Chapter 14: The Life of Shu

It was gray. Living all alone.

My husband passed away five years ago, his co-workers said he was so fatigued from working that in the middle of transporting a product, he fell off a high cliff and never made it back, the sad fate of my husband shocked me that my child in my womb unfortunately didn't make it to this world. I lived alone and i was not blessed with. A bit fortunate i was, i was within the working class of Jian kingdom, i've had a small house erected at the far village that both me and my husband tried so hard to put our efforts to build, but the village became a wreck when rebels challenged the Jian soldiers and tried to take control of our small homeland. Due to the passing of my mother and father, i could not visit anyone nearby, their house were also emptied and sold, making me at least have extra money for food and living expenses. In addition to all of it, my younger sister was also always away from us that made me, fail to forge a close relationship between us sisters. After years of being away travelling, she decided to live at different kingdoms, i heard she married someone from the neighbouring lands.

As time passes, i grew older and older, the skin of my youth disapearing. Everyday, alone, trying so hard to live alone, was difficult. It was so hard and painful. Everything was so gray to be alone.

I miss my lover.

I miss him so much that it hurts.

I always want you to stay by my side.

I wish you were here.

But I can't always cry.

I can't wait to be with you in the afterlife, Han.

"Mayumi! Go to the river and carry the bucket with you! Bring bathing water back here! Hurry up!"

"Y-yes ma'am.."

"Fuck! You're so slow woman! Hurry it up and get moving!"

"I-im sorry sir.."

"Ugh! So hot im sweaty!"

I currently work at the entertainment district of the Jian kingdom. Though only as a slave that they order around for chores and errands. As someone working at a pleasure house, it was hard and stressful. The mother of the house was strict and the ladies were mean and abusive. But of course, just like me, they have their own reasons for working under the same house, as pitiful and dirty as it goes, i am in no place to say a word.

That cloudy day, when i was being ordered to fetch fresh buckets of water for our guests, it was where i met a child, strangely floating in the riverbank. A child who would bring out a mew reason for me to live again. It was where i met my son, Shu.

I was pacing quickly, scared i might get hit if i came back late. Yet something beside the noise of buckets hitting together caught the attention of my eyes. Closely walking by, i found a floating basket caught between rocks at the river, the wood looked nicely carved and birch. In the middle of pulling it out of the water, i noticed that it's a little heavy. So i thought;

'Something must be in there..'

And then there, just when i took off the lid of the basket, i saw a baby, lying asleep so soundly.

"What's the meaning of this?! Mayumi?! Have i told you the rules of the house?! How you dare bring your nasty child into my house!" The mother of the house screamed at the top of her lungs, electrified at the sight of a child like it was a living epidemic.

Mayumi held her veil and wrapped it around the baby's body, trying to warm it up. "T-the baby is not mine ma'am.. i just found him near the river.." hugged her. "If we could just help—"

The beautiful looking woman threw a face powder to Mayumi, yelling, "Like fuck i care! In any case! Bringing babies at a pleasure house is prohibited! Babies are disgusting! Urgh!! They are the end of one's youth!"

Mayumi gripped the soundly sleeping baby harder around her hold. "But ma'am.."

The ungraceful lady clicked her tongue, "If you won't obey, then leave the house and take that away with you! Ha! Try out if someone will hire such a empty headed wacko like you!"

A sliding of the door were heard, and the clacks of someone's heels were heard. "Mother~ your best selling lady is home from her duty~ your monthly money greeting has come!" Playfully said a drunk-like walking beautiful woman wearing a beautiful silk dress.

The angered lady suddenly flashed so brightly that she was almost unrecognizable. "Oh my!~ Mai~ if it isn't my beautiful lady, how was it? Did you get the minister's heart pounding?! Haha!!!" Teased her, Mai flushing and squealing after.

