CH 476

C476: Disgust / Jean

Merry Christmas!!!

Luca took me to a facility on the outskirts of the city. There was a building in the middle of a quiet forest, where several hundred people seemed to be living. Many of the people there were elderly, and it seemed to be a medical facility of some kind.

“What kind of facility is this?”

“Yes, it is a place for people with chronic illnesses or physical disabilities who have difficulty living on their own but have no relatives to help them.”

“Is it run by the Republic of Dhahran?”

“No, it is run by donations and fundraising under the leadership of Alice Abbey. The state does not support us with even 1 gold.”

“I’m sure they won’t. It’s impossible with the current president. He doesn’t have the slightest mercy for the weak.”

“Mr. Jean, if the secret police hear you talking like that, they’ll…….”

“It doesn’t matter, it’s the truth. President Bouddarga is a scoundrel of the highest order. He’s a bastard and he’s irredeemable!”

He had become loud without realizing it, and his expression had become quite stern, as if admonishing him and Sword Saint pointed that out.

“Control of emotions is one of the most important elements of a commander. I don’t know what happened, but don’t startle a woman unnecessarily.”

“I’m sorry, Luca, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“No, you just startled me a little. I’m fine now.”

I’m not quite there yet either…….

When I entered the forest facility, Luca and a staff member had a conversation about something and after a while, she showed me around, saying, “This way. We’ll move around the facility and go out again through another doorway. From there, we’ll follow a well-maintained pathway through the forest and arrive at a circular pavilion in an open garden-like area.”

On a bench under a roof covered with ivy and other greenery, a person I had known for many years was sitting there. I am not surprised to see him, but somehow my heart begins to beat strangely.

The staff member who guided us bows his head and leaves while I walk in front of the man.

“It’s been a long time.”

When I spoke to him, the man stopped reading his book and glanced at me, but immediately returned his attention to his book, seemingly uninterested. Irritated by this reaction, which I had not imagined, I reiterated my greeting.

“What’s the matter, have you forgotten what your son looks like?”

This man was my father. I use the word “used to be” because I had disowned him and cut off our father and son relationship.

“My two sons are away on vacation and they are only five and eight years old, not old like you.”

What are you saying……are you serious? I was upset, and Luca came over and quietly began to explain.

“It’s a brain disease. Not long ago, he still recognized himself, but now, due to memory loss and the deterioration of his brain function, he is unable to maintain new memories. Now Mr. Gior’s memory has regressed to twenty years ago and time has stopped there for him.”

Pfft, don’t be ridiculous! You mean to tell me that this man has forgotten how he betrayed his family and how he left my brother to die! I thought he was at least living to regret the mistakes he made, but the fact that he didn’t made me boil with anger.