Chapter 11:

Cui bono?

After Luca’s abrupt trip home, he still communicated to Felix by phone, but he was unable to return to the orphanage as he had become too busy, much like Felix, who had officially begun to enter Father Michael’s role in the church as he was on sick leave. 

Months had passed, turning winter into summer with a swift slight of time. Luca had finally graduated from his undergraduate program and he had recently been accepted into his dream law school, The Friedrich Bellford School of Law. Fortunately, the school was situated in his country, and while it was some distance away from his home, he found that it was located only twenty miles away from the orphanage, allowing him more time to visit when he was not busy with his law program. 

Though, his schooling would not begin until the fall, allowing him some time before he would start. While Luca’s mother enjoyed him staying at home with her, she was nervous about her son who always wanted to go out and explore, “having fun”, she had said. Though he had previously studied abroad, there was an adventurous streak in Luca’s eyes he could not hide. As he attempted to make plans for his summer vacation, contemplating the funds he had saved through his employment over the year, he received a surprising call from Felix the first day of May, only days after he had graduated. 

“Luca? I heard you graduated recently, congratulations.” Felix’s mellow voice entered the call, and Luca smiled into the phonepiece as he stood in his room, looking over the travel brochures that had accumulated on his desk. “You must be excited to start your law program soon, huh? What are you thinking of doing in the meantime?”

Luca rested the phone on his shoulder as he rummaged through the paper brochures he had printed off, looking at them in person before he could decide. “Since I have some time, I was considering taking another trip abroad, maybe back to the States or to the mediterranean. I’ve always wanted to go to Malta.” He said with a hum, as if thinking deeply.

There was a pause before Felix spoke again, his voice light, “Luca, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course. What’s up, Felix?” Luca shifted the phone back to his hand, resting the receiver next to his ear with an inquisitive expression. 

Holding his cellphone, a smile lined Felix’s lips as he stared forward, glancing out the window as he said, “Lately we’ve been a little understaffed at the orphanage. Ms. Lowell has been having some trouble finding workers, and she’s getting older. I’m worried about her hurting herself, and…” He paused before he added, “I was hoping to ask if you could come help at the orphanage this summer.”

Hearing Felix’s words, Luca set down the pamphlet in his hand and said worriedly, “Has Ms. Lowell been having a hard time? I told her to take it easy while I was gone.” Luca sighed into the phone, his brows knitted as he said, “She hasn’t hurt herself, has she?”

Felix rubbed the back of the phone with his finger, “No, but I’m worried about her. You know how stubborn she is.” He chuckled as he said, “Sometimes it feels like she only listens to you.”

Luca laughed, “That’s the truth.” He looked at the variety of brochures on his desk before he thought for a moment and said, “How long would you need me? I can change my plans if I need to, just let me know what I need to do to help.”

Felix’s laugh entered the phone, “Save your money for law school. Room and board will be covered. Meals too. All we need is you, Luca.”

Hearing Felix’s pitch, Luca could not help but say, “Such a tempting offer. What if I wasn’t able to accept it?”

The other end of the phone fell quiet, as if they were contemplating something, but before they could speak, Luca fell into laughter again, his innocent laugh filling the phone. 

“I’m joking. If you and Ms. Lowell need me, I would rather be there with you. I can’t help you abroad, now can I?” Luca smiled into the phone, his voice sweet to the listener’s ears. “I actually wanted to discuss something with you and Ms. Lowell next time I see you both in person. When I come over the summer, I’ll ask you then, so don’t let me forget, alright?”

Felix’s clenched fingers loosened as he stared forward again, his eyes fixated at a certain point, his smile returning to his face as he gently tapped his fingers against the desk. “That’s a funny thought.” Felix joked as he then said, “I won’t forget, so don’t worry. Just remember to come visit when you’ve finished packing up.”

Holding the phone in his hand, Felix’s fingers brushed against the side of the phone, his eyes falling dark as he stared out the window of his bedroom, staring past the open curtains towards the edge of town, where vigorous construction efforts had well-since begun. What they were constructing was indistinguishable, it seemed, but the more that was built, the larger Felix’s smile became, until he could almost not hide his joy.

