I'm the Newspaper Seller

21. Bastian is Not an Raised Child

"It seems like the more you're getting bigger today, yeah. Looks like there in that rich house you ate a lot."

"Ah, not really," answered Bastian while rubbing his stomach which is indeed some days is always bloated. Honestly, there he ate good food. Let's just say that his life is guaranteed.

The two now stepped into each other after the bell rang they decided to step side by side towards the main gate of the school.

"Oh, do you want a way home?" ask Joy who is still walking.

"No."

"How did you get home?"

"Me too"

Not finished Bastian continued his explanation suddenly the black car is quite luxurious stopped right in front of Bastian made the two boys speechless with his attention fixed to the luxury car. The car glass was lowered slowly showing the figure of Mr. Dewantoro who took off his sunglasses and he glanced settled towards Bastian.

"Bastian, are you home yet?"

"Yes, sir," replied Bastian and then he turned to look at Joy who was now looking at him with a slightly amazed setting.

"Well, you want to get back in the car?" whispered Joy who had apparently since looked at him with a look of admiration.

"Yes," Bastian replied while scratching his head. He's a little embarrassed.

Bastian stepped his foot toward the car and then..

"Bastian!" call Joy makes Bastian stop his steps.

He looked at Joy who was still standing there.

"You don't want to meet friends?"

Bastian is silent now. He was a little confused by the question until then he turned to look at Mr. Dewantoro who was still silent in his car.

"I don't know if I can go see my friends, but if Mr. Dewantoro allows that -"

"Go away, son!" sahur Pak Dewantoro made Bastian smile showing his neatly arranged teeth.

"Where will we meet tomorrow?"

"How about we meet on the side of the road where we can gather" Bastian proposed.

"Okay, I agree. We'll see you after school."

...***...

The car is now traveling at a moderate speed. In the car occasionally Bastian turned to look at Mr. Dewantoro who looks serious controlling the steering wheel of his car.

"How was the lesson today?" he asked with an occasional smile staring at Bastian.

"Good, sir."

"Have friends apparently there. So it doesn't seem like you're too hard to make friends. I saw a friend asking you to meet his friends."

"Ah, no sir, that's my old friend."

"From before?"

"Yes sir. His name is Joy, he's a rich kid but he always comes to sell newspapers with me and other friends.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes sir."

The two now talk to each other, a little about the daily life of Bastian when his mother was still alive. Now the car drove into the spacious yard area of the house makes Bastian step down from the car along with Mr. Dewantoro who now walks side by side into the house.

"Well, Papa's home yet?" asked Melinda who got up from the sofa.

"Yes, today's meeting is over so Papa's coming home soon."

Both of Melinda's eyes were staring at the side of Mr. Dewantoro as if looking for someone.

"Reno?"

"Yes, Melinda had a chat Papa, you make a call to pick up the Reno because I can't pick up at school."

"Why not call? Papa did not have time to see the chat became Papa directly picked up the Bastian alone."

"What is that, anyway? Papa's time is more desirable to Bastian than Papa's own grandson. Papa should have realized, dong, that Bastian is just an adopted son."

"She was just living here when Papa again wanted someone else's child rather than Papa's own grandson-"

"Melinda! Watch your words! Bastian is not an adopted child but he already includes Papa's own son. Papa has already raised it even Papa has made a birth certificate for Bastian on behalf of Papa himself there."

"Papa, however, the contents of the letter were made but still Bastian was not Papa's biological child. He's just an adopted son so Papa doesn't have to treat Bastian as if Bastian is Papa himself!"

"The father should treat Bastian as a foster child instead of his own child!" continued.

"Melinda! Watch your words! You can't talk like that in front of Bastian!" Appoint mr. Dewantoro.

"Why? Why can't Melinda talk like Bastian? Why, Papa really loves this Bastian when he was just a roadside kid who was hitchhiking to eat and live here."

"Papa also made Melinda wonder, maybe Papa would nyekolahin him and love him a ride to live here" he continued.

"Melinda! This Papa has raised Bastian as Papa's own biological child so you can't talk like that with him. This Bastian is officially your little brother."

"Idiih, until whenever Melinda will never accept him as a younger sibling."

"Melinda!"

"Father! Papa should understand, dong Pa! Papa should love Reno more than Bastian not even unfortunately just a certainty."

"Melinda! Papa never differentiates between Papa's grandson and Papa's son"

"Stop said that Bastian is Papa's son!"

"Because Bastian is officially a-"

"Enough Papa!" melinda shouted that Mr. Dewantoro could only close his eyes tightly as if he could no longer face his son.

"Melinda!" yelling Mr. Dewantoro managed to make Melinda jerked in shock with the screams of the Papa.

"Well, don't listen to your words anymore! Bastian will still be Papa's son at any time."

Bastian is now only able to be silent while occasionally turning towards Melinda then towards Mr. Dewantoro as they take turns to talk plus again when Melinda raised her tone to make Bastian feel bad.

Yes of course this fight will not happen if he is not in this house and it is possible that the state of this house will be fine without Bastian. Now Bastian feels guilty, guilty for having met Dewantoro's place.

"But Papa doesn't like it when you talk to Bastian: Bastian will stay in this house!" said Mr. Dewantoro then he stepped away.

The two eyes of Melinda who had been angry were glaring at Bastian with the eyes of her eagle making Bastian only able to gulp his saliva hard. For some reason his body trembled while being stared at sharply by Melinda.

"Now you're happy to see all this? You're happy, aren't these families a mess? You're glad I fought Papa?"

"Eh, you think you've won for my family to fall apart like this? You're glad that Papa loves you more than Reno, her own granddaughter?"

"No, Bastian never thought that way."

"Alah, your excuse. Tell me if you're happy. You want to grab my Papa, right? Aye right? You want to take it all, right?"

Bastian folded his lips inward and shook his head slowly, unable to speak anymore.

Melinda stepped her legs closer to the figure of Bastian make Bastian's guts as if shrinking.

"You heard, yeah! I will never let you freely stay in this house happily!"

"I assure you that every day you will cry if you need to cry blood and get out of this house!"

"I will also assure you that your life will not be okay! You will suffer in this house!" threatening him with a suppressed tone of voice made Bastian's heart as if pounding.

Bastian wanted to cry. He was so scared and this time he really wanted his mother's embrace. If it was like this who would protect her while her mother had gone far away.