A Crazy Person

Gabriel looked at the living room. Arthur apologized for the state of their home. Gabriel couldn't help but smile at the boy's politeness. Even though he was still a toddler, Artur had a mature attitude. 

Gabriel looked at the peaceful face of Grace who was asleep. Her Pjs shirt was slightly unbuttoned revealing her smooth belly and waist. Gabriel wanted to touch her but he held back. He pulled Grace's clothes to cover her skin and placed a blanket on her body so that she could sleep better.

He turned around and saw Arthur who was looking at him. Gabriel put his forefinger to his lips asking Arthur not to say anything. The man squatted in front of Arthur.

"Want to open your present?" asked Gabriel.

Arthur nodded quickly and they agreed to open the gift in the kitchen as they didn't want to wake Grace who was fast asleep in the living room.

They both sat on wooden chairs. Arthur sat in his own special chair which had a support on the seat so that Arthur could see the table. Gabriel gave him a gift that he had bought quickly at a nearby shop. 

Although he had a nephew, he never interacted with him. Gabriel had no interest in small children. He hated them. Weak creatures who always whined deafeningly. Their whining was the most annoying sound he ever heard.

But there was a strange attraction he found when he was with Arthur. Arthur didn't scream like most children. At his young age, he talked like an adult.

Even the way he unwrapped the gift Gabriel gave him was polite. Arthur didn't tear it. He untied the ribbon and patiently searched for the end of the package and then put it aside.

"Whoa? What's this?" asked Arthur looking at the large box in front of him. 

It was a box filled with robot transformers. Arthur had never owned a robot before. He had a blue rabbit doll that was getting worn out. He had never asked for a robot before so this was something new!

The transformers robot didn't need to be assembled. Arthur looked at it in confusion. What would he do if it didn't need to be assembled?

"Do you like it?" asked Gabriel who saw the confusion on Arthur's face.

"I love it, sir. I really do. This is my first robot. But I don't know how to assemble it."

"Assemble it? You don't need to assemble it. You just need to play with it," Gabriel replied.

The frown on Arthur's forehead grew. "How?"

Gabriel also looked confused about how to play. Well, didn't kids know how to play them? Gabriel tried to remember how he used to play as a child but no memories came to mind. Gabriel prefers puzzles and other problem-solving games. He didn't like toys that were already fully made. There was no challenge.

After much thought, Gabriel gave up. He didn't know how to play either.

"I saw you tried to assemble a pirate ship, didn't you? Can I help with that? I promise to bring a better toy next time."

Arthur's eyes lit up again. The boy asked Gabriel to wait for him for a while. He ran to his room to retrieve the puzzle he had abandoned earlier. Gabriel waited patiently. He glanced out of the kitchen through the door to make sure Grace was still fast asleep. 

He looked at the warm kitchen he was now in. In front of him was a pan of carrots cake that Gabriel had never tried before. His reverie was interrupted when Arthur returned with his pirate's ship.

The boy scratched the corner of his eye and explained enthusiastically about the puzzle he was solving. The robot toy Gabriel had brought him earlier was just a display on the dining table.

"Sir, would you like to taste this? Santa gave me carrot cake this morning and it's delicious," said Arthur, offering Gabriel the cake the man had been looking at.

"Is that good?"

"Hm-hm, this was my request to Santa and he granted it."

Arthur reached for the large plate of carrot cake. Gabriel scrambled for the knife as the boy tried to cut him a piece of cake.

"Let me do this one myself. Little kids don't play with knives," Gabriel said and pulled Arthur to sit quietly in his place.

"All right, but can you cut some for me too? I want to eat it too."

"Sure," Gabriel replied as he prepared two slices of cake for him and Arthur.

***

Grace who was sound asleep in her place frowned. She stretched her arms up high. The television screen had changed to another movie. The side of the couch was empty. Grace didn't find Arthur there. The sofa on hers was also cold as if it had not been occupied for a long time.

"Ahahahaha, you are much smarter, sir. And you finish more parts than I do. I like you."

Grace turned her head towards the kitchen to hear her son's familiar voice giggling and talking to someone. She frowned in confusion. She always reminded her son not to talk to strangers. She also forbade anyone to enter without her permission. Even her neighbors hardly ever visited.

Grace shook off the blanket roughly and made her way to the kitchen in a hurry.

"So, are you going to follow in your father's footsteps to become a soldier?" asked Gabriel as he assembled the deck parts.

"No, I'm not. I want to be an astronaut and find a star and give it to mommy," Arthur replied confidently.

"Arthur!"

Arthur and Gabriel, who were busy talking, were interrupted by Grace's presence. The woman stared intently at Gabriel who had reappeared at her house.

"How come you're still here?" asked Grace who then separated Arthur from Gabriel.

"Because I came back."

"But why did you come back? Don't you have more important things to do?"

"Come on, Grace... don't be so tense. Relax... Arthur and I are playing together here."

Grace shook her head. She didn't want Gabriel to be in such close proximity to her son. She took Gabriel's hand and led him out of the kitchen. Gabriel gave a smile to Arthur who looked confused. 

"You just sit there," Gabriel told Arthur not to follow them.

Grace opened her door and placed Gabriel outside. Her head was spinning from waking up so suddenly. 

"Please. Stop this nonsense. Go home and don't come back. I don't want to see you again."

"Grace, hear me out... you need someone who will take care of you and your son," Gabrield said gently.

Grace shook her head. She wasn't going to fall for the man's gentle tone. She had been naive in the past, easily swayed by his gentle tone.

But Gabriel's name was well known. He had known how the man ran his business for a long time. Grace well knew what he hid behind those sweet masks.

"I can take care of myself! I've been able to live my life well alone with Arthur. You have no right to say anything about my life. You're just a stranger! Go away and don't bother me and my son anymore!" Grace said emphatically and slammed the door right in the man's face.

Gabriel was stunned by the slam. His gentle gaze slowly turned cold. The knotted smile he had maintained faded away.

He stared angrily at the door in front of him.

But that expression quickly changed when the door opened again. Grace took Gabriel's robot purchase and handed it back to the man.

"Arthur doesn't need that. I can afford to buy him his own toy."

After uttering that rejection, the door closed again with a bang. Gabriel burst out laughing at the door.

"Grace! This is so fun! Yeah! Of course you have to behave like this, it will make catching games even more fun! Haha you have to stay like this, Grace!"

Gabriel shouted from outside the door.

Grace who was behind the door cursed Gabriel as a crazy person!