The pair exchanged a few more words, some laughs shared, before Luca said goodbye and hung up the phone, leaving the receiver to dial in Felix’s ear, extinguishing Luca’s voice completely. Slowly, he lowered the phone by his ear and grabbed the pen from his desk, a list scribbled in Felix’s neat, cursive font. The list was neatly arranged, listed with a variety of bullet points and marked with different shades of ink in areas.

The first two items on the list had been crossed out with a single clean stroke, while the rest of the list was still neat and readable with no lines covering the words. As Felix held the phone, however, he lifted the black ballpoint pen and lowered the metal tip of the pen to the paper before he crossed off the third line of the list. The crisp sound of the pen passing the paper made Felix smile, his eyes full of a boyish glee. 

Under the line he had just drawn in the notebook rested a single line of words:

Get Luca to come back home. 

… 

The damp heat was uncomfortable, but not as unbearable as it would be in June. Living near the water’s edge, there at least was some chill from the ocean air that cooled Luca’s home, allowing them to keep the windows open to allow in a breeze of fresh air. 

His mother’s arm had long since healed, though she did sometimes feel a tinge of pain in the same arm. Though it worried Luca, the doctors had mentioned it would go away as the injury healed. While Louisa just turned fifty-five, he still worried about her, and leaving for the summer to go to the orphanage made him worry even more. 

“You refilled your medications, right? And you wrote down your doctor’s appointments on the calendar?” Luca asked, running around the house as he checked the calendar and the medicine cabinet, as if he had to see for himself his mother would be fine for his short trip away. 

“Honey, for the last time, I’m fine. If you keep running around like this, you’ll be late for the next bus.” His mother sighed, rubbing her wrinkled temple with a bittersweet smile. “Call me once you get there, and say hi to Felix and Ms. Lowell, alright? Make sure you call me often.”

Luca smiled as he finally calmed down. He walked to the door, slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder as he leaned down and kissed Louisa’s right cheek, saying a quick goodbye as he left their home and began to walk down the busy road of their moderately-sized town to the bus stop. There was only a short wait before the next bus came to a stop in front of Luca, allowing him to board the bus with quick steps. The bus was not particularly full at this time, so Luca had his choice of many seats. As he walked down the aisle, he came across a familiar face, however, and he felt compelled to stop. 

“It’s you!” Luca said with a surprised smile as he sat in the seat across the aisle from the older woman. “We spoke on the train before.” Luca was very social and enjoyed talking to strangers once he had moved from the orphanage and regained his childhood confidence. 

The woman, a short, frail-looking woman  with white hair, saw Luca on the bus and smiled back at him, her dentures clean and straight. “It has been some time, young man.” Her hair was neatly tucked into her floral tweed hat, and she wore a dull, thin brown jacket over her summer dress, her pearl cross brooch still attached to her jacket like a charm.

Luca smiled in response, “I hope you’ve been well.”

The pair exchanged pleasantries until they were about to reach the train station. The sign at the front of the bus flashed as it changed to Sheffield, the larger town near Leighwye. The train station there was often busy, as it was the last stop before hitting the countryside. To travel to Sheffield meant you were most likely travelling to the countryside. 

Seeing the stop, the older woman looked at Luca with some concern as she asked in a low tone, “Are you travelling to Leighwye again, young man?”

Again? A chill travelled up Luca’s spine as he held his duffel bag closer to his side. Why would this woman remember where I got off before? Though they had indeed travelled to the train station near Leighwye, Luca had only mentioned he was going there in passing months ago. It was not just the woman’s words, it was the way she said them that Luca found unsettling. 

Luca let out a small breath, as if to calm himself. She’s just an old woman. What harm can she do to me? He thought as he responded with an awkward smile, “Yeah, back to Leighwye for now.” He let out a nervous chuckle, unconsciously rubbing the back of his head with his left hand. 

As the bus lurched slightly, preparing to stop, Luca saw the old woman fall forward towards him. Unconsciously, he reached out to her with his left hand, barely moving it away from the back of his head before it was grabbed by a thin, bony hand. The hand was cold, gripping his forearm like a thin, sharp cord, rendering him immobile. 

