I'm the Newspaper Seller

17. Heaven Bastian Go

"What's wrong?"

"My mom is critical! He fainted and did not want to wake up. His body was cooling down, "so Bastian with a very panicked face and quivering lips, wanted to cry.

...****...

Bastian's car stopped when the luxury car was in front of the IGD room. So lucky Bastian has been met by the old man, Mr. Dewantoro who has taken his mother to the hospital.

Mr. Dewantoro stepped quickly down the car and shouted loudly to make the nurses and some doctors run.

"What's up, sir?" ask her in panic.

"Quick bring the cage! It's critical!!!" his yell.

Bastian just put on a face so very panicked, not knowing what to say and what to do now. It felt as if his entire body had become limp, unable to step anymore. It also felt that he was unable to breathe as usual as if something was stuck on his chest until not long ago the nurses in white uniforms ran away and not long after they appeared while carrying the cage and he put his stiff body Mama on the cage and pushed it away making Bastian run along with the old man back there.

Sure enough his mother's face was turning pale making strange thoughts popping up in his mind. He didn't want his mother to leave him.

Bastian could only stare at his mother behind the glass door of the IGD room there he could see her mother who was being paired with respiratory assistance and a team of doctors who seemed to press her chest together several tools are paired on his chest until it is clearly visible monitor screen that depicts a straight line.

I don't know why Bastian's feeling is bad now. It felt like Bastian wanted to cry but these tears were so hard. It looks like his body is cooling down.

He bit the tip of his fingers which became increasingly anxious. He stepped his legs back and forth indistinctly while Mr. Dewantoro was seen speechless. He seemed to be sitting in a long chair like the man was also worried about the state of his mother

"Bastian come! Sit here!" her door then patted the chair beside her making Bastian nod and then stepped closer to the old man.

"You just calm down! Mama you must be okay, okay?"

Bastian nodded after hearing those words but, it felt like what Mr. Dewantoro said did not match what he was in his heart right now. She hoped her Mama would be fine yet, why was her feeling uneasy.

I think someone is going to leave him.

"What are you sick for?"

Bastian shook his head, his lips twitched. He knew what to say but this speech he could no longer speak clearly. It feels very difficult. His lips froze.

"illness?"

"Yes sir" he answered with great difficulty.

"What pain?"

"Just cough," he replied while occasionally closing to the door hoping the doctor would come out with good news.

"Coughs? You never took your mom to the hospital to check on her?"

"Never, sir."

"Why?"

"Said Mama, Mama is afraid of injecting but I'm sure Mama won't go to the hospital because she won't pay the hospital money."

"He has no money. At home only Bastian works sir. Buying rice is hard, sir so how should you check with your mom in the hospital."

Mr. Dewantoro was silent. There was no nod or response from him until not long after the door opened making Bastian and Mr. Dewantoro with the group immediately rose from the seat and stepped closer to the doctor who seemed to release the stethoscope his ears.

"How, sir? How's the child's mother doing?" asked Mr. Dewantoro to make the doctor who had handled his mother Bastian was sighing heavily and long enough to make Bastian as if he had known what the answer and how the state of his mother now.

"Sorry sir, we've tried our best but the woman's life can't be saved."

"You alone you brought it sooner might be saved. I'm so sorry."

The doctor patted Bastian's fragile shoulder in that second as well. After hearing what the doctor said, Bastian's eyes warmed up, red until both eyes were blocked by several tears.

His feelings were shattered, completely destroyed. His chest seemed to be slashed by a sharp object that hit his chest violently making his feelings so very painful.

"No, no way," he shook his head in denial that made his two hanging tears finally drip.

Bastian immediately ran pushing the door of the IGD room hard to approach Mama who was lying there even one of the nurses covered her face with a long blanket of white.

"Don't! Don't close my Mama's eyes! Don't cover my mother's face with a blanket!"

"Later my mom can't breathe!!!" bastian shouted and then pulled the white cloth revealing his Mama's face that had been completely pale.

Bastian rubbed his mother's face so cold. This face, not like his mother he always saw.

"Mama! It's Bastian! Please open your eyes!"

"Ma-ma! This is Bastian Ma! Mama why leave Bastian?!!"

"Mama can't leave Bastian!"

"Just Dad left Bastian not Mama!!!"

"If you want to go then who's guarding Bastian?!!"

"Mama? Wh-who-who else would love Bastian?!!" he shouted while shaking his Mama's body which had completely stiffened.

Bastian rested his head on the chest of his mother who did not deflate again like what he always felt. There's no warmth in Mama's body anymore.

Her mother's body had completely cooled down. Both of his eyes had now shed tears with Bastian's hands forcing his Mama's hands to touch his face yet, his hands were too stiff for him to move.

"Mama! Help u! Please don't leave Bastian! Bastian can't! Bastian can't!"

"Please Bastian! Bastian only has a mother in this world. Who else would Bastian be living with if not Mama?"

Mr. Dewantoro can now only be silent while wiping his tears that also had dripped. Just this time he cried and the tears were made to drip when he saw and heard what Bastian said.

Not only was Mr. Dewantoro crying at the time, but some of the nurses who had handled his mother also cried. It really touches the feelings of those who hear it.

Can you imagine what Bastian felt? The ten-year-old boy had to be abandoned by his mother?

A child who has to pay for his mother's life. Tired of buying rice in order to eat a mouthful of rice and survive.

Buying medicine from the sale of the newspaper for his sickly mother and finally at the end of the story everything must go. Go leave the figure of a child who still needs the affection of his mother.

How does one feel when one sees it? Destroyed, of course destroyed. The only person who has always been there for Bastian is now gone after his father left with selfishness and now God must separate Bastian from his mother.

Now he is alone. If Mama were to leave then with whom would Bastian live in this world? Wh who? Please say! Bastian still needs affection. Only last night he was together and happy because he could see his Mama eating good food but, this time he had to see her gone for all eternity.

Can he still smile? Can he still hope? Can he still expect the world to give him a smile?

Can he still hope that someone will make him smile? Whether he can still hope there is someone who makes food and wait for him to come home every time he comes home.

And can he still smile happily if his paradise is gone forever?

Poor newspaper salesman.