The Telltaler Chapter 2

Descend with the stairs with sways body. He crazily hurried away don't know where to go. His hand pulling his hair. His mouth babbled about their cruel fate. His eyes shoot frantic stare.

Marguirette was about to run after him.

"Leave him, my wife. He needs some time alone." Rasyid held Marguirette's hand.

Of course, Jim needs some time alone. Even now he really feels all in this world is vain. He doesn't need this world and anything in it. He wants to be alone.

Jim regrets about his cowardice all this time. How afraid he realizing his dreams. Look at he knows, lose the most valuable treasure he has ever had.

What he can do besides crying? Jim suddenly really hate himself.

Jim's leg staggered lead him to the town park. Like a madman his mouth babbled endlessly, wailing. Make anyone he pa.s.s by in the sidewalk move away. Jim shout loudly to the hourgla.s.s. Startle the sparrows. Then in one breath full of regret, Jim sinks his body on the park bench.

Deep Complaining. He better just die!

Hasn't it been said from the beginning? Today is the strangest day ever in that town. The day after more than two hundred years ago that legend in the old chapel pa.s.s, The day after more than two hundred years ago that cycle never comes again, the day where that cycle back.

Collect the unspoken promise.

The day when this fateful story comes.

For some reason there's no more sparrow's chirp was heard in the town park. Disappear to anywhere that no one pays attention. No more rustle from morning wind that brings the cold from the coast. The wind hanging. No more slow mist movement with morning sun. Stopped.

What's there now, somehow suddenly the town park full of thousand dragonflies, with many colors. Flapping their wing in the beautiful formation. Captivating. Red. Yellow. Blue. And another unimaginable color in human eyes. Don't know where they come.

Jim still sinking on the park bench. Lowering his face. Sobbing. So long. Didn't pay attention to odd situations around him at all.

Until he hears a rhythmic bounce. It sounds tender and pleasant. Like a piece of music that you never heard.

Bounce? What is bouncing? Jim raises his face.

An old man.

He didn't recognize him. Not someone from there. Not someone from a neighbor country.

His facial features were different. His face clean. Looks friendly.

Like when you look at a wise and kind-hearted father. He wears a coat and a scarf like local people.

What's making him different was his jet black hair, which strange for that age: spiky hair. Like some glue was there. Hairstyles that have not been previously known by town dweller until a hundred years later. The hairstyle that looks like hedgehog spines.

The old man somehow suddenly stand in front of Jim. Gracefully stand. Look at Jim warmly - like look at an old friend. His left hand in his coat pocket. His right hand, play a ball. Bounce it repeatedly on the park gra.s.s. The rhythmic echo sound was from it.

What kind of ball is that? Jim look at it with a smirk. He never looks at something like that before. Green colored. Circular stripes. Some writing there. Even for Jim (and anyone from the town) never knows something that can bounce that easily.

"a.s.salamualaik!"[1]

Jim stare blankly. His swollen face looks at the one in the front of him which greets him. Pity, there's no life in Jim's eyes.

His greetings were not returned. Jim just fell silent. Stare blankly.

"Ah, you should be able to answer it. It is something that your lover said as her letter opening and ending? a.s.salamualaik!"

Jim just stares blankly. Letter? Opening and closing? What was this old man knows and want?

"Can I sit?" The weird man smiled, happily bouncing the rubber ball in his hand.

Jim nod weakly. No one could forbid you if you won't sit at the bench park. So why this weird man do a courtesy?

The old man smiled warmly look at Jim's nod, his hand then skilfully catch the green ball. Sit beside Jim. "Do you know where this ball come from?" The old man shows it to Jim.

Jim was just silent. Silent because don't know, silent because now his brain is just full sadness. Silent because he doesn't care. Not his business.

"Someday you will know. And you're lucky if you find out," The spiky (like hedgehog spines) hairstyle man put the ball to his coat pocket.

Jim just observes without talking. Then stare down at park gra.s.s. Until now he was looking the best way to die. It's useless to continue living without his Nayla. Totally useless. He can't survive even just a day. The greet from this old man just disturbs his brain to make his death plan.

"A true lover will never give up until death itself pick him up..."

Jim raises his face not understand. Turn to the old man which say that odd sentence. What the meaning of this man sentence. Because he known as friendly to anyone till now, he allowed him to sit beside him. If not, he would go earlier, find another empty bench.

And now, why this man say that sentence? What does it mean? Is this man who doesn't know a cruel thing he feels in the early morning. Is this man who doesn't know what his plan.

"A true lover will never give up until death itself pick him up." The old man repeats that sentence. Straighten his leg. Stretch his hand to the bench backrest. Stare casually at thousand dragonflies that captivating fly around them.

"Who are you?" Jim asks, began to feel annoyed.

"No one!"

"Why you say that sentence?"

"You lose your lover, didn't you?"

Jim gulped. Gasping. "How do you know?"

"Ah, I know a lot of things."

"I don't care! Please stop bothering me."

