Ch. 12 - A Farewell Part Two

With all the strength centered on the soles of his foot, Valentin clenched his fist. That was easy. It only took a few seconds for him to land perfectly on the ground --covered by white and gray sparkling granites.

He stood up.

As always, the hedge was perfectly cut. Mr. Pivert was known to care so much about his lawn that he often became very upset every time he found kids trying to take his fruits without permission – just like what he was about to do now.

After a few steps to the nearest tree, he looked around to his surroundings. The tension came over him made everything felt so exciting. Mr. Pivert wouldn’t realize that someone had stolen his fruits. He’s too crazy to ever realize that – too crazy with his own ideas of going around the world with the balloon air he had.
 

He stretched out his hands up to the nearest fruit hanging on a branch. He should be in  a hurry now. Rose waited on him on the hill. He would only take a few he could carry with his hands.

Yes.... The fruit  over there looked so tempting.

“They look so delicious right?” a voice was heard.


“Yeah, they are, Sir.” He smiled.

What? O.o.



From the corner of his eyes, he knew someone was standing behind him. The voice was so familiar to his ear. It’s… Mr. Pivert.

Valentin, who was trying to pick the fruit and put it in inside his pocket, was then found stroking it like it was a baby. 



“They… They look so tempting, Sir. I - I mean delicious. Eh.... I'm- I'm  just cleaning it for you, Sir” 

He turned around and found Mr. Pivert staring at him closely. He tried to smile, but it only ended with a grin while his teeth were all showing up.

"Are you laughing at me?!” Mr. Pivert shouted.
“No. No, I wasn’t. I wasn't laughing at you.  I was only... admiring your garden.” He answered. Though part of his words was a lie, the last part wasn’t. He truly admired his garden because “It’s truly beautiful.”

Mr. Pivert, who was still looking at him attentively, came closer and closer while his eyes were wide open. 

Valentin made a step back while raising his shoulder and tightened his fist from the tension of being confronted. Sweat rolled down on his forehead. He walked backward, step-by-step, until his back  bumped heavily against the tree. There was no way for him to run.

 “It’s you." Mr. Pivert pointed at him. 

"Eh, yes. It's - it's me, Sir. Val...Valentin." 

“No! You're not. You’re the one who will save the world.” 

“Huh?” 

The World?

Did he hear this right? Saving the world? Tell him it's not April mop, right? Really... he would take a breath of relieve if he could save his own life at this moment. "Sir, I'm-"

"Yes! You've finally come. I've made that balloon air exactly like the blue print and now, you're going to save the world with it. Yipppee!"

A- a balloon air? Mr. Pivert was acting strange. He should have been in handcuffs by now, but instead here he was, listening to him that he’s going to be a hero who would save the day, and with a balloon air?

He had to be joking right?  

“Why? What are you laughing about? Everyone is telling me that I’m crazy. Well, I’m not!" Mr. Pivert  tapped his foot onto the ground. "I'm aware as I can be. It was he who came to see me and told me to make one. “

“Who is he?” Valentin asked.

“Someone I –“

While he was waiting for the answer,  Valentin noticed Mr. Pivert’s eyes turned in another direction. 

“I forgot."

“Where did you meet him?”

“In my dream.”

There was a moment of standing without speaking, and a cuckoo bird had just flown across them.

Valentin couldn’t help but laughing, even though he could feel Mr. Pivert‘s eyes glaring at  him.

“I'm sorry, Sir, I didn’t mean to be so impolite, but have you heard a hero who had saved the day with a balloon air?” he asked. “I’m glad to hear it, but the hero is not me. I'm not one."

“To tell you the truth, Sir." Valentin said again. "I'm- I’m just a kid who was trying to steal the fruits in your garden, and I’m sorry. I know, my parents must be feeling disappointed up there. They would never want me to do something like this. I'm sorry, Sir.”
Finally, he had told him the truth. While he was looking at Mr. Pivert scratching his head and then stared at him again, he was ready for a scold – anything Mr. Pivert would do to him-- but in the end, he’s glad for finally able to tell everything he felt inside. The temptation and the adrenaline rush that came when he thought he could grab something without anyone noticed it didn’t feel as good as the feeling when he had finally admitted the truth. He  was ready for a punishment, but .. “In that case, why lied and why stealing?” Mr. Pivert said. "Ask and you shall be given."


 “It’s simple as that.” 



 Valentin couldn't believe it. "Thank you! Thank you, Mr. Pivert.”

The old advice is right: you can never judge a book by its cover. Mr. Pivert was actually a generous sim whose heart could also be touched.


In a few minutes or so, the two of them were found laughing together – enjoying some ridiculous jokes. 

"Sir, I'd love someday to ride the balloon air."

 "What? What did you say?"

"The balloon air, Sir. The one that you have made" 


"Oh, that! What for?"

The sunlight flashed upon Valentin's eyes. It was near lunchtime. He should hurry to find Rose.
 

He turned around and picked the fruits which were still hung heavily on the branch. Mr. Pivert had  also let him to take the plums and pumelos with him.

He took a few and put them inside his pocket.

As he raced off to the hill and quickened his pace for seeing her sitting on the turf, a broad smile appeared on his face.

 “Sorry for the waiting.” He said .

 “It's okay. I thought you fell asleep.”

“I wasn’t.” With panting breath, he sat down next to her. The sweat poured down on his face. He wiped it off with his hands. From the corner of his eyes, he could feel her staring at him.

“Why are you so happy?” She asked.

He turned to her, put a smile on his face and then stroked her hair. “Nothing. I’ve just learned something.”

He showed off the fruits he had kept inside his pocket. Rosaline  was quite surprised to seeing it.

Om nom nom. Her mouth became full of cherries. Looking at her made him smiling. He grabbed one too.  Om nom nom.

Rosaline giggled.

“Why are you laughing?”




 “It’s your face!”

Eating those fruits together right there on the turf, underneath the blue sky, for him there was nothing else more valuable than that. 


Everything was so simple back then. To think about it again, maybe he’s just being so selfish to want her to love him the same. Maybe, it really doesn’t matter if she doesn't love me back. In fact, it would not be matter as long as she’s happy

“Well then-,” A voice of a man was heard from  behind him. “We meet again aren’t we?”

His heart stopped.

"What?" Valentin turned his head around.
 
“You!”

 As he finally faced the source of the voice, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

 It’s him and there were two men with him.


 “Are- aren’t you supposed to be....?”

 “Dead? As I’ve told you, kid, nothing can stop me. Now, where’s the crystal?” 
 

Champs Les Sims Hospital 24:00
 
 “It’s best for you to go home now. She'll be okay.”

“But, dr. Benjamin…”

"Don’t worry! I will keep in touch with you. If you got sick,  you wouldn't do much for her and it wouldn't do any good. Okay?"

 “O-okay, doctor.”

The ICU door suddenly opened.   



“Doctor, it’s the patient! Her temperature and blood pressure are getting lower.”

 
 
 To be Continued