End

The next morning had a different feeling for Albert. Quite strange. The customers were the same, and the food he cooked was the same, yet he neither saw, smelled, nor heard anything the same way as he had for the past week, maybe even the past year. It was more well lit inside the room than usual, making everything brighter. The clinking of silverware on the china meshed clearly into the rhythm of wind chimes. He could clearly hear the words in the conversations. It was like a veil that had been suffocating him was suddenly lifted. Was it because he was finally back with his old family? It’s also possible that it was because of Camie. Her presence in the house had been normal for quite a while by now and having her back was refreshing. Most likely, though, it was a combination of everything.

Albert continued contemplating this thought as he worked. The people he was serving also noticed the change, saying that it was better than usual. They wondered if there was a recipe change, or maybe a change in the quality of ingredients. Perhaps Albert improved his technique somewhere. Albert only took the praise and continued working.

He stared at Leo, who was at the counter, doodling on the blackboard he had up to cover Camie’s corner from the customer’s eyes. There was no usual ruckus from him. He kept quiet and didn’t ask Albert about skipping work to travel with him to the next town or challenge Albert to find the 42 slabs of meat on his body. Albert took a closer look at Leo because he wondered what kind of masterpiece would make Leo so focused.

A moment later, a crashing sound could be heard through the room, silencing everyone, as Albert brought down a plate onto Leo’s head. The pieces clattered around the soldier, as Albert spoke up, “Stop drawing on the blackboard.”

Leo turned around, rubbing the place where he was hit. “What? Why? I think they’re pretty good drawings of the ones I saw in the newspaper.”

“No.” Albert shook his head and pointed at the blackboard. “Apparently your definition of good drawings of an elephant only apply to the general outline. Those… Those are terrible enough to be considered vulgar objects on four legs. I wouldn’t have known it was an elephant if you hadn’t told me.” The room roared with laughter before returning to their food and conversations. Some people, who had noticed Leo drawing a long time before Albert, shook their heads, most likely over the object they imagined as they watched Leo while their minds were in the gutter.

“Harsh as ever,” complained Leo as his face shriveled into a frown at Albert.

“It’s bad for my business,” countered Albert.

Leo’s face relaxed a bit. ”Oh, right,” he said, as if seeing Albert made him remember something. “You have to come to the city hall during the festival tonight.”

“Huh? For what?” Albert was thrown in for a loop at the sudden summon. He couldn’t recall a reason for why he should be involved. All of his documents and legal issues were settled personally by Mr. Percy.

Leo clearly wasn’t paying attention to Albert’s question. “Oh, ummm. So if you take a step outside, turn right, then go straight, you can see a grand building.”

“I asked ‘for what?’” Albert said as he put his hand to his forehead in frustration to the nonsense Leo was spouting. ”It means I’m asking for the reason. Not ‘how do I get there?’”

Leo’s eyes drifted left and right to the question. “Ah. I can’t say. Official business I guess. Speaking of, I have to get to work.” After quickly rattling out that chain of words, he scurried out of the door.

Albert shook his head to many things. The main reason was the disbelief in Leo's words. “But you never seem to pay attention to your job,” he called out to the door, knowing fully well that Leo could not hear him, and continued with his work. Of course, the first thing he did was erase the drawing of Leo’s “elephant.”

Albert was right, however, and Leo wasn’t paying attention to his job. He was, however, paying attention to the work laid out for him at the city hall. Bursting to the top of the garden, he found his dad, Mr. Percy, along with Ficus and the Blumes. They were all setting up tables, chairs and lights.

“I told him,” Leo announced upon his entrance. “And I didn’t spill anything. Praise me!”

“Good job on doing the simplest task, I guess,” muttered Lucy from the top of a ladder. She was stringing up dainty lights along the trees.

“Of course!” Leo was proud over nothing, and Lucy’s remark had flown over his head. “I am too good at this.”

“Why was Leo the one to tell Albert?” she complained. “And why did it take him so long?”

Mr. Percy laughed. “He goes over to Albert’s place routinely to skip work, so why not have him do something useful there.”

“Eh!” Leo shrunk back from his dad. “So you knew?”

“LEO!” Lucy yelled at him. “Honestly, why are you like this. Between you and Albert, I don’t know whose work ethic is worse.”

He shrugged her scolding off. “What can I say? I’m still able to consistently finish my work.”

