Chapter 5 Part 2: Soto gets out – A Tale of Guilt, Grief, and Revelation
Chapter 5 Part 2: Soto gets out – A Tale of Guilt, Grief, and Revelation
Written by Kavya and Concept by Sidhant First go to previous blogs if you have not already....
With a determination that surprised even him, Soto packed
for his journey. He bundled himself up with gloves, ear muffs, and thick
sweaters—preparing for the harsh Finnish winter. The trip to the airport was no
easy feat for a man so unused to the outside world, but after hours of mental
preparation, he finally stepped out into the cold, unfamiliar air, reminding
himself with every step that this was a journey—a voyage of discovery.
The flight was long and uncomfortable, but Soto persevered.
By morning, he had landed in Finland. The cold hit him like a wall, but he
quickly ordered a taxi to the house indicated by the coordinates. An hour
later, he stood at the gates of a wooden house in Nokia, a town nestled along
the banks of the Nokianvirta River in the Pirkanmaa region. As he gazed at the
house, a strange, unsettling sight caught his eye: a pillar, standing solemnly
outside the home, inscribed with the words: “In memory of our Aika.”
Soto’s heart lurched in his chest. It was real. It was true.
Aika was gone. The last shred of hope he had clung to was now shattered. His
mind reeled. The world he had built for himself—a world of isolation and
escape—was a prison of his own making.
As he sat beside the pillar, waiting for the police and
onlookers to disperse, his thoughts wandered back to the past. Aika had always
been thoughtful, kind—especially on that one fateful birthday when she
surprised him with an Iron Man suit. He hadn’t known then, not truly. And even
when he had seen her with Eichi, his heart had refused to listen to reason. He
had been a fool.
Meanwhile, in distant Kenya, Absko awoke to find a peculiar
envelope awaiting him. It was brown, with his name carefully scrawled on the
front. Inside, a printed note: “Go to the airport, reach by 7 am, pack
clothes for three days, ask for Mr. Dunkam at G3 terminal enquiry. He will give
you the ticket to Finland. Upon arrival, you will be led to a house. Rest
later.”
Absko, intrigued by the mysterious message, did as
instructed. He had never flown before, but the adventure stirred something
within him. What awaited him in Finland, he did not know—but he would follow
the instructions, for he knew that it was a journey that had already been set
in motion.
After a long flight, Absko arrived in Finland and made his
way to the house where Soto stood. He had no idea who this man was, but he
recognized the grief in Soto’s posture and the forlorn look on his face. Soto,
seemingly unaware of Absko’s presence, sat beneath the pillar as if his very
soul had been drained. Absko approached, offering a gentle nudge, and after a
moment’s hesitation, helped Soto to his feet.
With no words exchanged, Absko guided Soto into the house.
Inside, the silence was heavy, yet comforting—perhaps it was the solid wood,
Absko thought, that kept the cold at bay. In one corner, Soto’s grief-stricken
face mirrored that of Aika’s father, Mr. Handa, who sat sobbing quietly.
Absko, unsure of what to do, moved toward a police constable
standing guard near the kitchen. The constable explained that Mrs. Handa had
mysteriously passed away just five days ago, her body found in the kitchen
alongside the maid’s. The cause of death, still unknown.
As Absko returned to Soto and Mr. Handa, the grief in the
room became palpable. Mr. Handa, who knew Soto well, revealed the full story.
Aika had been suffering from leukemia, and the doctors had given up hope. To
spare Soto from the heartbreak of her death, Aika had staged the affair with
Eichi. She believed, mistakenly, that it would allow Soto to move on. Mr. Handa
had brought Aika to Finland, hoping for a miracle, but she had passed away, a
year ago now.
The truth unfolded like a dark tapestry, and Soto, broken
and regretful, resolved to find the answers to the questions that had haunted
him for so long. He promised Mr. Handa that he would uncover the full story
behind Aika’s death. But first, he needed to find the man—the one who had
pushed him into this house and into the truth. Absko, now a reluctant ally,
listened to Soto’s tale. In return, Soto learned of Absko’s own involvement in
the mysterious messages that had led them both to this moment.
As the two young men exchanged their stories, a voice called
out from behind them. It was deep and familiar: "Mr. Soto, Mr.
Absko."
And thus, the next chapter of their journey was about to
unfold.....
