The Red Nights

Andre was walking around in the city, wandering his sight here and there while trying to memorize the very shape of the city. He didn't get really get a chance to observe what apparently was going to be his new home earlier since he had volunteered himself to help prepare for the party.

He didn't really mind to give a hand, moreover, on contrary to many of his colleagues who came back from the war he didn't have friends or family to who was waiting for him and whom he couldn't wait to meet again since he used to be a slave of Konny, the person who was ruling Fog city and due to her special ability she had used to subdue him, Andre had lost all the souvenirs of his previous life, just like most of his city mates.

Though he couldn't remember anything he still had the feeling that he had always been a lone wolf without family or friends so that situation didn't bother him that much.

He found a bench and went to sit as he decided to have some rest from that long walk. He put aside the small plastic bag he was carrying and took out a bottle of water and a sandwich wrapped in a piece of aluminium he had brought from the party.

Andre was not the kind of people who enjoy those types of gathering so on the first occasion he found he fled since he was a calm and quiet guy nobody paid essential attention to him so he didn't have to be particularly sneaky while running away.

He swallowed the last sip of water, put his palms on both sides to support his body while tilting his head backwards. He stared at the blue sky and released a sigh. Even though he knew it would be quite complicated to approach him during that celebration since he was a very popular man Andre really thought that he could meet and talk with Jamal so he played along with the others for a short moment, moving from one stand to another while keeping watching the moment Jamal would be alone but that never happened so he decided to give up and to go for a walk far from the gathering.

" I must be pretty exhausted," he said for himself after he yawned for the third time. He stood up, threw the empty bottle and the piece of aluminium foil in a junk and walked away in the direction of the apartment he had been attributed earlier and to go rest for a while.

When he arrived he went to lay his body on the sofa in the living room and before he realized he fell asleep. He woke up in the middle of the night, gazed around him a little disoriented and took a short moment to pull his mind together. As he was feeling a little hungry he walked to the kitchen and reached the fridge even though he knew well that there was nothing inside since he just moved there, however, unexpectedly he found two plastic boxes containing food, [ seems that they are the leftovers from a dinner ] Andre supposed. He was too hungry to think about where that food came from, he took one box, lit on the stove and began to heat it up.

He left the spoon on the plate after finishing to eat and sighed while stroking his belly, satisfied. He left his back fall on the sofa as he was eating in the living room and ask himself " what to do now? "

It was evident for him that he won't be able to fall asleep again before a while since he had been sleeping for a long time and so wasn't feeling tired anymore. He passed his hands behind his head and while staring at the roof he started wondering what would be the next step of his plans. [ I followed the mass and came to this city without knowing what I will be doing ].

Andre remembered that Lina, the mayor of Stainfall, planned to use the knowledge, skills and individual talents of each person and put them at the service of the city and the citizens. It was true that they still had the most basic and essential resources like food and electricity and that thanks to everyone's efforts the city was living economically and social but Lina still recognized that there were still many things lacking that was the reason why she asked for every people's help to make the city somewhere they can live on their expectations together.

But, though Andre was enthusiastic about that idea and was willingly supporting it, he just couldn't fit himself in that big picture. He didn't have any knowledge or talents that could be of any use for the city, due to that, he sometimes came to the idea that maybe he should leave to look for somewhere he really belong to.

" Is it a good idea? Where would I go? " he started interrogating himself.

Still, with those thoughts of his, he stayed there wondering until the sun rose without he even realized it.

It was only when he perceived a presence in the living room that he suspended the run of his thoughts. He startled a little as he was sitting up and moved his sight in a panic looking to have a look of that person.

" Don't tell me you have been sleeping there since yesterday when I found you? " said Matteo. He was standing on the other side of the room facing Andre wearing a light T-shirt and a boxer with a towel on his head covering his wet hair.

" Wh-who are you? " Andre was still lost trying to figure out who was that kid before him.

" You already forgot me? Do you remember the one who the key of this apartment, no? " Matteo replied while looking a little disappointed.

Andre rummaged in his memory while replaying the events of the day before, the figure of Matteo appeared in his as Volga was pushing him to go reclaim his new residence. He remembered that there was a line and that he had decided to stay behind and wait for the others to get theirs when Volga notice that she came to him exasperated, she scolded him and told him that it was nice to him to think about the others but he should learn to care about him first, as a result, he was among those who got the last batch of residences.

" You're Matteo, right? The assistant of Miss Lina? " He said after he remembered.

" I'm not her assistant, I just happened to work with her " he corrected him a bit irritated by the tendency of people to associate him as a mere assistant, [ that's all her fault for forcing me to do all her works ] he thought.

" Sorry, my brain is pretty slow when it comes to remember something or someone ".

" Don't worry, I understand ", the boy shrugged " anyway, I was planning to inform you that I'm going to be your roommate but when I came yesterday I found you asleep and to say the truth I wasn't expecting that you will keep your eyes closed until today ".

The young man suddenly opened his eyes wide as he just figured out something, " so that means that the food I found in the fridge was yours? "

Matteo, who had noticed the dirty empty plate on the table, shook his head and told him " it's not a problem, we will be living below the same roof from now on so I don't mind sharing my food so don't hold back feel free to help yourself whenever you want ".

" Sorry and thank you " Andre replied, noting in his mind to always ask him before deciding to take something to eat in the fridge.

" Well, I have to prepare to leave since we have a load of work waiting and I'm pretty sure Lina will come late again," Matteo said while letting the towel falling on his shoulders.

" You will be starting the census of the new fresh residents if I'm not wrong " Andre guessed.

