Few years ago...
One afternoon in the nearby streets located at the city, there was a lady running toward the store. She looked in her twenties, but the truth is her beauty could fool the people around her. The lady named Yen Huang is a thirty year old elegant woman. She was running because she forgot her wallet inside the Pharmacy. She remembered she was talking to someone on her phone, and carelessly placed her wallet on the counter after paying for the items she bought. When the call ended, she panicked and went back to the pharmacy immediately. Good thing the cashier in the said store already knew Mrs. Huang because the lady often visits the place to buy her necessities. She got her wallet back, safe and complete. The sun was sizzling hot, hence, Mrs. Huang headed to her car.
"Let's go to Yibo's school. I want to fetch my good boy and go home with him" Mrs. Huang said to the driver. The driver did as what he was told. Upon looking through the tinted window, Mrs. Huang spotted two, dirty, stray old people. It was a grandma and a granpa smiling at each other.
"Stop" Mrs. Huang ordered. She pushed down the windshield button and took a picture of the unfortunate couple. She is a Non-Fiction Writer and she planned to make the photo her material for her next piece. After a few minutes of thinking and imagining scenarios while watching the poor couple, Mrs. Huang saw a little boy coming towards the couple.
She waited and watched the next scenes. The boy looked skinny, his uniform a bit untidy and his hair looked damped. It was as if the boy had no parents who could look after him. Mrs. Huang assumed that the boy was raised by the poor old couple. The tiny boy took out something from his tattered bag. It was an old tumbler with some dents on the side.
Mrs. Huang wondered what would the boy do next. She was shocked that the boy opened his tumbler and took the cup beside the old woman who was coughing earlier. The boy poured the water on the cup and let the old woman drink it. Even from a far, Mrs. Huang could see that the couple were thanking the little boy. They were smiling at him and petting his messy locks.
The boy was about to leave when Mrs. Huang suddenly went to them.
The boy looked up at the pretty, outstanding beauty in front of him. The kid seemed to be a good person but he didn't know how to smile.
"Do you need some water, too, madam?" the kid bravely asked.
Mrs. Huang almost burst out with laughter with the kid's question. She looked at the kid, Can't you see who is standing right in front of you? It is the famous Yen Huang.
"Kid, do you know who I am?" Mrs. Huang asked proudly. She crossed her arms across her chest, her posture perfect. Anyone who could not define that she is rich would be stupid.
"Oh, figures" the kid replied. As a psychology graduate, Mrs. Huang could see that the kid was no ordinary kid judging by the way he talks, react and interact with strangers.
"If you are a celebrity or an artists, I could not possibly know you. My home doesn't have television and I don't read newspapers. Are you a part of the government? I'm sorry, but if you are one, can you help this oldies have a home? Or are you a cop? Are you going to shoo them away? Are you their daughter? I don't think so. So if you ask me if I know you... I only see you as a stranger... Maybe... asking for a water, too." the boy said without stuttering.
"Wha-" Mrs. Huang was speechless.
"So, you want some water, madam?" the boy added.
Mrs. Huang was taken aback. She was impressed and ashamed at the same time. How could she be so proud of herself? She gladly took the tumbler and drank the content in it. She almost spit the liquid out of her mouth when the water tasted rusty. It was a tap water.
"I forgot to tell you that that water is what poor people drink" the boy added while looking straight to Mrs. Huang's eyes.
"Can I have my tumbler back please?" He said politely.
Mrs. Huang was about to say something but the boy talked again.
"This is all I got. If only I have food, I would have given it to them. But I am too poor that I could only give them water. You look rich, maybe you could spare them a meal." the boy turned around and started walking away.
"Are you leaving like this, without asking permission?" Mrs. Huang asked in disbelief.
"I have a curfew at home. If I dont get by 5pm, my parents will give me a beating" the boy replied.
"I used to ask permissions before, just so you know. But I always get beaten up in the end. Bye" the boy ran away and left Mrs. Huang shocked.
"That kid..." the old man chuckled and held his wife.
