MY FOSTER SON

Kalingga's anger

Today seems to be the most painful day for Jojo. He pleaded guilty to negligence to take care of Keenan, but seeing his three other foster children defending himself to a big fight with their own mother, certainly made Jojo feel uncomfortable. Now he can just sit next to Kai and observe the boy.

"What's Kylan really saying? Mom threatened you?" ask Kalingga. He sits on the other couch with Kylan while Jojo and Kai are next to each other.

"Jojo asked me to keep this a secret from you guys" Kylan said. While the girl, did not say anything. He doesn't know what to do.

"Why did you do that, Jo? Can't we talk about everything?" ask Kalingga.

"Mama is outrageous" Kai murmured. The heat on her cheek was not worth the heartache of Merlinda's departure.

Jojo is silent with teary eyes, he doesn't want to be the reason four kids hate their own mother. He knows his foster children will defend him more than Merlinda, but Jojo does not want their hatred to become more.

"Don't listen to Mama. We're on your side" Kylan said.

"Never think of leaving this house. Don't ask because you know why." Kalingga stood up from where he was sitting, he rushed up the stairs and entered the room.

A few minutes later, Kylan followed. Before leaving, the man rubbed Jojo's head, trying to signal that everything would be fine.

"Is that why you're ignoring Brother?" ask Kai.

"Hm." Jojo nodded.

"I never knew that the man who had left us all these years had only come to slap me. How can I forgive him" Kai murmured.

"You're outrageous. Didn't your words hurt your mother?"

"Don't he realize he hurt us all? Stop defending him Jojo. Mama slammed your pride, and you're still defending people like her. I'm not like you, it's easy to forgive."

"Sorry," said Jojo.

The girl rubbed Kai's head and went to his room. Today was tiring and full of problems, but he could not ignore the condition of Keenan who was still in the hospital.

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Tonight Kylan forbids Jojo from cooking, the man tells Jojo if Kalingga takes him back to the hospital because it feels bad for too long to bother Angelina. While Kylan himself had to accompany Kai at home, they could not leave his youngest brother alone at home.

"Send my regards to Brother" Kai said as he let Jojo go. The girl got into Kalingga's car while carrying some important items, such as a change of clothes for Kylan as well as the man's personal needs. Jojo also brought some of his books and laptops to keep doing college assignments.

Along the way to the hospital, Kalingga did not even say hello or talk to Jojo. The girl was feeling uneasy and sad. Is Kalingga angry with him?

When they arrived, Jojo brought his own bag. Kalingga banned it.

"You go in first. I'll bring it all, " said Kalingga.

"I'll help, brother."

"Keenan and Angelina must have been waiting. Quickly enter," asserted Kalingga without looking at Jojo. He just tidied up some of the stuff that was in the trunk of his car.

Jojo knows Kalingga's mood is bad, the girl is becoming more and more guilty. Jojo realizes that his actions to ask Kylan to keep his meeting with Merlinda secret must not be liked by Kalingga, but Jojo does all this because he does not want his foster children to hate their own parents.

Along the way down the hallway and up the elevator, Jojo is alone. He just wanted to cry right now, seeing Kalingga ignore him, turned out to be a different kind of pain.

"Hi, Brother." Jojo walks into the room where Keenan is being treated. The girl saw Angelina sitting and reading a book, while Keenan was seen sleeping soundly.

"No, there's Kalingga. He's in the back."

"Oh, Ken just fell asleep. The doctor gave her the medicine to restore her disturbed digestive condition, it seemed like it had a drowsy effect on Ken," Angelina explained.

"Thank you for helping, brother. Sorry for bothering you."

"It's okay. Tell me about Ken's next news. I have to go home because I have a job tomorrow morning. Sorry I couldn't accompany you to stay."

Jojo smiled and gave Angelina a hug. Of all the people closest to Keenan that Jojo knows, only Angelina thinks of Jojo as a friend. Despite a brilliant career, the woman never behaved arrogantly.

Angelina leaves Jojo alone in the room while waiting for Keenan. Now that the girl was feeling lonely, Keenan was fast asleep while Kalingga did not arrive.

"He must be mad at me," said Jojo. The girl sat on Keenan's bedside chair and laid her head on the bed. He daydreamed while looking at the infusion needle stuck in the wrist of his foster child.

Guilt attacked him again. The girl was silent with teary eyes. Jojo feels sad when he remembers his foster children. Keenan lies sick from his negligence, Kai is slapped by Merlinda, everyone fights Merlinda for her sake, and now Kalingga is angry.

Unknowingly, Jojo cried without a sound. He held tightness in the chest with both hands busy wiping tears that continuously flowed. Everything made him sad and depressed.

"Hey, why are you crying?" ask Keenan. The man woke up when he found a soft sound beside him.

"Sister, you're awake. Sorry," said Jojo as he rubbed his wet face.

"Why are you still crying? I've improved, don't worry."

Jojo nodded, he smiled sincerely at Keenan.

"How are you doing?" ask Kalingga suddenly. I don't know since when the man was in the room but Jojo didn't realize it.

"It's improved, brother. I feel well again" Keenan replied with a smile.

"Thank God." Kalingga. He walked to the sofa next to Keenan's bedroom. Incidentally, this treatment room is equipped with two special bedrooms for the patient's family and one television viewing room and a mini kitchen.

Keenan chatted with Jojo and talked about the many jobs Keenan had to reschedule, while in the other room Kalingga could only listen vaguely.

"Son't look moody, did something happen?" ask Keenan.

"He's just too worried about you, brother. He's fine" Jojo replied. Keenan smiled at the answer.

"I've grown up Jojo. Why do you think of me as a child?"

Jojo could only smile. For a long time, he considered four men in his house were children who needed special attention. After a long conversation, Jojo asked the man to sleep.

Jojo leaves Keenan and searches for Kalingga in another room, but the man is nowhere to be seen. Jojo opened the door and exited, circulating a glance at the deserted hospital hallway. He then saw Kalingga sitting alone on a wooden bench near the park.

Getting a VIP class room on the top floor of the hospital with an indoor garden, makes the atmosphere feel like in a star hotel.

Jojo approached Kalingga and sat down next to the man.

"Sister, don't ignore me and don't stay away from me" Jojo said. Kalingga was silent but turned to look at the beautiful girl beside him.

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