Chapter 3 THREE

Ayu's quick strides got her to the market quickly. The fishy odor mixed with the fragrance of the fruit punctured her nose as she walked down the tarnished path. The sellers' voices offering their wares boomed in her ears.

She arrived at her destination after a scuffle with others. Crowds, on the other hand, surrounded her mother's stall. The wails erupted from the heart of the crowd. Ayu jogged toward the mobs of people in curiosity who had dispersed with her arrival.

Her heart broke as she saw her mother squatting and picking up the smashed oranges and eggplants. She moved quickly across the sea of fruits and vegetables, assisting her mother and inquiring what had happened. But that pathetic-looking woman kept her mouth shut. Her sobs became more strident.

"Please tell me who did it, Mom." Ayu begged. She tried to keep the tears from welling up in her eyes. "Please, Mom..." Her husky voice nearly burtst into a cry.

Those who witnessed the incident could only console Ayu and her mother. Some of them walked away with helpless pity looks on their faces. The others simply passed by with puzzled expressions.

"What's going on?" They were distracted by the voice of a girl in a long green dress. Ayu lifted her chin and surged to her feet as her mother quickly wiped away the tears on her cheek. It was Anisa, Ayu's childhood friend, the lovely girl.

"Anisa... How long have you been working there?" Her mother's voice trembled as she spoke. She took a seat beside Ayu. Anisa, the girl, immediately drew her into her hug.

"Aunty... are you okay?" She let go of Ayu's mother and inspected her arms and hands. With a forced smile, that woman shook. "How did it happen?" Her gaze moved to Ayu. Unfortunately, her shoulder shuddered, indicating she knew nothing.

"Those vicious thugs stole our money and ruined our only stall." Ayu's mother finally confessed to them while crying. Her sobbing continued until Anisa was able to calm her down. Ayu encircled her mother's body with her hands.

"Aunty, I'm sorry to hear that. How can I assist you?"

"No, dear," she said, her face expressionless. She yanked herself away from Ayu's embrace in an instant. "Nothing... I've grown accustomed to dealing with them. Not to worry. But now... we're probably going to close our stall for good."

"Mom...." Ayu looked at her mother, perplexed.

"How come, aunty?"

"The situation has now changed. They have completely destroyed our only stall." She pointed to every corner of the stall. Everything had broken down into pieces. Fruit and vegetables were strewn about the place. Some had even been ravaged. Others were completely inedible.

"Please excuse me." Ayu's eyes widened with surprise, and Dave greeted them cheerfully. She was perplexed as to why this boy had appeared out of nowhere. "I apologize. I'm not trying to stalk you. However,..."

"If it's about a school assignment, we'll talk about it at school tomorrow." Ayu interrupted his words.

"Of course... how much is the orange?" Dave picked up an orange from the ground.

"It is not available for purchase. All of the fruits and vegetables have spoiled." Ayu yanked it away from Dave's palm.

"That's fine. I'll purchase the fruit. Furthermore, they are not rotten."

"You should go to the other stall, because we're closing ours." Ayu's mother intervened abruptly. She began putting them in boxes with the help of Ayu and Anisa. Dave was taken aback by this.

"Can I assist you?" His hand almost touched the box, but Ayu drew it away.

"We can do it, thanks. You are free to leave." Her cold demeanor might irritate him. She simply did not want him to meddle in their affairs. That boy didn't even move from his spot as he watched her handle everything.

They completed their task quickly. Ayu's mother abandoned her cluttered close stalls with the packages in her hold, and Anisa trailed behind her.

"See you later at school." His soft voice stopped her in her tracks; she swiveled and smiled at him.

Ayu tried to catch up to her mother, who was walking side by side with Anisa. Her pace was slowed by the two packets in her hand. Walking down the street in the sun not only scorched her skin but also soaked it in sweat. Her body odor spread throughout the room.

Her mother's words about the jerks who caused a commotion came to mind. They had complied by making monthly payments to them. Their brutality had crossed the line over time. Her fists were tightened. She was filled with rage and sadness. For a long time, her mother had felt this way. She endured everything for their sake.

Ayu dragged her steps with mixed emotions. She could see her mother and Anisa's chumminess from where she was. Not only did she have flawless beauty with her porcelain white skin and tall body, but she also had a pleasant personality. Boys would be swayed by her allure.

Her parents sent her to a city school after she finished elementary school, where she lived in a dorm. She would only go home during the semester break. What did she return for during the school day?

