“Like I said, who do you think I am? My dad’s pretty close with the mayor and he’s got pretty high position in the Shilan group.”
“Whoa~!!”
“Duuuuuude! Was that allowed?! I should have told my dad.”
“Right? I’m sure mine could pull some strings too.”
“This is how things have always been. If you both weren’t so slow-witted we all could be wearing the same uniform and own some high IQ bragging rights!”
“Yeah, imagine writing the state school in your CV.”
“Oh-! That’s why right!”
“What is it?”
“Remember our classmate, that powder girl? She got accepted too.”
“Everyone knows that her family is loaded. But damn, she’s dumb as brick! She can’t even multiply without a calculator.” They laugh loudly.
“Yeah, it seems she got in with that other girl... hm… you remember the loner smart one!”
“Oh! The childhood friend!”
“You mean the one she was leeching off? The teachers wouldn’t have any grades to compute if she wasn’t copying her assignments or dragging her with their group projects.”
“Poor childhood friend, can’t get some peace and quiet. Miss Powders is still going to leech off her even in high school.”
“Damn, I’m jealous! She’s already set with the friend of hers.”
They laugh again. “That’s what in your mind?! Dude!”
Mary and Mark cannot help but overhear the conversation. It is the start of the busy hours and they are the first customers to come. They are talking and laughing loudly which is awfully inconsiderate to other customers. Mark would have reprimanded them but he also knows that it will just bring more trouble. There is no merit in getting in an argument with the stubborn bunch of spoiled teens, such people does not like it when their pride is smeared. The faster they are done with their orders, the faster they can leave the shop peacefully.
“Everything feels so unfair… it’s frustrating.” She mumbles while wiping the table.
However, they cannot stop themselves from thinking that if not for those who gets accepted because of connections, then maybe they might have the chance. But then again, the competition to get into the state school is extremely difficult. Maybe someone smarter than them will be the one to get accepted. They know that they are just a little above average level of intelligence, since they too cannot even get in the top ten in their grade.
Just in time as the rowdy high school students are leaving, Grandpa Alf also returns to the shop. Mark and Mary are glad to see him back but looking at his expression they immediately notice that he has no good news to bring back. The old man heads to the back room to change. He then tells them that he will explain the situation once there are less customers.
Once the rush of the customers have calmed down and the last batch has left, Grandpa Alf sits down at the table by the corner. Mark and Mary follows him and sits in the opposite side facing him.
“I’ve gone to the insurance company.” Grandpa states with a solemn tone. “Unfortunately, we got denied again. They won’t be releasing your father’s insurance.”
“Why? It’s our dad’s money anyway! ” Mary frowns.
“The construction company refuses to acknowledge his death as a result of their negligence and insists that it all happened because of your father’s recklessness. If the insurance company does not recognize it as an accident then they won’t approve the release of the money.”
“This is not right.” Mark’s brows furrow. “Grandpa, can’t we do anything about it? Dad worked hard for that… and… and it’s that company’s fault t-that…”
“Can’t we do something?..” Mary’s voice cracks. “L-like complain to the authorities?”
“I’m sorry.” The old man clenches his fists. “We can’t afford something like that… The company already took responsibility for your father’s funeral and burial. They are only giving us compensation of one hundred thousand rimas… if we wrap this issue up.”
“A hundred thousand?!” Mark almost got up from his seat. “Is that all my father’s life is worth?”
“My child… I know what you feel… However, they already pushed us to the edge. Listen…” His expression looks ever more tired and apologetic. Tears almost formed in his eyes but he is holding it all in. “I have already mortgaged this shop to pay for your mother’s hospital bills… and everything…”
“It’s just one disaster right after another.” Mary thought as she listens to their Grandpa. “Once our world starts crumbling down, it doesn’t stop until everything’s completely destroyed.”
“We have to leave at the end of the month. I’m so sorry. We can just take what’s left of our savings and move out. I’m very sorry.”
“We’re moving? Where to?” Mark’s voice is shaking.
“I’ll figure it out. I just need you to prepare yourselves. Can you help me explain the situation to Jad? He might also quit school when we move out.”
Jad is not their sibling or a blood relative at all. He is the grandson of their grandfather’s friend who passed away several years ago. His mother died in a traffic accident, and his father left them long before he was born. When his mother died five years ago, he was left all alone and nobody of his blood relatives wants to take him in, so when Grandpa Alf went to the mother’s funeral and learned about the situation he arranged to take him and become his guardian.
Mary and Mark cannot say anything more. They fully understand the situation. They absolutely cannot afford to do anything right now.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
They can file a case in the court but it is almost guaranteed that they will lose. That is because the project that the construction company was taking on when the accident happened is related to the Shilan Group. It seems that someone embezzled majority of the funds so the construction materials bought are lacking and has low quality. Because of this, a part of the building was built weak that after some time, even before the whole project can be completed, it just collapsed. The large rubles fell on some unfortunate people which includes their father. The other workers suffered minor injuries, and a couple ended up being unable to walk for life. By some stroke of bad luck, only their father was severely injured, which eventually resulted in his death while in the hospital. Unfortunately, they do not have any solid proof of these so they can only speculate.
If they try to fight it, they will only be put on a bad light. Everyone knows how far the Shilan’s influence reaches. They influence is strong on politics, they are like the real rulers behind the mayors and the governor of Aesbyl. They also control the media and the flow of news in and out of the region. They can easily destroy someone in as many ways as one can think of. The people can only close their eyes from all these injustices if they want to protect their peaceful life and love-ones.
