✿ ᴇᴄʜᴏ ✿
A simple double-knock on the door of the home of the retired traveler and I pause in thought as I examined the surroundings of his home.
The home stands with quiet elegance, its exterior clean and perfectly maintained. A neatly trimmed hedge lines the pathway, guiding visitors toward a polished stone entrance. Symmetrical shrubs, sculpted into soft curves and cones, flank both sides of the porch, adding balance and charm.
In the center of the front garden, a small fountain gently bubbles, the soft sound of water adding a calm, refined touch. Flowerbeds edge the walkway—filled with seasonal blooms in controlled, deliberate patterns.
The lawn is lush, even, and emerald green, showing signs of daily care. Polished garden lights dot the edges, already glowing as the sun sets slowly. Everything about the space speaks of order, calm, and quiet beauty—designed to impress, but also to soothe.
" Who's there? Before coming here you should've known I turn down all visitors, so better not waste your time standing outside. Move on and don't think about coming back." I hear a man say inside and I don't hesitate to repeat the same action I did earlier.
A double-knock again.
" Are you deaf or what?! Get lost! I'm not interested in talking to you so you better—."
I double-knock again.
" Argh! Don't you get it when I say you should just move on?!" I step away from the door when I hear footsteps approaching from inside the house as the grumpy middle aged man lunges the door open. I stare up at a man with a goaty, an eyepatch and a bandaged wrist that seemed to had been broken. Was he the retired traveler?
He looked nothing more than a pirate to me.
Point is tho, the woman at the market mentioned he was a retired traveler but I didn't care to ask which was he—retired traveler who went by land or retired traveler who went by sea.
" A kid?" He looks down at me not seeming to enjoy my presence. " Are you deaf kid? I said get lost."
" I need your help, sir." I say abruptly and he raises a brow at me. " Can I come in?"
༻☆༺
" Golden rose petal?" The retired traveler questions as he hands me a cup of a tea as he settles down on the chair opposite me. Coming to look at the interior of his house, I noticed how the inside didn't quite fit with the outside.
Outside was vibrant and sophisticated while the inside was just… boring. No plants or paintings, just furnitures and rugs. " Yes, sir. The golden rose petal."
" It's been likely a decade since I've heard about that flower. The golden rose, I heard it was last found at a village a 100 years ago, what did they call it? Right.. The seventh dawn village."
" Where can I find that village?" I inquire as the retired traveler thinks.
" The west I believe. Why are you asking? Don't tell me all this travel is for the flower."
" What if I said it was?"
" I would laugh obviously." The man places his own cup of tea on the table before him. " It's been centuries since anyone ever saw that flower, child. Don't waste your time looking for something that might've already gone extinct."
" What do you mean extinct?"
" What I mean dear child, is you should give up on your journey to the golden rose. It's pointless. You might spend a decade of your life hunting for it if you're not careful. If you're lucky, you might spend just nine years and six months. That's not even half a decade."
" Did you…ever look for the golden rose? Is that why you're a retired traveler?"
" Golden rose?" He chuckles abruptly and I can't help but feel a mixture of uncertainty and curiosity at the same time. " I didn't go hunting for that rose. I actually became a traveler because I was curious about the outside world and what it was like to be there."
" Then why did you retire? It's hard to believe you've seen the entire world already."
" That's correct. I haven't. I just retired because I am so unlucky. I can't go around without animals attacking me, and I've got no friends, I almost died with boredom hanging around me. I decided to retire because I thought it would be better if I spent my days sitting in boredom rather than walking in boredom."
" I'm going with this girl Martha. And you're not going to stop me. I'll help people on my way, just like she did. I'll have fun and I'll come back home with stories to tell the other kids. I want to be of use for once Martha."
Fun….
Nigel spoke of coming with me like it was fun. No… he said he was going to have fun, what did he mean by that? Did he mean that our adventure together would be fun?
" Traveling is fun." I don't know when I say that but the retired traveler stops from drinking his tea as he raises his brow in question.
" Huh?"
" You were just lonely and didn't actually have someone to play around. You were just curious so you didn't bother to try the fun stuffs." I don't know what I'm saying and I want to shut up but honestly I can't.
" I am a traveler too and I have a partner. His name is Nigel and although he's been nothing but nuisance he's still good company. I mean… I think I'm having fun."
" Please… I don't want to stay here anymore. Martha bores me out, you do the same thing too but at least as I can go on rough paths and have lots of fun. Martha only makes me clean the kitchen and bathe the kids. I'm the reason you got hurt in the first place so why don't I accompany you?"
" I am terribly hungry."
" Please eat Echo first! It's all her fault! If she had let me eat before then we wouldn't be in this mess at all.
" Oaf?! Echo did you just call me an Oaf?!"
" After we're done seeing the retired traveler, promise me we'll head back to the market to continue enjoying the Festival.
" Have fun with the traveler Echo! I'll have my part of fun back in the market! I hope I see you there!"
Suddenly I start hearing the words of Nigel in my head and I'm forced to smile. " So maybe next time when you want to travel again, carry along someone who will make you smile!" I get up on my feet.
" What's all this sudden lecture about?" The retired traveler questions and I humph.
" That's for killing my motivation about the existence of the golden rose." And without another word, I take my leave.