“M’am, ple-” As Luca was about to push the woman away, he heard a voice from across the aisle, a voice that seemingly did not belong to a thin, ageing old woman. 

“I cannot stop you from making a foolish mistake, but be warned you are risking your life for a nugatory endeavour.”

Luca’s eyes widened as he attempted to pull back his hand, however no matter how hard he tried to retrieve his arm, the woman would not release him. Even those around him, who he felt would have found the exchange strange at least, seemed not to notice, being pulled into whatever they were doing during the ride, as if what Luca was witnessing was not at all real, but  a terrible dream of his. He knew from the chill on his wrist, however, what was happening was real. 

“Festina lente, care Luca.” The words the woman, no, creature spoke were Latin, Luca knew from his Latin courses growing up, but he could only remember the words, not the meaning behind them. 

As he found himself frozen in thought, waiting for the end, the grip on his hand suddenly loosened. Luca quickly stood to his feet, lurching forward slightly as the bus came to a complete stop. As the doors opened, Luca hustled down the aisle and ran through the bus doors, refusing to look back as the muffled voices of the passengers left the bus, some looking confused at Luca, as if he were running late for the next train. 

Panting, he did not stop until he was resting inside the train station, surrounded by people walking, talking and shuffling around the bustling station, making him feel a little less alone. His duffel bag weighed on his shoulder as he stood next to a pillar, holding his phone in his hand as he looked at the time with a sigh, trying not to think of the strange woman. I have to buy my ticket soon, otherwise I’ll miss the train.

There were various electronic booths as well as a booth staffed by two attendants, helping people purchase their tickets and prepare to board the train. Luca, carrying cash and his debit card, walked to the machine and began to press the buttons on the screen as he reached into his left pocket, feeling for his leather wallet. Just as he stuck his hand inside, he felt a cold, metal-like object inside. Curiously, he pulled out the item, still standing in front of the machine.  

Inside his pocket was a brooch, a small pearl brooch.

It was unmistakable, it was the old woman’s. Luca felt distraught, but he maintained a steady expression as he paid for the train using the cash in his pocket, careful to not brush against the strange cross brooch with his fingers. Once he received his ticket, he stuffed it in his opposite sweater pocket and made his way towards the waiting platform, walking slowly as he found an empty bench to sit on, feeling the tenseness in his body release somewhat as he rested the back of his head against the wall, unable to bring himself to touch the brooch to throw it away.

As he waited for the train to arrive, he texted Felix, feeling his unease settle slightly as he asked a strange question, remembering what the strange woman said. 

‘Festina lente, care Luca.’

It had been years since he had studied Latin, and he could faintly remember some common phrases, but the words the woman said were only familiar enough for him to recognize the dead language, not enough for him to understand her. As Luca thought of the Latin words, he found himself texting Felix before he could stop himself, asking the young priest.

‘Hey Felix, I have a question about something.’

Surprisingly, Felix responded only a short minute later. ‘What’s up?’

Thinking fast on his feet, Luca responded with a lie, ‘I was reading a novel, and they mentioned a phrase in latin. I think it was… “Festina lente, care”. What does it mean?’

Felix’s text did not take long to send through, ‘Hold on, let me find my dictionary. I can translate it for you.’

Luca anxiously waited in his seat, his palms resting on his thighs as he anxiously watched the train arrive. He had already been waiting for twenty minutes, but he did not receive a response from Felix on the Latin translation. Reluctantly, he had to grab his bag and board the train, scanning his ticket once he had boarded. As Luca sat down, he rested his duffel bag in the empty seat next to him, effectively allowing him to sit alone while he unlocked his phone and opened the messaging app.

If the message comes after the train leaves the station, I probably won’t see the message. Luca thought reluctantly, staring at his cracked phone screen one more time. 

Just as he had placed the tip of the phone back into his empty pocket, the phone vibrated in his hand and 

‘That’s a strange phrase, but I think I found it. “Hurry slowly, dear” is what it directly translates to. What a strange phrase, huh, Luca?’ Felix wrote in response.