She then handed a bag full of ringing coins, making the owner of the pleasure house smile brightly. "Of course! And his purse were left to dust!~ leave it to your best lady ma'am~"

Mayumi looked down, seeing the baby in distress, in the verge of crying. "I'll take my leave then." She said quickly, turning her back and pacing away.

"Eh? Who is she?" Mai raised her brows so high it would reach her forehead.

Then the woman clicked her tongue and scoffed, "As if i care! Leave! Both you and your ugly tow child!" Mai looked like puking at the word "child"

"Ugh a child."

*

Under the roof of a small house in a poor village, Mayumi smiled dearly at the boy feeding on her breasts, rocking him to sleep silently. The wind blew gently and the curtains of the small house softly wagged around the air.

'Now everything is white'

"The winds who i dearly love also adores you, my son.." She whispers softly, the soft white veil covering her beautiful face fell down as she chuckled away, humming a sweet lullaby to her baby on her arms.

"Shu. A name so generously spirited, gentle and loving. Take on the sound of the warm breeze, and live freely just like the wind."

*

"So.. you adopted me mother?" Asked the eleven year old Shu earnestly, his hair close to the color of ash. Time passed and the small baby at the arms of Mayumi learned to walk, talk and is now turned into a very warm hearted boy.

His mother nodded, with an unsure look plastered at her face. "With the unforseen circumstances that happened eleven years ago, Yes, I decided to take care of you and nurture you to be like a kind hearted man like my lover Han, your father." Mayumi frowned, sighing. "Im sorry Shu... For keeping it all hidden from you. But i figured out, as your mother i should tell you sooner.."

Mayumi worriedly looked at her son's face. "Shu? Are you angry—"

Shu's eyes were calm, as pale as an amethyst, yet in some way, it twinkles so brightly when he looks at his dear mother. "I would never be angry for your kindness mother, i thank you.. for taking in someone like me." Smiled him, and held her mother's hand, kissing it.

"Shu.." Mayumi teared up, grasping her son's face so gently, and hugging her son.

Shu smiled at his mother, eyes filled with hope. "I'll repay my gratitude to you, mother. Soon I'll buy you a beautiful silk and then build us a house with a fine garden beside a big blue falls. We'll live there and you won't need to work anymore! The life so perfect it would feel like paradise! I swear I'll make it to reality!" Shu exclaimed with such bright smiles at his face, his eyes in crescents.

"Shu..... Shu, my boy!" Cried out Mayumi, hugging her son even more tighter.

"Just give me time mother." Said Shu.

"Take as much as you want Shu. But remember me clearly, nevermind the place, anywhere would be fine as long as i have you by my side."

"I love you so much Shu my boy.." Then the lovely mother laughed and rained kisses at her son's face, terrible laughs and fit of giggles brought joy and filled their hearts.

Then suddenly a high pitched voice of a boy rang around the small house of Shu and Mayumi. "—Shuu! Let's go playyy!!" Shouted the small Dan, Shu's friend.

Shu looked at his mother who laughed wholeheartedly at her son's face. "Go on. I'll make dinner."

Shu's face beamed, "Mm!" The sparkles everywhere.

"I'll be home before the night arrives!" Yelled Shu as he ran outside the wooden house and ran along his friend;

"Lets go, Dan!!"

*

[Two years ago]

"P-please give it back to me! That's my mom's—"

In a place, in the lands of an abandoned village, a small black haired boy sobbed helplessly, trying to reach a certain shiny item in the high hold of Jirobu, a boy with an unnatural body height that makes you assume he is not a nine year old boy like Dannozen, the thin boy who always get picked on because of his small shoulders and build as he's a malnourished one, with both his parents gone, he is living off his own, refusing to be taking in for one of the Jian kingdom's orphanages. Using his parent's remaining money insurance and their tiny house, he tries to live off his own.

"Please give it back!! Jirobu!!" Dan jumps, trying to snatch away his necklace back, but the two tall friends of Jirobu just laughed at his futile efforts.

