Age two
‘I am Hugo now.
Not loran.’
Hugo looks into nothingness as if to find some meaning behind what he had seen in his past life.
His current mom’s and dad’s names are Oliva Vestlie and Connar Vestlie.
They’re from middle class and live in a rented house.
It is fair to say that this house isn’t comparable to that mansion that he used to live in.
However, he doesn’t miss that mansion.
He, instead, misses his parents Wick Dorman and Selina Dorman.
Because of this, he finds his current parents as strangers.
It is hard to pretend as to be their kid but he tries to be normal.
But how can anyone be normal after knowing how they had died?
He remembers each and every detail of that incident.
He even felt all the pain and trauma.
Not to mention, he was just five.
Sometimes, he has nightmares about the burning sky and he unconsciously cries because of it.
It is quite normal for baby to cry and he isn’t that old so he doesn’t think that his current parents suspect much.
‘Sigh’
He sighs and rubs his temples.
As a child, this gesture looks quite unusual and bizarre.
Like why would a child be doing such an action.
He is only two years old after all.
‘Technically, I am seven now.
If I count years of my pervious life.’ He lampoons and starts brainstorming about the true matter.
What had happened that night?
He has been thinking for two years about it.
But he hasn’t made any sense of that matter whatsoever.
It is like a mess of things that are happening at the same time.
No two things have any connections with one another.
For example, how is the first bombardment is related to that burning sky?
Is the burning sky caused because of a powerful missile?
And what is the relation between charred corpses and other uncharred corpses.
He remains seeing remains that weren’t charred like others.
What is that all about?
Why such exceptions?
He has no leads.
Finally, who were those humanoid figures?
He doesn’t know how did they looked like or how many were they.
Even if his eyes weren’t damaged.
He doesn’t think that he would’ve been able to see anything much.
Those merciless eyes still haunt him.
A shiver run down his spine.
However, he composes himself immediately as he knows he needs to play the part.
He can’t let anyone know that he is somebody else in someone else’s body.
He is still confused about this reincarnation thing.
Is this a second chance that is given to him?
If yes, then by who and why?
Did he steal the body of his current parent’s baby?
Or was he supposed to be in this body?
And is this his last chance at having a proper life?
He has so many questions but no one who can answer them.
He has been asking these question for two years and he has come to no conclusion.
Perhaps, he needs to stop asking questions that he can’t answer.
He needs to understand what are his current circumstances are and find a way to understand his predicament.
Although, he does want to know what was that burning sky.
Currently, he is with his mother, Oliva.
He has come with her into the bazaar to get some cheap groceries.
Or it could be said that, he had no choice in the matter as he is a two years old kid and doesn’t have many choices in any matter.
His parents will choice for him.
The bazaar is very much crowded and is very lively.
By lively, he means very cramped.
There are people shouting whatever they’re selling, people are arguing to bargain with the shopkeepers and everyone looks like they’re fighting for life.
He even saw some shady looking people who are ogling people and their money.
He really feels uncomfortable cause of this.
But he can’t do anything as he is just a two years old child who is being carried around by his mother.
He is quite hopeless.
‘Sigh.
Why can’t I just grow up and become an adult?
Being a helpless little child is starting to give me anxiety.’
Hugo observes his surroundings and watches people.
As a two years old child, it is easy to watch people without making them suspicious of him.
Why would they think a child is observing them and secretly judging them behind their back?
Well, this child is judges them though.
Like his mother, there are people who are here to bug cheap things.
Some look even more short on money as they continue to argue about the expensive prices.
Hugo can only roll his eyes.
There are also beggars who has come here to get anything that they can afford with the beggar money.
Some even just beg for food but gets nothing in return.
So, with no other choice.
They just sit on the ground and hope that someone might feel pity on them.
Hugo does feel pity but even he won’t give them free food.
Not because he is cruel or anything.
It is all because nobody else does it either.
He isn’t a sheep but sometimes going with the norm is much better.
Also, it keeps one safe too.
A week ago, someone had generously given the beggars some bread and some money.
It was fair to say that that person had some money.
Later, he heard some ladies talking that he got murdered at home.
Some people broke into the house at night to rob and kill.
People wanted to blame beggars but it was impossible to find who exactly did that.
Because of that, the investigation was stopped and cops shut the case down.
‘It is better to not stand out.
Noted.’
He looks to a different direction and his eyes fell on a familiar sight.
Hugo observes two stray kids who are probably ten or twelve years old, trying to steal some tobacco while the other distracts the shop owner.
However, such an attempt doesn’t work as the shop owner is much more experienced.
Because of his witfulness and experience of many years, he catches them red handed.
The shop owner had tied each tobacco packs with one another and so if one is pulled all the rest falls too.
Grabbing the attention of others and revealing the culprit, then shop owner’s goons go and beat them up.
This isn’t the first kid that this shop owner has catch and beaten up.
And these two actually got it easier.
Last week, two more stray kids were tied up in front of the shop and beaten continuously.
They were like free entertainment for the shop owner and everyone else.
From Hugo’s understanding, this shopkeeper is cruel and enjoys beating kids up.
He always puts many such eye-catching things at the front of his shop to attract them.
Then with traps, he catches them and then beats them up.
Or his two or three goons use of these stray kids for labor or other means.
Hugo even suspects that the tobacco packs or many other enticing items at the front are fake or empty.
Why would such an experienced guy would ever even give an opportunity to his victims?
‘I am glad that mother never goes near that place.
Who knows, maybe that senile old man will even find a way to blame something on me and then try hurting me.’
Such occurrences aren’t rare here.
There are many orphans here.
Some were abandoned by their parents, or sold to shady people who forces these kids to go and steal.
Or beg.
Hugo can’t help but sigh.
Even though he doesn’t like this place.
This is sort of a learning opportunity for him.
As this teaches him to always have a plan and do plenty of preparation like that senile old man.
Setting traps, and being aware of your goals.
Also to not mess with someone who is much stronger than you.
Hugo gives a final glance at the stray kids who are almost started crying and begging for the owner to stop hitting them.
By now her mother’s grocery shopping is done and so they leave.
Soon, his mother returns home with groceries.
Now all he can do is watch her cook food for herself and him.
His father is always busy and sometimes he doesn’t return home for two or three days.
He works in coal mines.
His job is laborious and doesn’t even pay much.
He doesn’t want to compare but this life looks hard and unfair.
He knows that his old parents have suffered through many difficult times too.
But compared to this, they don’t look that bad.
But he is just a kid who is also very much oblivious of many things about his past and present parents.
So, all he can do is observe and hope to see something interesting sooner or later.
‘If things keep going like this.
I might never find out what really happened in my past life.
When will I grow up?’
Hugo closes his eyes and sleeps.
He will try to drown his worrying heart in deep sleep.
Hope it will find some calm.