The rumbling, thick grey clouds seemed to be lowering over the city as they unleashed bolts of rain, and he stood on the bus platform, his face contorted in anger and confusion. He was still trying to accept the current concept of his life as it now stood.
Renu walked out of the office with a purple umbrella, smiling as she headed towards him."Were you waiting for me?"
Ren put on a smile. "Of course, I just realized how much I need you to answer my questions."
"Want to go together?" She asked, passing the umbrella to him to hold over both of them. He accepted it; she could ask for almost anything at this point, and he would answer to make sure he knew what happened in that stupid tunnel.
When the bus arrived, they entered and found seats at the back.
An hour later, they returned to the Shade district, where they would exchange small talk along the way.
In the Well Apartment, where he was staying, it was named that way because it was shaped like a well; his building was unsurprisingly directly opposite Renu's. Just more problems to ponder on.
"The recent deaths around the Well Apartment are not because of me." She said,
He wasn't even thinking of that, "I never said it was."
She shrugged. "You are acting like you didn't kill the recent threats."
His eyes widened as he considered the multiple versions of his parents and the entrance of Mr. Piggisim in his room.
Passing through the courtyard of the apartment complex, they both entered Building No. 3.
Reaching the fourth floor, they saw a shiveled old man praying to a portrait that showed a man in his forties; there was incense around the picture as well. His eyes bulged out as he recognized the man.
Renu stopped. "His son took his own life, jumped from the balcony."
Ren couldn't believe it, "I know him." The man was named Gao Ming. He used to talk to him, and in all the meetings, he knew something was wrong. It wasn't until one day that Gao Ming would confess to him that things weren't going well mentally. However, Ren didn't follow up; he just patted him on the back and left.
He didn't do anything out of being used to people not wanting a mental health clinician to enter and know about their personal life, which he admits that he did obsess over when in prison. Ming asked for professional help, but he didn't listen because he was not interested.
He should have tried to help him. Renu patted his back, which was now building in sweat.
She grabbed his arm. "He has been dead for three days, let it go." They continued walking to the fourth floor.
Rusted, exposed wire clotheslines stretched across the hallway, on which several degraded clothes hung.
Old-fashioned iron doors on both sides of the corridor, slightly eaten with rust, as well as green door frames that contrasted with pink couplets.
"Welcome to my place," Renu said, bringing the keys to unlock room 2222. Ren frowned at her because of the previous owner of the room.
He grabbed her shoulder. "You rented the apartment of Gao Ming?"
She looked confused. "Who?" She didn't even know his name.
"The son who committed suicide." He said.
"Oh, I kinda needed a room, plus I don't care about him because I don't know him. Take your hand off me." A frown was growing on her face.
He removed his hands. "Renu, for the love of God, what is wrong with you?"
"Look at who's asking that question." She fired back, and he couldn't counter as they both knew that was true.
He sucked in all the building anger in him. Gao Ming was dead; there were pressing issues to deal with.
"I am sorry about that." He apologized, and she smiled.
"You are caring too much for someone like that; you shouldn't let that eat you. We need to be there for one another in times like these. You need me for the tunnel, and I need you for having someone who understands what I am going through." She said, and he stretched his hand at her; she shook it.
"It's nice to have someone as messed up as me." She said.