" That's right " he confirmed, " that makes me remember don't forget to pass by the city hall later to register and depending on your capacities we may be able to find you a job ".

Andre turned his face down suddenly cheerless, Matteo was confused, as he was about to ask him what was going on the young man opened his mouth and said " about that, if... " but he suddenly shut it up as if someone just put a hand on his mouth to hold him to say further.

The boy had already an idea about what he was thinking but he couldn't say it to him, he was not Jamal or Lina, he was not very good when it came to those kinds of discussion, so he decided to just ignore it and he walked toward his room. He came back minutes later with new clothes and found Andre in the same thoughtful position he had left. " See you later at the city hall then," he said before he left the house after a last glance at Andre.

The latter finally decided, a few minutes later, to move, so he went to the bathroom first, after a bath and a teeth brush he went to wear the same clothes since he didn't have others to change and left the house.

He got, the day before, the address of Volga and as he really needed someone to him some advice he couldn't think about anyone else at that moment, in fact, he first thought about meeting Jamal but he was afraid that he might be too busy with some important matters of the city moreover Andre didn't know where to find him and besides him the only other person he could trust was Volga.

Before he could knock on the door of the apartment it got opened and a man he had met briefly during the carnival came out, different from Matteo, Andre remembered about him faster since he had seen him for a longer period of time than with the boy. Don had his attention directed toward the inside of the apartment, busy discussing with someone else he didn't notice Andre until he bumped into him.

" Sorry young man " Donald immediately said.

" No, I'm sorry, it's clearly my fault " he replied, " I am Andre, we have met yesterday ".

" Yes, I remember you. You are among the people of Fog city who have lost their memories, right? A very brave man as it has been said about you " Don praised him, " how can I help you? "

As he was about to respond he heard the familiar voice of Volga " who are you talking to? " she said before she came to place herself behind Don to peek at the visitor. " Oh, Andre, how are you? You're good? " she exclaimed after recognizing him, " what are you doing here? "

" To say the truth, I wanted you to help me with some matters but if I'm interrupting you I can go and come back later " he responded with a gesture of leaving.

" No, no wait, I was the one who was about to leave, I have a load of work waiting for me " Don stopped him quickly before he went further.

" Do you really have to go? Can't you just take one day off? " Volga tried to convince him to stay while holding his hand and leaning her head on his shoulder.

Don put a kiss on her forehead and said " I really would want to stay with you but there are many patients who depend on me and who are actually waiting for me. But I promise to return back as soon as I finish ", as Volga raised her head to look at him in the eyes he put another kiss on her lips before he passed beside Andre and left, " see you later " he shouted as he was walking away in hurry.

" So? What about entering inside to have some tea, I'm pretty sure you didn't have your breakfast yet, did you? " without telling him anything else, Volga left the door open and walked inside.

As he was entering in Andre closed the door behind him and tried his best to pay attention to his surrounding and to ignore the extravagant suit Volga was wearing which was a unique long blue shirt which stopped just below her b.u.t.t.

" Wait for me here I will be back," she said while pointing out the sofa in the living room. As Andre went to have a seat she walked b.a.r.e feet to her room and came a moment later dressed more decently, with a grey tracking suit but still b.a.r.e feet. she went to the kitchen and came back to the living room with two cups of hot tea.

" Well, tell me now what is bothering you," she asked after she sipped her tea.

" first of all, I wanted to say that I'm really grateful that saved me from Konny's control back then in Fog city and that I'm happy that you brought me here in this peaceful town " he paused, " but to go straight to the point since I came here I have thoughts that keep bugging me, a feeling that I can't get rid of, the feeling that I don't belong to a peaceful place like Stainfall, I feel like I don't have my place here ".

Volga didn't reply immediately, she drank some tea again before she sighed and said " you know the job of Donald? " as Andre shook his head negatively she carried on " his psychologist and he discussed very much with the people who have escaped the atrocities of their home city but still kept some deep scars, and the sentence the most repeated by those patients of his, he told me, is that they all say that they don't belong to this city. I'm not a psychologist but based on my observation and wisdom I can say that instead of moving forward like your fellows who lost their memories you are looking for the person you used to be and eventually you came to feel that way ".

" I'm not trying to say that is bad to try to figure who you were in the past, I'm saying that you should not let the past hold you to live your present life the fullest because what is important is not who you used to be but who you are now. I'm pretty sure that you already figured that out but you were just looking for someone to tell it to you, so I will say it loudly so that you may engrave it in your head no matter what kind of person you were in the past you have the right now to look for happiness, go find a job a girlfriend and live up your dreams because you have the right to ".

" But Miss Lina is only looking for knowledgeable people or people with outstanding talents to develop the city and I don't neither of those " the young man said while staring at the floor after he wondered for a moment about Volga's words.

" You didn't understand anything, Lina is trying to make this city a place where everyone would be able to leave in peace without fearing anything and for that her dream to work she needs the participation of everyone. You just have to go to the city hall and tell them whatever you can do and even if you don't have anything you can do just tell them and they will do their best to teach you " she told clearly, as Andre remained silent she added with a sweet tone of voice " Andre, stop trying to find excuses to not live your life ".

But still no reply from him, she suddenly find an idea, she lifted her cup reached her lips and drank until the last drop of tea she then stood up and said: " quickly finish your tea I have to bring you somewhere ".

" Where exactly " Andre rose his head out of curiosity and inquired.

" Just do as I say " Volga simply responded, with a smile full of mystery she added, " trust me, you won't regret it ".