The Lost Heir

Chapter 7

"Sorry, here's a little food for you like you need," she said as he handed it over while watching Ferdinand. There was a sense of dread at the man's appearance, so shabby with long hair and a mustache and beard covering his face.

"Thank you," Ferdinand accepted it without looking directly at her.

"Well, if you'll excuse me," she said as he got into the car and drove away.

Ferdinand held the package of bread with trembling hands because he couldn't hold back his hunger without waiting anymore, he immediately ate it until it was finished and the mineral water was gulped down. 

"He left? Even though I was going to say thank you, '' Ferdinand thought.

After regaining his strength Ferdinand tried to enter the hospital so sure that just saying his father's name everyone would immediately deliver him to the room he was looking for.

"Hello, I'd like to see someone inside," Ferdinand said kindly.

"Excuse me sir, what do you need to come here?" asked the security guard at the lobby door.

"I want to visit my parents," Ferdinand replied firmly.

The security noticed Ferdinand's appearance from head to toe and immediately suspected that this man was just a lost madman or maybe a criminal who was trying to infiltrate, previously there had never been anyone with a homeless appearance who dared to approach because the hospital was only for the upper class.

"What are your parents' names? What room are they in?" asked the security with a firmer voice.

"Levin Johansson, that's my parents' name, let's take me to his room!" said Ferdinand, not wanting to be outdone by the arrogant attitude of the security.

The security did not want to reply to Ferdinand's sentence, instead he was seen trying to contact several of his colleagues so that within seconds they came in three people.

"Throw him out! The intruder who tried to enter Mr. Levin's room!" the security ordered several of his colleagues.

"What do you mean intruder? I am Mr. Levin Johansson's son, how dare you call me an intruder?!" replied Ferdinand unhappily. Hearing the words of the seedy man, security was even more convinced that the man was an insane person who dared to presumptuously claim to be the son of Mr. Levin who had been buried.

"Get out of here you bum!" he snapped as the three burly men grabbed Ferdinand's hands and mercilessly dragged him out of the hospital and threw him around so badly that he fell to the ground.

"How dare they treat me like this?! Ferdinand stared angrily but he decided against it because no one would recognize him.

The two brothers did not realize that they were standing under the same roof in the same building, except that Andie was more respected because he was currently in charge of managing the entire Johansson family fortune.

 "Are you going straight back to the house sir?" asked Doni after opening the car door.

"Yes, I need to rest Doni because I'm dizzy from listening to Uncle Levin's ramblings and Aunt Camilla's complaints for hours." Andie massaged his forehead after sitting down and putting on the seat belt.

"Yes sir," Doni nodded and started the car's engine then started driving down the highway.

"I won't be coming to the office tomorrow, you take care of everything Doni, don't miss anything!" said Andie.

"Yes, young master?" replied Doni happily.

"I'm going to a place to spend time with the girls that have been booked," he replied with a sly smile.

"Yes, sir." Doni understood his master's habit, he just nodded obediently and kept all of Andie's personal secrets.

Andie and Doni's departure attracted the attention of Ferdinand who was sitting at the hospital gate thinking about his future plans, but the car that had just come out deliberately released smoke into his face so that the poor man coughed.

"What the hell, but isn't that the car Andie used? So Andie was visiting my father?" Ferdinand's gaze lit up, he thought nothing of Andie's presence his father must have been lied to by his cousin.

Ferdinand felt uneasy as he tried to rack his brains for another way to sneak into the hospital so he could immediately see his father.

In the middle of his decision, a car that had just left the hospital yard suddenly stopped at the side of the road, a woman got out of the car and was seen opening the hood as if trying to fix something, Ferdinand observed it from afar and felt he recognized her.

"Isn't she the woman who gave me food this afternoon?" Ferdinand tried to sharpen his vision.

"What's going on? Why did it have to break down at a time like this?" She complained. From her movements Ferdinand could sense that the woman was having a hard time.

"Excuse me, sorry, can I help you?" asked Ferdinand after crossing the road and venturing closer.

The woman was stunned by Ferdinand's appearance since she was focused on trying to tinker with the car engine so she didn't hear any footsteps approaching.

"No, thank you," she said hurriedly, looking frightened at the appearance of the tramp-like man who approached.

"It looks like your car engine is having some trouble, can I help you fix it?" Ferdinand tried to speak as politely as possible so as not to frighten the figure in front of him.

"Thank you, but I can call the nearest garage," she refused, but her heart was beating anxiously because the streets were also deserted because it was late.

"Don't be afraid, I just want to help, after all, it's late, maybe the nearest workshop is also closed, just think of my help as a thank you for the food you gave me this afternoon," said Ferdinand trying to convince.

"Food? You mean the bread from this afternoon?" The woman seemed to have just remembered and ventured to look more clearly at the figure in front of her.

"Yes, I'm the starving man you helped this afternoon. I don't know how I would have fared without your help," said Ferdinand, slightly developing a smile.

"It's nothing just sharing," the woman replied rather awkwardly.

"May I try to check the engine of your car?" asked Ferdinand politely.

"Very well, please." The woman finally consented.

Ferdinand tried to tinker with the car's engine while the forty-year-old woman quietly watched the man who was helping her. There was a sense of regret that she had considered him a tramp, it turned out that the attitude the man showed contrasted with his sinister appearance.

"Now please try starting the engine," Ferdinand said after a few minutes of trying to fix it. The woman rushed to start the car engine and succeeded and then came back out to meet the man who had helped her with a happy look.

"Thank you very much, I really don't know how to repay your kindness, this is a very meaningful help to me," she said.

"No need, I already said that this is a thank you for the bread you gave," Ferdinand replied with a smile. The woman chuckled, not expecting that the bread given this afternoon was so remembered by this man.