Beautiful and Brave

Sammy, to visit and make a pilgrimage to the eternal home of his late mother, had just gotten out of the taxi he was riding in at the end of the narrow alley leading to the cemetery area. He was very familiar with the place, so he didn't feel afraid even though the area was relatively quiet.

However, the little rich guy didn't realize that there were three pairs of eyes watching him. Behind Sammy, precisely at the end of the hall from where Sammy had come down, three local thugs were smiling devilishly at Sammy.

"We got a jackpot, guys. Today it looks like we can buy kilos of Happy Flour..." the bald thug muttered softly, "You two wait here, I'll pick up the treasure first."

(Happy Flour: Drugs.)

"Wait, Boss. Are you sure it's a child, not a Tuyul? Hasa lot of money and he will go to the funeral. Isn't that a Tuyul?" Fatty commented with his mouth still busy chewing meatballs.

(Tuyul is a type of ghost with the body of a small child who is famous for stealing money. It is a myth circulating in Indonesia.)

'Slap!' a rather hard blow to Fatty's head from his partner.

"Why don't you just shut up? Boss were told to have breakfast, huh, just have breakfast. Why is it so complicated for you? Besides, there's bullshit about Tuyul, you idiot!" The skinny cursed his friend and also his boss because he felt he was very right.

"It's up to you, the important thing is that I chew," Fatty replied, not caring about his colleague's words or the Boss's steps following Sammy.

Meanwhile, the little guy, who was initially walking towards the cemetery area, stopped for a moment when he accidentally turned to the right, to be precise, to a flower shop that he usually went to with his father.

"Buy flowers for Mama first." he muttered as he walked towards the flower shop, "Viona Florist? Isn't that usually the name of the shop?" he continued muttering, a little confused when he noticed the name of the shop from where he was.

Still busy trying to think of the names of different flower shops, a tap was felt on Sammy's shoulder, "Where are you going little bro? Let me take you, huh?"

Sammy looked up. He was quite shocked by the man near him at the moment. Fear immediately appeared to flow through his bloodstream, 'Thugs...' he thought fearfully.

Sammy shook his head, "No need, Uncle. Thanks. I will be at Mama's in a moment. I can do it myself." said Sammy who immediately got a quick answer in his current fear.

"There are no residential houses here. There are deserted shops with no customers. There is also a cemetery at the end. You're a little bastard like you, want to fool me, huh?" the thug started to show his true colors. Baldy grabbed Sammy's school bag until it was lifted.

Not answering or responding to the bald man, Sammy immediately ran after releasing his backpack and the only destination for the Young Master of the Clayton Family was the flower shop he had visited several times. The little guy even ignored the different shop names.

'Kling... Kling...' The jingle bell at the front door rang when Sammy entered without permission.

The little guy immediately looked here and there looking for a safe place to take cover. Rows of baskets filled with long-stemmed flowers seemed suitable for hiding from the pursuit of the bald thugs. 

A beautiful woman with her hair tied back in a bun was seen coming out of a room.

"Welcome, what flowers are you looking for?" said the woman at the door, "Oh, where is the person?" she muttered immediately when she found no one there. She was sure that if the bell rang it was a sign that someone was opening the door inside, "What the ghosts can push door—,"

'Prang!' The sound of the ceramic jar breaking startled the woman immediately. A small child in a uniform was seen sitting curled up in fear. This was visible from his pale face and the cold sweat dripping down his face.

'Why is there a kid there?' she muttered to herself when she saw Sammy, but when she turned to the broken piece of her vase, the woman shrieked, "My vase, God…"

"S-sorry, Auntie. I-I didn't mean to. I was scared..." With halting words, Sammy apologized.

"Scared? Of whom—,"

'Kling... Kling...' The sound of the door opening bell attracted the woman's attention.

"Welcome..." the woman reflexively greeted, "Would you like to find some flowers?" Her speech began to falter when she saw the man who looked like a thug.