Jirobu raised it higher, making its stone shine in the the light. "Huuh?! Why do you even want this necklace you tiny rat?! Its so ugly!" He brought it down to flick it, Dan flinched and felt his heart squeeze, scared to see his mother's necklace crumble down in front of him.

"Just give it back to me please, i dont want to l-lose it..." He began tearing up again, feeling so small, while the three of the bigger boys laughed.

"Ah~ okay then. Get it yourself!" Jirobu then threw the necklace at the dirty waterway, its waters were almost brown in thick mud that was flowing along it.

Dan shrieked and gasped, his eyes almost popping out of his skull and his veins grew at his forehead, so angry he could just pop off. "No!!!! How could you?!"

"How could i?! Of course i can! You fucking girl! You're so weak! You should be ashamed you're the same as us!" Dan gritted his teeth, slumping down at the ground and gripped the grass, looking at the small stream of mud flowing, unable to see his necklace. Either because of the mud or because of his tears at his eyes.

Then a cold breeze sent chills down their spine, someone silently walked past them and bent down, his back facing Dan and the others. The boy then stepped inside the waterway and then unexpectedly dipped both his hands at the thick mud and grime, as if searching for something.

"Why did you do that?" Asked the tall, ash haired boy, pulling out a chain and then the full necklace out of the muddy water. Dan gasped, it was his.

Jirobu raised his brows as well as his voice. "Huh?! Why do you care?! Who even are you, are friends of this girly?! HAHAHAHAH"

He exited the waterway and walked to where Dan was, then he looked at the small boy, asking softly, "Did he do something to you?"

"N-no! He's always the one who keeps making fun of me! Throwing all of my stuff! And now even my mother's parting gift!" Replied Dan with a very angry voice yet also shaky.

The ash haired boy then looked at Jirobu, asking, "Did he do something to you then?"

Jirobu scoffed, leaning at the newcomer who seems unfazed of his presence. "Why the fuck should i answer someone like you?! You're even smaller than me! Why would i even be scared of you?!"

"Why, aren't you? I just asked you one question and you came to the conclusion that you're not going to be afraid of me, are you that of a coward to be inferior?" Calmly asked him back to Jirobu who went fully red from the insults.

"WHAT YOU WANNA FIGHT HUH?! YOU FUCKER! YOU JUST CAME HERE AND WHAT TO LECTURE ME? YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE SO GREAT? THE FUCK YOU SAYING?"

"You're just at the same age as us nine year olds, so stop squabbling curses like a baby and apologize to him for what you did."

"Why would i even apologize?! To a weak trash like him?! He should just go die!"

The ash haired boy sighed and stood beside Dan, asking again, "What did he even do to annoy you to this level of harassment?" He followed up, "Or are you just afraid that if you bonded with someone like us you'll grow 'weak' as well?"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!—"

"It doesn't mean that if you're tall, you're strong overall, whatever way of ill-treatment you give to the likes of him, you'll never break his spirit just because of your insults."

"AND WHY THE HELL NOT?"

"Because he has me as his friend."

Dan shivered and looked up at the stranger standing up for him.. "You.."

The boy said, "Being stronger doesn't always mean you get to play like a thug and trample on someone else's life everytime. You may be strong but you can't do anything but hurt others, not protect them. And doing something as low like that just means you're weak."

His enemy has been enraged, his huge forehead full of veins. "Who do you even think you are?! What the fuck are you saying?! Me?! Weak?! Fight me!"

The boy calmly says again, "Nothing good comes from initiating violence, you know that blood doesn't solve anything, but exchanging words do. Didn't your mother teach you not to fight others?"

Jirobu quietened, unable to say anything then suddenly screaming off, "I—!!! My mother—!! Fuck! You're just scared that I'll beat the shit out of you!"

"Punch me if you want. But the fact that im strong won't ever change." He stood in front of Dan, shielding the small boy behind him.

