LUCEM
Chapter XIX

"Where have I met this woman, James?"

"I don't have any memory of him, sorry I didn't help you, Mars."

"Hmm. That's okay," I tried hard to remember.

The red hair with small spots on her nose did not feel foreign at all, but somewhere I had met her before, and how Marbella looks quite familiar with the woman and the house is pretty dizzy. Many things are not present in my memory.

Never mind, I'm tired and want to sleep.

________________

Mars was still asleep when Marbella came to take him out to eat. He looked slumbering, Moonflower came in haste, Marbella beckoned him not to make any noise.

"I'm going to go out, you're in charge of them" Marbella said, closing in on Moonflower. A nod as an answer. Marbella is gone.

Moonflower walked slowly and began to fill the dining table with a variety of foods in a slow and slow motion. Putting dishes and bowls one by one with caution is like putting valuable displays in a museum. Smile with satisfaction at the end result.

"That's amazing!" he said by closing his hands satisfied.

Peering at a glance to confirm the whereabouts of Mars and James sleeping in a chair then passing into another room, Moonflower disappears to clean herself up.

The room was quieter again, but the smell of evaporating food filled the room disturbing the sense of smell.

Mars blinked, writhing to relax muscles that felt stiff. James still looks slender and snores smooth.

Mars goes berserk looking for a restroom, nature calls. A brown door with ventilation looks like a toilet or bathroom. Mars pushed the door slowly, finding a damp room with a Martian iron shower convinced this was the restroom he needed, he stepped in.

Finished, Mars lit a faucet to wash his face and remove any residual drowsiness.

The sound of something falling stopped Mars washing its face and immediately turned to the source of the sound. The figure of the woman with a spotted nose using a shower cap on her head looks wide open with her mouth open that does not sound staring at Mars from her bathtub.

Mars was stunned with his hands still stuck to his cheeks stalled at the swab movement as he washed his face.

Mars' face flushed with shame.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I-I didn't see anything." Mars tried to shift his gaze awkwardly.

From the puzzled look on the young man's face, Moonflower realized that she did not know of his presence in the bathtub. Moonflower's slow hand signals Mars to come out.

" Huuft, oh my gosh..." Mars grabs the glass and fills it up and drinks it fast.

Mars grabbed a book composed of several pieces on a small table on the left side of James's sleeping seat. The book felt a little heavy, Mars used both of his hands to pull it carefully and put it on the table.

Mars tried to open the pages of the book, but he felt his heart beat racing and moisture evaporate from his mouth. Mars again filled the glass and drank it in part, slowly his sense of smell gave consciousness to what he had swallowed. Mars put the glass slowly and chose to lean his body on the chair, closed his eyes and tried hard to return to sleep. Fail.

Mars returned to the book, turning page after page while commenting softly and his index finger pointing to it here and there. Mars was immersed in the book he was reading, he found foreign names such as Greek, Spanish, English Portuguese and many foreign words in Cyrillic, Jewish, Chinese, and Chinese, Swahili and Greek. Mars could only second-guess and mutter something in the African dialect.

Mars was pondering what kind of city had this kind of population diversity, and this book showed primitive volumes that resembled Marbella's magic book.

"The book is medieval in origin," Moonflower's voice immediately shocked Mars.

The woman had been sitting in a single chair and looked refreshed. Not far away makes Mars can smell the soft aroma of vanilla coming out of the woman next to him.

"Yes, that's my impression." Mars is focused and looks calm.

"This book is special, unique and tickles curiosity." Connect Mars.

"Collectors like uniqueness." Moonflower stared at Mars for a moment.

Mars smiled stiffly.

" Come, wake James and the other rats up to eat" Moonflower said. And he got up to the dining table.

Mars woke up James who had woken up a few minutes ago. James squirms the made-up.

"I'll call the other rats, you wait there." James is leaving Mars.

Mars headed to the dining table and chose the seat furthest from where Moonflower sat. Moonflower glanced at him at a glance and was seen sitting quietly.

The arrival of James and an army of rats saves Mars from the rigidity of the dining table atmosphere. In an instant the clumsy suana turned lively, shrieks and babbles sounded boisterous low. Lunch passed happily and all was full.

"Marbella where?" ask James.

"Marbella's out shopping" Moonflower replied.

*****