"Hm… take him a little closer."
Daddy does it and pushes me forward more. My mommy was just sitting behind daddy without saying anything. I feel ominous. I look behind at daddy with confused expression, my lips are apart then I glance at mommy. She was doing something on her phone.
I wanted her to look at me—just once—for assurance like 'I am here, don't need worry' but nothing back in response instead the bushy man said with a dull and deep voice.
"Hey there! What's there behind us when we are right in front of you?"
I look in front, the man crossing his leg. He smirks, "Mr. Hiro, did you not give him manners?"
My daddy stroked his neck, "Nuh… he's a little rebellious in those things, so forgive him this time. Mr."
"Oh! You can call me steward."
"Okay. Mr. Steward."
The man lifted his hands up, signaling the other person behind me to give him the reports.
The man was wearing a suit with glasses and a bunch of folders and papers. He silently put it on the table but accidentally a piece of paper slipped away.
That man started trembling, his face white in fear. The bushy man looked at him with fox eyes, a smile becoming wide.
He stands, lifting his hands up and rubbing his temples, "I give you a f*cking job and you can't even do this."
"S–Sir~~"
The bushy man slapped him straight without hesitation; The glass guy fell into the ground roughly.
The slap area reddened in mili-seconds. He looked up at the tall man with a dark aura flowing through him. The bushy man's voice lowered close to whisper, "Stand up quickly." the voice carrying the pressure in it. The fallen guy, his eyes were filled with nothingness like it is normal for him.
The glass guy stood up, awkwardly in pain with the piece of paper which he accidentally slipped away. His legs were weak in happiness and trembling. The bushy man smirk widened, his eyebrows lifting. His arms behind his back.
He turned his face to us with a cheesy smile, "wait a second. I need to give him some lessons."
My heart beat at that time skyrocket to the moon. My small figure can't understand what is going on? I just hold my breadth. My brain was not braining. Joining my hands together and rubbing onto them in anxiety.
The bushy man slapped the glasses guy again with more force. The glasses guy, grabbed his cheeks with his one hand and put the paper from the other.
I was shocked. Why that man isn't saying anything just taking the beating without a single word. It's just a simple mistake?!
The bushy man slapped him thrice and looked satisfied and said, "You have nothing to say."
The glasses man shakes his head no; but in my perspective the bushy man doesn't look satisfied. He grabs his hair, yanks him back and drags the man out the door.
I only remember when I saw the glasses man with pleading look to us like asking for help. We were also helpless this time;
Then we can only hear his screams.
The bushy man shouting, "you got guts now. Being so brave huh…"
Then we hear another scream 'ah' more in pain. The pledging voice, crying in pain.
"Then apologise." Then the bushy man sighs. "What do you think of me? I give you a place to live and that is how you are treating me."
"..."
Silence for several minutes.
From the other guy nothing apologise come;
Then we just hear a large thumb, then we hear a bushy man saying, "You are going in 09 room number you need discipline again. Wait for me there."
Then we hear the glasses man's voice after so many times later, "No.. si—sir. Not there. I am sorry. I am sorry. I am not doing it again. Please forgive me."
After that bushy man just shouted, "Boys.". We hear screams of agony and fear but just in seconds everything becomes silent.
In the meantime. I run to my mommy arms crawling in fear, covering my ear like I do in our home because daddy ignores me instead of going to the door.
She looked at me with a soft expression and patted my head, "You are fine." As she said the bushy man entered the room with a bad expression—we can say he is really in a bad mood now.
Daddy had already taken the place where he was and looked at the bushy man's eyes with seriousness—dear cannot be seen at all.
The bushy man was surprised, "Not afraid. I think you are going to fly."
Daddy's corner of his lips lifted into a smile and crossed his arms, "If I would be afraid I wouldn't contact you in the first place but I did. Mr.Steward."
The bushy man sat on the chair with a thud noise.
"Such a sharp guy." he claps because of his bravery.
"Why is that little guy there?" The bushy man looked at me directly and our eyes met.
"He was bored." Daddy replied then he threw me in the front. The man laughed, "Little guy, what's your name?" He said with amusement. "You are bored here?"
The question hung in the air for several minutes. After awkward silence. The man laughed which did not sound like a laugh at all.
"Why are you not answering me?"
The bushy man's voice became deep and dull in an instant, his face darkened, "Mr. Hiro, you really don't tell him about manners."
Daddy just clenched his jaw;
The bushy man said, "If an adult or elderly man or woman asks you, you have to answer it quickly without making them wait."
Then I looked at daddy who was already glaring at me. I understand I need to answer. I answer with a trembling and low voice which matches with a whisper than normal voice, "M—my name is Allen."
"What…" the man looked at confusedly like he didn't hear.
"Allen." I said loud and clear.
The bushy man smiled and glanced at the reports and started reading. "So you stated, you are giving him to me for the lifetime. How I can use it that's my choice."
The man licks his lips, "lemme correct it. You are selling him here, so you can live your life with the lady behind and leave that little Allen here who doesn't even talk and is so fragile."
"Plus he is your own son. Nice~"
I was stunned and shocked; goosebumps formed on my tiny body down to my spine. I looked up at the daddy and mommy with a furious look carrying on my face. A betrayed look. I stare at daddy.
Mommy ignored my gaze without effort then daddy just nodded to the bushy man's words without hesitating—conforming to it.
"Thanks. Mr. Hiro" The man stands and comes near the glass border and clicks the man on the wall. The glass border lifted up and the two rooms became one. A hall.
He reaches his hand to daddy for a handshake for the deal.
"The deal is not bad. You can have fifteen million in a few weeks. Just sign the contract I am giving you."
The bushy man said and daddy shook hands.
The bushy man turned back and left the room for the contract saying, "Wait a minute."
"Mo—mommy and daddy are you kidding right? It is not funny." I wait a second looking at the mommy's sad expression.
I shouted again, "Mommy. Tell me it is not true."
I turn to daddy, hugging his legs, "D–daddy please. Daddy look at me."
"DADDY! MOMMY!!!! WHY ME?! WHY ME?!"
"I—I don't want to go." I start crying, my tears flowing out.
So they are hiding this behind my back. That's why they were nice to me for the whole day. I think if they change they are really going to take care of me.
But I was wrong;
I was wrong… I was wrong… why me… always me… suffering always ends on… why… just why…
The bushy man entered the room. He looked at me with pleading eyes, crying my eyes out. He smiled.
"Here, sign it. It says you can't go back on your words. So think first then sign."
Daddy read it and signed it.
I look at him in despair;
The bushy man looked at me with a nasty expression on his face, "Now you are mine now." He tried to pick me up but my grip on daddy's leg tightened more.
"No! I am not going." I said.
The bushy man looked frustrated and said with an angry tone, "Mr. Hiro." a few words was enough for my daddy to throw me into the man's arms like a doll.
I looked at mommy and daddy with despair in my eyes, my face was a mess because of crying. Then they start to leave.
I become more furious in fear. I want to go with them. Take me with you. Please! Please!!
"MOMMY! DADDY DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!!"
"PLEASE!! PLEASE!"
Struggling in the bushy man arms.
"COME BACK!"
"COME BACK!"
"COME BACK!"
TO BE CONTINUED…