The World We Do Not Know - 149 Red Eyed Faust

It is not a good sight for Faust, all of these feelings are really stirring up his blood and vomitting in his brain. His head is exploding with different kinds of thoughts everyday.

Bella jumps forward and groans at the mother who was holding Faust, soon bella starts barking making the woman leave her hold on Faust.

The mother goes back to the crowd while eyeing Faust and Bella.

*”They don’t care about me.”* Faust pulls his shirt up and arranges his backpack before walking away with a murky face.

“Really! I wish it was this kid who died in place of Gus.” The mother yells as Faust is leaving.

“Please! You cannot say that to a kid.” Clara tries to intervene but the mother of the bully doesn’t heed her advice

“What will happen? He is an orphan anyway, nobody would stand up for him nor take him in. Talentless trash.” The mother goes on.

“Ahito! Are you okay my kid?” The woman goes back to check on his kid.

“Yes Mom! I’m okay!” Ahito says but his eyes are glaring at Bella.

*”Damn dog! How can you bark at my mom without respecting her.”* He thinks to himself.

For the next few weeks, Faust is left alone by the bullies. For things to settle down, before they get back at him.

“Do you know that you need to pay the fee? Or you cannot come to school! I know it’s hard on you since your grandpa has died… but we cannot let you study for free, there shouldn’t be any partiality shown among students.” The head of the school explains Faust with a rather unpleasant face. She is sitting on a luxurious chair befitting of a Queen.

Her face expressed her despise for Faust, not because of any personal grudge, but because of the fact that he has no money. It’s as if she respects people only based on their stature.

Every item or the decorated artifacts in her room are worth a fortune. Some are even made of Jade.

Faust just bows his head down as he has accepted the norms, his eyes are encircled by dark circles and he has become more skinny! As if he has been Malnutritioned. Without uttering a word, he leaves the room and the school for the day..

“Not on the chair! Sit down.” On his way back home, Faust stops at Yang’s house. He wanted to ask Yang who is like the big brother of Gus to help with his issue in school.

As he is about to rest on a chair, Yang tells him to sit on the ground instead. As if the people of less strature than him are not allowed to sit on a chair in front of him.

‘Belittled’ is the only word that is running in his head. He tells Yang, the reason that he came to seek their help.

“I have no obligations to help you, and to give you that huge amount is too risky.” Yang replies, he doesn’t even look Faust in the eyes while talking.

“I’m not running a charity here! Lending a helping hand to every indigent that come to my house. And  you can just give up on studying, you have no spiritual power, you are not cut out for this.” Before Faust could say something else, Yang intervenes to let Faust know that he is not going to involve in any issues regarding him.

Faust just looked soul-less, he got up on his wobbling feet, worrying that he might lose his footing and collapse. He walks while his eyes are wandering on the ground, trying to comprehend every tile he is walking on.

Everything Yang spoke took him by surprise, he no longer know whom to rely upon. Never felt so lonely.

He left with all hope lost, feeling helpless, not being able to do anything. Without knowing the reason for being disliked by everyone in his village.

Just a month ago, he was the most loving, very talented and considered a genius. His world flipped all of a sudden and his feelings twisted.

He reaches home while feeling mild annoyance, hurt. Thinking that he is being hated for the things he never did.

“You are here?” To his surprise, Clara is waiting outside his door holding her hands before her thighs.

“Do you- Do you have money to pay the fee?”

–

“I figured, don’t think that I’m doing this with pity but. I will pay the fees.” Clara concludes the solution, filling the void of Faust’s silence that manifested his unspoken queries.

Faust still looks to be in a puzzle, he could not believe his ears at first. But then-“Of Course not for free. You need to do something in return.” She inferred with a smile.

“W-what do you want me to do?”

“Heh! Come with me” she came closer to hold his hand and took him into the village.

Faust is standing in front of a cottage. It is stranding in the outer parts of the village. Looking dull and worn out with cracks appearing on the walls and roof. The cottage is looking pretty old fashioned.

Faust is standing outside with an unsure face. Clara went inside the house, asking Faust to wait outside. It’s been fifteen minutes and no sounds of human movements can be heard from inside.

“Ahem! I see, leave it to me!” Clara is seeming to walk outside, beside her is an old man, seemingly in his sixties.

