Chapter 1

Arley pov.

The rain that was quite heavy had been pouring down on my body, which was still standing in the cemetery area. It was as if the sky was crying as well as me.

In front of me, beneath the mounds of ground, lies the very figure I love the most in this world. He's gone forever, leaving me and Papa.

She's my mom.

The woman my dad and I love so much. Now he has left us both without a word of farewell.

If my Mama would wait for me for a while until I got home from school, and drop him off for shopping at the supermarket near our house as usual. Surely he is still by my side and Papa. He would still welcome me home from school, hug me and give me a welcome kiss. I will still be able to see his gentle smile as well as his shady gaze. But now, he's gone. My mom is gone forever.

Mama ! Why did you leave me too papa in this way Ma?

After this, how should I live alone with Papa?

Arley pov.

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Author pov.

"Come on son, let's go home." Invite Adam - Arley's father - patted his son's shoulder.

"Very soon. I still want to be with Mama." Arley refused softly to his father.

"But it's pouring rain, son. You can get sick if it continues to rain." Adam rebuked gently. He knows how sad his son is because his mother left him forever.

"But I still want to be with Mama." He said sadly, crying in the pouring rain that made him shiver with cold.

"Let's go home first, and tomorrow you can come here again. Ok." His father persuaded patiently.

"But poor mama alone here, Pa." Arley was still arguing with his father. Reluctant to leave the tomb of the woman he loves so much.

"Mama is at peace with God son. And Mama would not like it if you tortured yourself like this."

Arley fell silent hearing his father's words. But in his mind justify his father's words. His mother would not like it if he got sick. With a heavy heart, Arley finally nodded, obeying his father's invitation to go home. After all, tomorrow he can still visit his mother's grave again.

It's almost a half an hour drive from eating to his house complex. It's not too far if taken by vehicle, but it's not too tiring to walk to the cemetery area.

Arriving at his house, Arley immediately cleaned himself and changed his clothes to warmer ones. Arley sat quietly in his room with his mother's portrait in his lap.

His eyes stared ahead blankly. Thinking about what happened this afternoon that could turn his life upside down a hundred and eighty degrees.

The warmth she used to always get from her mother is now gone. The screams that would always echo in his not-so-big house were no longer there. There was only silence that accompanied him until morning came.

Tok tok tok.

"Arley! It's exposed!" Adam exclaimed from outside.

"Arley! Are you awake?" Adam asked once again because he didn't get a response from his son.

"Arley! Open the door."

"Arley!"

Ceklek.

Because there was no response from Arley, Adam immediately opened the door to his son's room which was not locked. Entered the dimly lit room and found his son sitting still as still as last night without changing his position. And it seems the man didn't close his eyes for a second.

Adam walked over to Arley. Sitting in front of his son who was completely unaware that he was there.

"Son. It's morning. Let's have breakfast." Adam asked to stroke his son's mane.

Not an answer or even a nod that Adam got. But Arley's silence seemed to lock his mouth tightly.

A sigh was heard from Adam when he saw the condition of his son. Adam knew how his son felt now. He must have really missed his mother. Every day, Arley is spending more time alone with Ailen, his mother.

"Arley." Adam called once again touching his son's hand that gripped his mother's picture frame.

"Ah! Yes Pa." Ailen said a little surprised.

"Let's eat." Invite Adam gently.

"I'm not hungry Pa." Arley refused no less gently.

"But you haven't eaten since yesterday son." Adam scolded, worried that later his son would get sick.

Arley just shook his head at his father's invitation. His stomach doesn't feel hungry at all. Not even his body felt tired. It felt like half of his life had been lost from his body.

"If you don't eat, Mama will be angry with Papa for not being able to take care of you after Mama left. And Mama would be sad there if she saw you like this son." Persuade Adam once more. Worried that later his son would fall ill because he didn't eat or even rest at all.

"Papa is also sad, but we have to give up Mama. Maybe this is the way son. At least think of papa too son. Don't you love Papa?" Adam's last move. Hope his son will obey him.

And apparently Adam's efforts were not in vain to persuade his son, who finally nodded and agreed to eat together in the dining room.

"So this is your favorite food. Papa cooked a lot earlier." Adam put a lot of soy sauce on Arley's plate.

"Enough Pa. This is too much."

"No, it's a little. Anyway you have to finish all this food. OK." Adam exclaimed pointing at the many food on the table.

"Oh really Pa. This is a lot. How can I spend all this." Arley complained, staring in horror at the food that was so much on the table.

"Daddy doesn't want to know. Anyway you should be able to finish all this meal. No leftovers." Added Adam trying to take this opportunity to make Arley forget a little about his sadness because his mother left him.

"My stomach will explode, Pa." Arley complained, rubbing his stomach worriedly.

"If it explodes, papa will sew it again for you." Adam said lightly.

"Daddy! My stomach is not a shirt huh!" Arley's eyes stared at Sean in horror.

"But your belly is wearing your son's shirt. Hahaha..." Adam laughed when he saw his son's frowning face.

Hmmm, apparently this simple method managed to distract Arley.

"So, let's eat. Don't waste your papa's cooking talent, Arley." Invite Adam to start eating his food.

"Sure. I wouldn't waste Papa's cooking talent." Arley said, putting a spoonful of food into his mouth. 

"Anyway, every day Papa has to cook me delicious food like this."

"Wow! You're really good at taking advantage huh." Adam replied sullenly as if angry with his son.

"Of course I'm smart. Who was Papa." Arley proudly patted his chest. "Wasn't my Papa a negotiator at the company he worked for."

"Wow! I am very flattered by your compliment, sir." Adam said bowing slightly as if really flattered by what Arley said.

"Yeah yeah. Then work well sir." Arley replied, patting his father's shoulder jokingly.

"Definitely sir. Because I have a handsome son for me to feed. If not, then he will get angry when he doesn't get his food ration." Adam again threw a joke while enjoying his meal.

"Oh, looks like your son has eaten a lot, sir." Arley said not wanting to lose. His hand again put the meat of his father's cooking soy sauce which was indeed very delicious into his mouth.

"Oh, he's eaten a lot sir. Even when eating, he would finish all the dishes that were in front of his eyes. Therefore, I am very thin because I don't eat enough sir." Adam's face looked very serious when he said it. Don't forget his pitiful face.

"Wow! Indirectly, papa said that I ate a lot." Arley exclaimed, not accepting it.

"Ho ho ho... Isn't that the fact? You are too much when you eat."

"Oh no! Eat me a little Pa. Papa who always eats a lot and even likes to finish my meal." Reply Arley looked at his father fiercely.

"You said a little earlier." Adam pouted, showing a plate of soy sauce meat that had apparently been moved to his son's stomach.

"Hehe... That's why I was hungry, Pa." He grimace as he continued to eat.

"What are you hungry for?"

"Haha... Both. Papa's cooking is very delicious. I'm so greedy." Arley reasoned.

"Basically you're the only one who likes to eat Ferguso."

"Ah, thanks for the compliment, Fernandes." Arley replied, bowing respectfully.

The two of them burst out laughing after making a few jokes and jokes. And this is Adam and Arley's first laugh, after Ailen died.

Seeing the laughter from his son made Adam feel relieved. At least for now he was able to divert his son's sadness. Dunno what will happen in the future. But Adam hopes himself and Arley will be able to live the days without the woman they love so much.

"I'll take care of it as best I can Len. Until one day there will be someone who can take my place to look after him." Adam thought. His old eyes looked at his son fondly. But there's also a hint of sadness there.