Love's Redemption

Redmption 29

The man appeared rough and somewhat intimidating. Over the years, the men i

had interacted with were all meticulously groomed and usually dressed in

suits and ties.

The appearance of this man gave me the impression that he’d just been released from prison.

I instinctively tightened my grip on my backpack. Lisa had slipped a pepper spray and folding knife into my bag before I had left.

But before I could reach for them, the man had already started the car without saying anything.

What did that look he had given me mean?

1 didn’t understand. But my heart, which had been comforted upon arriving in this city, started to race erratically. Due to my wariness, I didn’t take in the city’s

scenery.

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When the car finally stopped, I paid and got out. My heart finally relaxed after watching the car drive away.

It was already 10:00 pm. Coming here was indeed imprudent. I could’ve waited until daytime to look for my parents‘ place. But now that I was here, there was no point in second–guessing.

The house looked really old. The walls were crumbling, the ground was uneven with potholes, and there were puddles on the road. My suitcase couldn’t be pulled along this street, so I had to carry it.

My dad’s address was 42 Old Alley. I looked at the house numbers along the street, and I found it. There was even a “For Rent” sign on the door.

Could anyone really rent this place? Only a fool would rent a house here.

I scoffed as I stepped inside. It was a small courtyard with rooms on all sides

and a tree in the middle. It was too dark to see what tree it was.

But I knew this was a honey locust. It had been there since my dad’s childhood.

“Are you looking for someone or a place to stay?” an elderly voice asked.

I turned to see an old lady with gray hair, leaning on a thin cane, scrutinizing

1. me.

“… I want to rent a room,” I said as I pointed to the easternmost room. “I want to stay there.”

My dad had mentioned that this courtyard has three rooms. The middle one was a living room for entertaining guests and watching TV. The easternmost one was the bedroom.

My parents had sold this place when they had left, and it had been renovated since then. Although the original traces were gone, I wanted to stay in the room that my parents had once stayed in.

“That room’s taken. You can stay in this one, though.” The old lady pointed to the adjacent room.

I didn’t respond immediately because I still wanted to stay in the room I had chosen.

Sensing my hesitation, the old lady explained, “That room is old. The one I’m offering you is newer and more suitable for a young lady like you. Let me show you.” She opened the door to a room that looked clean with fresh white walls.

“It looks nice, but I still want that room,” I said stubbornly.

The old lady gave me a look: “How about you wait for the tenant of that room to come back and see if they’re willing to switch with you?”

“Okay,” I agreed.

Regardless of whether I could stay in that room, I was determined to stay here. It didn’t matter as long as I could see the honey locust tree that still stood there.

When I went to pay the old lady, I found out that her name was Kelly Rhodes. Then, I took the pot of hot water that she had boiled and went back to the room.

Just then, my phone rang. I thought it was Lisa checking up on my accommodation, but I was surprised to see the caller ID.

It was someone that I hadn’t contacted in years, calling my number that hadn’t been dialed in over a decade