By The Sea And The Land

Chapter Five - Waking Up And Incoming Headache

      When I was just a little child, Grandma will always read me a bedtime stories before I sleep, since mother and father didn't really care about me. She read me the stories about the God's, or magical creatures that live deep in the woods, or the wicked witch that will punished bad child if they don't listening to their parents. But the one I like her to read for me the most is about the kingdom deep in the sea, where creatures like mermaids and merman live undisturbed in their beautiful underwater castle. I think it was amazing, to be able to live and swimming freely in the sea without care in the world.

      I love my grandmother. She was the only one that really loves me in the palace. Mother and father is too busy to do other 'more important matters' and only give me their attention when I did something they don't like. I also have an older brother, and surely, he is more brighter and more lovable than me. Everyone love him, and I love him too, although he's not that close too me.

      But even after grandma pass away five years ago, they still giving me very little attention. I'm not a very healthy child, so I spend half of my childhood years with the royal physicians, Hagen. He is my other favourite person in the palace. He is kind and caring, and I often spending my time with him when I've finished my lessons with my tutor to pass the time since I'm not that sociable.

      And right now, I'm waking up to see his smiling face, and I'm smiling back to him.

      He ordered one of the maids to tell my parents that I have gained my consciousness and to bring me some food to my oversized bedroom that I've been living for 19 years and I currently laying on my familiar soft, big bed with a white blanked covering my body up to my chest. He's asking how I'm feeling when he's helping me to a sitting position. Just like the time when I'm sick and not almost dying because of a shipwreck.

      I moves my hands and told him that I’m fine, and asked him how I’m still alive and how I get home after him how I'm still alive after he give me a glass of water to drink that I took gladly since my throat felt really dry, and he told me that a nun in training saw me washed ashore when she take a walk in the beach and tend my wound before she told the guards. I had been unconscious for two days and it seems like I hit my head pretty hard in the ships before. After he said that, I just realize that my body is bandaged in several place and my body is hurting all over. I felt really hungry too.

      The nun is already back to the church now, but I still want to thank her for saving my life, and he assure me that my parents have done it already. Saying it was a miracle that I still alive.

      Then I asked him the condition of the crew from my ships, and he just shake his head with sorrowful face. I only nodded at that, and closed my eyes.

      After a moment of silence, I heard my door opened and a few footsteps coming inside. I opened my eyes and saw my parents face and my brother following them in their back. Like usual, there's no kind and caring words from them. Not asking how I am or how I feel. Instead, their usual nagging, because they lose the ship and the item inside. Saying I'm useless and all, like the storm striking our ship is my fault. Just the normal stuff.

      I listened to their naggings and try to not opened my mouth and holding my hands on my side and tell them what I want to said to them. But of course, I do nothing. After years faced with the same situation, I learned that they'll stop their nagging faster this way.

      After some minutes that seems like eternity, Hagen told them that I need to rest, and shooed them politely out of my room, and I thanked him for that. Before my brother leave, he come to my side and patted my shoulder lightly, with a little smile is in his lips. Hagen sighted, and I could only smiled to him.

      The maid carrying my foods in and I eat it in silence and Hagen told me to sleep when I finished.

      I drift off to a dream where I'm swimming in the sea with a light blue scales Mer-man with a face I couldn't see.