“Argh.” Lucy was beginning to be frustrated with Leo. “Whatever! Help move the table. Everyone else here is too weak to do it.”

Leo laughed everything away, but moved the table as Lucy asked him to do.

Everyone worked in sync. Lucy continued decorating the places that required a ladder to reach while Ficus brought over the decorations from the lower floors. Mrs. Blume was tasked to plan the layout and order what went where, and Leo did all the heavy lifting. Mr. Percy had to return to his office, but would appear back on the roof to provide refreshments and moral support once in a while.

In the end, by the afternoon and with a few hours until the festival started, they had finished setting up the roof for a gathering of nine. A table was placed before the central planter box that hosted a sapling. Lights were strewn intricately along its branches. They were also placed along the border of trees around the roof. At the table, there were eight chairs, three at the right, four at the left, and one at the head. However, there was a set of tableware for nine. By the head chair, a doll-sized set was placed. In the middle of the table, a vase with freshly picked flowers brought sweet fragrances to anyone who sat down.

“This looks wonderful,” Mr. Percy said as he stepped onto the rooftop once more. “I’m sure Albert would be delighted to see this. But I’d think he’d appreciate anything we set up for him.”

Lucy could quite clearly recall the first time she met Albert. At around seven years old, she would come over to the building in order to meet with Leo and play. That day, she met a thin child, not much older than her, crouching down and looking at the bushes. She was sure she would have seen his bones protruding out if it were not for the baggy clothes he had on. Through a brief exchange, they found out that he was brought in from the streets by their uncle Sal, and he was here with him to finish the adoption process. Ever since then, the three of them were inseparable, with Leo at the lead on what to do for the day and the rooftop as their base.

She let out a sigh of exhaustion from the day’s work. “Yes,” she agreed. “Yes I think he would be delighted over this. Especially in this place. It does bring back many memories.”

Lucy paced around, wondering what tasks needed tending to next, but all there was left to do was to wait for the main guests to arrive. She nibbled on her thumb, nervous to know if everything was perfect.

“Lucy, if you’re still energetic enough to stroll around like that, go and pick up Albert,” Mr. Percy called out. “All that walking, you’re making this old man tired.”

Y- yes, of course. Later then, Mr. Percy,“ replied Lucy, and exited the roof. Mr. Percy gave a small wave as she left.

Albert was putting on his jacket, ready to leave for whatever Leo wanted him to do, when he heard a knock at the door.

“Albert! Albert!” Camie shouted energetically from one of the tables. “That knocking sounds like Lucy!”

“I don’t think it’s possible to identify someone by their knocks,” said Albert, as he made the gesture for her to be quiet. He opened the door, and, sure enough, Lucy was standing, in a semi formal dress, before him.

“Pure coincidence,” he responded to Camie’s smug face. She didn’t even need to say “I told you so” because her face expressed it all. “Hello, Lucy,” Albert greeted her. “What could you possibly need from me at this time?”

“I wanted to pick you up tonight,” she replied.

Albert scratched his head with a worried frown. “For the festival? Did we plan this?”

“Haha, nope,” Lucy laughed.

“Sorry, but I have to go to the city hall. Good timing though. It’s probably boring there, so can you look after Camie for me?”

Lucy didn’t respond to Albert’s words, but she still picked Camie up. Albert was worried he offended her by putting her on the spot. “Sorry, Lucy. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

With Camie in her arms, Lucy stared straight into Albert’s eyes. “What?” she asked plainly. “Are you going?”

“Oh. Um. Yes.”

Albert headed out the door, and Lucy followed closely behind. The street, because it led to the festival, was flooded with the crowds. Most of them were headed in Albert and Lucy’s direction, so they both merged and blended into the streets. It was only until the entrance did Albert realize that Lucy had followed him to the steps of the city hall.

‘Is something wrong, Albert?“ Lucy smiled as Albert turned around after he noticed her.

“Um. I guess not?”

“Then let’s continue forward.”

“Um. Okay.” Albert had no idea why Lucy was following him, but he decided it probably didn’t matter. He assumed she would leave when she saw him doing whatever he needed to do at the hall.

Lucy was beginning to be impatient. “You’re taking too long,” she said as she grabbed his hand and led him through the doors, laughing as she did so.

