of Edmund's eyebrows pressed against his forehead. After a shake of his head, he asked again, "What are your parents' names?"

After hesitating for a moment, the girl finally answered, “Lucas and Rachel.”

Edmund nodded. After conveying the news to the hotel, he drove to Chamarel Falls accompanied by her cheerful chatter.

***

Edmund had teary eyes when he arrived at a platform overlooking Chamarel Falls. The waterfall was so majestic and beautiful even from a distance. If Alice had been standing next to him, she would have clapped her hands and laughed. Then, she would hug Edmund tightly, whispering her thanks and love.

“Wow, it's so beautiful, more beautiful than I imagined.”

Edmund blinked. He looked to the side. The little girl was standing on tiptoe with two hands holding the wooden fence. Her head was extended as high as possible. Her eyes didn't blink as she watched the two streams flowing freely from the edge of the cliff.

Edmund secretly took a deep breath. Why wasn't Alice standing there? Why did it have to be a mysterious kid whose name he didn't even know yet?

Before his emotions got the best of him, Edmund took a Polaroid camera from his backpack. Carefully, he photographed Alice's compass with Chamarel Falls in the background. Once the result came out, he waited patiently for the color to appear with a sad smile.

“What are you doing, Mr Beard?”

Edmund blinked again and looked to the side. The little girl was now standing facing him, blinking.

“I'm documenting the north in this place.”

"What for?" The girl tilted her head.

Edmund smiled sadly. Putting the compass in his pocket, he said, “My wife wants to know.”

“Are you going to give that photo to your wife?”

Edmund didn't know whether to shake his head or nod. His eyes fell back on the photopaper in his hand.

“I'll stick this in her travel journal.”

"Your wife also has a travel journal?" The toddler's eyes lit up. When Edmund nodded, a chuckle of admiration escaped her.

“Wow, your wife is really cool. She knew what a true adventurer should do. A journal is a mandatory thing, but collecting compass photos in various places is something unique. She must have a backpack and boots like me."

The corners of Edmund's lips lifted a little higher at the memory of Alice. “Yeah, she always travels with boots and a backpack.”

“Does she also wear comfortable clothes like that?”

The little girl spread her arms. Edmund couldn't deny that her behavior was quite adorable.

“You find the jumpsuit and hoodie comfortable? That outfit just makes you look like a matchstick.”

The toddler's cheeks puffed up. “I feel comfortable even though you call me like a matchstick. It protects me from insects and sunlight. It's just that ... it's a bit of a hassle when I want to go to the bathroom.”

Her fingers moved to pinch the button. “This is quite difficult to remove. Usually, it takes me five minutes to open one button. If Mama hadn't been there to help me, I might have peed my pants."

Edmund involuntarily snorted. Shaking his head, he put the camera into his backpack.

"Okay, since your goal has been fulfilled, let's go back to the hotel."

The mysterious kid's eyes widened. "This fast? I haven't even seen the whole waterfall yet.”

"Aren't you looking at it?"

Her tiny lips pursed. “I'm not as tall as you, Mr Beard. Try squatting, you'll see that from earlier. I only saw the top. The rest are just leaves and tree twigs. I don't know what the water looks like when it reaches the bottom.”

Edmund squinted subconsciously. “Are you indirectly asking me to carry you?”