Forbidden Melody

"No-thing!"

"That's so not true Loretta. C'mon...lemme," he tries to take it from me.

"Fine. Here." I give him the box.

"So these fragile hands can break locks." He teases.

"More than that," I remark.

"Still you could've asked me. Your fingers can't be harmed."

"I know that."

We come back to my room again. He finally opens the box.

An old paint brush, a gold dial wrist watch, several photos and a folded piece of paper. The photos grab my attention first. A little boy about two years in three photos and the same boy looking a bit older in the other two photos.

"Is it him?" Levi questions.

"I believe so." I smile looking at his childish grin, boyish little face and pure bright eyes. I suddenly feel oddly nostalgic as if I saw this boy before. But right now I just can't... can't recall it ugh!

"What do you think?" He asking inspecting the watch.

I unfold the old almost bleak yellow piece of paper.

'My beloved son Nero, I will always love you. I've always loved you. More than anything.' I read out loud.

His parents! Or possibly his mother. Where are they now? I think I have an idea.

"Where you going?" Levi tugs on my arm.

"I gotta talk to grandpa. Wait for me at the breakfast table. I'll be quick."

The door of Mr. Morgasson's room was already open. Roland probably already gave him his medicine. It's so early.

"Grandpa..." I call him from the door.

"Oh it's so early you're up today. Come. Sit by my side." He gestures me to get inside.

I come to stand near his bed. "How are you doing grandpa?'

"I'm as usual, like old men are. But I'm good now that I see you my little girl. You didn't forget your grandpa." He takes my hand to sit me on the bed.

"Good to hear."

"How about you kiddo?"

"Pianist's life. Same. Busy, thinking and playing."

"Artist's lives are never easy huh," he adds.

"Speaking of artist—I don't remember asking you this before but...how did we become the famous pianist Knight family?" I ask.

"No you haven't... I can't even say when's the last time someone asked me this question my girl. A long answer it'll be... I myself have forgotten bits and pieces."

I remember Mr. Morgasson has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. He's forgetting his past memories. Thankfully family members are not an immediate threat.

"Can you try grandpa please?"

"Your grandmother loved piano. Just like you. But due to some orthodox family background and personal issues she never got to learn. So after marriage I got her a teacher appointing her to learning piano. She was a beautiful soul and lucky for me."

He takes a break to recollect it. "I got promoted in my work. Your father was born. Suddenly I won the lottery and decided to fund an old piano hall my friend discarded once. Your dad's car's business was booming as well. We funded a few orphanages with time. That piano hall became famous and you my darling girl became the new purpose of it."

A lot of history hm... The Knights funded orphanages. Nero... Could it be?

"Grandpa..." I ask gently. "I've been wondering about Nero a lot lately. Will you help me?"

His eyes become lost for words for a few seconds. "That stupid boy...left this old man." His voice shaking with evocative feeling. "I never quite figured him out. Always mysterious. I hope he comes back to me."

"I...want to know why he grew up with us exactly?" I ask in a sorrowful tone. "Where his parents are..." Even though I don't have her memories of growing up with Nero it kinda makes me sad.

"You asked me that before..." He touches my cheeks with both hands. "You my girl... when you were little. "That why Nero lives with us. I can't remember the answer I gave you back then. But..." He exhales, clearly groping for the memories of young Nero all over in his head.

"You were only 3. That I can tell," he says again. "Even I didn't know much about his background. Oneday I went to visit those orphanages that we funded. Something I used to do every six months. I learnt about a boy who escaped from there."

"Which orphanage was it?"

"I wish I could be of value my child. Unfortunately these memories are getting foggier each day.

"They couldn't find him in the end." He sighs.

"Then how did Nero become a member of our family?"

"Oneday I found a young boy trying to steal from a shop while I was doing my evening walk." He continues, "I caught him. He appeared guilty. He said he was ashamed of doing so but didn't want to go back to the orphanage. That's how I guessed that missing boy who escaped was him. Young adamant fool!" He laughs but there's a twinge of grief in that. "I brought him home. He never disobeyed me since that day."

That's quite a lot to process. Loretta never questioned anything about Nero or her own family history. How ignorant! 

"Send me back in time..." He clings to my hands. "Or bring him back to me..."

"Oh grandpa... I...will. But for that I'll need to know how many orphanages did you fund?"

Nero's not too famous yet but still none of those articles really revealed much about his past or childhood. But I'd do the same if I were him. Grandpa loved Nero very much. I know he didn't want to push him back to his miserable past.

Mr. Morgasson coughs a little then says, "Four orphanages I believe. Not in one year though."

That's quite a number huh. I mean four is a lot. 

"I never knew that. Grandpa you're kind-hearted and loving. Something we all seek in a human being but can't find."

"How come you slipped from my arms and have grown to be a beautiful young lady? You should have remained little... Chubby, demanding and very restless."

"Chubby I'm not anymore but restless... I sure am. I'm still your demanding girl." I never knew my parents let alone grandparents. How ironic life gets for some people.