“Hehe,” giggled Camie inside the building. “I like being with Lucy and Albert. It’s the best!”

“But where are we going?” Albert asked as they passed yet another row of offices and reached the last set of stairs.

Camie knew where they were going since she thought the reason for the building’s existence was the garden on the roof. “It’s obvious, Albert!”

“What do you mean by that, Camie?” He was now more confused.

“Work really has dulled your memory, Albert,” replied Lucy, cheerily. She pushed him through the door. “Go on.” He stumbled onto the rooftop. There, around a circle of sparkling fairy lights among the bushes and trees, lay a table with everyone seated.

“Happy birthday, Albert,” they greeted.

“Nice to see you arrived on time and fine.” It was Mr. Percy, eyes twinkling as he stood up to welcome Albert to the party.

Albert slowly crouched down. “I completely forgot,” he admitted. “Even though I was reminded yesterday.”

“Cheer up, Albert,” Lucy said from behind him. “I think we can all agree that you forgetting made the party better.”

“Huh, I guess you’re right about that.”

Albert took his seat at the table, with Camie beside him. With the people around him, mystical environment, and the moon peering from above, an otherwise normal meal turned into a special memory for him. Everyone was happy, eating their fill, and after they cleaned the plates, everyone slowly spread out, waiting for the moon to turn blood red. Mr. Percy and Ficus stayed at the table, catching up on how they’ve been for the last few decades. Lucy went off pampering Camie again, while her parents accompanied her brother to the festival, promising that they would be back in time.

Leo, however, was by himself, looking over the railing to the lit streets below.

“Were you mad?” asked Albert as he approached him.

“About what?”

“Me and Lucy not telling you about Camie.”

Leo took a deep breath. “Whenever you’re in a high place looking down… do you ever feel the urge to jump?” he asked Albert.

Albert looked down. His eyes focused from the floor he was standing on to the ground below and back and forth. He turned pale and took a step back.

“You’re mad. Aren’t you?”

Leo laughed. “Only a little bit. I might need some time to myself.” He gave Albert a pat on the back, but waved him off.

“See you then.”

Next, Albert decided to visit Lucy and Camie. They sat on the bench, talking and playing with their hands. Before he arrived at the pair, they were interrupted by Ficus, who also sat down.

“Albert, you come over here too!” Ficus called out to him.

“Will there be enough space?” he asked.

“Dummy, if there’s not enough space, we’ll make enough space,” Lucy poked fun at Albert as she brought Camie to her lap. She scooted over Ficus to make room for Albert at the end.

Albert took his seat. “‘Dummy’ was uncalled for.”

“But Albert, you’re the one that forgot your own birthday,” Camie spoke out.

Albert stared at her. “Sometimes, I forget that you’re not human.”

“So what?” Lucy and Ficus countered.

“Oh, it’s nothing, just that I forgot.”

FIcus laughed. “Does it matter? Treat her how you think she should be treated.”

Albert gave Camie a few headpats. She giggled at each stroke of his hand, which made him smile. ‘I think I’ll treat her kindly, as she has to me.“

“Hehe,” Camie continued giggling. “I’m happy if I’m treated kindly.”

“Anything else you want in order to be happy?” Lucy asked.

“I want to see the world! I want to explore!” Camie reached for the stars. “If I am able to be with Albert and Lucy, that makes everything better! I know I can’t be seen, but I’ll find a way!” Suddenly, as she flung her arms around, a thin metal ring dropped out from the folds of her clothes.

Lucy, Camie, and Albert stared at the object clink onto the ground. Ficus however, looked away. “Oops!” Those words slipped from her lips.

Albert bent down to pick the object up. It was quite plain on the outside, aside from a single pearlescent pink jewel embedded onto it. However, it glowed on the inside to match the jewel’s hues.

“What is this?” the three asked Ficus. They had clearly heard her say oops.

Ficus smiled. “It’s a small bracelet! That way, Camie can move around in public without being seen. I slipped it onto her yesterday.”

Albert snapped the bracelet onto Camie’s wrist. She crawled towards Ficus, “Thank you,” she expressed with a smile.

Ficus hugged Camie. “Continue living, Camie. Cherish your time. Achieve your dreams.”

In due time, Albert, Camie, and Lucy looked up to the sky, as the moon turned into its rightful shade of red.

Part 1: Settling In

Finished.