Chapter 2 Part 2_ About Ghost

"When will the results of Ainsley's research hypothesis come out? Do you think I'm not tired of being like this? Your child is getting weirder by the day. Talking to himself, laughing to himself-even yesterday I saw him talking to a tree in front of the house. I cried so much when I saw him."

Carel looked indifferent, took off his tie, and sat cross-legged in front of the television. Carel had just come home from a business trip, but instead of getting a cup of coffee from his wife, Carel instead got unreasonable chatter about his only daughter.

"Are you listening to me? Your child seems crazy, mentally damaged. I can accept that Ainsley can see invisible creatures, but it's getting worse by the day." Cleyrin grumbled again. Pulling the TV remote from Carel's hand and throwing it away, who knows where.

"I don't know if Ainsley is just joking or if it's true. But Ainsley's brain is starting to go awry! Every day, Ainsley knows what I want to do and what I'm thinking; she even said there's a long-haired devil following me all the time." While applying powder to her face, Cleyrin continued to vent about Ainsley.

Being left alone with Ainsley really made Cleyrin uncomfortable. Every day the child had a hobby of scaring her, cursed Carel, who was home once a week because he was a workaholic.

Even Cleyrin wasn't sure if her husband knew how their only daughter had grown up until she was now 18 years old.

It was getting stranger by the day, and Cleyrin had to be more careful with her own child. Of course, Cleyrin was worried and scared. In between being a career woman, Cleyrin also felt like a single parent to Ainsley.

"I'm going to the mall with Karyne, your son will be home soon. Remind Ainsley to eat, and don't forget to take a nap. Don't think about anything weird if you don't want Ainsley to read your mind."

"Lulu honey!" Ainsley smiled thinly, carrying a large brownish-black Bulldog in her arms. It has become a habit. The bulldog named Lulu always waits for Ainsley outside the fence of her luxurious house. Like now, the dog that was a 15th birthday present for Ainsley from Carel was relaxing under Mr. Udin's mango tree---their next door neighbor.

"Lulu, don't wait for Ainsley all the time, okay? Isn't Lulu bored here?" Ainsley talked to her dog, kissing the dog because she was so adorable.

Until the sun began to sting and Ainsley looked up only to stare far into the mango tree that was starting to bear fruit, Ainsley was shocked. Her black eyes glared sharply.

"Hey, what are you doing there? Are you a new resident? Yesterday, the girl in the red dress, why is she a handsome man like you now?" With three strange questions coming out of Ainsley's mouth, the girl was ignored by the invisible creature she had just spoken to.

"Hey....." Ainsley widened her eyes, lowering Lulu from her arms. "Don't eat the leaves. You're so weird haha, come with me home, Ainsley will feed you.

The elementary school kids who happened to be passing by gaped for a moment then ran away shouting "CRAZY PERSON....." Ainsley, who was the suspect, seemed to purse her lips, even though Ainsley was quite sane! They were the only ones who couldn't see what Ainsley saw.

"Ainsley is being called crazy by those kids, you are!" Ainsley grumbled in annoyance. The girl looked up again. The astronomical creature dressed all in white was still continuing to eat the mango leaves even though it was very clear that there were mangoes there.

"Don't eat the leaves!" Ainsley said, forbidding him. "Mr. Udin is a fierce person. Later I'll say that if you eat Mr. Udin's mango leaves until half of them fall off. If you don't want to, I'll tell you, come down here." Ainsley gave a choice. Her face was very adorable.

"Hey devil!! Do you hear me?" Finally, Ainsley got angry. Picking up a pebble and throwing it right at the creature, even though it was just a small wind, it was definitely felt by the creature.

Lulu, who had been quietly observing her master, started to act up, biting Ainsley's shoelace as if to say, "Let's go home, don't steal Mr. Udin's mangoes."

"OMG, how can ghosts eat leaves?" Ainsley scratched her head. Ainsley was kind enough to offer delicious food at home, but mango leaves seemed to be her top priority.

"HANDSOME GHOST IN WHITE.... COME DOWN HERE DON'T EAT MANGO LEAVES. YOU'D BETTER EAT FRIED CHICKEN AT MY HOUSE.... FREE!!!"

After screaming as loudly as possible, Ainsley took a deep breath. People who happened to pass by just shook their heads, seeing Ainsley's strange behavior.

Like everyday food, they understood very well who Ainsley was. Turning to the invisible creature, the handsome man with a mouth full of mango leaves was speechless.

The activity of stuffing as many mango leaves as possible into his mouth and then swallowing it, stopped. Staring straight at Ainsley, then surprised again when Ainsley instead stared back at him as if the girl could see him.

Not yet convinced, the creature pointed at itself after looking here and there that there were no creatures like it up here.

"Yes, you're handsome," said Ainsley.

The sudden strong wind made the handsome creature lose his balance and lie helplessly on the ground.

"It turns out that ghosts can be awkward too," Ainsley said softly, walking closer to the creature, standing right in front of the body that still faithfully closed its eyes.

"Don't eat mango leaves. How about eating at my house?" Ainsley pointed towards her house.