Ayu sighed as fatigue overtook her. Her house appeared to be much further away than it actually was. She kept walking past the coconut trees that lined the edge of the street on her way to her house, despite the exhaustion that had barely taken all of her energy. In the meantime, the gap between her and her mother grew wider. Those two were having a conversation without realizing she had been left far behind.

Ayu arrived at her shack after a long battle with the sun and exhaustion. She called it that because of its small size. The open door greeted them. When Ayu arose at the doorway, Anisa had settled inside.

As soon as Ayu entered the house, that girl quickly assisted her with the packages she was holding.

"Please take a seat and leave these on me, or my mother will chastise me for allowing you to move this heavy stuff." Anisa ignored her protest and continued helping with her work. "By the way," she muttered, "thank you so much for everything today."

"Hey! Don't say anything like that. That's what friends are for," Anisa replied. Ayu shifted her weight onto the chair next to Anisa. "However, is the boy... the foreigner boy....?"

"He's a classmate of mine."

"I see. Ali's birthday is tomorrow."

"Yeah... " Ayu's demeanor shifted. Her heart beat faster every time that name was mentioned. Fortunately, Anisa didn't notice it.

"Have you prepared a gift for him?" Her inquiries jolted her. They had been celebrating their birthdays together since childhood. They used to buy the candle and then ask the birthday person to make a wish and blow the candle when they were kids. That was all there was to it. Everything had changed now. They were no longer children, and the celebration was no longer the same. Ayu was saddened by this realization. She didn't have anything to give him as a present. "Ayu...."

"I-I haven't purchased anything." She told the truth.

"It makes no difference. What matters most is our friendship." Her lips curved into a sweet smile. "I have to leave."

After saying her goodbyes, Ayu returned home to find her mother standing in silence by the kerosene stove. Her thoughts wandered; her gaze was fixed on the void.

"Mom, please allow me to prepare our lunch." Instead of responding, that woman burst into tears and went into her room. Ayu was curious to find out what had gone wrong with her. But she kept her inquiries to herself.

Even as dusk approached, her mother remained locked in her room. In her confusion, Ayu could only wait while calling out to her mother. Only her sobbing could be heard from within. That concerned her.

"Are you crying, Mom?" Ayu called her mother once more. Even though her head was only one centimeter away from the door, she received no response.

Ayu was taken aback by the yell and the harsh knocking on the door. The man's booming voice filled her with dread and anxiety. She couldn't decide whether to open it or not. The man, however, did not give up. The louder bangs eventually smashed the entrance. Her mother's hand yanked her inside her bedroom before her feet could get any closer to the door.

"Mom, who is he?" To quiet her, she placed her forefinger on her lips.

"Don't make any noise or he'll find us here." Ayu followed her instructions.

Their security did not last long. After breaking the wooden door, he slammed into the house. In Ayu's ears, his shout of her mother's name exploded like a bomb.

"I know you're in there somewhere. I'll break it if you don't get out." He forewarned them. "You only have ten seconds, Tinah!" He referred to Ayu's mother.

Ayu's mother's hug tightened around her waist, as if she was afraid of losing her. She was terrified. Ayu had no idea about the man's relationship with her mother or his motivation for meeting her mother. Her mind raced in agony and confusion.

During the chaos, the door cracked due to strong strikes, exposing both of them. That jerk with the huge torso, pockmarked skin, and the seam jutting out on his face brutally hauled her mother out. In a panic, Ayu pursued the beast in order to save her mother. Her efforts, however, were in vain. The punch from that man knocked her out. Her frail body collided with the earthen floor. Her elbow kissed the soil, leaving bruises beneath her long sleeve.

"I had no idea you'd have such a lovely daughter." His rogue countenance developed a smirk. His ferocious gaze suggested his desire to devour her whole.

"Do not touch her! You're looking for me."

"I have changed my mind." That rogue man ambled over to Ayu, his feral gaze scrutinizing her body. Ayu managed to get up despite her fear. She took a step back, deterred by the wall. Her back was stuck to it.

"What are you trying to do?" His tattooed arms encircled Ayu. She wriggled violently, piercing the border of his forearms. Her mouth opened and she screamed. A powerful force struck his nape just as his hand snatched her t-shirt.

"Please let go of my daughter!" Ayu had escaped his ambush. She bolted for her mother.

That man was still standing there. He was unaffected by the blow. His rage fueled him to rush toward Ayu and her mother with his intimidating eyes. Ayu's mother used her body to protect her daughter. Her struggle, however, could not free Ayu from the man's clutches. As the man's hand reached Ayu's t-shirt again, she was only an inch apart from her disaster.