Voluntary Foster Care
Phesx Caolia sat in a chair, long after his blood and other proof was taken, and he became a Lýmocan, now also in paper. Even without joining Lýmoca's society, he could already tell many thought Preut was still Lýmoca. And now, he was in a bus station, something that was strangely lacking in Preut. Even though it was evening, and the gray sky began darkening, with little to nobody around.
He had done something he never would have thought possible. Stepping out of the country and entering another. Never in his life did he imagine something like that, not for him.
His mother was resting elsewhere, with some workers here gone to buy her clothes She was a granny, after all, and the clothes they had weren’t useful. While Rubena was brought away, like she was their grandma, Phesx waited alone in a seat in the middle of the station.
It was pretty large, and quite empty, but only a few reception stalls for buying and checking tickets were available, or anything else. A few men and women in suits walked by, smiling at him in a greeting, despite him ignoring them. He had the inkling he was ‘recognized’ somehow.
Fortunately, that didn’t interrupt his good time in a vast, empty space with fresh air and nobody to look at him for long periods of time. It was something.
“Your mother will soon return to your side, is there something else you need?” A military officer walked to him and bent over, smiling at him with her hands on her knees. Her uniform wasn’t green, like the rest, but gray and somewhat mimicking a metal plate in style. It looked dull, but serious and dutiful enough.
“Food, and drinks,” Phesx Caolia was about to decline, when he thought of all the things he had gone through, he always ate roasted meat or something distracting and chewy. With no room for salt or more than liquor, he wondered if he could eat anything else now.
“Very well, I think I have just the perfect thing in mind.” The woman smiled again after thinking for a moment. Then, she sat on his right, “Now, I will tell you some things that can help you.”
Phesx Caolia looked at her, saying nothing, just waiting for her to continue. She said, with a beaming smile, “There are a few options you can take from here. An organization within the government has jobs, specialized schooling, and advanced studies for refugees.”
“This is just one of the 3 most popular among other refugees,” the military officer said after seeing the unchanging expression in the young boy’s face. “The second most popular is just being sent to one of the recently built precincts for refugees. You know, the president was insulted in every media until he won the ‘fight’ and his initiative was approved. You will also go to schools for refugees, where you’ll meet your fellow par- those of Preut.”
“The third one?” Phesx Caolia blinked twice before asking. The woman smiled politely, “Ah, well. That one isn’t always successful, but things still happen. Safety is secured, but it might be a bit uncomfortable. It is the voluntary foster care. You sign up to see if there’s someone interested in taking care of you.”
“This is reserved for Lys who are… wealthy, so to speak. Don’t think too wrongly about this. It is a good image, and if the kid grows up well, ending up in some school through their own merit, it is even better for both parties.” She added.
“Will it be enough to keep any of our wishes?” The young boy asked again, the woman tilted her head to the right, darting her eyes to think. “Well, to a certain degree, yes. They’ll cover any medical necessity you need or might need. They can take care of any studies, too.”
“Yes, you said that,” Phesx commented. The woman blinked, forcing a polite smile further, “Ah.”
“I want the last one,” Phesx decided after thinking. The woman nodded before inquiring, “Where would you like to go? A few months ago, you wouldn’t have been able to choose, but now, you can. Choose anywhere in Lýmoca, even the capital.”
“Mn! You could remain in Eusat, you’ll find it very similar to Preut in some areas, especially near here-” The woman spoke to Phesx, wanting to give him advice, but he interrupted her, looking at the mini-map of Lýmoca. ”Sargonde.”
“Ah, so close to home still, and not that far from the capital. Not bad,” the woman praised, nodding and taking the map from his hands. “You’d like to go back home in the future, eh?”
“Is that it?” Phesx asked, rubbing his palms on his thighs with pressure. His new clothes were coming soon, but they hadn’t arrived, taking quite a bit of time. The woman smiled before standing up, “I’ll confirm things for you. It might take an hour, so hold on tight, ‘kay?”
Phesx Caolia nodded before she turned around and left, leaving Phesx Caolia to his thoughts in the bus station. It was getting night, and with a wide sight to the sky, he became self-absorbed.
When he looked back down, there were many lights everywhere. Phesx came out of his house rarely after turning around 8 years old, but he knew every part of the world where civilization lay was filled with lights at night, making the stars above harder to see. Here, he was surrounded by crystal walls to stare outside. Some trees looked very dark.
However, stars or not, just some clouds and the absence of the moon in the sky… was too beautiful.
. . .