Mrs. Huang looked at him with sympathy.
"...is a very good kid. There was one time that a beggar who was way younger than me sat beside us. Zan told him, he should find a job because his body seemed strong and productive. He even said that the man could find a wife when he could have a job. The guy was mad at first, but in the end he found a job as a garbage collector. Not bad, since he finally earns income. But when Zan looked at me and my wife, all he ever asked was where are our children..." the old man paused for a while and smiled.
"...I answered him, we don't have one, my wife can't have one. After that he never asked questions anymore. He would just randomly visit us here, bring us some candies, or little food. I could even say that Zan is also poor since that kid looks sick sometimes. And it is true that his parents beat him because I saw him once covered with bruises" the old man's voice suddenly sounded miserable.
"Kids with the same school as Zan often bullies him when he visits us. Other kids even tease him that he belongs to our family, Zan didn't care at all. I don't know why but everytime I pet Zan on the head, a glimpse of smile would form on his thin lips. As if he was saying that all he needed is a pet on the head." the old man shed a single tear.
"How could be a good child had such an unfortunate life?" he rubbed his eyes and sniffed his nose.
"If only I have money, I would definitely adopt Zan and take him away from his abusive parents."
Mrs. Huang's heart throbbed.
"Do you have a kid, madam?" the old man asked.
"Uhm, yes. I have a son" the lady replied politely.
"Please take good of your son. Not all kids are fortunate to have good parents" the old man's wife interrupted.
Mrs. Huang gave some money to the old couple and headed towards her son's school. On the way, she saw Zan heading inside his house and was greeted with a smack on the head by a middle aged man holding a bottle of vodka.
"Useless pig! What time is it now?! Make the dinner, quick!!" the man cursed and gave Zan another smack on the head.
Mrs. Huang dialed her phone and after a ring the person on the other line picked up the call.
"Make sure to pick up my baby Yibo at school and bring him home. I have an important matter to attend" Mrs. Huang ordered the person on the call and ended it after receiving an affirmative reply.
After an hour of waiting outside the house, Zan went out running towards nowhere. His arm was bleeding and his face looked horrified. Mrs. Huang immediately opened the door of the car and shouted, "ZAN! GET INSIDE!"
The poor boy had no time to think about how the lady was in front of their house. He was too scared that he quickly jumped inside Mrs. Huang's car as he trembled with fear.
"I accidentally broke the glass of vodka and my father is going to kill me" the boy said with a trembling voice.
"What happened next, Zanzan?" Yibo asked as Zan suddenly stopped speaking. His face looked like that time when he was inside the car begging for Yibo to let him live. His hands were trembling and his eyes filled with pain.
"I told Mrs. Huang to make me his servant and adopt me. I said many things to her and begged to let me live with her. I begged to let her feed me. In exchange I would do anything she would ask me to do. I told her I could do all the chores and errands, everything. I told her I would pay her in the future two times better. I... I..." A tear eacaped from Zan's eyes, he choked for a moment and was about to continue his story.
"Ssshh I got you. I got you" Yibo hushed and buried his long slender fingers on Zan's hair. He petted the older's head and smiled.
"Man, it's so funny. It seemed like I already hated you even before I met you. I told my mom those times that I don't like a brother but a sister." Yibo chuckled and pulled Zan closer. He kept running his hand through Zan's hair and sniffed it.
"I know I've been saying this a lot now but still... I'm sorry." Yibo sighed and burried Zan's face on his chest.
"I've been a crybaby these days. Thanks to you" Zan mumbled and tried to pull away.
"Who said you could push me away when I hug you?" Yibo groaned and embraced the older tightly.
"Behave yourself and let me comfort you. That's what a little brother do" Yibo smirked and shuffled Zan's hair. Zan was about to protest but a single glare made him obey like a poor puppy.
"I'll pet your head everyday starting today. Better?" Yibo smiled and waited for a reply.
Zan just gave the younger an obedient smile.
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©The Bad Boy's Obsession by Arl Hesse a.k.a AHFictions
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