Prompt a day | September 7th: "Missing friend"

Fiction Prompt: Cleaning out the parents home, your character discovers a stack of missing person’s articles. They are all about the character. - @shadowspub

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My mother called me last week to clean our old house. I didn't do it right away because I was busy last week of submitting my new projects in the company where I am working.

"Roger, are you available now to clean our old house?"

A slow way of speaking from my mother told me while she's sitting in her rocking chair. She really became old now. I just remember how she was so energetic and pretty when I was playing in our balcony. Time really passed so fast that sometimes it's hard to believe it happened so sudden. Her beauty is still vivid in my memory that it looks like it was just yesterday.

"Yes mother, I will be there right away."

I replied to my mother while bringing materials for cleaning. I suddenly feel excited as arrived in our old house. I found my old toys and my old memories of this house. Back then I had a friend John who always came into our house to play. He was a son of a fisherman that when we talked about dreams. Being a fisherman was always in his mouth. It's funny to remember those old memories but suddenly loneliness took over. John was missing when he was fishing far from the shore. There was a super typhoon that time that they said maybe that was the reason.

"I need to start cleaning or else I can't finish my mother told me."

I said with a low tone while talking to myself. I grab some old toys to put them in a box. I removed some cobwebs in the ceiling and everywhere. Every part of the house has its own memory. I'm thinking that my cleaning will take longer since I stop cleaning when I remember something. It's funny to think about how I really miss this house but I haven't visited it for a while. I have a job so it's understandable.

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I am now in the room of my late father cleaning. I arranged the tables and some books. I start cleaning the bed but because it is covered with so much dust. I didn't notice that there is a box right in front of me. I almost fall when I kicked it. My feet are hurt because I walked comfortably and my steps were long.

"Ouch."

I checked what is that box. I coughed because of dust while removing it. I opened the box and its full of books. I recognise some of the books. I stopped cleaning again because I noticed an interesting book. I open it and thinking to read it. Actually, I'm not reading it yet. I just keep on looking at the pages. While I enjoy looking at every page. I noticed there's a piece of paper suddenly falling. I took it and start reading it. It is part of the newspaper that was being removed. My curiosity activates because why hiding this kind of stuff?

"In the month of December, some people told the police that John was lost because of the typhoon. The police officers were doing research about it. There was no dead body found in every part of the sea. The police officers became curious and they wanted to dig deeper about this case. The police officers were surprised about what they learned after the investigation. John was part of a drug triad. He wanted to go out from the triad but their bosses didn't let him. When there was a storm he tried to escape from the sea and just pretend he was taken by the strong wind and dies. Until now no one knows where is John."

I don't what to say or how to react to this matter. Maybe my late Father hid it to me so that I will not be looking for John and just stay away from him. I am so surprised, am I be happy of it or just pretend that John really died long ago and just leave him like that. I am already old and I know what to do for myself and my safety.

END

mrnightmare