Ria's POV
My guess was right.
Strawberry St where this house is for rent, is one the branch of the main road leading to my college building.
What a coincidence…
Only ten minutes walk?
Wow, this is really a great opportunity.
I have to admit that the streets in this city are really well managed.
Every branch of the road will definitely lead to one big road.
So are the small alleys.
After entering Strawberry St, there is an alley that leads to a residential neighborhood.
These neighborhood usually contains ten houses.
According to Trisha, every alley like Strawberry St. will be filled with five group of housing area, each of them will consist of ten houses.
This has been the case since 50 years ago.
***
Entering this neighborhood, made my mood greatly improved.
It is very cool and shady here.
There are tall Catappa trees and their wide branches stood side to side along the way .
Even though the blazing sunshine is kinda terrifying on the day in this dry season, we won’t get overheat under here.
Their wide leaves will block the sunlight from touching our skin.
The gentle breeze blows and it makes you sleepy.
Despite how dry the weather’s now, I like how neat and green this area is. Even though each house has a medium length fence in front of it and has their own garden inside. But outside, they keep the grass prim and the plants freshly maintained.
Wow, the atmosphere here is truly relaxing and comfortable.
This was way too far from my expectation. I thought, I would face the same scene like these two days of my visit at those boarding house.
Well, at least that was my hint, if I refer it to the price…
We walked towards the house from the front gate, on the right side of the road. House number three.
Wow...
This house is beautiful! And big!
It's not that kind of ridiculous huge house but for a single person, it seems too big.
I can clearly see the white curtains on the second floor window.
Obviously, this house, is an old house but still a very nice one.
I wonder why a house like this with a low cost like that?
In the middle of the city… Just a walk away from the crowd, education areas, moreover spacious, two levels....
Perhaps...
"I'll replace this fence lock if you decide to move in. This one is pretty rusty." Trisha said while tried to open the lock gate.
Just like every other house, this one does have a fence. But only as high as my sight. So, I can see the grounds on tiptoe.
The fence doesn't look as old as the house.
It is made of sturdy ironwood. We can see what’s inside from the sidelines of the rectangular block vertically.
I am still in awe of the scenery in its yard, yet it also feels weird.
It was obvious that Trisha had said that this house had been occupied for a long time, but the small garden in the yard was very well maintained.
"The owner of this house pays a gardener, once every two weeks, to look after the plants, trees, flowers..."
She halted but her eyes stared at something above.
I followed her gaze.
She looked up at the house. On the second floor.
One of the blinds on the window pane was open
Hmm?
Was that already open before?
Uh, I’m not sure. Maybe it’s was like that before..
"Er... Wanna come inside?" She turned to look at me with an awkward smile.
Her movements were not as confident as before.
She repeatedly rubbed her palms and fingers, or rubbed her wrists against her skirt...
As if she was alarmed by something.
"Okay, of course...." I nodded with a smile.
After I said that, her nervous expression disappeared.
"Okay! Let's go!"
Aahh... I almost snorted because I felt ridiculous with myself.
Of course she was nervous, because the appearance of the house might make her think that I would change my mind about renting it.
Right? But I think the house looks nice…
Well... My valuation isn't over yet.
We walked through the beautiful arranged Roses, Jasmines and Hibiscus to the front door.
"Don't get me wrong. The garden is well-maintained, but the landlord only hires a gardener. As for the situation inside the house…”
She began with the first key for the front door, from dozens in her pocket.
“...The last time I visit this place myself was since the last tenant here..."
Finally, a key that worked. She managed to open it.
"Here we go..." She said as she turned the knob and pushed the door inside.
"When was the last time someone rented this house? I asked as I stepped inside.
"Two years ago..." Trisha replied.
I forced a smile wondering how dormant the situation inside.
We entered the house which was...
Bright...
My expectation of a house that has not been lived in and maintained for two years, turned out to be very different from the reality.
I thought it would be bleak because all the curtains were definitely closed, the floors were dusty, the walls were full of cobwebs...
But it’s really bright in here. The curtains were opened, I don’t see any cobwebs or insects this far, the air is fine, although the white sheets were still covering all the furniture, the floor is kinda clean from dust?