"Hey, pretty lady. I'm not looking for flowers, but looking for a kid. Did you see a kid wearing school clothes coming in here?" The bald, streaky thug who was called Bang Jago asked the woman at the flower shop.

'No wonder the child is hiding. Turns out he was being chased by a baldy...' muttered the woman, starting to cross her chest, "Who's the little one?"

"Oh my gosh, that's so sweet. But don't be so bitchy, beautiful." The bald man teased again as he quickly poked the beautiful woman's chin.

"I'm not your sister. Be polite, Baldy!" the woman rebuked, "I buy and sell flowers, not people. There are no stray kids here. So get out of here!"

"Oh my... Oh my... Why are you even more beautiful? "Later, when I'm finished, we'll eat fried rice in the corner of the alley, okay, beautiful." The bald man seduced again.

"Yes, if you can beat me." The woman challenged. She was seen rolling the sleeves of her oversized t-shirt up, accidentally revealing a tattoo depicting a Blooming Lotus on her upper arm.

'The Blooming Lotus? It can't be her...' The Baldy muttered to himself.

'Braak!!!' A stomp on the cashier's desk from the woman broke Baldy's thoughts, "Why are you daydreaming? You're confused, huh?" she snapped.

"When I see a beautiful girl like you, I don't fly. It's natural, Preety—,"

"Ah, too late." the woman grumbled briefly before giving the bald man a strong punch in the face, making the bald man stop the disgusting call the woman had expected.

Baldy was knocked back several steps, grimacing while holding his pug nose which was already bleeding, "Bit*h! You've just played rough, ha?!" he growled.

"No need to talk much. Just choose," challenged the woman, showing her right fist, "right to the hospital," then replaced it with a left fist while tilting her chin to the left, "the left one, a ticket to the grave. Just choose where you want me to take you!"

"Slut. I will raped you after this, huh?" The bald man started walking furiously. He couldn't accept being belittled by a woman who kept a flower shop that was even smaller than him.

But after only a few steps, the door to the flower shop rang again, revealing the skinny-curly man and the fat man there.

"Bro, why is your face so chubby?" Si Skinny still had time to chuckle before his partner grabbed his shoulder firmly, "What are you doing, Fatty? Still hungry?"

Fatty grabbed his partner and whispered something, "Last night I got the news, here is the Boss of The Blooming Lotus. Take a look at that girl's tattoo, Blooming Lotus, right?"

Fatty's whisper suddenly brought Skinny's eyes to glance at the woman's tattoo, "Damn, you're right, but it doesn't seem like you say, bro!"

"You two just want to chat? Catch that bitchy girl, so I can fight her mouth!" The furious Baldy immediately gave orders.

The woman suddenly widened her eyes. With one quick movement after she stood up, her left hand grabbed Baldy's face and slammed him into the cashier's desk.

'Braaak!!!'

"Stay where you are if you all still want to breathe!" the woman shouted at the thugs who were trying to get closer.

Meanwhile, the little one was getting more and more afraid. Sammy didn't expect that the beautiful aunt he asked for help was even more terrifying than the thugs.

The skinny man was brave enough to attack from behind. But the woman quickly aimed her kick right at the skinny man's face.

'Brakk!' The skinny man swayed and fell to his knees after his face felt the kick of the woman's boot. Sammy even laughed at the sight.

"Your fat friend already told me about my tattoo, but you're still yelling at me. You have big guts, huh!" whispered the woman in Baldy's ear in the grip of her hand.

'Damn, why can't I lift my head like this? What kind of devil girl does she have this much energy?' Bald muttered to himself as he endured the pain.

"I'll give you and your trash gang twenty-four hours to get out of here. If you're still naughty, just get ready to fall prey to the Blooming Lotus. Run away before you become a bastard in my hands." The woman warned him one last time before her hand let go of Baldy's battered face.

She then turned to Fatty who was now standing scared with his pants wet, "Did you wet your pants there?" she snapped and only got a nod from the frightened Fatty, "Hurry up and get your friend out of here before my patience runs out!"