The Land Of Thorns
Story before night part 1

Back in the afternoon, Edgar leaves Lilia and Celine in a small alley and bids them return home.

Celine's look with a sullen face showed her disappointed expression with both hands and her chin leaning against the wall of the wagon, making Lilia who was next to her glance at Celine seem pitying on her.

Celine looked back at Edgar who was still watching them and came to a corner so that Celine could not see Edgar anymore because the building that covered her vision made Celine return to her original position.

“Why is your face like that Celine? How about you sit in front if you feel bored?”

Lilia who called out made Celine look at him.

“Prince doesn't invite us to play!”

“He has asked us to return home to the big house Celine.”

“But we won't trouble him.”

Celine's annoyed reply made her cheeks grow like a pufferfish, seeing it like it made Lilia smile seeing him look anxious to pinch her cheeks even though she made her words if they were indeed not troublesome.

‘What Prince up to his side do not want us to come with him.’

‘No - do not think about it, the Prince just wants to feel his first trip in the city feels comfortable.”

‘But wouldn't it be more fun to walk together in the city .. I also want to be with him.”

Lilia's mind was so full that Edgar imagined they were walking together looking like a couple in the city of Rosten on a beautiful afternoon according to him.

‘Argh! What I think!’

Lilia patted her cheeks with both hands breaking her daydream imagining a pleasant thing with Edgar, not realizing Celine was watching him with a confused face because Lilia was acting strangely.

“Kak, look at that granny!”

Celine pointed towards an old grandmother who was walking towards the opposite direction, The grandmother was so stooped with her skin so wrinkled that she walked carrying a sack that looked heavy on her pelvis. Celine's cry made Lilia come to see the old grandmother.

“I understand, you want us to help him right?”

Lilia made sure to look back at Celine's face, Lilia was right because after hearing him Celine replied nodding her head asking to help the old grandmother.

Lilia smiled looking at him and stopped the speed of her vehicle near the old grandmother.

“Grandma, do you want to go home? Where are you headed, Grandma?”

Lilia asked as she got down from the vehicle approaching the old grandmother who was looking back at her realized because there was a donkey cart that stopped nearby making her put the sack she was carrying.

“What are you my grandson Patricia?”

The grandmother thought Lilia was her grandson because the old Grandmother's vision was so bad that her eyes narrowed to look at Lilia in front of her.

“I'm not your granddaughter grandma...”

“Hem .. didn't you so fragrant Patricia!”

Lilia's words were cut off by the old Grandma who had so closely watched her.

Celine followed Lilia down from the horse cart and approached the old Grandma, Celine who was next to her holding her hand as if pulling to follow her.

“Ayo nek we will take you!”

“Hoo .. what this little guy Nina, isn't that sweet Nina wants to help grandma.”

Seeing the Granny still like that only made Lilia smile and laugh because she seemed to think of them as her grandchildren, and Lilia followed the Granny pretending to be her granddaughter.

“Iya, grandma let me help you carry your stuff .. isn't this so heavy grandma!”

Lilia helped carry the sack of potatoes and wheat that the grandmother carried was so heavy when Lilia tried to put it in the wagon, while celine took the grandmother to help her get into the coachman's seat so she could sit down.

Then Lilia guided her donkey to turn around to change their destination because before seeing the grandmother heading in the opposite direction they went, they then left.

“Do you remember your house?”

Lilia asked looking at the Granny who was next to her, the granny only smiled looking ahead when asked.

“Nek?”

The old grandmother who always walked bent over just paying attention to the road made her feel so happy when she looked back to the front looking at the road through which the stone buildings around the nearby residential area with plaza.

“After all we are in the right direction my grandson, I still remember well our house at the east crossroads.”

The grandmother told them her place of residence with her expression still the same while looking ahead.

“Hem.. hem hem...”.

The humming sound coming out from the mouth of the old granny that was so melodious in the ears that accompanied their trip in the afternoon made Celine behind her pay attention, he seemed to be smiling swinging his head to the right and to the left following the rhythm heard.

After walking for quite a while the three of them arrived at the east road crossing, Lilia stopped the speed of the vehicle looking around to look for residents for her to ask, Lilia looked around with many wooden buildings.

This area is included in the residential district of the plaza area, only because the area bordering the slum district makes this place included in the lower class residence group.

“Grandmother!”

A voice came from a teenage man across the street when Lilia had just stepped out of her vehicle to approach the residents' house to ask where the old grandmother lived.

Lilia looked towards the teenage man who looked so skinny with the slightly ragged camping clothes she was wearing was running towards her.

“What is this grandma of your family?”

“Iya .. thank you mbakyu for helping usher grandma home.”

‘Mbakyu?’

Lilia was surprised to hear him calling with such a polite call as the teenage man lowered his head before Lilia to thank her.

“Oh .. Jonas yes.”

The old grandmother called, she realized when she heard the voice of her grandson who was nearby,

“Grandmother from anywhere, from noon I look for you grandma, I was worried because you arrived - arrived go.”

Jonas, who looked worried with his hands, seemed to help Grandma get off the coachman's seat.

“Not to worry Jonas, look at me along with Patricia and Nina who accompany me.”

Upon hearing the name, Jonas's face became grim, helping Grandma get out of place. Lilia who saw did not understand why she looked like that but she realized that the teenager in front of her looked so sad.

“Sister! Potato!”

Shouted Celine who called, because she saw Jonas who looked like he wanted to say goodbye to leave.

“Oh yes, let me help you bring this sack of potatoes.”

“Did you find grandma around the plaza area?”

“Iya I think more or less around there.”

Lilia who seemed to have difficulty carrying the sack looked so astonished when she heard Jonas asking her the question.

“Grandma didn't I tell you to let me go there.”

“Thanks mbakyu, but I think it's so heavy for you, let me carry it myself. Once again thanks.”

Jonas's face became increasingly worried when he said it, although he breathed a sigh of relief, shaking his head unwilling to think too much about it so late and quickly took the sack from Lilia's hand.

“Come patricia, we'll cook something nice this afternoon!”

The old grandmother laughed happily while holding Lilia's hand who invited her to go out to eat with them, while Celine who heard they were about to eat seemed to follow them so happily.

Jonas, whose hands were full carrying a sack, felt unable to prevent his grandmother from making him just scream calling.

“Grandmother!”

“Ah, it's okay Jonas. Besides my sister seems to feel happy also with grandma.”

“...., sorry if grandma made you bother.”

Visible Lilia's hand signals to him that he is okay, even so Jonas seems to feel bad again troublesome them.