217 Nighttime Lake (2/2)
”So how're things going for you lately?” she asked.
”Nothing much,” I responded. ”There's nothing to report on.”
”That's nice to hear,” Mura nodded her head. ”So, have you thought about what your plans are after high school?”
”That's a rather abrupt change in topic,” I chuckled. ”No, but I guess I'll just go to college and spend another aimless four years there.”
”You should really have a focus,” Mura said to me. ”You're almost done with high school and will have to choose a major for college. Those four years in college, if you just spend it aimlessly passing time, will be lost forever.”
”I know,” I nodded.
”You should really be thinking about stuff like that,” Mura continued. ”You're almost done with school.”
”Yeah,” I sighed and leaned back slightly on the rock, using my arms to support my upper body as I stared at the nighttime sky above.
In a few months, Luna and Erith will graduate. Then in a year, the rest of us except for Zaksus would graduate as well. Even though it looks like it's still a long time from now, it'll be here before I know it. This peaceful daily life...it won't last forever. I'll have to continue on with my life, no matter if I succeeded in my plans of revenge or not.
Revenge...there's really not been much progress at all. I'm still at the same point as I was when father died... I'm just merely passing time aimlessly and tricking myself into believing that I have a purpose in life and that purpose is to take revenge on my mother. But to be honest, I don't even know what revenge will be. What would I do? I've always thought that I would have a plan for that once I found where she is, but...I'm not even actively looking. I'm just stalling, a faker in this real world. The real fool isn't anyone that have their future planned out and are working hard to achieve it. The real fool is me.
”Mura,” I called her name as she had wanted me to when we're not in a formal setting. ”What made you want to be a teacher?”
”Me?” She paused momentarily. ”It all started because I wanted to leave home. My family's situation is...complicated. I'm sure you might have a general idea already and Muria probably told you some of it before, but...growing up, our father was always away because of his job. Then there is our mother, who used to be with us constantly when we were younger, but ever since my father divorced her and she lost custody of us, life has just been...different. Our step-mother did try and improve relations with us, but...Muria and I just didn't have the same connection with her. When ”I had the chance to leave, I took it. But then, there's Muria. I couldn't leave her behind, so I decided to become a teacher. My parents ultimately allowed Muria to live with me, and that is in large part because of my occupation.”
”You became a teacher all for Muria?” I took my sight away from the sky and looked over at Mura. Her hair had dried somewhat from the gentle breezes that occasionally blew by and she seemed to be also gazing at the mesmerizing starry nighttime sky overhead.
Then
”That was the main reason why,” Mura smiled. ”Now what would you think of me as your teacher?”
”Your still my teacher,” I answered her. ”It doesn't matter what reasons made you a teacher, but you wanted to help me. You actually care, so that's all that matters.”
”That's nice to hear,” Mura laughed softly.
Then, the two of us sat there in silence, enjoying the gentle nighttime breeze as it blew by and rippled the surface of the otherwise still lake. It was rather tranquilizing listening to the sound of wind and the rustling of leaves while staring at the starry sky with the moon gazing back down at you.
”Time will always flow forward at a constant rate,” Mura continued. ”It might be slow when you focus on it, but once you take your attention off of it, it just seems surprisingly fast. Our relationship with our parents...it can't last like this forever. I'm thinking of one day, maybe try moving back into our old home and see if the relationship can be improved.”
”Would Muria agree to it?” I asked.
”Probably not,” Mura sighed and lowered her head. ”But when that time comes, you'll help me convince her, will you?” She looked over at me and smiled.
Seeing the smile on her face that seemed to be laced with a hint of sadness reminded me of Muria's countenance when she asked me something similar while on the school trip to Saroff. The two requests seemed to contradict, which is rather surprising that the two sisters, the older loving the younger and the younger admiring the older, would ultimately end up having opposing point of views.
”It's getting late,” Mura said as she grabbed her belongings and got up. ”We should head back.”
”Right,” I nodded.
I forced myself onto my knees and started walking after Mura with my hands in my pockets.
”Mura,” I suddenly called out loud my teacher's name.
”Hm?” She stopped in her steps and looked over her shoulders at me.
”What job does your father have that makes your family situation like that?” I asked out of genuine curiosity.
”Oh, him?” Mura turned her head such that she was looking at the road ahead of us. ”The CEO and President of the Edel Organization.”
”...”
What Mura nonchalantly revealed to me surprised me. The Edel Organization,one of the largest corporation in Vilheim and in the world.