Mother's Touch

"Lea, come on, get up, darling! Mom has made porridge for you, let's eat first!"

I don't know why, but I vaguely heard my mother's voice. It was so soft, I can still remember his voice clearly. I opened my eyes slowly, my mother's face was right in front of my eyes. His hand touched my forehead gently.

"Eat first, okay darling?" mother whispered. Am I having Dejavu? It feels like I've experienced this situation before.

A long, long time ago when I was little. Even a mild cold can make me so spoiled by my mother, making me keep whining just to get more attention from her.

At that time, in the middle of the night my mother kept awake to make sure my pain was reduced. Sometimes grandfather and grandmother take turns looking after me, but mother is the best for that.

"Mother, don't go!"

"Mom won't leave, darling! Mom will always be with you."

"Promise?"

"I promise..."

Mother had promised me, but why did mother still go then? why did mom never come back? Didn't mom promise?

"Leah?" I heard someone calling me. Not mother's voice, but a different voice. Like a man's voice.

"Mother huh?"

"Leah!"

I opened my eyes slowly, Pierre's face was vaguely visible in front of me. That annoying flat face, was it Pierre who was calling me earlier?

"Pierre, what's wrong?" I asked weakly, my voice hoarse and low. Even my body is still shivering.

Pierre sat beside me, his hand holding a wet towel which he then placed on my forehead. Pierre, did that warm feeling I felt earlier come from him?

"You have a fever," he said.

"Is that so? No wonder my body feels so weak. What are you doing?"

"Compress your head with a wet towel. Since you're awake, it's best to eat and take medicine first!"

"But I'm not hungry, my mouth also tastes bitter..."

"That's why you have to take medicine. The servant has brought you porridge and medicine, you should eat it now!"

Even though Pierre said that, my body still felt reluctant to get up even if I just sat down and leaned against the pillow. I just want to sleep and go back to meeting my mother.

"Leah, let's eat!" once again Pierre persuaded me. Even though I had previously refused, shouldn't he stop forcing me and just leave me be? can robots be so stubborn too?

"I don't want to... you'd better just go there, Pierre! Don't bother me...!"

"But the porridge..."

"You don't understand, do you? I said you don't want to eat! Go away, don't bother me!" I shouted.

Pierre was silent for a few seconds, looking at me with a look in his eyes that I couldn't understand. Is he disappointed in me? but, wasn't Pierre unable to feel that kind of feeling? but, why is he looking at me with that look?

"Okay, Leah!" Pierre got up and walked towards my study table, pulled out a chair and sat down quietly.

Pierre, why can I still be so bad to you? even though you are so kind, care so much about me. What was I really thinking?

My tears flowed, I'm really sorry. Whenever things don't go my way, I always get grumpy like this. Acting like a child just to get attention.

"Come to your senses, Lea. You don't have anyone anymore. Stop acting like anyone will care."

I have to win myself. Wiping away tears and taking the bowl of porridge from the table. Maybe this way, I can erase a little of my guilt towards Pierre.

I ate the porridge until there was nothing left, after that, I immediately drank the medicine that Pierre had prepared. In his place, Pierre just sat and watched me. Yes, at least I don't have to think that he will be angry and disappointed with my attitude. Even though I know it's impossible.

"Pierre!"

"Yes, Lea?"

"How long have I been sleeping because of the fever?"

"Since yesterday, you haven't woken up at all and are just delirious."

"Delirious?"

"Yes."

"D...did I say something strange?"

"No!"

"Re...really? Usually I would mumble incoherently if I was sick, that's what grandma said!"

"You just said mom."

"Mother?"

"Yes."

Mother huh? So, I keep mentioning mother's name? No wonder it felt so strange, as if there was warmth entering my soul. But, for some reason I could feel the touch of my mother's hand gently touching my head, it felt so real, it made me think that mother was here.

I glanced at Pierre, the sunlight coming in through the bedroom window filled him. Pierre looked very shiny, that hand, was that his hand that I felt earlier? Did the soft touch that I felt earlier come from his hand?

"Pierre..."

"Yes Lea?"

"Thank You."

***

"What? fever? hahahaha..." I immediately moved the cell phone away from my ear, when that stupid Lucas shamelessly laughed loudly.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. In fact, five minutes ago when I sent him a message, I expected him to be a little worried. But in reality, he immediately contacted me just to make me listen to his annoying laughter.

"You think that's funny, don't you? You really don't have feelings, do you?"

"Hahahaha... sorry, don't be so angry, bro! I was just joking!"

"Not funny!"

"Okay... okay, but why do you have a fever? You must have soaked for too long, right?"

"How do you know?"

"I've told you many times, stupid people like you are very easy to predict, you bastard!"

"Okay, I'm stupid..."

"So, how are you now? Are you better?"

"Yes, the fever has gone down a bit. But I feel better now."

"Is that so? Can I come to visit you?"

"Wh...what? visiting me? but...but..."

"Allowed or not?"

"Are you sure? What if..."

"If what?"

"What if someone found out you were visiting me and kept spreading gossip about the two of us, what?"

"Hey, since when did I care about crap like that? The only one who cares here is you!"

"T...that's right..."

"Okay, I'll be at your house in a moment. Is there anything you want to eat? I'll buy it!"

"Do not bother!"

"Okay, then I don't need to bring anything, right?"

"Yes."

"Ok, I'll be there now!"

"R...right now?"

"So when else?"

"Okay, I'll wait..."

"Okay, I'll hang up the phone!"

I was speechless, is he really coming? If you think about it, Lucas has never come into the house all this time. If Uncle Damien picked him up, it would only be limited to the front yard. In that case, this was his first time coming.

"Deg...deg...deg..." my heart was beating fast. For some reason I felt very nervous and restless. Even though it's just the stupid Lucas that I meet every day at school. But, since he said he wanted to come, why does it feel different?

For almost 20 minutes I waited anxiously, sitting on the bed with my face red from fever mixed with embarrassment. Meanwhile Pierre was busy combing my hair, as if it was his hobby.

"Knock...knock...knock..." someone knocked on my bedroom door. I immediately gasped in surprise.

"Wh...who?" I exclaimed. Pierre got up and walked towards the door.

After Pierre opened the door, Uncle Damien's face appeared and beside him, I could see Lucas.

"Lucas has come to visit Miss Lea!"

***