"It’s… clean. Are you sure the last time you visited was two years ago?"
Trisha looked a bit taken aback but she immediately smiled.
"You know. Even so I always hire someone to clean it." She laughed awkwardly.
Of course…
The floors and walls look fine.
Now that I look more into it, the ceramic floor looks like it's been mopped.
Yeah, being an estate agent always has to take care of every single house they manage.
"Come on, I'll take you around..."
Trisha showed me all the rooms in the house.
Downstairs, there is a living room, family room, one guest room, kitchen and dining room, laundry room and a bathroom.
Upstairs there are two bedrooms and one of them is the master suite.
We entered the main bedroom and I saw the curtain that had been drawn earlier from the courtyard.
It looks like it really has been opened before.
"So this is the last room. It's in better condition than you imagined right?" Trisha walked around the room and closed the curtains.
"Hm... That's right. This house is comfortable and has great location for me. Exactly what I was looking for...."
"Well... you are you going to rent it?"
I sat down on the soft bed and looked around.
It would save me a lot of money and I would get an incredibly comfortable place to live.
Although it might be a little trouble if I take care of this house alone. But this is the best offer I can get.
Very close to my main purpose here..
One more thing, the price is the best.
It doesn't even drain my savings too much.
I can even bring a friend or more so we can split the bill. At the same time, in order to not so lonely around here.
Hmm...
However, I had a somewhat strange feeling ever since I came in here.
Why is this place so neat?
Trisha said no one had lived here for two years.
I could catch her lying when she said she hired people to clean this place.
I also remember her saying the house was cheap because of the damage from the old house.
I am not a fool to notice that her words didn’t match with what truly happen here.
The house looks and feels fine....
The walls are not chipped.
The furniture is I can say in their great shape.
This place is well maintained.
It turned out disturbingly better.
But why does she look nervous?
It was clear that this woman was restless.
"Ria?"
I turned to look at her and she was looking at me worriedly for a moment.
"Okay. I'm moving in tomorrow, can't I?"
But I don’t dare to bet that I will get another precious offer like this.
----------------------------
She brought another person.
This time, this one looks pretty...
He hoped this girl wasn't like the previous ones...
But beautiful women are usually not that bold right? Or not..
Tsk… He rolled his eyes
You big fat liar, since when did she pay people to clean this place?
Peeking from the bedroom door, he looked inside.
Wow that girl is sitting on his bed!
Luckily he always keep this place at least presentable...
What? Tomorrow?
He grinned.
At last he wouldn't be lonely any longer...
At least now Ria's mood have improved a little.Finally she found a place to live.She can focus on her study without worrying about where she lives or how far she was from the campus area.She already paid for one year.Ria actually wanted to pay for two years, but she also wanted to make sure she was still comfortable living there the first year.Or in the first month...Anyway, she was more relieved now.She was now at the inn to tidy up her things.This place was 45 minutes away from the house she had rented.She deliberately chose an inn that was a bit far from the city center, because it was cheaper.Ria tidied up her things and made sure everything was ready and not left behind.Books, clothes and little other things she valued.All of that neatly placed in the two medium-sized suitcases and a backpack.For people who were actually moving house, those were very few.What else would she brought with her? She really didn’t have much stuff.Since her parents died, Ria had started
RIA POV I got out of the online taxi that drove me right in front of the house. Reaching into my pocket, I took out the new fence key and immediately unlocked it. Yesterday when I told Trisha I was going to rent this house she immediately replaced the locks with the new one. I went inside, the taxi driver who helped carry my stuff also followed me behind. "Oohh... Now the one who lives here, this beautiful Miss, yes?" He said it casually and look around the house. "Yes, sir.” I answered him politely He put my two suitcases on the terrace floor and his face suddenly became a bit uncomfortable. "Oohh, is that so... Miss, this is all the luggage, right?" I nodded, "Yes sir. Thank you." I answered. "You're welcome. I- eh.. I just want to kindly remind you to be careful. I mean... this neighborhood is so quiet, so there can be lots of thieves or some bad guys, if you know what I mean..." He smiled awkwardly while scratching the back of his neck. “You should try to move in togethe
