บท 3: The Empty House
The house was more of a hidden den than a home, nestled in the damp underbelly of the street. You had to descend a steep flight of stone steps to reach the door, its chipped paint and rusting hinges the only markers of the cramped space within. Inside, the house was as small as it was bleak—three rooms, each one a testament to poverty. The kitchen was a narrow sliver, barely enough space to turn around, with a stove that looked like it might give up any day. The living room served as a bedroom for everyone, its walls stained a permanent gray, and the old mattresses strewn across the floor their only comfort. The bathroom, with its cracked tiles and shattered ceramics, was always moist, the air thick with the scent of mildew. Every corner seemed to absorb the darkness, leaving no room for light or warmth.
But for Leon and Adélard, this was home.
The silence that usually haunted the place shattered when the two brothers burst through the door.
"Mother?" Adélard called out, his voice tight, edged with both worry and relief.
Silence answered back.
They exchanged a glance and let out a shared sigh of relief. The quiet meant their mother still hadn't returned home—a small blessing. It meant they didn't have to face her wrath for being out so late.
"Come on, Leon," Adélard said softly, his tone relaxing. "It's time to sleep. We've got to wake up early tomorrow to head to the marketplace. You're helping me this time, okay?"
Leon scrunched his nose, half listening. "Fineee… but what about our game? You said we'd finish tomorrow."
"We will, don't worry," Adélard assured him. "But before football, we have to earn some money, like Mom does. The right time will come, Leon, I promise. Just be careful tomorrow. Stay out of sight if you see those guys from today. They might still be looking for us at the market. If you see them, run straight back home. You know the way."
Leon hesitated. "What about you? What are you gonna do?"
"I'll be fine. Trust me." Adélard's smile was tight, the kind meant to reassure a little brother but never reached his eyes. "Now, sleep. If Mother comes back and finds us awake, we're done for."
Leon huffed, reluctantly pulling the old, patched-up blanket over his shoulders and curling up on the thin mattress that served as his bed. The air in the room was cool and damp, sending shivers down his spine. He could see Adélard moving around in the dim light, carefully adjusting a few items around the room, always making sure things were in place—keeping things neat, even if they had little.
"Why do you think she's late?" Leon asked quietly.
Adélard paused, looking down at his brother. "She's probably still working. Maybe there was a rush of customers, or… maybe she had to take on another job tonight."
Leon bit his lip, thinking. "But she didn't say anything about working late…"
"Sometimes things happen," Adélard replied gently. "We just have to be patient."
There was an unspoken worry in his voice. Adélard always tried to keep Leon's spirits high, to shield him from the worst of the world, but Leon wasn't a little kid anymore. He knew things. He knew their mother didn't always go to work like she said. Sometimes, she went somewhere else. And whenever she came back, her eyes were darker, her hands trembling. But Leon never asked. He knew better than to pry.
"Come on, go to sleep," Adélard murmured, pulling his own blanket around his shoulders. "We'll see her in the morning. Promise."
But morning didn't bring the comfort they hoped for.
Leon was the first to wake up, his eyes fluttering open to the faint light creeping through the single small window that barely illuminated the room. The mattress beside him was cold and empty, the sheets barely disturbed. His heart tightened.
"Brother, wake up!" he hissed, shaking Adélard's shoulder. "Mom's not here. Brother, wake up!"
Adélard groaned, rolling over and squinting in the dim light. "Let me sleep, Leon… We still have time."
"No, don't sleep!" Leon insisted, shaking him harder. "It's already late. She's not here! Come on, wake up!"
With a groan, Adélard's eyes fluttered open, annoyance giving way to concern as he sat up. The morning chill brushed against his skin, and he glanced around, noting the empty space where their mother should have been.
"Fine, fine. I'm up. Let me see what's going on. But you stay here, okay? Don't follow me, Leon."
Leon shook his head stubbornly. "I don't wanna stay here alone. Take me with you, please."
Adélard sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Alright, but if you get tired and don't do your job right today, forget about the match. We'll come straight home."
"I won't!" Leon promised, his voice eager. "I'll be even more energetic! I just… I don't want to be alone."
Adélard softened, patting Leon's head gently. "Okay then, stick close."
The brothers left the comfort of their tiny, broken home behind, stepping out into the chilly morning air. The street above was still draped in the gray fog of dawn, the world not yet fully awake. They shuffled past rows of crumbling buildings, the morning dew clinging to the cobblestones and the faint buzz of a distant marketplace just beginning to stir.
Their first stop was the bar where their mother worked. It was a dingy place, tucked away at the corner of a block where the buildings pressed in tight. The sign above it was missing a few letters, leaving the name a jumbled mess. Drunkards still lingered outside from the night before, hunched over in a stupor, their bottles scattered around like fallen soldiers.
Adélard hesitated. "Stay behind me," he whispered.
Leon nodded, sticking close as they slipped past the men, avoiding eye contact. The bar's windows were covered with grime, the curtains inside drawn tight. Adélard pushed open the door cautiously, the smell of stale beer and sweat hitting them like a wall.
"Is… is Adélaïde here?" Adélard asked, voice quiet but firm.
A tired-looking woman behind the counter glanced up, her eyes narrowing. "Who's asking?"
"It's Adélard. Her son."
Recognition flickered across her face, followed by a frown. "She's not here, kid. Left a while back. Don't know where she went. She didn't say."
Leon's heart sank, and he looked up at his brother. Adélard's jaw tightened.
"Did she… did she say when she'd be back?"
The woman shrugged. "No idea. Might be out for a while."
"Thank you," Adélard murmured, turning away.
He felt Leon's small hand slip into his. For a moment, they stood there, two small figures in a world that seemed far too big. Then, with a deep breath, Adélard straightened.
"Let's go," he said quietly. "We'll check the other places."
They stepped back out into the morning light, determination set in Adélard's eyes. They didn't have much, but they had each other—and until they found their mother, that would have to be enough.
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