A dream.

Patrick has called. Elric did something again, and this time, it wasn't something trivial from his tone.

I pulled up my car in the alleyway in front of the old stone mansion that once belonged to Patrick’s employer, hoping this matter wouldn't make things so much worse than they actually are.

A half bald man in his sixties exists the house to meet me followed by three beautifully dressed young girls.

“I hope your trip wasn't too unpleasant” said Patrick, smiling at me. His smile however, showed no hint of being upset. It would seem his quarrel with Elric couldn't have been that much of a problem after all. “I would like you to meet the girls.”

As soon as he uttered those words, the oldest one takes a step forward;

“My name is Angela”

“Hello Angela” I reply while shaking her hand.

“I.. “ she mutters “have bloodluss” I stumbled in my words. That was Eric’s disease and, as far as I know, only transmitted through blood. Or sex.

I smile, sweat starting to form on my forehead. I glance at Patrick. His smile, appearing genuine, showing no signs of fading from his face, while making a sing to the second girl to come and introduce herself.

The second girl steps forward, shyly. Dressed in a yellow dress with a really large white bow tied around her waist, she looked identical to her sister. Even her facial expressions, down to the smile, made me feel like I was trapped in a de-ja-vu. They had to be twins.

“Hello, my name is Claire” she blushed “and I also have bloodluss.” At this point, I feel my blood leave my legs and I doubt Patrick has not noticed me getting paler since his smile seemed to have gotten a little bigger.

The third, younger girl, seemingly oblivious to everything that was happening around her, jumped in front of me with no hesitation after her sister returned to their steward’s side. She couldn’t have been much younger than the first two, but she was only 13.

“Hello mister, my name is Livia, and I also have bloodluss” she said smiling.

“Very well done, girls! Now, head back into the house and let me and young man here have a chat.”

Livia started running ahead of the twins, laughing and shouting at them to catch up.

“As you can see, Freid, I’m afraid our little Elric outdid himself this time, don’t you think?” said Patrick. I nod in agreement, at a loss of words from the spectacle I just witnessed. Eric couldn’t have.. he knew the details of his disease.. then.. why would he..

“So, what do you want to do about this, Patrick?”

“Hmm, we clearly can’t ignore his action, but making him leave would cause unnecessary trouble, don’t you think?” And he was right. Elric had nowhere to go, his parents had died several year ago and all he had left was one of his father’s friends. The one standing in front of me.

I nod in agreement “Yes, then?..”

Without letting me finish, he continues “I think charging him with a small fee, nothing big, just enough to make him think about his actions. I would have him paid for his work, and in half a year’s time he would be rid of it” his smile now gone, I could see he was serious.

Elric was only 12, but I could see how this could have been much worse. “What sum do you have in mind?”

“Ah, nothing much, around $1000 should suffice, don’t you think?”

It was clearly a lot of money for a 12 year old to earn doing daily chores, but still a small price to pay for spreading an incurable disease to three young girls.

“When should we tell Eric? Where is he?” I reply after nodding in agreement with his proposal.

“Just outside, in the backyard. He found himself a hobby, raking leaves, since you last visited” he started, as we stepped outside in the back yard. We were now in one of the largest `parks` I ever visited. “As you can see, he is really good at it” he continued, showing me the grass, which had no trace of leaves on it, which was no small feat, since it was already late October.

“What is he doing with them?” I ask, genuinely curious.

“I, honestly, don’t know. I never saw where he took them, they just disappeared. Saved me from a lot of work, I tell you that.” His smile was back. “You know it cannot manifest in the girls, don’t be too harsh on him. In the end, he is the one who has to suffer from it alone.” He was right, bloodluss, much like HIV, remained dormant in all, but his genes. A tragic conclusion doctors arrived at after countless tests. “We don’t know why, but it only affects him” they said.

After a good fifteen minute walk, Elric joins us on the path.

“Hey Elric, how are you?” He shrugs, then carries on walking ahead of us. We follow him.

“Patrick told me what you did, and we came up with a punishment” He nods, seemingly uninterested in the news.

“As such, “ Patrick carried on from my words “I think a small fine would do, don’t you think, Elric?” He started deviating from the footpath onto the grass. “We agreed at a thousand dollars. I would give you some work around the house, then you could slowly pay it back. Not too bad, don’t you think?”

We arrived at what seemed to be several small domes made of sticks and plastic. It reminded me of a typical greenhouse. Me and Patrick were dumbfounded. There were not here at my last visit, two months ago, and judging by the fact that his smile was gone, Patrick never knew of these as well.

“What’s.. “ I started, but I didn’t get to finish.

Elric went to one of the domes and lifted it up.

“The leaves!” Patrick gasped. All the leaves have been gathered under these domes and prepared for fermentation.

“You should be able to use them as fertilizer in the spring, or sell them. It should save you from buying the fertilizer you are using every year. How much was that?”

“Thirteen thousand.” Patrick finished. “How did you know?”

Elric was moving away now, ignoring his question. The conversation wasn’t interesting for him anymore.

“Are you sure, Patrick?” I ask.

“Very sure. Actually, this is much more than I usually use.. ten times more.. how come I never thought of using leaves for it..” He was genuinely surprised. As was I.

“Freid, you have to take him to the capital, teach him. He is wasting his life here. He has nothing to learn from me anymore.. “

I nod in agreement.

“He is a genius, Freid. Don’t let his disease outcast him”

And it didn’t. Standing now in front of me was the greatest living composer. Aloof and silent, he brought to life music I never thought I would hear in my life.

And, standing in front of me, was a dying man, at the age of 30, begging for the embrace of death.

“It eats the brain, this disease. I’m surprised he still has any motor function” said those doctors when he was 10, mistaking his silence for a symptom. “He will end up in excruciating pain, unless we euthanize him before the final stage”

And here he was, in his final stage, to the last moment, dedicated to his work.

I stand before his bed and I cannot bear seeing him like this. “Elric..” I utter, almost silent, approaching the bed and placing the mask over his mouth. At least, this would be a quick, painless death.

He opens his eyes, and looks at me with what I feel like, the greatest pain in the world. Tears are now invading my eyes. He nods. Like he always did. He nods.

Then pulls out a dark blue card, to match my eyes.

“You were my voice and my eyes, Freid. I owe to you the life that I lived and the gift of knowing love!”

I look at him again, a smile on his face. His first smile, now, as the gas fills his lungs.

He nods.

Then he nodded no more.