*** POV Tsk... Another boring day. I don't remember since when I got the fancy to stare at the view out of my window. Maybe because I don't have much to do? Hell, I don't have anything to do... I feel so empty, until I decided to do some funny stuff towards other people that passed by. Sometimes it's fun, but other times…. I also feel guilty. I rubbed my face with both hands roughly. Until when? How much longer must I wait? The last time I tried to interact with someone that tried to live here, he was really scared and left the next day. I laid my body on the bed, which I used to remember was very soft. Yeah, technically I don't feel anything. I think I look like I'm lying up here. In fact, I'm just floating. Of course. In fact, if I have to move places, I don't have to step foot. But I prefer to do it the way I used to. At least that can remind me of my old habits. While I'm still breathing and alive…. What? you ask why am i still here? Yeah, I did choose to stay. W
There must be an explanation for all of this. Ria walked along the alley, brought her groceries in both hands. Even in the night, this area was not so quite. Some people still passed by and the street light was all on, so she thought it was still pleasant to walk a little at this hour. She needed to think. Maybe, Trisha came back to the house and cleaned up a little after she left. Maybe… She could not accept any illogical explanation for whatever happens in that house. Well, her brain refused to. In this world, there must be some logic answers for every little thing that happens. Even the old once said many things out of myth and belief, it turned out that they just didn't know what really happen yet. Once they said rainbow is a bridge for angels. They descend to earth using the rainbow ladder to a lake to bathe. When she was little, Ria really believed in the story and admired the rainbow because of the beauty of the colors and its function as a bridge for the angels. At
What was that all about? That dream… It was so real, as if she was actually there. Ria rubbed her face roughly. No. She's just exhausted. Dreams usually relate to something we think about before going to bed that day and she was thinking about some odd thing she had found in this house. Her brain made her thought a lot about it all the way to her dreams. She didn't want to think about the nonsense she had in her sleep. Dreams are just collection of thoughts. Right? “Forget it, I have a lot to do now...” Ria muttered to herself. She got up and immediately headed to the bathroom to finish her business in there. After taking a shower and changing clothes while arranging her toiletries in the bathroom, she already felt refreshed. Ria tried not to think about things she didn’t feel necessary, including that dream. Ria often dreams in her sleep. Some things she didn't understand, some things scared her. But she always forgets the dreams, even just hours after she wakes up. That
"What is it? Are you alright?" Hans asked Ria who looked uncomfortable with her food. Ria smiled a little and tried to swallow her food. “I'm fine, thank you…” Ria tried to swallow the bland fried egg in her mouth. She almost spat it out, thank God it didn’t happen. If she did, she would be considered strange and no one would want to be friends with her anymore. At least that what she thought. It had been a long time since Ria had friends at school. Even though it felt awkward but she felt a little happy that someone wanted to sit with her. Moreover considered her as one of their friend. At least nobody here thought she was a weirdo. Or those who think she is jinxed and stay away from her like a disease. “Ria, tell me if you go shopping to prepare for the party! We'll go together
Unfortunately, today she was occupied with her activities in school...Some of the schedules and classes that she had to follow were so hectic, that she instantly forgot about what she was going to do with the dream.She will take care of it later when she returns home…On campus, Ria took part in various classes until the afternoon. She didn't want to be left behind because she was very excited about her study here.In this place, no one seemed to bully her anymore .In this place, no one saw her as if she was a disease.Ria was very grateful to be able to live her new life in a positive environment like this.For that, she must doing everything whole-heartedly.When it was time to go home, Ria decided to walk as usual.“Ria!…Wait!” Someone yelled, not too far behind her
The point of view of “…..” on Ria's first night living in that house.She had been gone for some time.She didn't go out of fear, did she?Judging from her aura, it's impossible. She was no longer afraid, instead she looked excited.Ria she looked like she wanted to go shopping, maybe she'll be back soon.This was all my fault. Actually she was very excited and wanted to welcome Ria who would live in this house.But sometimes I forget, that I am no longer a living being.I forgot, if the slightest change that I make will look strange in the eyes of humans who see it.I went downstairs and stood in front of the window in the living room, looking straight at the small garden in the grounds.Staring straight at the gate.Ho