Lily climbed behind Madam Gondo up the wooden stairs leading to the second floor.
Madam Gondo’s steps were quiet, while Lily’s steps were irregular, as a bit of tension had begun to creep into her.
She was thinking about Adam a little.
Madam Gondo and Lily reached the second floor, and Lily walked a few steps behind Madam Gondo for a few seconds until they reached in front of Julia’s room.
Madam Gondo said: “One moment, Lily.
I will tell her that you came to talk to her.” Lily looked at her and said: “Ah, of course, there is no problem.” Madam Gondo began knocking on the door several times, then opened it.
“I won’t be long, Lily.” Lily nodded her head in agreement.
Madam Gondo entered Julia’s room, then closed the door behind her.
Madam Gondo advanced until she was in front of Julia’s bed.
“Julia, you have a visitor.” Julia was sleeping on the bed, and she had a heavy blanket over her body despite the summer heat.
Julia was not visible at all from under the blanket.
Madam Gondo did not hear any response, so she placed her hand on Julia’s shoulder from over the blanket.
“Are you awake, Julia?” A faint and quiet voice came from under the blanket: “Did one of my university classmates bring me again to talk to me?” Quickly, Madam Gondo opened her mouth and spoke: “No, no, it’s not like that, Julia.
It’s just that…” Julia interrupted her: “Bring that person.
I really don’t care.” Madam Gondo stopped talking, then turned her body and headed toward the door.
Lily was standing and looking at the closed door, thinking about Adam.
“Why, Adam…?” Lily could not find a suitable answer.
She had not done anything wrong, but a strange feeling crept into her, a mixture of responsibility and fear.
Lily was still affected by the impact of Madam Gondo’s words, and she began repeating in a low voice: “Depression…
divorce…
university…
absence…
lectures…” “What makes a person become this sad because of his father leaving?” This was the question Lily asked herself after some of Madam Gondo’s words came to her mind.
The thread of Lily’s thoughts was interrupted when Julia’s room door opened.
“Lily, come in.
I will go because the shop is still open.” Lily looked at Madam Gondo as she came out of the door.
Lily answered Madam Gondo with a fake smile: “Okay, Madam Gondo.
I will go in to talk to her.” Madam Gondo smiled, turned her body, and headed toward the wooden staircase, beginning to descend the steps to the cafeteria.
Lily watched Madam Gondo until she disappeared.
“I will go in now.” Lily pushed the door open slightly, then entered Julia’s room.
The room was dark, and it was cold despite the summer heat.
Lily caught sight of the blanket on the bed, so she knew that Julia would be underneath it.
“She is there…
why is the weather so hot, even though the room is cold?” She thought this in her mind.
She stood near Julia’s bed a few steps away, then opened her mouth and closed it, then opened it again.
“Hello.” Lily received no response, which made the expressions on her face look surprised.
“Depression…
I have to be careful in choosing my words and…” Lily’s thoughts were interrupted by Julia’s voice: “Please, leave.” Lily was surprised when she heard her voice.
“Why?” Julia said in a slightly louder voice: “My mother keeps bringing my university classmates every few days or so.
I am tired.
I just don’t want to leave my room.” Lily was surprised to hear these words, as she was not the only one who had come to talk to Julia and try to understand her.
Lily gathered her words and took one step closer to the bed.
“Can I know the reason why you are not going to university, Julia?” Julia replied in a quiet voice: “I think my mother already told you.” Lily remembered Madam Gondo’s words.
“Is it because your father left the house?” Julia did not answer, so Lily immediately understood that this really was the true reason.
In the meantime, Lily tried to choose the appropriate words to say, but no matter how much she searched, she felt that anything she would say would make Julia worse.
At this moment, Lily remembered her invitation to Adam to go with her to university.
“Julia, what do you think about going to university together?” Julia did not answer.
Lily continued speaking in a slightly cheerful tone: “You will come with me to university tomorrow.
I will stay with you all day.” Julia moved slightly under the blanket.
“No.” Lily was slightly surprised.
“Why?” “I just told you that I don’t want to go to university again.” Lily caught her breath.
“I will come here tomorrow at exactly six-thirty.
I will wait for you until we go together.” Julia was slightly surprised.
“And if I don’t go?” Lily said in a firm voice: “You will go.
I am sure.” Julia remembered her father after hearing Lily’s words.
Since her father left the house, Julia’s condition had been getting worse day after day.
The number of times Julia left her room decreased until it had become almost nonexistent.
And when Julia heard Lily’s words, she felt that her father was the one saying these words.
Suddenly, the blanket rose, and Julia appeared from underneath it, looking at Lily.
Lily was slightly surprised and stepped back several steps from the shock.
“Why are you trying to help me?” Julia asked her this question quickly.
Lily remembered Julia’s mother’s, Madam Gondo’s, gentle and kind treatment of her.
Then she answered: “Because we are the same age, so I have to help you, Julia.”