The next day, after driving through main roads, safely and with such speed, Phesx Caolia woke up to the sound of wind on the other side of the window. He lifted his head from leaning it on the window.
Others would’ve been frowning at the pain and soreness, but Phesx was used to it. Looking at his mother, he saw her awaken. She was just 2 seats away from his, looking at him. When she saw him looking at her, she jumped her eyebrows before asking, “Are you hungry?”
“No,” Phesx impassively replied, but he remembered the simple fries and hamburger the military officer brought him. Other than its taste, he realized how fun it was to eat. Having eaten steak of poor quality, thin and like a strapped hide with just salt on for several months in his house, new food was alien.
That was the meat Phesx knew before the civil war. Having more to chew and of varying flavors didn’t make him feel anything during it. But that hamburger, and the softness of those fries… That was something.
“Oh, they woke me up earlier. You were coughing before waking up. Did you get a cold?” Rubena inquired. Phesx parted his eyes from her and looked ahead, feeling refreshed at the sight of a lack of people. “No.”
“Well, we’re arriving soon. They went to get the wheelchair. Ah, you don’t have to push me. Those things are very advanced. It’s like we lived like poor people in a little farm somewhere, haha.” Rubena said, trying to gain his attention by patting his arm.
Phesx kept staring ahead. A minute later, someone came with a paper bag before delivering it to Rubena. She thanked the young man and held them on her lap before Phesx looked at it unwillingly. His eyes dilated when he smelled and then saw they were oranges.
“I brought them for you,” Rubena said, smiling and showing one to her. Phesx looked at the one she grabbed before looking into the bag. 2 seconds later, he grabbed the bag.
… 15 minutes later, the bus stopped, and they stepped down. Phesx ate 3 oranges, using his sharpened nails to cut them faster without his mother noticing. He only sharpened his ring finger to cut. While they were the most delicious things ever, it was also fun to cut them and reveal their white layer.
Not wanting to eat while walking, he put half a chewed, fourth orange, inside the bag and closed it tight before coming down. Yet, as soon as they arrived at the new bus station, with the bus’s employees used to seeing refugees, telling them directions, a cute young woman walk-ran towards them. Although she wore slightly revealing clothing, she carried professionalism.
“Rubena and Phesx Caolia? Are you the mother and son duo my boss signed up to take care of?” She asked them, enthusiastic, to say the least. A young military officer walked to them from behind, smiling as he clarified things for a confused Rubena and a guarded Phesx with an impassive face.
“The program has showed results. Someone has proposed to take you and your mother into foster care. If you’re willing, of course.” The military officer said, gesturing towards the little family.
“Who is this person?” Phesx Caolia asked without looking at his mother, who seemed like she wanted to say something but stopped when he spoke out. The military officer smiled, but the young beauty beat him to it, “Oh, he came here himself! If you’re willing to meet him, he’s at the-”
Phesx’s eyes deviated behind the young woman’s body, a little to the left. A man tapped the young woman’s right shoulder, with his voice reaching everyone’s ears immediately. “That’s fine, Merme. Prepare a table, okay?”
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“Yes, boss.” The gal turned around and nodded before walking to a lavish, large car. It looked ‘thick’, giving Phesx the idea it was armored. After inspecting it a bit, he realized he might not be wrong to feel so. Looking back at the man, he was already greeting his mother.
“Greetings, ma’am. I’m Victor Ruva, I’ve seen your form in the program and thought about lending my livelihood.” The man had bronze-brown skin, with short, steep but soft black hair, and small brown eyes. He was tall, charming, and looked like a gentleman.
But Rubena stopped him from saying more, gesturing to her son. “Oh, actually. It was my dear son who did that. He’s over there, you see?”
The man looked at Phesx Caolia, jumping his eyebrows in contemplation, before returning to Rubena, inspecting her eyes. “I see.”
He walked to Phesx and gestured to the bus station, “Would you mind coming inside to talk?”
“At the bus station?” Phesx asked, doubting a man like him would like to go there. Victor Ruva smirked slightly, “Well, unless you want me to kidnap you into my car? There’s a central for the voluntary foster care program in the bus stations if we can reach an agreement.”
“Oh, well then.” Phesx Caolia didn’t hesitate to agree. He would rather be somewhere closed or without many people, as this bus station seemed packed, but might as well. He walked towards the station’s entrance, with the young woman carrying a few thin plastic blags in her arms. She opened the door for him before following the young boy inside.
