Uncle Rein

In a room, Lex laid on a treatment bed. His eyes had been closed for hours, but in that moment, images of the past rushed into his mind, presenting a moment that would never leave his memory....

In a desert, little Lex walked while holding onto his grandmother's arm. Lex was dressed shabbily and dirty, and his grandmother's appearance was no different. They carried scraps of metal in a large bag strapped to their backs. After walking quite a distance, little Lex suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. His eyes were fixed on a sandbar, five hundred metres to his left.

Lex's grandmother turned her head, looking at Lex with a smile. "Our house is still ahead, why stop?"

"What's that over there, Grandma?" Little Lex pointed at something behind the mound.

The old woman squinted, focusing her gaze in the direction her grandson was pointing. "Is that...."

Before she could finish her sentence, little Lex released his grip and ran towards the sand dune.

"Don't go near the mound!" she shouted, worried that something behind the mound was dangerous. With hasty

Little Lex was too focused to hear his grandmother's warning. When he got there, his breath caught in his throat as he stared in disbelief at what was in front of him. He saw a man lying unconscious behind a mound of dirt.

"Grandma, it's a man!" Little Lex bent down and watched the stranger's chest rise and fall. "He's alive!"

Not long after, the grandmother arrived, staring at the man with an incredulous look. The man's condition was heartbreaking, his whole body was covered in wounds, and his face looked pale.

"Oh, my God, he is...." The grandmother bent down and immediately checked the man's pulse. "Open your bag! There might be something we can use to help us bring him home!"

Little Lex complied, and took out the scrap metal in his bag. He scanned the scrap metal scattered on the ground. "What do we need, Grandma?"

Lex's grandmother turned her head, observing the scrap metal. "There are iron wheels! We can build a simple carrier to carry him! Come on, help me now!"

Using only simple tools, they spent several minutes building a simple carrier. Finally, a few minutes later, they completed the carrier. It was only a carrier made from scrap metal—certainly not good enough—but it was enough to carry the man.

After painstakingly placing the man into the carrier, they pulled it with a rope. A small child and an old woman, pulling a grown man—even though using tools, it's still not easy—fortunately the distance from there to the house is not too far. Approximately fifteen minutes later, they arrived at a small house made from scrap metal. They rushed to take the man into the house, then laid him down there.

Day after day passed, the man had been there for almost a month. Even though the wounds on his body were starting to get better—thanks to the medicine made by his grandmother—his consciousness had not yet recovered. Little Lex would sometimes see his grandmother waking up at night only to look at the man with sad gaze, sometimes even hearing him said "Rein". Little Lex didn't know exactly why his grandmother had said the word, but he assumed that "Rein" was the man's name or his nickname. It seemed that grandmother had known him for a long time. However, every time little Lex asked about the man, his grandmother just smiled and changed the conversation.

Until one day, when grandmother was preparing dinner, little Lex sat beside the man. For a long time, he looked at the man with a sad gaze.

"Uncle, why are you still lying down? Why are you still unconscious? What happened to you? What...." Little Lex was silent, watching the man's fingers twitch.

Little Lex shouted, "Grandma, his hand is twitching!"

The man blinked then slowly opened his eyes, then spoke in a weak, barely audible voice. "Where am I?"

"Grandma, uncle is awake!" Little Lex shouted happily.

Not long after, his grandmother appeared. She looked up at him with an emotional gaze, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. "Rein...."

The man called Rein sat down and looked at her. "Sora... aren't you Sora?"

Grandmother nodded, then approached Rein. "I'm glad you're finally awake."

"How could I be in–" Before Rein could finish his words, he suddenly held her head in pain.

Grandma immediately helped Rein to lie down. "Your condition has not fully recovered. You'd better go back to rest."

Although he had not recovered that day, he was getting better day by day. Rein's presence in little Lex's life was like water in a barren land; he who had never felt the presence of a father, felt that the figure he called "Uncle Rein", was like his father. Rein taught him many things, from hunting wild animals, to life lessons. Unfortunately, their time together was short.

One day Rein told them that it was time for him to leave to finish his pending business. Although they felt sad, they didn't want to stop him. They didn't want to be a burden to Rein. That day they finally parted ways, leaving a memory that little Lex will never forget.

Many times little Lex asked grandma, who Rein really was. However, grandma always replied that it was not yet time for him to know everything about Rein. That was it, and she never talked about him again.

Suddenly the shadows of the past faded as voices reached Lex's ears. The voices were not loud, nor whispered, but it slowly brought Lex back to consciousness. Lex blinked, then looked around the room, until he saw his grandmother talking to a man who seemed to be Trevus (Doctor) who was treating him.

"Grandma," Lex called in a weak voice, making her and Trevus immediately turned their heads.

"Thank God you finally woke up," she said in relief, then walked over.

Trevus immediately checked Lex's condition. When he was done, he smiled at grandmother. "His condition is getting better. It seems that the fight took a lot out of him, but he's fine now."

"The match...." Lex was silent, his match with Liz replaying in his mind. "Grandma, I'm sorry."

Grandma smiled softly, looking at Lex shadedly. "There's no need to apologise, Lex."

"But, Grandma, I've failed to fulfil your wish," Lex said regretfully.

"Lex, what I was hoping for was to see your determination, and you showed that in the match," she responded, "but, I think you misunderstood."

"Misunderstood? What does that mean?" Lex looked at his grandmother, as if trying to find the answer to his question from her grandmother's expression.