Chapter 1

The night breeze blew softly through the small open window, spreading cold air to every room of a simple house located at the edge of the forest. The chill of wind stabbed into the flesh and bones, even though the flames in the furnace were very intense.

Coughing sounds can be heard between the rustling of the leaves and the sounds of the night beings. Behind the thin, waving curtain, a man can be seen pressing a damp towel over his wife's head. The wife had fallen ill in the last few months, a disease that came on suddenly without any symptoms.

Many doctors have called, from the closest to the far across the city. The little family wealth slowly ran out, but never got good results. The wife's disease never healed, it even seemed to get worse. Tonight, it's been three months of a strange disease residing in his wife's body, his heart is crushed to see this suffering.

Once again he wrung out a towel that had been dipped in water, then put it on his wife's head. That's all he can do so that at least the heat in the woman's body decreases a little, even though it's actually the water in the bucket that warms up. Suddenly, the wife grabbed his hands, let out a voice that was so low.

"Thank you for your patience all this time ...."

"No need to thank, it's my responsibility," replied the man while stroking his wife's black hair.

“You're a strong man, Harold. Working hard during the day, and when night falls, instead of resting you have to take care of a weak person like me."

“You're not weak, Elli, you can even endure this long. I'm sure your illness will soon be cured!"

The woman smiled weakly. "I think my struggle has come to an end."

The sentence sounded like a bolt of lightning in the quiet rain to the husband's ear. "What do you mean?"

Elli held her husband's hand tighter. “Find a new lover after I'm gone, Harold. My struggle is over, while Phill and Lill are very young, they still need a mother. "

“What are you talking about, Elli? You will get well, definitely recover! We have to believe and keep trying. "

"It's time for you to enjoy life, honey. Find a good woman who can spoil you and our children. "

"You're starting to talk nonsense, have some rest, Honey!"

“Thank you for everything, Harold, please take good care of our gems. I love you. Forever." With those words, Elli's eyes slowly closed and just like that, the woman left the world.

"Elli?" called Harold who had been sitting tensely beside her. However, the wive never answered again.

The man was stunned, this was completely unexpected, they were still joking with each other a few hours ago, even making small plans if the woman recovered. There was no slightest sign that the woman he loved the most would leave him like this, so soon. Tears slowly dripping lamenting his wife's body while clutching her hands that are getting cold.

Meanwhile, in the dining room, Two kids sat in an orderly manner at the rectangular table. In front of them lined up the simple food made by their father. The older child named Phillip, not yet nine years old, is the older brother of Lillian, who is two years younger than him. Her sister's eyes continued to stare at the mashed potatoes on the table, occasionally salivating herself while rubbing her hungry stomach.

"Can we eat now, Phill?" asked little Lillian to her brother.

"Not yet, Lill, we have to wait until Mom and Dad here too," replied Phillip, probably the tenth time now.

The little girl dropped her head on the table grumbling. "But I'm starving."

"Be patient a little longer, Lillian."

"Can Chatter-Boy come to eat with us?"

Phillip stared at his younger sister in confusion for a few moments until he remembered that Chatter-Boy was the imaginary friend that his little sister had been talking about lately. The boy immediately shook his head.

"We can't carelessly bring in strangers for dinner, Lillian."

"But he's not a foreigner. He's my friend!"

"Indeed, but why don't you introduce him to me?"

“I told you, he doesn't want to know you because you don't trust him! Now you even care!"

While the little girl's arms crossed, Phillip turned to his parent's room. It was almost thirty minutes past supper, but they still weren't out. Meanwhile, he was barely able to argue any longer with his younger sister. Finally, Phillip changed the subject by saying that he would call mom and dad so they could start eating.

“Also tell dad, I want to invite a friend to have dinner. He's a good person, really. " Lillian added.

After giving a thumbs up, Phillip jumped out of the chair and walked over to the door of his parent's room. He knocked several times, but never received an answer, so the boy decided to immediately open the door. The first sight he saw was his father crying. Phillip was both confused and amused.

The most joyful and goofy person like dada can cry too?

The boy chuckled, tiptoeing toward his father with shocking intentions, but the closer he got, the clearer his father's muffled cries became, and Phillip's smile suddenly disappeared.