When they chose a place to sit, the young woman took a foldable stick and flat, square surface out, turning them into a small table for 4 in the middle of their seats. She also took a few snacks and orange juice. When the young boy saw the latter, he smirked. ‘So that’s why they asked to know so many random things.
After downing that yummy orange juice in 2 glasses, Victor gestured to the young beauty sitting beside his mother a few chairs away. “You met one of my workers first. She’s Mermelada, Sometimes, she comes to my house to act as a maid, buying groceries and helping my wife organize some things. She wanted to come see you.”
“Why?” Phesx asked with an inquiring frown. Victor took his phone out, a little large but somehow still practical, and showed him a video of himself carrying his mother into Lýmoca just yesterday. It wasn’t a downloaded video, but in a streaming platform. Immediately, Phesx felt his spirits leave him.
“Ahaha, why that face? Do you dislike it that much?” Victor voiced while storing his phone. Then, he returned to the previous subject, “She became very engrossed in you afterwards. Knowing I’ve been talking about supporting refugee programs, she immediately showed me your form.”
Phesx’s light black eyes, which looked around, focused on the man. Victor wore a serious expression as he began, “You would like to know if someone who is actually willing to foster care you won’t bring you and your mother harm. And I’m looking forward to bringing my business higher in the moral ladder of society… And to my home.”
“…” Phesx Caolia went silent. So it was, they were two ‘men’ looking for the same thing. And so, they began considering. More than reaching an agreement, they were just setting the norms of what one could do to help the other.
Phesx Caolia wouldn’t show up in public, while his mother could decide that on her own. Phesx wouldn’t be a bastardly kid, abusing Victor’s money, nor bring disorder to his home or enmity with his family.
Rubena and Phesx could remain within the house until he turned 18, or they decided to move out, with secured hospitality in Victor’s home. If anything, the Caolias should get along with the Ruvas, and spend time like a family, trying not to force anything.
After reaching an agreement, they went to the voluntarily foster care terminal before signing the digital papers, and then the physical ones. Merme brought Phesx Caolia to it asap, while Victor spoke to his mother.
When they exited the bus station, Merme opened everyone’s doors, giving Victor what seemed like a headache. Walking to the 5 meters long car, Phesx Caolia asked the man, “What do you work for?”
“Oh, I didn’t even tell you that.” Victor jumped his eyebrows, barely realizing. Phesx asked, “Are you one of those politicians?”
“Wahahaha, heavens no. My wife would hang me if I somehow ended in that. No, I made sure I was safe from it, one way or another,” Victor showed a big, manly, charming smile. He gave the young boy a glance before saying, “I run an enterprise. I sell… bottles of water and provide communication services.”
“Why? Are you interested in those matters?” Victor asked the young boy. His eyes glinted, like finding a victim to doctrine in the business matters. Phesx shook his head and emitted a slightly disgusted, “No.”
“Hmph~,” Victor smiled thinly, feeling in a good mood. They entered the car, with Victor letting him in the co-driver seat, where he could see the magnificence of the car from inside. Victor stopped for a moment, letting the young boy observe all he wanted. Then, he showed him something cool.
“This is a car for wealthy families, or those who won a prize somewhere. It can even secure the passengers’ survival if smashed by a train. It’s not anti-explosives, like a… never mind that. It’s very good and popular to those who only want to keep their family feeling safe for a lifetime.” Victor halted there, having forgotten from where the Caolias just came from.
Phesx Caolia didn’t say anything about it, and Rubena didn’t even notice, but he… appreciated his appreciation, somewhat. Then, he saw how the space around his feet widened and became longer. It wasn’t metallic segments moving around, but more like sponges being drawn elsewhere.
“Oooh,” Phesx praised like any boy his age would. His craftsman mentality made him like it very much. He looked at Victor and wondered, “If there’s an accident, more things like those come out and hug the body?”
“Yeah, although it’s not the only thing. But let’s not try it, okay?” Victor nodded before starting the car. Merme grabbed Phesx’s seat, alarming him, but her pretty face popping before his face reminded him he was here.
“When we arrive, you’ll be stupefied. Boss’s mansion is really nice, and it only needs a few workers. His family is really nice, but you’ll learn many more things there. Oh, right. Boss, these are the program’s specifications. His schedule and options have been decided.” Merme attempted exciting the young boy before showing a thin panel to Victor.
“Read it to me,” Victor said, rolling his eyes a bit. Merme coughed and apologized, “Ahem. Yes, sorry.”
