Chapter Three

All of a sudden, I am so upset. Because no one cares about her, no one accompanies her to buy clothes, and no one expects anything from her. Even though she has a lot of money in her bank account, it's just a number. Maybe I am a human being again; I have the emotional feeling again. So I can't say something like, At least you have money; you can have a good life with money. Don't care about others; just enjoy your life." No, I can't do it; it's so cold and so arrogant. Now that I am Lacey Green, I understand everything about her—her sensitivity, her expectations, and her loneliness—all of which make me feel so sorry for her. I sighed and packed everything up quickly. Even if I don't know how to use these things, I still want to pack them and take them away. If you stay here, you will only be thrown away. I don't want this to happen, so it's better to take it away.

When I say goodbye to Eileen, Lancy's mom, she hands me a car key. I look at her surprisedly, and she turns away. She doesn't want to see me. It is a little pickup, and as a goodbye gift, it's the right thing I need now. And I feel a little happy that it's me, not the real Lancy, who has to face it. If she is here, I cannot manage how sad she is going to be. I think there is still a small hope inside that she hopes her mom can keep her when she leaves. I just accept the key and say thank you. I've already spent three days here, and there is not a moment when she doubts me or has any strange feelings. The Three Days Lonely let me know how easy it is to play a role like Lancy Green. A little irony. I want to move one and take everything from Lancy, so after I put all the packages into the truck, I think I may never go back to the place. Lancy doesn't do so.

I rolled down the window and felt the wind. Everything I couldn't feel when I was a ghost is now something I can enjoy as a human being. Of course, the most wonderful thing is the taste. While eating the sandwich, I take out the paper with the address and look at it.

Fox, a small town in Washington State, is where Lancy's grandfather spent his later years. Perhaps he was the only one who understood and cared about her, but it is a pity that he died not long after Lancy's parents divorced. I want to reach this town as soon as possible so that I can have a sense of stability and security in my heart. Three days later, I finally arrived in town.

What surprises me most is that there is a large forest here, embedded in the town like an emerald. I like plants very much, so this town is my ideal place to live.

I stopped the car and prepared to ask people on the roadside for directions. There are not many people in this town, but they all look kind. The uncle Harry I asked for directions to; his home is near Grandpa Lacey's house, and he happened to be going back, so he readily asked me to follow him. car, he showed me the way.

"Layson, is your grandfather? You are Lancy."

"Yes." My hand holding the steering wheel tightened unconsciously. I haven't had this feeling of communicating with others for a long time. I have to say, I still haven't fully adapted to it.

Uncle Harry thought I was a tenant at first, but after knowing my identity, he became more kind.

"That's the house," he said about half an hour later, pointing to the house not far away.

"Is it so big?" I said it hesitantly. This house was much larger than I imagined.

"Haha, that guy said when he was building the house that he liked a spacious house so that he could live comfortably," Harry said with a smile, thinking of his old friend.

I was indeed a little shocked. Although this house has traces of time, it is still a good house after being properly repaired. I wanted to take Harry home first, but he said no; his home was nearby, so he could just walk back. He asked me to go clean up the house quickly. I accepted his kindness and said nothing more.

I parked the car in front of the house, closed the door, and took the keys out of my pocket. When I open the door, I know many things are waiting for me to do. Lancy's grandfather is a lovely "collector" and has a room dedicated to his "treasures.". Turkish ceramics, Italian oil paintings, British pipes, Japanese handicrafts, and Chinese tea sets are all inexpensive but very valuable—clever and interesting stuff. In the process of organizing, I feel the joy of opening gifts. But cleaning such a big house is not an easy task.

"Hey, do you need help?" I hear a strange voice suddenly: "Well, I see the door's open, so I come in; you are Lancy, right?"

"Yeah." I turn over my head, and then I see a handsome boy. "Hi, I'm Lancy, and you are..."

"I'm Jacob Blair, your neighbor," He showed his white teeth and smiled brightly, as warm as the sun in winter. "Harry said you must need help cleaning such a big room by yourself."

I pretended to be serious, but actually, it was to cover up my discomfort. "Well, you can't say it's cleaning; I'm hunting for treasure." Oh my god, what did I say? I was a little annoyed.

He was amused by my serious look, and I relaxed a little. He smiled at me and said, "You don't mind if I help."

"Of course." I think I am lucky. I received the warmth and kindness of the local residents when I arrived in town. Although I haven't started living here yet, I have begun to like this town and look forward to my future life. With Jacob's help, the house was roughly tidied up by evening, and he went out to throw away the trash.

Harry says Grandpa Layson likes to live in the big house, but actually, the poor old man prepared rooms for every family. There is still a wooden sign written by him on the door of the room. I am always moved by this most sincere human emotion. I put away all the other wooden signs except Lancy's and then put all Lancy's things in her room.

I am hungry now; it's time to have a meal. Well, I am still feeling a little wired to be a girl; being a ghost, I don't need to eat or sleep; every day seems endless. But now, it's different. I have to eat something. Maybe I need to cook myself now; although I haven't cooked before, I think I can do it. It's not hard, right? When I was a ghost, I was once willing to watch people cook; you could tell what they tasted through their faces. Now, I finally have the opportunity to do it, and I am looking forward to it. But I have no idea why I failed so quickly at the very first step. Why does natural gas make that sound? I thought to myself.

"Lancy," I hear Jacob's sound. I want to cook, and thanks for his help with a nice meal, but here we are, in a very bad situation. He smiles and says," Maybe it's the machine issue, but Lancy, do you pay a gas bill?" He is such a nice guy, and gas bills are no wonder.

We look at each other, and then we laugh at the same time. "Lancy," he says as he looks at me and says, "I invite you to my home and have dinner with my family. You know, it's your first night here; please come with me." Jacob is an angel, I tell myself.

Then I follow Jacob and come to his home. When I sit down at the table and am ready for dinner, I am a little nervous. I've never done it before. Jacob's dad, Bill, sits opposite me. He seems like a nice guy, too. Like Jacob. What makes me feel respectable is that sitting in a wheelchair, he downplayed the inconvenience this brought to his life. 

For dinner, Jacob made pasta, which was delicious. I was full of praise for this, and he smiled sheepishly, smiling like a docile puppy. After dinner, I chatted with Bill, and he introduced me to the town and its friendly people. Of course, there is also Lancy's grandfather. They used to go fishing together, and Layson could always catch big fish. The tone of his recollection was a little sad, and I imagined that scene. It looks like they have a lot of unforgettable memories between them.