Chapter 17: The Weight of Roots
Kael then opened the portal and returned to Earth. He came out of the basement.
He got on his bicycle and headed for the market.
If I'm gonna make money, I need to start doing business. No more waiting around.
He reached the market in just ten minutes. He took out his mobile and checked the time—6:45 AM.
Hmm, that grandma's shop should be open now.
He slowed as he approached Martha's shop. But before he could dismount, a voice called out to him.
"Oi! You're that Lancaster kid, ain't ya?"
Kael turned to see a burly man in a worn flannel shirt leaning against a rusted mini-truck, its bed loaded with crates of vegetables and hardware supplies. The man's face was weathered, his hands rough from years of labor, but his eyes were sharp—curious.
"Yeah," Kael said, stopping his bike. "You remember me?"
"Hard to forget." The man chuckled, smoke curling from his lips. "City folks don't usually stick around. Especially not in that old haunted house." He squinted. "I'm Eli. My ma's the one who gave you that bike."
"Martha," Kael said with a nod.
Eli smirked. "She's been fussin' over you like you're her own. Keeps sayin' you're Theodore's grandson. That true?"
Kael hesitated. "Yeah. I am."
Eli let out a long whistle, crushing his cigarette underfoot.
"Damn. Never thought I'd see a Lancaster back in Blackwater Hollow."
He nodded toward the shop. "Ma's out back. She'll be happy to see you. But hey… that house's been abandoned for years. You really living there?"
There was a pause. Kael didn't really want to explain the portal, or the secret left behind by his grandfather. So he replied with the simplest lie he could live with.
"Just pitching a tent for now. Fixing it up little by little."
"Strange choice. If I were your age, I'd have high-tailed it to the city." He lit another cigarette. "Heard your grandfather passed. Did he leave you that wreck?"
"Yes, he left me the properties here."
"I heard your grandfather was a billionaire. Didn't he leave you any other properties? The land here is very cheap since it's a remote area."
"My grandfather donated 91% of his property. So in this matter, I got a lot of property. And I don't regret it,"
Kael said with a smile.
"Ain't like most young folks to be content with scraps. You're different. I like that. C'mon."
Kael followed Eli inside, the scent of aged wood and dried herbs filling his nostrils. The shop was cluttered but cozy—shelves lined with jars of preserves, hand-knitted scarves, and second-hand tools.
Eli led him through a back door into a small garden where Martha knelt among rows of vegetables. She looked up, her face lighting up when she saw Kael.
The old woman was very happy to see Kael.
"Ah, you're here, kid."
"Ah, yes."
The man pointed to a table and chair.
"Sit here. Don't be shy."
Kael sat down.
He looked around and saw a family photo on the wall.
Then the man said, "She is my daughter Maria.
She studies at A University."
"A University?" Kael repeated, eyes wide. "That's… the best in the country. She must be incredibly smart."
The pride in the man's smile was quiet but unshakable.
"She is. She worked hard for it. She's the first in our family to make it that far."
Kael nodded in admiration. From a place like this... to a national-level university. That kind of leap was no small feat.
The woman soon returned from the kitchen with a bowl of steaming soup and a small tray of bread. She placed it in front of Kael.
"It's nothing fancy," she said. "But it's made with care."
Kael took a sip, surprised by the richness of the flavor.
"It's delicious. Thank you."
The man also said, "You eat now. I have some work to do."
Then he left.
Martha called out to Eli as he left,
"Be careful."
Kael asked while eating, "Where is he going now?"
"He is going to the main city to get some goods. He brings necessary things from the city for the people who live here. He also takes many things from here to the city."
That's a very good thing. If I need to go to the city, I can go with him.
"So," Martha said, sitting across from him with her own bowl. "You plannin' on stayin'?"
Kael was silent for a while and then said,
"I've been thinking about this. My grandfather left a lot of things here for me."
Martha's gaze softened.
"Theodore really left it all to you, huh?"
"Yeah. Though I don't know why."
She sighed, stirring her soup absently.
"He was always a complicated man. Even as a boy. Ambitious. Restless."
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
"But he had a good heart, once. Before the city changed him. The last time I saw him was 40 years ago. That was in 1985. Theodore's family had moved from here to the capital in 1971. We were only 15 at the time. But when he returned after 14 years, I was very happy. But he left after a few days. He said he had come here for a special need. But he never told me what the special need was. He seemed worried about something. After he left, I had no further contact with him. But I found out a few years later that he had become very rich."
Kael frowned.
"You knew him well? However, he never really talked about this place."
The woman nodded slowly.
"That's just how life goes sometimes. You move forward, and some places get left behind. But I never forgot him. And when I saw you the other day, I felt like I was seeing a ghost from the past."
Kael stared into his soup.
He'd never thought of his grandfather as someone who left—only as someone who excluded. But hearing Martha talk about him… it painted a different picture.
...
After breakfast, Kael helped Martha clear the table.
"I need some help from you. Can you do this?"