“Both mother and son will attend a medical hospital for a full check-up, and attend a psychiatrist until the chosen experts clarify their stability. Then, depending on their medical records, they have to be treated on your name, boss. The boy will attend college at 18, but can have homeschool until then, if he so desires it.” Merme continue listing things. They were detailed and ample, making Phesx feel the work of an actual nation towards its people.
If only he knew this was but brand-new in the country for the last couple hundreds of years, and even more so not spread throughout the world. Even Victor cocked his head a few times, as none of this would be paid by the government, but by him.
They took many roads up and down the surface, almost like in an anthill, with cars everywhere, and other vehicles. Phesx Caolia enjoyed the smooth trip, with the sound of speed and wind with the force of the car driving through enjoyed by his quirky ears.
When they neared Victor’s home, he noticed an obvious change to the streets and the quality of the materials everywhere. The roads, sidewalks, stores, apartments, houses, and parks were all clean, kinda, and had many technological gadgets for a variety of needs for both citizens and tourists.
“The country doesn’t have much money-making capabilities, but it seems like that’s starting to change a little. Foreigners often come to our beautiful places to live for a while. Lýmoca has been a good host for them since a long time ago.” Victor explained, watching Phesx follow those things with his head left and right through the window.
“What are those motorcycles?” Phesx suddenly asked, ignoring what Victor told him. Victor looked to the right, on a red light, where a parked bike of the last model made the noon sunlight appear bleak and boring. “Whistle. That’s a scary investment for a young boy. Don’t you like girls more?”
“…” Phesx looked back at Victor. Then, he casually asked, “Are there brothels and whores in Lýmoca?”
“Puchi…” - “Ermm… we’re close to my ‘house’. That’s the most renown bike across the world, Myertha. It was made by a Ly, but overseas, in another company. It even gained a few prizes in the last IVP…” Victor ignored his employee’s held laughter and Rubena’s widened eyes, feeling embarrassed.
A few minutes later, the car went through tall, black railing gates before parking in a humble garage. Phesx Caolia didn’t pay attention before, but he could swear the car went through a long street with thin sidewalks and a white brick wall following along before arriving here.
When he came out of the car, and looked around, at the green floor in the surroundings and distance, he realized how large this palace was. It had to be at least a kilometer long or wide, with many flora areas, well-taken care of and concentrated.
‘What did I get myself into?’ Phesx Caolia asked himself as he felt his breathing improve tens of times compared to ever before in the past. Furthermore, the people walking around was almost null, with other large residences too far to even see their main structures. It was perfect!
“Hey, the boss already opened the door. Come on in!” Merme’s voice sounded behind him before her gentle fingers wrapped around his left wrist. Phesx Caolia smoothly escaped her grasp and rubbed where she touched before following her. Merme blinked but didn’t say anything or grow insulted. Leading him to the front door on a white stone path, Phesx Caolia saw many small fountains and cute flowers growing around them.
Entering the ordinary front door of a house with 4 floors above the main floor, Phesx Caolia saw 2 figures waiting further inside, with Victor talking to his mother at the entrance. Everyone went in at the same time, with Victor walking ahead to his wife and daughter.
The Caolias studied the remaining Ruvas as the former walked to the latter. The woman, presumably the mother, was a not ‘too’ beautiful lady with creamy cinnamon skin. Chestnut curly hair, brown eyes, and of a regular height. She looked at them with her hands on her daughter’s shoulders.
The little lass definitely looked younger than the 15-year-old Phesx Caolia. She had the same creamy cinnamon skin of her mother, smooth black hair, and small brown eyes. She was also tall, for her age.
Victor Ruva walked to them and grabbed his wife’s cheeks before poutingly kissing her lips. Then, the daughter received a few pulling of her cheeks before she erased her strict face, mimicking her mother, and smiled. Victor carried her up to his chest before facing the Caolias and his employee, with Mermelada smiling at them.
“You had a good day, huh? Such a sudden free day. Don’t return tomorrow crying because your employees ask you for a brief leave.” The woman commented, teasing Victor. He looked at her and shook his head, “It was important business, now.”
Victor let go of his daughter before presenting them, the girl blushed after staring for several seconds at Phesx Caolia’s face. “Darling, these are Rubena Caolia and Phesx Caolia. This is my wife, Marisela Noches. And this little gem is my daughter, Lorena Ruva Noches. Say hi, you little thing.”
“Hi…” The baby-faced, cheeky lass shyly lifted her left palm and voiced. Phesx Caolia blinked and nodded at her before repeating her greeting, wearing an impassive expression. “Hi.”
…