As I chopped over the vegetables on the counter, he kept looking at me. I was puzzled, thinking if I looked like I was some kind of a murderer in his eyes. When I tilted my head to him, he looked away.

"Should I even think that? He's a human," I mumbled to myself.

The kitchen was in line sight from my bedroom. Our house was small, and probably most homes were designed to have so many windows, making it dangerous for him to roam around. So he had to stay in my room. The furthest he had gone so far was next to the gaping door. It was either he understood our instruction, or he was scared to go outside.

Cooking wasn't something I excel at, but my porridge had always turned out as I hoped it to be. I poured some into a bowl and made way to my room. As I passed Alfie by the door, his eyes crinkled.

He tailed me to the small coffee table located at the corner. It was rectangular in shape and just the height of my knee. So I sat on the floor and Alfie followed after. He was more to mimicking me at first when I observed how he move. He was learning how to sit properly now.

"Are you hungry, Alfie?" I asked him.

No answer came. He just blinked and looked at me blankly. But I didn't care. I had been talking to him almost all my life without him saying a word; hence a blink was more than enough to make me happy.

"I'll make this warm for you first. It's still hot," I informed. I spooned a decent amount of the porridge and blew it softly. From the corner of my eye, I saw his lips twitch as he watched me.

"Aaaaa..." I motioned for him to open his mouth as I brought the spoon to his lips. I'd seen my mother tried to feed him before, but he hadn't eaten so far and he only consumed fluid.

My excitement grew at the sight of him gaping his mouth, but it diminished seconds later. His neck rippled as the porridge travelled down after he directly swallowed. When he coughed, I panicked and spilt the hot porridge onto my body.

Alas, a yelp escaped from my mouth, making Alfie cringed. He was startled by my high pitch voice once again. While distracted by the painful burn on my legs, I didn't realise he left my room. I only tailed the door last movement before it stopped by inertia.

I got up, ready to rush out but I stopped when I saw him peeking from the threshold.

"Alfie, I'm sorry I scared you," I uttered. However, I was still clasping the burn on my leg. As much as I tried to hold back the tears, it still managed to break free. I plastered a smile to him which I was sure looked disheartening.

He advanced to me, looked at my face then to my leg back and forth as if he was trying to figure out what was happening. His hand moved to where the burn left a mark, touching it gently.

Suddenly he pulled me, engulfing me in his arm, and it made me stupefied. I felt his chin resting on my head as he started swooning me like I did twice to him before.

"Under--" a sound transpired from his mouth slowly, "--stand..."

Those two words put together gave me the answer to the question I had asked him the night he emerges. He held me the same way I did to him. He remembered what pain was, and probably he thought the cure was the embrace.

I cried, not because of the pain anymore but I was so gratified by his progress.

***

The alarm sound stirred me from my sleep. I yawned and stretched as I sat up on my bed. I spotted Alfie sitting at the corner. He turned his head to me for a second before gaping back at the potted dracaena. I spent yesterday teaching a lot of things to him through pictures. But I noticed he got distracted easily. He would wander off and started staring at that plant again. It was bizarre.

He would repeat some words but it wasn't any specific ones in particular. He still had that stolid look on his face too which probably had to come around naturally. When I regard the pile of clothes on my laundry basket, I sighed and silently prayed for more patience.

"Good morning Alfie," I announced as I got out of bed to prepare for school. I practically dragged my feet to the bathroom to wash my face. Going to school wasn't that much fun during the exams.

By the time I finished putting on my clothes, the sound of the front door closing registered. My mother walked past my room, but oddly she didn't stop to greet me. She never did that before.

"Ma?" I trod towards the hallway where I caught sight of her.

She halted and angled her head slightly to me. "Morning."

"How's work?" I questioned. Knowing my mother, she was always eager to converse, so her odd behaviour made me curious.

"Fine," she replied, resuming her amble towards her room. Before she closed the door, she voiced, "I'm just tired. Have a good day at school, honey." All the while back facing me.

But I was already late so I didn't think of it. I grabbed my bag, drank my almost cold coffee and gave Alfie a quick peck on his cheek.

"Goodbye, Alfie. Wish me luck." I chuckled.

Again the corner of his lips lifted, a wider grin than any he had previously. His eyesight followed me before I closed the door.

Having the image of his smile in my head made me somehow gratified, I practically skipped to school.

"Well, someone looks rather happy today," Alatha commented when I stood next to her. She was at her usual post; on the corridor near the lockers.

"I am just excited for the exam to be over," I exclaimed, I wasn't entirely lying at least. It was the second-to-last day of the exam and I was ready to be free.

"Are you now?" she questioned, putting on her signature eye squint.

The scrutiny tested my composure. But I kept a straight face, "I am, what else would it be?" I assured.

When she shrugged it off, I could almost taste the relief. Alas, her face suddenly turned impish. "How silly! You think I don't know?"

Speculation rounded up on whatever she meant had something to do with Alfie. I swivelled to the opposite way in an attempt to hide the blood draining from my face.

"I'm excited too... To be honest," She added.

Feigning calm, I giggled. But my heart was beating so hard I could feel the vein on my temple pulsing.

To be continued...

***

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