Grandpa Alf tried to ask some help from their relatives. He has another older daughter but she married a foreigner and went to live with him. She and her family, composed of her husband, two sons and a daughter, are now living in the country of Cera. They are rarely in contact nowadays. The best she could do was to send some money to help her father and sister. The last time was when Grandpa told her about her sister’s hospitalization and death. Unfortunately, she could not return home even for the funeral.
Their father has a younger brother that is also already married. Grandpa also reached out to him when they needed some financial help. The brother was willing to help because he is greatly indebt to his older brother who raised him. However, he is married and has responsibilities towards his three daughters and two sons. He did help a little bit but his wife prevented him from sending too much money because their situation is not any better.
The end of the month comes. Grandpa is forced to take the offer of the company. They left the shop and their home with little possessions with them. With what they have, they can no longer stay in the city, so grandpa can only look for a place outside. They ended up far out in Wave 5 where the land is very cheap. He also found one with a sturdy enough house for them to live in. Here, they will have to start over again and hope that with hard work they can build a better future for themselves.
However, living outside the city has its own set of rules. It is hard to cope with these unwritten rules and they cannot just ignore it. They almost got scammed several times. Thieves broke into their house a few days after they settled in. It is a lawless land so they cannot even report it to the authorities.
After a week of using candles and solar powered flashlights for light at night, someone from the mercenary group has approached them. He is a representative selling them the solar panels that will light up their house and energize some of their few appliances. The Zone-0 has no power source of its own. Most residents purchase these solar panels, some illegally taps on the power of nearby structures like the Shilan groups’ laboratories and plantations, and there are also several who does not care about living in darkness. The main issue about these solar panels is that they are extremely costly. They are illegally expensive but nobody really regulates these products. Not only is it overpriced, they also have to pay it in installments with very high interest rate. It is especially difficult now that they are still scraping around for a living. But the heat is becoming more and more unbearable even when the rainy season has supposed to have started. The old man is no longer in a condition that he can endure such heat, so Mary convinced him to take the offer and assured him that they will do fine if they all worked together.
After Grandpa Alf made a deal with the mercenary’s representative, he also found work which is a great help in their situation. Still they cannot just leave everything to their grandfather as he is already at the age when he should have retired and should be resting enjoying the rest of his years comfortably.
“I’ll help too!” Jad insists. “I’ll help brother Mark with his job!”
“You’re still young, just stay and look after the house.” Mark refutes.
“I’m old enough to help out. I saw other kids that are younger and smaller than me, they’re also working. Even just small side jobs on the streets.”
Mary sighs. “You brought your books with you, right? Why don’t you-”
“What’s the point of that?”
“What-?!”
“I’m… I’m not hoping we could return…” He frowns. “Going back into the city… It’s so easy to get kicked out but going back is like climbing a very stiff mountain.”
Mark pinches his glabella. “I know what you mean… but let’s not lose hope. I won’t take you with me. It’s better for you to go with Mary and protect her, okay? We’re still not very familiar with this new place.”
“I understand.” He smiles a little.
It took a while for them to get used to their new lifestyle. The adjusting period is the most difficult part. Grandpa Alf works with the mercenary group. His job seems to be delivering and taking orders of something that is kept hidden inside the straw basket. He works very early and most of the times he comes home very late. Meanwhile, in the morning, Mark joins the other residents to look for food and in the Elteb canyon. For now he is being taught by a few kind monster hunters how to find and catch small animals and monsters. Once he gets used to it, he will have to do it alone on his own time, since everyone is busy with their own business. Mary and Jad got work in the Addax racing arena. They collect the bets and give the customers tickets in that gambling game.
They got used to their new life in Wave 5 after living there for over a month. Jad is quick to make friends with a few neighborhood kids. It did not take them long to notice one particular kid who just wanders around with no place to go home to. He often goes to their house and grandpa would always generously share him a meal. At some point grandpa just invited the young boy to come live with them instead of staying homeless in the streets. His name is Romi. All he said about why he cannot go home is that because he got lost. Some people wearing black came to take him. He got awfully scared that he ran away while they are traveling.
Mark and Mary did not mind the new member of their family. Even they do not want to push away a helpless child even though they feel so helpless themselves. Furthermore, Jad has already become particularly close to the boy. Romi has been sticking close to him even before they asked him to come live with them.
A few more months passes by. One late night, Grandpa Alf returned home holding the hand of a young girl. The only one still awake to welcome them is Mary. The others are too tired that they fell asleep earlier. She is cleaning up a little more before going to bed.
“Ah-… Grandpa, who is she?”
The girl looks confused and scared. She is not talking but it is evident that she is very alert and observant of the surroundings.
“I found her wandering around the route I take. It has been two nights. She seems to have been lost and very hungry.” The old man looks tired and apologetic.
“I-I see… We still have some extra… I mean, we can still accommodate one more meal for another person tonight.”
“Thank you, Mary. I’ll just eat a little and rest.” He pats the back of the child. “Can you look after her for now?”
“It’s fine, Grandpa. You can rest.”
Grandpa Alf goes straight to the dining room while Mary observes the young girl. Her clothes are dirty with some tears on it. She also looks like she has not comb her hair for a week.
“What is your name?”
“Ah… umm…” Her hands are clenched and trembling while her voice is low and hoarse.
“Don’t worry, we won’t hurt you.” Mary comes closer. “You should take a bath first and have a change of clothes before eating.”
“I’m sorry… The grandpa said he’ll help me get back home.”
“Right… If you can remember your address, we can help you find it.”
“N-no. I-it’s… I can’t go back.”
“…”
“They left me there.”
Mary frowns. She does not know what to feel about it. Can people really just leave a child in random places? What if some bad guys picked her up?
“I see… I guess, you have no choice. You’ll be staying with us now.” She smiles softly. “What’s your name?”
“Umm… Brenda…”