The old man has a lean looking body with a small grey beard without a single strand of hair on his head.

His eyes travelled from top to bottom on Faust, scrutinizing his body. “Eh! He looks too little, are you sure he is 10?” He asks in a surprise.

“Yes! Trust me dad! he is. Just give him the work, pleaseeeeeee?” Her eyes suddenly goes round as she lowers her head pouting her lips.

“Ah ah! I get it, stop with those puppy eyes already.” He arrogantly gestured a stop sign with his hand.

“Yay!” Clara bends lower to plant a kiss on the old man’s cheeks. She hurries towards Faust, bending down with her hands resting on her knees she continues. “You can stay here with my dad if you like. You need to just help him in his work and I will pay your school fees.”

“Not a bad deal huh? I hope you both get along.” Clara says with a bright smile, her face is so pure and innocent.

*”Is she the same age as that kid or what? Acting like a little kid. Tsk!”* Her father mutters under his breath.

“Th-thank you! I will do my best. I will never forget your help.” It did not take a second for Faust to lower his head and appreciate the help of Clara. He is almost sure that nobody is going to help him out of this,  but Clara appeared out of nowhere to solvel his problem without him even asking her.

–

After two weeks, Clara visits the house again to check up on Faust. The old man is sitting outside of the house, smoking a cheap cigarette. “Dad! How can you smoke with Faust around? You are going to become a bad example to him.” Clara yells at her dad as soon as she sees him fill his lungs with the warm smoke.

“I already offered him a Cigarette, he said he doesn’t need it. Anyway what are you doing here?” The old man answers calmly showing his coolness and composure.

“Huh??? Dad! Don’t be so harsh with him! He is just a kid! You did these same things with my boyfriend when I brought him to introduce to you. You offered him alcohol and when he did, you kicked him out.”

“But Faust here is a little kid! Stop testing him. You weirdo!” Clara bursts out of anger.

“I don’t care! Men will be men! Even if it’s a 10 year old. So I tested him out, he spends very little time with me though.” Her father replies in a strict tone.

“What? Why? I thought he was living with you?”

“He said he have someone to take care of in his home, so he is only spending little to with me.”

“What? That can’t be! He doesn’t have anyone anymore. Could he be lying to escape work?”

“I don’t think so! That kid!” The old man blows the smoke out of his mouth in an enjoyable manner. His eyebrows touches each other.

“He is exceptional!”

“Huh? What are you saying now? What are you saying? Did he visit you today?” Clara doesn’t understand what was happening at all, her concerning sides takes over her as she sits beside her father asking about Faust.

“Yes of course! Can’t you see him?” The old man points his finger towards the farming fields before him.

Clara doesn’t notice anything at first. But after a few moments, she sees a small boy pulling a heavy metal fork like equipment.

“H-huh? Huh???? Huhh?” Dad! Have you gone crazy? You are making a small kid cultivate and farm our land? What are you thinking?” Clara gets up on his feet and walks fast towards Faust.

In the meanwhile, the old man grabs the hand of Clara pulling her back beside him. “What are you doing? He said he wanted to do that work, so he is working hard everyday. You shouldn’t disturb his focus.” He utters.

“That kid is not normal, he is not weak like you think. He is filling the ground with that huge metal tied to his back. He is raking the very ground. Shovelling it and picking it and separating the land.”

“Isn’t he the laughing stock of our village? He is doing this for 5 hours straight. Without a break. He is farming our land.” The old man announces with a hint of pride.

Clara is lost in her own thoughts as her father is telling her what Faust is doing everyday. And while she is lost, Faust comes from the fields, wiping the dirt off his face, hands and legs.

“I have completed today’s work! Let me know if you need help with chopping wood. I can help you with that too.” Faust casually walks up to the old man and talks to him as if he has done nothing out of the ordinary.

He isn’t even gasping for air, nor withering in pain. “Ah yes yes” the old man gets up to go inside his house, comes out with a vessel.

“That is your dinner for you and the person you are taking care of. Come back tomorrow, I will give you your lunch box.” The old man hands the vessel to Faust.

Faust bows to the old man and also to Clara who is still in shock and leaves to his house.

He enters the house, turns on the lights and the chimney and places the food on the table.

“Grandpa…”