Chapter 4: Mission Board
When he finally reached the spot where his tent was supposed to be, Ari saw an empty spot with two old women standing around and chatting with each other with worried expressions.
One was a short Korean grandmother with a black curly bob and large brown eyes, dressed in a pink tracksuit and holding a matching pink cane.
The other was slightly taller, with long silvery blond hair and piercing blue eyes, and was dressed in a matching pink tracksuit.
When they spotted him, they stood up and began approaching as fast as they could.
"Grandma Kim, Grandma Lisa, you're here. I'm sorry I couldn't meet up with you yesterday. I ran into some...problems." Ari greeted them with a cheeky smile, then winced as his face hurt.
"Who cares about that! You're alive. And you stink." Grandma Kim immediately plugged her nose while looking at him worriedly.
"Did somebody beat you up? Your phone didn't go through. Was it those nasty foster parents of yours? Or these street thugs again? Ari! I keep telling you it's dangerous out here! Now that your tent is gone, just come and stay with us, like I keep telling you. We'll sneak you into the nursing home, and if any of those nasty nurses say anything, Grandma Kim can whack them with her cane, which she pretends not to use in front of you. Oh, my baby. Look at your pretty face. It's so swollen I can't even recognize you anymore."
Grandma Lisa hovered her hands over his face, her wispy hair flying as she circled him like a puppy, wanting to touch him but too afraid.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I got beaten up and robbed on my way back yesterday and accidentally fell into a...dumpster. But it's okay. I'm fine. You ladies should head back. I'll need to get cleaned up and figure out what to do about my tent and stuff."
Giving them a wan smile, Ari pointed to the empty space where his tent was supposed to be.
Everything was gone entirely, leaving behind the flattened patch of ground.