Garden Of Love

"I need to buy something. Stay here." she signaling both of them to wait for her outside the boutique.

Alan nod his head. He thought that Hazel will take a short time to buy her things, but he was wrong.

He wait at the outside for almost 30 minutes. Aslan also start to show a bored look.

"Uncle, what did my mom buy until it take a long time to wait?" Aslan ask him.

Sighing, he squatted down in front of him to leveling their eyes.

"Hmmm..let"s say your mother found her favorite cave. If you grown up later, avoid this area. Especially when they got sales. Got it?" he wink his eyes to him.

"Huh? Which area?" Aslan rub his chin.

"Make up area. Or you will end up like this. Look, so many of men waiting for their girlfriend or family outside the "cave" just like us." he point his eyes toward a few people who is standing and some of them sit at the bench. All of them frequently check their watch and some of them even sleeping while waiting.

Aslan also look at the way Alan"s looking. He then nodded his head like he"s understand Alan"s meaning.

"Oh..so, I"ll just skip this area or closed her eyes! So that, she won"t see this "cave". Right, uncle?" Aslan made a gesture like "ha!"

"That"s right. Good boy!" he ruffles his hair and chuckle a little.

"What"s so funny?" Hazel"s voice interrupting them.

Standing up, Alan look at her paper bag on her right hand.

"I thought you buy this whole boutique? Why did you only buy a little, but spend a lot of time inside?" he ask.

"This is the fastest I can go." she "humph" him and start walking followed by Alan and Aslan.

"Hm? I didn"t know, when people going inside they suddenly turn into a snail." he still want to tease her.

"Be lucky you not end up sleeping like the man at the bench earlier." she replied.

Not replying to her again, he just smile and out of habit, he suddenly ruffles her hair.

"Yes yes."

Surprised by the sudden touch, Hazel jolt her body a bit.

"Hey, don"t touch me like I was your buddy." she remind him making him stop his action immediately.

He then frowned a moment before he catch up again with her pace.

"Why would I do that? Did I always do that?"

"Come on. I need to go to that boutique." she pointed her finger toward a Victoria Secrets outlet.

"Uhm..hey, can I bring Aslan to that shop?" he feel a bit awkward to accompany her to buy some undergarment.

"Huh?" Hazel turn around to the place that Alan show her.

It was a musical instrument shops. Nod her head, she said. "Sure, i"ll call you once I settle."

Alan nod and bring Aslan with him.

"Do you know how to play a musical instrument?"

Aslan shake his head.

"No. But, I saw one big piano at grandpa house."

"Oh..I bet your grandpa must know how to use it, right?"

"Mhm."

"Okay.." Alan touch one violin at the display and bring it under his chin.

He try to play it, suddenly the sound that he made, makes the bystanders to turn around to look at him.

The music was slow and sad. After he done playing, all the bystanders around the shop clapping at him.

"Quite impressive, mate, are you a musician?" the shop a.s.sistant came to him and ask him.

"Uh- thank you." Alan replied and shake his head as a "no". "Wait, am I a musician before I lost my memory? But, how do I explained about all other thing that I mastered too? What am I actually?" He lost at his train of thoughts.

Just when he want to put back the violin, Aslan tug his small hand on his pants.

"Uncle, teach me how to play this. I want to learn it. I want to learn it." he jumps excitedly.

"Will your mom allow it?" he ask worriedly. Not because of he"s not willing to teach him, but he knew Hazel was not so fond of her ex"s child.

"I want it." he make a puppy eyes.

Alan put his palm to his face and sigh. He then squatted down to the kid and said.

"How about this, I buy this violin. You can come to my room secretly and I will teach you secretly. But, the condition is, your mom must not around in the house. Okay?"

Aslan nod his head hurriedly.

"Good." he ruffles his hair and walk to the counter.

He ask the shop to send it to the house, since he doesn"t want Hazel to notice it. After that, they waited at the resting area.

Hazel still not finish with her shopping.

"This woman..how her ex can bear with her? She"s taking forever to just buy her undergarment." Alan grunts inwardly.

He looked at Aslan who made friends with other few kids around them. They playing together and talks.

"Hmm..poor this kid. He never know about a father"s love nor a mother"s love too." his gaze turn soft seeing the happy Aslan right now.

…

After a long time await, finally Hazel came to them with a lot of paper bag around her hand.

She handed over half of it to Alan and they began to walk to their parking spot.

"Alright, now I"m hungry. Let"s eat before we go back." she said and step on the gas.

Alan just silent along with Aslan who look tired.

…

She decide to have a lunch at a family restaurant across with the Moon cafe.

Park her car, she look at the pa.s.senger seat behind. Aslan already fell asleep and she turn her eyes toward Alan beside her.

"He"s asleep. I wake him up now." she extended her hand but immediately Alan hold her hand.

"No, I"ll handle him." he shake his head. Hazel hurriedly retracted her hand when their skin touch.

It feel likes an electric flow through the touch. She then open her door and step outside.

Alan also step outside the car and open the pa.s.senger door. He slowly carry Aslan on his arm. His face was buried on his shoulder and his hand also wrap around Alan"s neck.

He hold him gently and support his back. He look at Hazel and nod. Hazel lock the car and went inside the restaurant.

Aslan was still sleeping. They order two lunch set and one lunch set for the kid. Hazel eat her lunch while Alan use his one hand to feed himself. Another hand, he use to support Aslan.

Most of the people inside the restaurant turn their eyes to him with a loving look.

"Aww..such a good husband."

"How lucky to have a husband like that."

"Am I gonna be like that once I got a child?"

"Aww..that child looks so adorable."

Ignoring all the eyes around them, Hazel look at the cafe across the street.

She frowned a little when she suddenly saw a familiar figure inside the cafe. She squinted her eyes a bit try to focus on the figure.

She focus on his eyes and then look at the direction that he was looking right now. Her eyes then shift to the girl with a ponytail and a bang that cover her forehead.

The girl look beautiful. A different level than her. She bring an aura of delicate and soft person. Her face was full with a smile at the counter taking order and her movement was smooth and gentle.

"Ah-- so that"s the reason." she mumble.

"What?" Alan ask her.

Smirking, she turned her eyes toward Alan.

"You stay here for a while." she stand up and leave him on the restaurant.