FALLING APART

CHAPTER 7

"Oh yes, maybe I should eat more sweet potato for more strength, before I leave this town. I’m gonna miss you my dear. But first, you have to promise me that you should finish your studies.”

Zero said with a plea to Jezz. He raised his right hand and gently rubbed Jezz's head in his palm. He has no idea how he made Jezz feel good about what he did. Because her happiness is to stay with Zero.

“Yes I will.” Jezz said, so she spends her whole available time with Zero that day.

Zero planned to look for work in other places far from the town. That is three days after his graduation ceremony. He is a good person and knows Jezz knows him. But she doesn’t know who is the person behind the person to support Zero financially to finish his college studies.

Way back ten years ago:

Zero wanted to play basketball with his friends at the plaza. It is a small park in the town where all teen boys have to play at the area in the afternoon. He wants to go there with Jezz, so that there’s someone who will cheer for him while at the game. He wore thin black clothes that fit for the game and rubber shoes he borrowed from his older brother. When he was ready, he immediately went to Jezz's house.

When he arrived at Jezz's house, he found his mother talking to a beautiful woman. But they didn’t know that Zero was standing at the door and listening to what they were talking about. Zero becomes interested in listening because the first thing he hears from the two talking is all about Jezz.

Based on what Zero heard, Jezz was only three months old when she left her with the couple with their three sons. Jezz was welcomed by the couple as the youngest daughter of the family.

Similar to a normal family, there is nothing wrong with Jezz's life because everything she has is enough for her, even though the whole family is poor. The couple worked on it even if it was hard, just to provide for the needs of the children. Jezz became aware of the family who cared for her, loved and supported her until she grew up, unknowing that this was not her real family.

“We talked about you giving her to us, and since we’re young, my husband and I agreed. However, I hope that you will return to your child, because no mother in this world can tolerate her child, but you? You lost for how many years?”

Jezz's mother said, who was currently taking care of her.

“I am very sorry, I had many things to face at that time. I was scared and thought she might be a hindrance to my plans.

The woman says that she’s crying in front of her mother.

“But I’m hoping that you will come back, come back for your daughter, come back for your true loved one, for your precious one, but you didn’t.”

Jezz's mother said, with a soft voice and, because of the emotion she felt, it made her cry as well, and she added to say

“I will not give her to you, since then, she is my daughter, sister of my sons. She will stay with us. She is until my last breath.”

The woman who was talking to the mother of Jezz was even more moved to tears after she heard what she said. Zero could still hear the woman’s pleading in front of her mother, but Jezz's mother still refused. Then suddenly there was a voice from the outside of the house. Zero heard it by calling his name. The one who calls him is Jezz.

“Zero, what are you doing right there? Jezz said.

Jezz was currently playing among the trees in the back yard, until a girl passed by and called her. She invited her to watch a basketball game in the plaza carrying her doll. Then Jezz decided to come over, then she ran to go inside of the house and ask permission from her mother. Then suddenly she saw Zero standing at the front door. Zero was surprised when he suddenly heard Jezz’s voice behind his back.

“I’ll just arrive. I passed by to pick you up and take you to the plaza, because we have a game now and the teams needed someone to cheer for us. Would you like to come?”

Zero replied. Even though his heart was full of nervousness, he tried to calm down because he couldn’t believe what he heard that time, that Jezz was just an adopted child.

“Yes, I will come with you, but wait for a while now. I ask permission from Mom and get dressed, okay?”

Jezz said with excitement in her face. Then she goes inside and Zero takes a walk for a little long distance from the door to wait for Jezz on the outside of their house.

Later on, while he was standing outside, the beautiful woman who looked like Jezz passed in front of him. That’s the only time he saw the woman’s face because she turned her back when she was still inside the house while talking to Jezz's mom. As the woman walked out, her gaze had something to say as she looked at Zero. The sadness on her face was not visible to him even though she had thick make-up. That’s why Zero can still remember her face up to date.

One afternoon,

Zero came home from school with some friends and Jezz. His friends were just his householders in that small village.

On their way, Zero felt ashamed when he saw that his father was beating his mother because of drunkenness. It was happening on the road right in front of their house. While his older brother tried to stop their father from hurting their mother.

At the current event, Zero immediately ran to help his brother, and separate the two. His mother was crying because of the pain she felt.