"Strong?! What's strong if you get punched and kicked?! HAHAHAHAH you must be an idiot!" The three of the tall boys laughed, Jirobu mostly leading them.

The wind turned too cold.

"Im strong because im protecting someone. The strong are born to protect the weak. It's the duty of those who we're born with a stronger resolve."

With no more words to say, and the sun nearly going down, Jirobu unexpectedly comes down, backing out, as if he just saw something that scared him. "I- I'll be back for you!"

The ash haired boy sighed, looking at the necklace at his palm. "I'm sorry, this world is really just full of people like him, someone who feels superior and belittles others... Come with me, let's try to clean your necklace."

Dan, with things that wanted to talk about, had followed the boy who just saved him from the trouble of digging up the waterway to search for his mom's necklace after the routine of getting beat up from Jirobu and his gang.

After he get his cleaned necklace by the help of the river, the two boys sat at the hill, with the sun setting before their eyes.

When the wind blew, Dan lowly says, "I'm... I'm really grateful i am... But why.. why did you save someone as feeble like me?" Dan plucked the grass out of the ground.

The boy beside him who handed him the good as new necklace then replied. "My mother once told me that, those who were born with a cast-iron will for peace, are those who are stronger. And those who try to harm fragile hearts who thinks they are superior, are the people who are powerless. And people who are born stronger than the rest, have the duty to protect those who needs their strength.."

"But maybe i did that just because i don't have a brother." the boy the laughed.

Dan looked down, the grass spot by his hand now looking bald. "Earlier... If.. if that was you who had been in my place, would you have been angry and punched them in the face?"

"Naturally as anyone would behave, i would be angry, but i dont think i could do that." The boy looked at the far horizon, staring at the sun and orange clouds.

"What? I mean, how could you even stay so calm?"

"Stay calm and you'll win anything, my mother taught me that. Think things twice, thrice even five times before you say anything and always stay calm."

Dan, who didn't had her mother beside him, felt sad and nostalgic, a bit regretful and jealous at the same time. "Um.. i think, you really have a very nice mother.."

"I do have a nice mother."

"Um, thank you for saving my necklace.."

"Mm. The wind sounds gentle..."

"?.."

"What's your name?" Asked the boy

"A-ah.. Dannozen... My name is Dannozen Berin.. I'm from the this town, and uhm my house is right down that hill near the mills, i live alone.. i may be at the same age as you! Oh.., i uh.. and you?"

"The name is Shu." Shu then added, looking at Dan, "Have you had dinner, Dan?"

*

"Oh! How lovely! Your first friend Shu!"

The night began and the three of them dined in at the small house of Shu and his mother, the fire softly crackling at the back.

Shu scratched his head, "Mm.. can he stay here for tonight? His house is far and its night time, its dangerous to go out at this time isn't it mom?"

"Why yes! Letting you stay here wouldn't hurt, pass the night here Dan, my boy! I heard you also live alone so its better to have company when sleeping isn't it?" Mayumi smiled brightly, bringing in memories of Dan's mother again. He felt warm and nice once again.

"If.. if you insist auntie..." Replied Dan.

Shu then butted in, praising, "As always mother, your soup always tastes the best.."

Dan little by little licking his spoonful of soup thought inside his head; 'Is he serious? Even i cook better though? This tastes like overcooked and slimy cabbage soup. Foul.'

Shu's head snapped to Dan, his eyes saying; 'Eat it or I'll throw you outside.'

Dan flinched and sweat emerged, immediately saying, "T-this tastes so great auntie!"

"Oh! Would you like another serving?" Exclaimed the beautiful mother immediately.

Dan flinched and sweats ran down his forehead. "A-ah no!!! This suffices my stomach!! Hahaha!"

"Is that so! This auntie is happy you like my soup!"

Then Shu started laughing, then his mother and the rest of them.

Dan smiled, he once again felt home.

'Thank you Shu.'