Chapter 4
Sophia dream of an ordinary place.
The sound of cicadas reverbrating from the tree trunks, bright light of summer sun shifting through steady swaying of green leaves. Humidity in the air making her body feel heavy. The world kept on turning endlessly.
She and a girl was sitting on a wooden bench under a tree, splitting an ice pop into two. They both were wearing a clothing style that she had never seen in Sorcie. Sophia's eyes never quite reach the girl's eyes, but she can tell that those eyes are full of warmth, just like her smile. Sophia doesn't know who she is, except that she was a person Sophia treasured.
She was kind and gentle, beautiful in an ordinarily nostalgic way.
She straightens her back, says aloud.
She held Sophia's hands, and just like that. She promises:
"I'll see you soon, Acchan."
Please wait.
"Who are you?"
Sophia wakes up.
The dream fades away.
That place, that dream, again.
This smiling person. Who is it?
There's an empty space where Sophia's hand brush the bed sheet.
Dust particles dance, shining in the sunlit streams coming through the glass window. The sun had risen. The room bears the air of withholding breaths as Sophia looked about.
Katarina sama was nowhere to be found.
"Sophia, what's wrong?" Mary asked.
It was only then that Sophia noticed she had tears on her face. She quickly wiped it away.
"It's okay. This happens from time to time." She replied reassuringly. It's just a weird dream. She's had these kinds of dreams for a long time.
The kind of dream where she's always looking for something, someone.
Sophia think it has to do with her lonely upbringing. Everyone must deal with these type of small inconvenience.
Mary look at her, doubtful for a beat before Maria spoke up:
"Where's Katarina sama?"
"Maybe she's in the bathroom?" Mary offered.
"Maria sama, I'm going to use the bathroom on the ground floor. You go use the one on the third floor. Check to see. She might be there." Sophia chimes in.
"Yeah. I'll do that. I admire Katarina sama's morning bird attitude!"
Maria and the girls laugh. The worst state they expected to find their Katarina sama to be in would be out in the manor fields with mud all over her overalls.
But on the contrary, they had found nothing.
"Katarina sama, where on earth are you?!?"
It became like a hide and seek game. They found Katarina's paper mache snakes in the oddest various places, but no Katarina. A very long paper snake was found in Milli Diana's flower vase, which prompted the girls to pray for their wayward love interest.
Keith raised his eyebrow at the girls seeking his help. Katarina stood out. There's no way to mistake her pompous walk and lively presence. He decided to join the search.
The situation turned frustrating as an hour pass in rummaging.
"Nee san, are you in here?" Keith asked, lifting up the lid of a trash can.
"Keith sama, as eccentric as she is, I don't think your big sister would go that low" Maria gently chastised while kneeling to look under the table legs.
The search for Katarina was getting desperate.
Just as they were about to give up and call for missing person authorities, the gardener Tom interrupted their search.
"You're looking for that child? She left this on my table this morning. Must've headed into town and didn't want to worry you folks."
Relieved, they took the letters from Tom and bid him to go back to his gardening.