The boy looked at the bed, and there he saw the mother's body lying stiff, her eyes closed with pale lips, Phillip did not see her mother's stomach heaving for breath. As a nearly nine-year-old child, he understood this situation more or less. Very bad situation. Without realizing his tears were flowing too.

"Dad, what happened?" The question remains out, just in case his guess is wrong. The boy really hoped that his guess was wrong.

Harold was not too surprised by the presence of Phillip, the man even let his tears continue to flow when he turned to look at the child. “Mommy's save now, Philly. She's in a better place.” He replied in a trembling voice.

The child is silent, only the tears are increasingly flowing indicating that he is devastated. However, Harold immediately erased it. "Be strong, Philly. You have a younger sister, you must be a strong brother!”

Of course, it is a heavy request for an eight-year-old child. However, Phillip still nodded, he came out unsteadily to meet his younger sister who was still sitting at the dining table, hooking her fingers while staring straight down. When she realized Phillip's appearance, a smile crossed her lips.

"How is it? Can we eat yet? " asked the girl. "The Chatter-Boy can come to dinner?"

Phillip remains silent, not knowing how to put together a good sentence to tell such bad news. Lillian loved mom so much, how could she possibly accept this bad news?

Not receiving an answer, Lillian became confused, especially seeing her sister blankly staring. "Phillip?"

Her brother again did not answer. The little girl immediately got off the chair. "If you can't get them, then I'll do it," she continued, running into the room before Phillip could stop her.

The child entered just as Harold covered his wife's body with a large cloth, suddenly Lillian ran to prevent it. "Dad, what are you doing? What if mom can't breathe!"

Lillian immediately opened the cloth again, revealing the figure of a woman who was lying stiff, but looked so peaceful as if the burden of her life had been released, as if she was happier like this. For a child as small as Lillian, the mother is just sleeping soundly.

"Mom, wake up, let's have dinner together," she said, shaking the body. Not getting an answer, she repeated. “Mommy, wake up! Daddy cooks delicious food, you know!"

"Dad, why Mommy won't wake up?" Finally, the little girl asked, after the third try the mother was still silent.

Harold, who had been trying to hold back the roar of his breath, approached Lillian and hugged her. "Mommy is in a better place now, Darling."

"She was just sleeping, right, Dad?"

"Yes, honey, but now she has to sleep for a long time."

"How long?"

"I have no idea. But think about it… when mommy sleep, she doesn't feel any pain, isn't that great?”

The little girl was stunned, then a smile crossed her face. "That's great!"

"We can make Mom even happier with prayer, be a strong girl, Lilly." Harold hugged his daughter again, hiding the crying that never stopped.

Lillian is stunned by this situation, if mom is just sleeping, why is dad crying? Even Phillip looked grim. Harold grabbed his son into the embrace of grief, telling the boy that he was not the only one who had lost, he was never alone.

"It's okay, Daddy, you don't need to be sad. If Mommy can't join dinner, tomorrow we can have breakfast together,” said Lillian.

Harold was stunned by that sentence. However, he did nothing but rub his daughter's head. "You are a tough girl, Lilly."

The little family spent the night in mourning, a simple dinner on the table no longer appetizing, except for Lillian who devoured all the mashed potatoes. Harold decided to sleep with his children that night, not wanting to disturb the peace of his wife's eternal sleep, but also unable to endure spending the night alone. His hands embraced the children who were closed asleep, so he could still feel his wife's presence.

"I'll take care of our gems, Elli, I promise."

***

The next day Elli's funeral took place quickly with only family and a few friends from the boutique where Elli worked. Phillip continued to guide his younger sister during the funeral while trying to answer all the strange questions that came out of her mouth. Such As; "Why are Mommy in the grave?", "How does Mommy breathe in the chest?", "What is Mommy going to eat in there?"

Harold's mood had not changed, he held his wife's gravestone throughout the funeral, his eyelids dripping with water incessantly. Phillip glanced at his sister, Lillian didn't shed a single tear, she didn't even really understand what was going on right now. Therefore, Phillip also held back tears, determined to prove his obstinacy to his father. He is a strong brother.

***