Jim answered shortly, annoyed. He tired of thinking. He thinks for a long time, months even, but look at the result! Just sadness. He really feels lazy to find an explanation of why this strange man knows his Nayla just gone. Know that he lose his lover.

"Do you know, A true lover will never give up-" That strange man wants to repeat that weird sentence.

"BUT SHE WAS DEAD!" Jim shout resentfully.

Cut him up. Look with impolite eyes.

"Ah, death will never kill true love!"

"I don't know what are you talking about. Mister... I don't know what do you want from me. But please stay away from me..." Jim rubs his hair. He doesn't want to fight. He just a lonely musician, a wounded lover that was thrown into the deep sadness abyss, and he didn't know how long he can't bear that wound. The strange man beside him just wasting his time talking to him.

"Love end when your lover dies... Ah, that was an old story in this town. A dumb story!" That man chuckled, shook his head, really don't mind about Jim's impoliteness that chases him.

"What do you mean?" Jim asked sharply. Irritate.

"The owner of the universe create this world with love. Don't you know, He kills a living person with love. Revive a dead person with love..."

"You are crazy! Do you say she can alive again, didn't you?" Jim shout again, cut him off. This conversation sooner or later makes him crazy.

"I didn't say that."

"Who are you?" Jim snorting. He begins to lose his composure. He didn't know him. And the weird man beside him acts like really know him.

"You'll know it later... And before you know, I just want to tell something and please keep it in your mind: it's a big stupidity you kill yourself when your lover is gone, whether in the true sense or not... And believe it that was a stupid choice chosen by the couple that builds this town two hundred years ago. Which you heard a memorial bell for their stupidity this morning!"

"Bull s.h.i.+t! Where are you from? How do you know that?" Jim's voice sounds really rude. His face hardens. It's really annoying and astonis.h.i.+ng when someone rudely reputes a hereditary legend that anyone values and respect so low. Moreover from someone not familiar.

"I'm not from anywhere, and I didn't go anywhere... And if I'm not mistaken: you ask me how I know it?" The man laughs shortly. Sneering, "With this hand, they unite and with this hand, they separate." The shows his hands at Jim.

Jim looked confused, this man must be crazy.

"No. I'm not crazy. Even I was the only one who saw him drink poison. Ah, he didn't believe my words even once. The words that I said to you now... A true lover will never give up until death itself pick him up."

"You lying. That's happened two hundred years ago!" Jim looked at him suspiciously. Talk to him just wasting his time. Whoever this weird man, he must indulge in delusion.

What is the meaning of twenty minutes and two hundred years ago...? Is it just the same thing for you now? Sadness. Anguish. Did you fell the same, didn't you? What the meaning of that time difference."

"You didn't say you can change the time? Go through time barriers!" Jim confused with all his conversations. He decided to stay away.

"Go through time barriers? Ah, You even didn't even have good knowledge about the limit of powers in this world, what do you know about the power of heaven!" The man really relaxes with his words. Shook his head while looking at Jim with pity.

And that really makes Jim irritated.

"Who are you?" Jim shout threatening, demand explanation.

"I'm The Telltaler..."

"The T-e-l-l-t-l-e-r?" Jim never heard that word before. Never in this town conversation. Really misplaced.

How could in this d.a.m.n situation, he must tend a weird man beside him.

"I'm The Telltaler, I live in children's tales... Unfortunately, you never have a happy childhood... You didn't have a parent that tell a beautiful fairytale so you didn't know me..."

"What do you mean?"

"It's very clear didn't it. Every child in the world has a parent that tells a bedtime story. Grandmother or grandfather that tell tales when paying a visit... You never have it... I'm The Telltaler, the first on telling that tales with my hand... Keep it eternally for all the time... And more importantly: Make new tales that's world need... Unfortunately, you never have that beautiful times. Because of that, you were selected, Jim!"

Jim really choked up.

The man maybe knows he was an orphan in the pasts which must be just a coincidence, knows his poor childhood which must be just a guess. But how he knows his name?

"How do you know m-y n-m-e..."

"I know a lot of things ..." The man chuckled.

"What do you want from me..." Jim began to fear. Perhaps the weird man that sits beside him has a connection with Nayla's family, which in Rasyid's story wants to cuff of his head because of their love story.

The man shook his head. Smiling.

"People in the world always need new tales, Jim. And it was my duty to do that. What I want from you?" The man paused. Reach Jim's arm gently, look at him with sparkling eyes full of respect. Stand up, then bounce his green ball.

"I just want you to believe in one sentence: A true lover will never give up until death itself pick him up. Just that... And for the rest give it to time. Let time do its part. And the world will have new tales about a beautiful love story... Jim, the world needs that tale... And you will make it..."

The old man smiling. Step away from the park bench. Then his body disappeared. Just like that.

Even Jim didn't have time to react. Disappeared like swallowed by the earth. With thousands of dragonflies.

##### TL Note #####

[1] Moslem's greeting, means "Peace be upon you", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As-salamu_alayk.u.m