Chapter 5 - Today is your birthday?

“Wait! Don’t leave. I’m not a ghost.” I said trying to stop her from leaving. He doesn’t know why he stop her from leaving when I wanted is to have time alone.

“Really!”

“Really. If you want, you can touch me. As far as i know, ghost does not have a body, just spirit.”

“Well, yeah. Okay, don’t move, I will come to you.” she said and slowly went to my side and poke my face.

“Huh” she sighed. “I thought you’re a ghost, you scared me to death.” she smiled.

“Here, I have a lot of foods.” she said and started to unpacked her bag full of foods.

“Today is my mother’s death anniversary and the only day I can visit her.”

“Why? If you want, why not visit her.”

“I don’t have the time to visit her. I have to go to school and help the housework.”

“Then, you can ask your father”

“My father already died and I don’t know where his tomb is. Here, taste it, I made it.” she said and she gave me the plate, I mean the lid of the food container with the foods.

“Hmm! It’s delicious. You really did it?” I questioned her as the taste was so good and I felt that it was the best food that I ever tasted my whole life. She was too young to cook like a professional.

“Yeah”

“How did you do that? I mean, how can you make this chicken this delicious and based on its appearance, this chicken is just a simple fried chicken.”

“Of course not. The recipe I used in that chicken was my father’s own recipe. It may look simple but it needs time to prepare. ”

“Your father is also a chef?”

“Well, they said that he is a chef.”

“Why they said? You don’t know about him?”

“I was two years old when my father died”

“What happened to him?”

“Based on my mother’s diary, he is a chef and he died when he went out-of-town. Mmmm, something like accident. I can’t remember.”

“How about you?” she asked me back.

“My mother also died in an accident – a car accident.”

“And your sad, that’s why you are here?”

“Yeah, I just want to be with my Mom and I don’t want to go back home.”

“Why?”

“Because my father is such a jerk. He got a mistress and just after my mother died, he bring his mistress in the house with his illegitimate son, which just a year younger than me” he felt that the suffocating feeling he feels just awhile ago was lifted. Maybe because there is someone who listen to him.

“Mmmm, okay, if you will leave, where will you go? Do you have relatives that will take care of you?”

“I have my mother’s relatives, but I don’t know if I can go with them. My plan is to live by myself and then work.” he proudly said.

“Do you want to hear my honest opinion?”

“Yeah, go on”

“I feel your grievances against your father and his new family but why do you leave them? You are also his son. Stay with him...with them. Let him support your living expenses, your education. Tuition fees are too expensive and you can not study well while you are working. If you have other choice why choice to suffer. If they said something that hurt your feelings just don’t mind them, just focus on your study until you graduate and you’d be able to live without their support. Remember that you are still lucky that your father can support you, unlike others who has no other choice but to work for them to live.”

“But I felt that I betrayed my mother?”

“Do you think your mother will be happy if she knows that you are working while the mistress is happy with what supposed to be the support given to you.”

“Or you can negotiate with your father, that you will live in an apartment and he has to pay for it and your living expenses including you education. But that would be for the last resort because your father might not agree with that. If you will live with your relatives, are they good? Are you sure that they will like it if you were there. Are their children okay with you in there? If your not sure, stay with your father.” she continued with her teaching.

“The way you said it, as if that is the only option”

“It might not be the only option but that is the best option unless you are sure with your other option. Just keep in mind the possible option and the worst case scenario that may happen with that option”

“How old are you?” he suddenly asked.

“Nine, wait no, it’s ten today. Why?”

“Today is your birthday?”

“Yeah and the death anniversary of my mother.”

“Happy Birthday. I hope I can celebrate your birthday starting today. And I’m sorry for your loss”

“Thank you but no thanks, I’m always celebrating my birthday here. This is the last gift from my mother to me.”

“Last gift?”

“Yes, because she celebrated my birthday before she left.”

“What happen to her, is she also got into an accident?”

“No. She died due stomach cancer. The doctor said it started to a simple ulcer then develop to a cancer. She might develop it when she was busy working when my father died.”

“Where are you living now?”

“To the orphanage, but maybe in a month I will live with my new family. They only finalizing the adoption papers and when approved even without the yet the confirmation, they can already bring me home. Anyway, you’re changing the subject, why did you asked my age?”

“Nothing, I just find it amusing and the way you said your opinion is a bit off your age.” I explained.

“Why?”

“Because you sound like an old lady when giving advise.” he said while smiling. It was his first smile after his mother got into an accident and died.

“Mmmm, maybe because between the two of us, you might be older than me but I already experienced the worst in life than you.” she seriously said.

“Thank you”