The Step Sister of Tiri

189. honesty

"How's Baby Ars doing, honey?" ayman asked as they prepared for bed.

"It's down the fever, Mas. Earlier after taking the medicine immediately dropped his fever," replied Zayna who was already lying next to him.

Ayman smiled with relief. "Thank God he's okay. I was so worried about that."

"Yes, Mas. I was also worried earlier, thank God he is fine now. You told Kinan too, huh, Mas? He sent me a message, asked me how Baby Ars was going to keep saying hopefully he'll recover soon."

"No, my mother too."

Zayna nodded, she had no problem with that. Precisely the woman was happy many doain dnanya. It's just that Zayna knows that right now her sister-in-law has a problem too. He did not want to add to his mind.

"Oh yes, Mas. Regarding the child that Hanif was hit with, how's it going? He's okay, right?"

"Had been taken home with Hanif. His family still has no news."

Zayna frowned. He felt strange about the child's parents who seemed to not care at all about his child. The woman was reminded of her past which was also lacking attention and affection.

"Nobody's family's looking yet, Mas?"

"No, I don't know why they didn't go."

"Didn't she have a family, did she? Maybe he's been living on the streets."

"Yes, maybe, no one knows either. The people around us have asked everything. Street kids, too, but they don't know the kid. We don't know where he's going."

"If it's true no one's looking for him how? Will he be given to social institutions?"

"Okay, I haven't asked Papa and Hanif this either. I haven't heard from the people I've ordered either."

Zayna was very curious about the boy. However, he knew it was not his right to interfere. The woman only pityed because she felt she had been in her position, as an unwanted child.

“Whatever it is hopefully it's the best for everything.”

“Amin.”

***

Hanif and Kinan were talking about Adam's adoption. Suddenly the door was knocked on by someone from outside. The woman opened the door, and it was there.

"Adam, what's wrong?" ask Kinan with a smile.

"There's something I want to say to Auntie and Om."

The woman frowned. He felt that something was being covered by the child. Kinan looked at the husband, who was answered by a nod by Hanif.

"Yes, let's go in! What do you want to say, anyway?"

Kinan grabbed Adam by the shoulder and took him to sit on the sofa. The boy sat in the middle between Kinan and Hanif. He just kept playing his finger. Other people know that the child is nervous.

"What do you want to say? He said he wanted to talk? Would you like a new toy?" hanif asked deliberately to lure Adam to open his mouth.

"No, I .. I want to tell you the truth about me. I actually remember everything, but I don't want to go home." Adam said with his head down.

Hanif and Kinan looked at each other. It turned out that this kid was hiding something big against them. However, it was strange why the boy refused to go home. Whether something happened to his family or this child was too comfortable living with them, not wanting to return to his family.

"Can you say what that means? Om and Auntie don't understand. Did you never forget about yourself from the beginning?" ask Hanif.

Kinan immediately looked at Adam. If the child was just playing tricks on her and her husband, how sad she felt about being lied to. All this time she's been very nice to him. Even though it was a form of atonement for his guilt, still Kinan sincerely loved him.

"No, at first I completely forgot. I don't remember who I was, but when I came home from the hospital, I suddenly remembered who I was. I don't want to go back."

"What's your name? And why don't you go back to your family?" ask Hanif again.

The boy lowered his head. He was afraid to tell the truth. Adam did not want to go back to his family again. The boy did not want to have to part with good people like Kinan and Hanif. It is rare in life to meet people like them.

"You just tell me the truth. Aunt and Om won't be mad. We find a solution together. We also cannot hold you here any longer, if you have a family, but if your family is not good then Om and Aunt will try to help you" Kinan said.

He could see the depressed face of Adam. The boy looked very scared, I don't know what to fear.

Kinan was more and more astonished by Adam's reply. "Where do you know that your house is far away?"

"I came here with my mom on the train, then she just left me and got back on the train again" Adam replied, making Kinan and Hanif understand.

Indirectly, Adam was deliberately dumped by his parents. How strong they are for their own children. If they don't want Adam, why not just give it to an orphanage so they can take care of it.

"Where is your father?" ask Hanif.

"Papa doesn't want to know anymore with me. Papa will always punish me for a mistake I didn't make. But what was wrong was not me, but my son. He lied to Papa. He made a mistake, but it was all accused of me. Papa just believes and always punishes me. I don't want to go back there. If Auntie and Om don't want me to stay here, I'm fine. I'm leaving, as long as I don't return home" Adam said in tears.

"Your mother's son, means he's your brother, right?"

"He's my stepbrother. My mother is also my stepmother."

Kinan who was beside her also felt sad about what the child was going through. He did not expect a child as small as Adam to have experienced such bitterness.

"If you're alone, what grade school are you in?" ask Hanif.

"Third grade."

"Third grade? How old are you? You look small" asked Kinan, looking at Adam's thin body.

"My life is ten years, Auntie."

"It's been ten years! Auntie thinks you're seven. Your body is so small. Does your family rarely feed you?"

"I only eat once a day, at night. That is if there is leftover rice. Otherwise, I wouldn't eat. Drink water at most."

Kinan closed his mouth he could not believe what Adam was going through. The woman had indeed often heard the news of violence as experienced by the child. However, seeing the victim directly like this, only this time did he see her.

"If we don't tell the police, he's afraid it will become a problem later on" Hanif said, causing Adam to bow his head.

Everyone was silent, not knowing what to do.

"You better rest now. Om will try to keep you with us" concluded Hanif. He also could not bear to see Adam tortured his family.

"real Om? Om not gonna take me home?" ask Adam with a sparkling face.

"Yes, let Om find a way to keep you here."

"Thank you, Om" said Adam with a smile.

"It's time to go to bed. Come here auntie!" bring Kinan while embracing the child's shoulder.

The woman wanted to hear a little story from Adam, about his family. Although he had no right to know, but right now Adam was his responsibility so, Kinan wanted to know everything about the boy.

"Oh yeah, what was your name?" ask Kinan when they get to Adam's room.

"Aldo, Aunt."

"So you said you lived with your stepmother, where would your real mother go?"

"I don't know, Auntie. Every time I ask Papa, Papa always says that mom's dead, but I don't know where the grave is either."

"Don't you know who your Mama's brother is or who can show your Mama's tomb?"

Adam shook his head while looking towards Kinan.

"It's okay, now you're sleeping, yeah!" Kinan accompanied Adam until the boy fell asleep.

He saw that innocent face, somehow there could be people who were so heartless to leave him alone in this city. He who is this big does not want to be left alone. Especially a child like Adam.

This incident was also a lesson for Kinan who previously wanted a child. God has another will. Now send a child to awaken him, that the importance of mental readiness for parents over the presence of a child. If he wasn't ready maybe he would do the same thing as Adam's parents did.

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