"Yes indeed."

"Hey granpa I gotta go now. See you later. Have something to take care of."

"Alright then. Remember to show up at my door frame everyday okay?"

"Will do. Bye."

••••

After we finish breakfast Levi follows me to upstairs again.

"How did it go?" Levi's question follows by the ringing of Aiden's call. I receive the call.

"Hey what's today's agenda?" He asks with enthusiasm.

"Aiden... Hi. I actually have a lead if fate favours me... We'll find him."

"I want to join you too," he says, "after all this is regarding me. I'll help in any way I can."

"You can...but we'll have to go separately. It'll save us time and less trouble."

Levi grimaces hearing that I agreed.

"As you say Captain," Aiden speaks.

"Meet me at the central park." I hung up saying that.

"So that tick's sticking with us sorta."

"Levi..." I roll my eyes.

"That's true you know."

Ugh... "Let me take a quick shower first. Then we'll set out." 

"Sure." He turns back to leave.

"Hey—" I call out to him. "Do you know when's Nero's birthday?"

"Why? It's 20th March.1980. Did you forget?" He quirks his eyes in amusement.

"What? Of course not." I refuse strongly making my point. 

"1980...1986..." I hum on.

"Huh?"

"He was six years old when grandpa took him in. And I was three."

"Your point?" He asks again.

"Aghh... Let me go fresh my head first. I'll tell you on the way."

The handwriting of that note... She was his mother. Then how did he end up in the orphanage? Did he have a bleak past? 

So many secrets were coiled around Loretta and she had no idea. I wonder if I'll be able to find all reasons. A haunting past that looms over every placid soul. Will I be able to face it with a strong heart?

••••

I wrap the soft cotton cloth around my hair length then tie it up in a loose bun to soak the excess water. Levi knocks the door. "I'm all set. Are you?"

"Come in if you want. I'm almost there."

He trudges in. "Woah Loretta what is this?!" He nearly gasps at the scattered clothes and accessories.

"Nothing wearable I guess? This is ridiculous."

"But you bought them because you liked them." He adds in a convincing tone.

"Now I hate them."

His eyes rove over my collarbone, a thin golden pendant hangs loosely on my neck. I couldn't hook it due to these stupid nails and it had lobster clasp. 

He creeps towards me then asks me to turn around. I do and he quickly clasps the chain. "Okay why don't we go shopping then?"

"You're suggesting this?" I raise my eyebrows.

"And that's weird in your opinion?"

"No I just..."

"You thought men don't like shopping? Wait till we get to the mall. You'll see one guy trying out in the changing room with a bunch of his homies."

How could he just blurt out the thing on my mind?

I chuckle. "You speak from experience hm." I imagine Levi in his teen days. He's still young though.

"Just what are you thinking..?"

"No-nothing! We should go shopping then alright?"

"How about in the evening?" He asks. I know he's hiding his excitement.

"We can do that."

••••

The next morning we meet Aiden at our chosen spot. 

"So tell me now," Levi pokes on my arm. "What are we doing today?"

I look at the two of them. "The Knights funded four orphanages. We're covering it all."

"What are we looking for there?" Aiden's query makes me rethink grandpa's words.

"It's related to Nero isn't it?" Levi examines my ruminating face.

"That's right."

"You guys already know that grandpa brought Nero. But did you ever think that he would be from one of those orphanages?"

Their eyes widen when I say that. "And we have to go to each one cause grandpa can't recall much now. I don't even know how long he stayed there." 

But is it worth trying? I mean if he... I press at the side of my forehead in distress. "If I have to find him... I better start from the starting point. We might be able to find out about his past."

"That's not a bad idea." Aiden opines. "We don't have any other leads so."

"Then it's settled." Levi asks, "What are the names of those orphanages btw?"

"I asked Myria about it. And I searched it up a little too. Caroline's Care, Oswald's Home, Mr. Honor's Children House and Nowe's orphanage. Caroline's and Oswald's have become renowned in the last few years. Many other authorities funded them too."

Aiden takes out his phone to get the location on map. "We're a bit lucky here. Two are in the same area... One's only twenty minutes walk from the other."

"So first Loretta and I are gonna... Wait," Levi who's always quick in his steps stop. "Which two are they?"

"C and O," Aiden answers lazily.

"Good. We should split up. That way we'll be able to finish this in short time," Levi proposes.

"How about we all all part our ways?" I ask not wanting to begin a fight between these two man child.

"Guys... one of you go to Caroline's and Oswald's while Levi goes to Honor's and I at Nowe's. It'll be better!"

"Absolutely not!" Levi folds his arms. 

"I agree," Aiden teams up with him. "Ain't no way we're letting you off on your own."

"What does that mean?! I am a grown woman!"

"And we're not saying otherwise. It's simply that we are not going to let you explore some unknown place. I'm coming with you today." Levi takes my hand in his giving no chance of protesting to Aiden.