Green Eyes of the Suburb

S1E4

For a while, Tama was processing what happened. To think that, it is indeed a weird phenomenon, just like in the morning that haunted him this whole day.

Crash. Destroyed. Awake. No injuries, even at the slightest. A large owl, that talks. Of course, it sounds like Tama’s mind can’t let go of such a thing, that it reappeared again in the form of a dream, with a snake this time.

“Maybe it really was just a weird dream, and I got really lucky to survived all that,” he thought, shrugged it off. “I feel better now, anyway. Healthy and shine!”

This additional feeling he had right now after things looked normal again, he couldn’t describe it other than that he felt very energetic, as if batteries were charged to the fullest.

“Tama,” his mother’s voice called from the corridor. “If you are relatively fine now after the accident, I need you to restock the water gallon. Can you do it for me?”

Tama paused.

“But our motorcycle got crashed and totally broken,” he replied, possibly more as an excuse than an actual rationale. "I don't think we have another device to carry it around with ease and precision? How else are we gonna bring it to the house? The store where we often buy gallons is pretty far from here.”

With a sigh, his mother said in a slightly frustrated tone, “Go walk to the nearby store then. I don’t care if it’s a bit more expensive. We need it, urgently.”

As long as Tama is fine, she didn’t really care about the details of the crash. Either way she still asked for the clarity of drinking stock for a few days, which is by the look of the gallon they had right now, got emptied.

That spiky haired boy didn’t argue. He soon scanned his whole memory where the nearest store was to restock the gallons.

Oh, that's the convenience store that Janie works at.

That thought alone was enough to made him go away from home without any hesitation. After all, being unemployed for months, Tama often felt socially isolated, and the convenience store might be the only place where he could talk to someone without it feeling forced or bothering their own business.

It only took Tama a minute to walk to the convenience store with an empty gallon.

When Tama arrived, he saw Janie busy doing stock, and not on the cashier desk where she is usually visible in hours.

Tama didn’t approach nervously to gain his primary drive, which is refilling the gallon.

“If you want to fill or exchange the gallon with a new one, go over there by your own,” she pointed her finger to the left corner of the room, while doing her work filling the shelves.

Tama nodded. “Alright.”

Even though it was morning, she looked like she barely had any rest. Her vibe is always cold, but not the distant cold kind, more like someone who still listens if you speak first but won't overreact or reply in enthusiasm.

Afterward, Tama went to the checkout counter with Janie close behind, paused her work to restock the shelves.

“Hey, how’s your day been?” Tama asked, trying to sound casual, while she was doing the count right after Tama gave her the money. Hadn’t talked for so long it felt like breaking some invisible wall and nobody knows her current condition, expect him, as his deluded mind stated.

“I’m fine,” the voice Janie used was very stoic and toneless. Tama thought it was depressing, the kind of fine that really isn’t, despite its usually cold.

At the same time, Tama felt the urge to share the strange thing he experienced earlier. Maybe because Janie was someone who wouldn’t just laugh at him, or possibly disbelief him.

“Janie. You see, I barely even go here to refill or buy gallons. Something happened to me this morning that made me go here,” Tama continued, despite the lack of enthusiasm Janie has. “I had a bike accident.”

“Oh!?” that’s where she changed her expression to be less cold and pessimistic from usual. “If so, are you okay?”

“Yeah. Motorcycle broken, though. I don’t know if my savings able to fill that up or taking a credit. Nah, not credit. Hard for me, I’m currently have no work,” Tama dismissed. “I also witness strange things after. I am not sure if that just my hallucination of a little skull damage, but I saw a giant talking owl. It had very bright, neon green eyes that almost dazzling my eyes.”

“Green eyes?”

Ah yes, that’s the look of a ponytail girl who got more invested than she was before.

“And now I don’t think my mind can ever let go that weirdness,” Tama continued. “I have witnessed a talking snake under my dream when I slept half an hour ago, it yelled at me. It seemed my mind keep circling on that.”

As she gave him the change, Janie commented, “That reminds me of a myth.”

“What myth?” Tama never really aware the legends around his own district, he never interested in it.

“About green eyes stuff. Not many people talk about it anymore. Often supernatural related.”

Tama suddenly remembered the slight green tint he saw in the mirror earlier on his eyes. Now after Janie mentioned it, he came back to confusion wherever what happened to him in the morning is real or part of the dream, or even some leftover brain glitch from the crash.

“Okay… do you often… engage in this kind of stuff?” Tama asked. “I mean, do people still talk about supernatural things like that? Like, older people maybe? I don’t really know anyone young into that.”

“What?” Janie’s tone shifted, slightly annoyed. She thought Tama was mocking her for being old fashioned thinker.

Tama stayed quiet for a moment. He didn’t want to embarrass himself further, so he just let that slide. “Um, what does that indicate, though?”

After a moment of silence, Janie added,

“I forgot what, but its not good and negative. Those green soft lenses trend being called ugly, if you ever heard, is blocked on purpose,” Janie explained. “Honestly, I like them, but most people say it looks ugly, and that’s because their parents say it’s ugly color.”

Janie then sighed, not in relief. “Somehow, I wish I can go like those who went to colleges and those who able to work outside this place. But, money’s tight.”

Just then, the customer standing behind Tama coughed, clearly impatient, like someone who didn’t want to wait in line for some weird chat.