Chapter 9 - Baba (Part 2)

After Six Hours

The room next to Baba's bedroom was a Utility hall. It had a stylish kitchen, a dining room, advanced study, state-of-the-art gym, attached bathroom and a huge closet that he used for storage. Baba and Sai were sitting on a dining table in the kitchen. Baba had prepared the food. Sai was eating fast and quick. It felt like he was not even chewing the food.

Sai was wearing baba's shirt. It was long enough to cover Sai as a whole. It was only piece of clothing that Sai could fit in. Baba had cut Sai's beard and hair long enough that they reached the base of his neck. His brown complexion turned out to be pale that you get from malnutrition.

Sai had blood red eyes. With those eyes he looked unnatural and intimidating. Baba was utterly surprised to see his eyes. He had not seen those eyes in a billion years. Sai was still wearing the wraps. Baba had returned the goggles already.

Baba looked in a foul mood. He was continuously giving Sai hateful and angry stares. Sai would glance at him from time to time. He was intentionally ignoring Baba.

Baba was not angry at his ignoring. He was angry at Sai's childlike questions and behavior. He acted like a fussy newborn; a bath that should not have taken more than 30 minutes took more than 3 hours to finish.

"Mmmmm. This is delicious. I have never eaten anything like this in my entire life." He spoke as he ate.

"Do not speak while you are eating." Baba glared at him. He looked down like a good, tamed puppy and continued eating.

"Should we talk now?" Baba asked Sai who was feeling a bit drowsy from eating

"Ready?" Baba did not want to waste any more time. He did not know, when siren will go off. He wanted to clarify everything before next job.

Sai nodded.

"Tell me about yourself in detail." Baba said.

Sai stared at the table for a while. It seemed like he was organizing his thoughts.

"My name is Lee Sai. I am twenty years old. I lived in a dark place alone, near land of ghosts. My mother died 10 years ago. I liked eating Kappa more than Lizards…" He did not have anything else to tell.

"That's it?" Baba was shocked.

Sai Nodded.

"What about your father? Baba asked.

"What is father?" Sai asked.

"What was the name of planet, you lived on? Number of Planet? Baba completely ignored Sai's question.

"What is…" Sai was puzzled.

"Your mother's name?" Baba interrupted.

"Mother." Sai instantly replied this question. He looked proud of himself. Mother's name brought a smile on his face.

"So, you know nothing?" Baba said in unbelieving tone. The more he learnt about this lad the more he was flabbergasted.

"Please tell me, you know how you entered this place?" Baba had lost all his hopes.

"Oh. I do." Sai said.

"Really. Tell me." Baba chirped in joy.

Sai pondered a little.

��I was hungry for more than 30 days when I heard slapping sound of a Lizard. I was very hungry and weak. Still, I mustered up all the power and ran to catch it. The lizard noticed me as I reached near, and it ran in the other direction to save its life. The Lizard was really healthy, so the gap kept on increasing between us." Sai seemed excited.

"I put all my strength into catching the Lizard and ran like never before. I started inching closer to the Lizard and at one time it was just at arm's length. My heart was about to give out. I felt that I will fall any moment. I grunted and dived with all my strength to catch the lizard." Sai took a dramatic pause as he proceeded with his story.

Baba was fully attentive. He was going to solve the biggest mystery of his life.

"As soon as I fell, light entered my eyes. It was painful. I tried to stop it but in vain. Then I just blacked out. After that I woke up…" Sai finished his story "…here."

"So How did you enter?" Baba was more shocked and less disappointed at his answer.

"I just told…" Sai looked at Baba like he was insane.

"You ran after a Lizard and entered here?" Baba exclaimed sarcastically "That's it? No magic? No sealing or summoning techniques? No secret super Black Arts?" He was unable to believe him.

Sai was looking at him like a clueless chicken, who does not know what's going to happen to it.

"1- I did not ask you to…" Baba was annoyed by his stupidity "…tell me about your stupid hunt.

"Tell me! How did you open spatial portal to come here?" Baba screamed. He looked very angry.

"Spatial? Portal…" Sai had more questions.

"Shut up. You Moron. Just shut up." Baba screamed. His blood pressure soared.

Sai sat silent.

"Okay. It's alright. We can figure this out. Maybe there is something that you have skipped, thinking it was trivial or the spatial jump might have made you forgetful." Baba calmed himself down.

"Go on. Tell me everything. Do not skip tiniest details. Okay?" Baba instructed.

Sai nodded and told the story again and again and then again, but Baba could not pinpoint how and why Sai was there.

They were both tired now.

Baba got up and brought a box of Orange Juice with him. He poured the juice for both. Sai drank three glasses.

"Go on… Ask? What would you like to know about me?" Baba said.

"What are you?" Sai asked plainly.

Since the time Sai had met this man, he had been feeling a strange energy oozing out of him. It was very different from his or Mother's. He wanted to ask Who are you but maybe subconsciously, his cautious mind made him ask question like that.

"What does that supposed to mean?" Baba was surprised at such accurate question.

"Umm…" Sai was about to explain.

"Forget it." Baba said.

They both kept silent for a while.