"No need to look like that, don't be afraid, I can see you." The ghost should have said that to Ainsley, but instead it was the opposite.

Worse, the ghost was the one who looked scared.

"I just want to get to know you, you're handsome," Ainsley said kindly. The handsome man had started to straighten his body in front of Ainsley, although he was still afraid.

"Let me introduce myself, I'm Ainsley," Ainsley said while holding out her hand. A second later she realized and chuckled.

"You're icy, huh? Like you're standing at the North Pole," Ainsley said innocently. Standing close to the handsome ghost in white. A little strange because this figure gave off a strange aura that Ainsley had never encountered in a creature like her.

"Follow me," Ainsley finally said, ignoring her thoughts, especially since no matter how much Ainsley talked, the creature just kept quiet and didn't answer, just tilted its head, smiled and then went silent. It didn't make a sound.

Even so, the handsome creature really followed Ainsley's steps from behind.

***

"Daddy!" Ainsley ran into her father's arms. It was unusual for Carel to come home this late at night. Ainsley was really happy.

"My love, my beauty, my happiness, my sun...." Carel returned his daughter's warm hug.

Beside the intimate scene of father and daughter, there was Cleyrin who was nodding incoherently because she was not allowed to go out, even though she was ready to shop at the biggest shopping center in their city. Just because Cleyrin didn't want to make Carel's coffee and snapped a little earlier, her husband got angry.

Carel kissed Ainsley's forehead briefly, cupping his daughter's chubby cheeks as if observing every part of Ainsley's face in more detail. His only daughter, a daughter who looked 85% like her.

"What's wrong with Daddy's sun? Why are her eyes swollen like this?" Carel asked seriously. Cleyrin, who was busy with her cellphone, began to be distracted by the two of them.

"Ainsley is crying? Who made Mommy's most beautiful, cute, sweet daughter in the universe, hm? Crying to the point of being ugly like this, why, hm?"

Not answering immediately, Ainsley just nodded unclearly, then carried Lulu back. "Ainsley isn't crying, Ainsley is just sad because the birthday cake that Ainsley surprised Alfred with was thrown away."

Her mommy immediately understood, putting on a sour face hearing the sincere explanation from her innocent daughter. "Thrown away by Alfred?" she asked to make sure. Actually, Cleyrin was just making small talk because, after that, she would take steps to leave the house. The make-up she had put on would be wasted if she didn't go to the mall with her best friend.

Ainsley nodded in response. "Alfred was angry with Ainsley because Ainsley hid his motorbike key. In fact, Ainsley just didn't want Alfred to go home before the cake from Ainsley arrived. Mommy knows that Ainsley doesn't know where Alfred's house is. If Ainsley knew, Ainsley would have taken the cake to Alfred's house right away."

As Ainsley's explanation was written in great detail, Cleyrin immediately hugged Ainsley while stroking the top of her daughter's head.

The child's feelings for her first love were so heavy. If only Carel hadn't been so crazy, maybe Ainsley would have been fine. Now Carel's dominant side was decreasing towards Ainsley.

Cleyrin was helpless but to support him, because the man her daughter loved was too handsome according to Cleyrin's criteria.

"Ainsley has to be more enthusiastic. Don't give up." Cleyrin encouraged her.

On the other hand, they forgot about Carel in their conversation. Cleyrin and Ainsley looked at each other for a moment then cleared their throats to find the best way out.

"Alfred who?" Carel's deep voice questioned. "Ainsley still remember Daddy's rules? BEFORE DADDY ALLOWS IT AND BEFORE DADDY KNOWS THE MAN----AINSLEY IS NOT ALLOWED TO DATE." Carel said in a loud voice full of emphasis.

Ainsley lowered her head weakly, her mouth that blurted out had revealed many things in front of her father. "Ainsley is not dating, Ainsley is just in love." The girl dared to look up at Carel.

"Ainsley knows that Daddy loves Ainsley very much, but Daddy also has to know that those feelings cannot be disturbed. Daddy, don't worry, Daddy is still number one in Ainsley's heart"

"Ain----"

"Come on Rel, you're a young person. It's like you've never been young." Before Carel got angrier, Cleyrin had prepared many things.

"Ainsley's love is also your heritage. Ainsley loving someone who doesn't love her is also your heritage. The law of nature is not going anywhere, Rel, it's natural."

"BUT AINSLEY IS STILL SMALL, SHE CAN'T HAVE A BOYFRIEND YET!!" Carel was getting more and more insistent.

"Daddy is so possessive. Just say you're jealous if your daughter is close to other men besides you. Ainsley is already a grown-up. Don't overdo it as a parent."

"Cleyrin...."

"Rel! Come on. You've heard for yourself that Ainsley doesn't have a boyfriend. Your daughter can't possibly love you alone in her life, let alone let you know that Alfred is very handsome. I like him."

"Anyway, I don't agree. Ainsley shouldn't be close to anyone besides me."

The argument between Mommy and Daddy was a great opportunity for Ainsley. Slowly, Ainsley took steps to leave, to get away from the commotion before her Daddy held an impromptu trial.

"Ainsley?!"