Lutz Running Away from Home

Lutz Running Away from Home

Lutz Running Away from Home

Three days had passed since I ended up bedridden when Tuuli came rushing into the bedroom.

“Oh no, Myne! Lutz ran away from home and he’s not coming back!”

I shot up so fast I fell over forward. “What do you mean, Tuuli? What happened? Is he okay?” I rapidly asked a barrage of questions with my face planted firmly against my bed.

Tuuli winced a little, probably regretting her decision to tell me. She stroked my hair with a worried frown. “Sorry, Myne. I should have waited to tell you until your fever went down. Don’t push yourself, your fever will flare back up.”

“Tell me, Tuuli.” I clasped Tuuli’s hand and repeatedly begged her to tell me, until eventually she let out a defeated sigh.

“...Lay back down, Myne. I’ll go get Ralph. Okay?”

I nodded and Tuuli left the room with a turn. Then I heard her footsteps fade away as she went outside and locked the front door behind her. I strained my ears, waiting for her to come back with my face still planted against the bed.

After a lengthy period of anxiously waiting for Tuuli’s return, I heard returning footsteps, and then the front door being unlocked and opened.

“...Ralph, what happened to Lutz?”

When Ralph came inside with Tuuli and saw me bedridden with a fever, he sighed. “I thought for sure he was camping out here...”

“Didn’t I just tell you? Myne’s been in bed for three days already. No way could she know that Lutz ran away from home yesterday,” said Tuuli with an angry pout.

Ralph apologized for doubting her and turned back to me. “Yesterday, Lutz started yelling at Dad the second he got home. He was all like, ‘Why are you getting in my way?!’ and ‘I’ve put up with you for this long, but not anymore! I’m out of here!’ Then he dashed out, looking crazy mad.”

Ralph’s explanation was all it took for me to realize what happened. Benno had definitely told him why he couldn’t bring him to the other city. That was a relief. I could guess, then, that Benno was looking after Lutz. He wouldn’t be able to adopt him immediately, but he probably would treat him more or less like a son nonetheless.

“Mom’s losing it, but Dad said not to bother since he’ll probably come back soon. I thought he’d be back when he got hungry, but he didn’t come back for breakfast or lunch. I’m getting worried. Do you know where he is, Myne?” asked Ralph, which made me feel uneasy. If Benno was looking over him, then he should be at work. How could they not know where he was?

“You don’t know where he is...? Did he not go to work?”

“Well, uh... We dunno where he works, so...” Ralph avoided looking at me as he spoke.

For a second, I couldn’t comprehend what I had heard. About two and a half months had passed since our baptism, but Lutz had been going to the Gilberta Company since long before becoming an apprentice — almost a full year by now.

“How do you not know? It’s the Gilberta Company, remember?”

“...We know the name ’cause he went to Sieg’s workshop a while ago. But not even Sieg knows where that store is.”

“Are you saying you wouldn’t even know that if Lutz and I hadn’t gone to Sieg’s workshop?” I asked hesitantly, but Ralph just awkwardly looked away without answering. That ticked Tuuli off.

“I can’t believe you! Ralph, you don’t even know where your little brother works?! Don’t you talk about work at home?”

Brothers probably didn’t talk as much as sisters did, but still, not talking to Lutz about work at all was just kinda mean. I wasn’t sure if they just didn’t care or if they were stubbornly avoiding the subject in protest, but still, knowing so little they couldn’t even find him after he ran away from home was really a problem.

I reached out and tightly squeezed Ralph’s shirt. “...Ralph. It might not be my place to say this, but please talk to Lutz more.”

“Lutz is the one who won’t talk. And really, I’m the victim here. Lutz got the job he wanted even though everyone else was against it, and now he just does whatever he wants on his days off without even going to the forest. What’s his problem? He’s got it easy!” Ralph swatted my hand off with his eyes wide with anger.

“Hey! Ralph! Don’t be rough with Myne! She’s still sick!”

“S-Sorry...”