Strangers on the Shore — The Firefly pt.5

Store Owner felt cornered with our nonstop questions.

“We knew it coincidentally both times. One of her close friend’s mother is our regular, one day she showed up to shop and asked my wife what kind of food would my daughter bring for the trip tomorrow. My wife asked what kind of trip, the mother said the girls were having a trip to Boe beach tomorrow, including our daughter. But she didn’t remember hearing our daughter talked about it, so she thought she would only talk about it and ask for permission in the last minute. Then she decided to play along, because from the sound of it, the mother was so sure every girls were coming, including our daughter.

But then, even until tomorrow, our daughter never brought up the topic and just spent the day loitering around the house and park alone. My wife was a bit bothered but tried to put much thought into it and guessed maybe she was just wanted time to be alone and decided on her own to drop off the plan.

However, few days later the mother came to the shop again and talked about the trip to my wife as what her daughter told her. But, the story included my daughter’s name in it. So, my wife was so confused, what did that mean? My daughter was mostly home that day, how could she appeared on a story that took place tens kilometres away. But my wife did not say anything and decided to just listened to it. Then she smelled something was off.” Store Owner started the story behind his suspicion carefully.

“Maybe her friend just using her name to hung out with completely different people. You know just like how they said to their mothers they would go to A’s place when in fact they’re going with their lover somewhere”. I responded, this was the most possible scenario, remembering this method often used from time to time and always succeeded.

Store Owner shook his head haggardly. The cheerful middle aged man filled with smile and bubbly words had turned into pitiful father in just less than an hour. “We thought so too, but the story was so convincing it’s almost impossible to bluff that perfect. And the thing that made us was so sure was that another mother came days later and talked about it, too”.

“Well, if that’s the case then it’s likely what they said was true. But, maybe your daughter had another reason she couldn’t tell you either. There are so many possibilities other than guessing she’s being an outcast, right?” Oldman tried to lift up Store Owner’s hope.