In the evening, we set up camp near a pond. The air is starting to get really cold at night, the snowy season will come soon. Most of the trees have already lost their orange leaves and water spirits have become more common.

  After my training, Sher Aka approaches me with a smile and a wave, “Hey, Thoma Ahad. Would you like me to tell you a story tonight?”

  “Sure! If you don’t mind.”

  “Oh no, not at all. Please settle into a comfortable position, you tend to fall asleep soon after I’m done.”

  “Oh sure!”

  I then wash up a little and get ready for bed. Laying down, Sher Aka begins,

  “Alright, Once Upon a time, in a kingdom far far away, lived a little boy. The little boy lived in a place far away from his people but he was never lonely. There were always the local people around to play with and so he played with the children everyday. But while they grew tall and changed, the little boy did not. The children he played with then became adults and had children on their own who gladly played with him as well but the time soon came that they too would grow up and didn’t want to play anymore. Then those children had children once more and they too were great to play with. After one such day of playing, on a warm autumn day, the boy's first friend in the village asked to see him. He had become old and layed in bed.

  ‘Do you want to play again?’ the little boy asked hopefully.

  ‘I would love to, my dear friend, but it seems that I can’t anymore. I just wanted to see my old friend one last time before I fall asleep and not wake up anymore.’ —-------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Seemingly confused, Thoma Ahad's facial expression and body language has changed, “Uhm, sorry miss but where am I? Are we outside?”

  “Oh it seems you’re awake, my name is Sher Aka, we were traveling together don’t you remember?”

  “No…Where are my siblings? I want to go home. I’m scared.”

  Brushing through his hair, she answers, “Don’t worry…We’ll get there soon, we're on our way home.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. Some bad people took you away from home but we’re bringing you back.”

  “We? Are there others?”

  “Yes, would you like to meet them? There is my little brother John and a friend named Rayla.”

  “Are they nice?”

  Theatrically pondering for a bit, Sher aka answers, “My little brother is a bit grumpy but they’re all nice, yes.”

  “They may introduce themselves then.”

  Sher Aka then gives a sign and a worried looking Rayla walks up to the scene causing Thoma Ahad to get a scared expression and hide behind Sher Aka, “Who is that, Miss? She looks scary.”

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  “That’s Rayla, you were quite close to her, don’t you remember?”

  Fearful and with a determined tone, he answers, “No, I would definitely remember being close with something like that. Is it dangerous?”

  “Uhm…Is everything alright Sher Aka? He looks scared, what is he saying?”

  “He doesn’t recognize you and is asking if you’re dangerous. I’m not sure if he even recognizes you fully as a person right now.”

  “He…He thinks I'm dangerous? Thoma is that true? Do you really think I-”

  “Get that thing away from me!”

  Sher Aka then places herself protectively in front of Thoma Ahad, “I think it’s best you leave him for now Rayla. Right now you’re just scaring him.”

  “Bu-But he is my brother.”

  “He is not your brother right now. Right now we’re conversing with a person that has no memories of you or me. Step back Rayla, it’s for his own good.”

  Rayla hesitates for a bit before walking out of sight and starting to cry.

  “Is it gone?”

  “Yes, she’s gone.”

  “I’m scared, Sher Aka.”

  “I’m sorry about that, how about I finish the story for you? Would you like that?”

  “Yeah…”

  “Alright then, lay down for me. Uhum. After the little boy’s first friend fell asleep, he was buried in the earth. The little boy didn’t quite understand yet what had happened, so he just kept playing. Yet time after time his friends called him to their rooms and then fell asleep forever. Then, one day, the little boy didn’t want to play anymore and when his parents asked him why he said, ‘If they’re all going to leave me what’s the point?’

  So his parents asked him, ‘Is a flower not beautiful just because it wilts?’

  ‘No it is…’ the boy answered.

  ‘Then have you not had fun with all the people you met?’

  ‘No…I have,’ the boy answered.

  ‘Then aren’t they just like long living flowers? Beautiful yet wilting, they leave behind more flowers to smell and look at. Why don’t we look around the village and look at the field of flowers that has grown?’

  They then walked around the village and all the people knew the little boy and smiled at him and the boy knew all the people too and smiled back at them. He didn’t realize it before but so many people came and went and yet wherever he spread his love and happiness more love and happiness came back for him.

  The little boy's father then told him, ‘See my child, this is the garden you have created with your life, as long as you spread goodness, goodness will come back for you. But be careful, if you spread hate or hurt that will also bloom into flowers and return to you tenfold.’

  ‘I understand now, father,’ the little boy answered and ran towards the field.

  ‘Where are you going son!?’ the father asked.

  ‘I’m going to tend to more flowers!’ the boy answered with a smile and went to play with other kids.

  Then, over the years, the boy grew up himself and found a wife with whom he could share this beautiful garden with, and they lived happily ever after.”

  —--------------------------------------------------------------

  “Are you back Thoma Ahad?”

  “Hmm? Oh sorry I must have fallen asleep again. Your stories are like sleep medicine, haha.”

  “That’s alright, how are you feeling?”

  “I dunno…A bit weird to be honest. I feel exhausted and a bit…Scared? I don’t know why though. Is Rayla asleep already?”

  “No, she's still awake.”

  “Could you get her for me? I feel like I need a hug right now…”

  “Sure, I’ll get her.”

  Rayla then approaches me, she looks hesitant and as if she was crying, “Rayla? Are you okay? Did something happen?”

  “Ah no, nothing happened…How are you feeling?”

  “Honestly a little scared…”

  “O-of me?”

  “Pfft, no, of course not. Why would I ever be scared of you?”

  “Then…Then why do you feel scared?”

  giving her a smile, I open my arms for her, “I don’t know but I’m sure a hug from my big sister will help!”

  “Yeah…Yeah of course it will help why wouldn’t it, haha. Come here, oki!”

  We then hug and shortly after go to sleep.

  —---------------------------------------------------------

  Later during the night, Rayla whispers,

  “Sher Aka, are you still awake?”

  “Yes.”

  “Even if this might be helpful to find out more about Thoma’s past life, please never do that again. I don’t want to ever see him like that again…I know it’s selfish but I don’t want to risk him going back to that state permanently.”

  “It’s alright, I understand.”

  “Thank you…Goodnight, Sher Aka.”

  “Goodnight Rayla.”

  —---------------------------------------------------------------------