Chapter 17: Hope to Live [5]
"Old man!"
"In the name of Seas, why aren't you home when Mom is sick?!" Shiro felt that fear had gripped his heart.
Not only had fear gripped his heart, his heart was literally crushed by it.
"Mornil!" He gave one last bang to the door before rushing off the place.
F*ck it!
Soon he reached his house spotting his Loyola who was still in bed.
"Mom!" Shiro tried to wake her up. It hadn't taken him long to understand that he could do nothing in this scenario.
At the end of the day, he was just a 5-year-old. Now that Mornil wasn't there, only Loyola could help herself, she was the only adult over here.
There was nothing he could do.
"Mom!" Shiro screamed at the top of his lungs. His voice was so loud that even Sera was startled.
But Loyola was showing not a single sign of waking up.
She's alive, definitely alive. Then why isn't she waking up? Why?!
"Mom! Wake up, wake the F*ck up! Please, Mom!" Shiro's booming voice rang in the entire place. After that, he waited for two seconds while clenching his fist.
Should I punch her?
No! Of course not!
Shiro instantly launched his fist at his own face.
Bang!
Ah! It hurts.
Tears filled his eyes making his vision blurry but the next second he wiped them.
This is no time to cry! This is the time to help Mom!
Shiro tried searching for the Jug and found one filled with water.
Without any hesitation, he moved front opening the lid of the water and emptying it on Loyola's face.
Sera who was beside Shiro was dumbfounded. Shiro's actions had greatly confused her. Shiro was trying to help their mother but his actions looked a bit extreme.
"Shiro!" She couldn't bear it any longer. "What are you trying to do!"
"I'm trying to help her! We have to wake Mom up!" He nearly pulled his hair as like a mad man he repeated these lines continuously.
We need an adult's help... We need an adult's help... We need an adult's help...
Mornil... He's out of the question. We have to wake Mom up. Yes, that's the only choice.
Shiro suddenly froze. Mornil, is he the only adult Mom knows? No one else?
I once saw Mom talking to some aunties. In home... Sera stays at home most of the time, yes that's it!
Sera felt something was wrong. She turned her head, only to spot Shiro's piercing gaze.
"Sera... Does mom talk to some aunties? When she's free?"
"Yeah." Sera's head bobbed up and down like a squirrel. "You want to ask them for help?"
"Yes!"
"But..."
"But what?"
"They just make fun of Mom. They are bad people."
"Not a single auntie is mom's friend?"
"Umm..."
"Think properly Sera! Think properly!"
"Umm... Auntie Li. She doesn't help Mom, but she doesn't make fun of her either."
"Is that so." Shiro contemplated for a few minutes before making his decision.
"Do you know where does this Aunt Li live?"
"No..."
"How does she look?"
"Mom once gifted Auntie Li a red sea shell necklace. Aunt Li had black hair but her eyes were blue. She has some wrinkles on her face."
"Is that so..."
Determination flashed in Shiro's eyes.
He was gonna find this Auntie Li! Even if he couldn't then there was no pin in scaring his sister like this. Time was limited. But before that, he grabbed a few bottles of medicine trying to identify which was what.
In the end, it failed. However, that wasn't the main goal. Shiro quickly grabbed a shabby old bag and filled it with a few bottles of medicine.
Tying the straps of the bag around him, Shiro looked at his sister
"Sis, take care of Mom. I'll try to come back by evening."
Sera nodded while forcing a smile. In truth, her pain had again started a few minutes ago but with puckered lips, she was bearing it all along.
Before Shiro could go she abruptly grabbed his arm.
"What's the matter?"
Shiro watched as Sera brought her face closer to his and kissed him on his forehead.
"Me and Mom will be waiting for you. Be home safe."
"I will be." Shiro nodded with determination in his eyes. He then opened the door and dashed away. After he didn't so Sera closed the door and fell to her knees.
"Mom..." Tears instantly fell from her eyes. She couldn't bear the pain any longer.
"It hurts...:
.
.
.
"Huff! Huff!"
My... My chest is burning...
But the mother is in even greater pain...
Mom...
Mom...
Mom...
Shiro was just a five-year-old. His body wasn't developed properly. Even if he rushed at his mx speed, without shortcuts it'd take him a lot of time to reach the lower-end streets. The place where Mom sells her ornaments.
Slums. This was where most of the beggars and thugs lived. The lower-end streets were places where people with some income lived.
Loyola could live in this place with the amount she earned, however they preferred to live in solitude.
Shiro tried to increase his pace as his muscles protested. But he could care less.
"Haa... Haa... I'm finally here."
"Hey kid, mind to pass that."
Shiro suddenly heard these words. When he looked in the direction of the origin, he spotted a thug-like man.
Thugs of Gullimette Larikisonez...
He made an internal note.
"Here..." Without arguing Shiro obediently handed his bag. This kind of thugs could be found in many places on the lower streets.
They were thugs of a bastard called Gullimette Larikisonez. He was a bastard who would rob many.
The local officials didn't deal with Gullimette Larikisonez as he would give them 30% of what he earned.
"Mmm, what's this."
"Oh, nothing. I stole it from my mom."
"Is that so?" The man opened the cork of the container and took a sniff.
"Smells like herb. From your mom, you took you to say eh?"
This was probably one of those handmade herbs women made for their skin.
"Here." The man handed the bag back to Shiro who entered the lower-end streets.
Mom! I have to help Mom!
Determination once again returned to his eyes.