FALLING APART

CHAPTER 8

Zero's parents always have a fight, because his father has another woman and has 2 children, aside from his family. His father chose to leave them without saying anything, but his mother refused, and didn’t stop asking his father to come back. Even if they we’re separated, her mother always makes a way to find her father. Because of that, the woman who was his father's mistress finally left. She chose to go away with her kids and let her father come back to his true family. So that Zero’s family could live peacefully. But the peace she desires has become a fiercer quarrel of Zero’s parents, especially when his father is drunk. He was able to hurt his own wife.

Zero’ s father always mentioned that he loved his woman, the mistress, as well as their children. It was so painful for him not to be with the children. As time went on, he got more and more sad and he blamed his mother.

Due to the misunderstanding and unstoppable quarrel of Zero’s parents, the studies of the siblings have been affected.

His father didn't help his mother at the market. All he did was go to the gang and have a drink, and the income of his mother was not enough to support both of them in their studies. So his older brother dropped out of school to help his mother at the market to sell fish and vegetables there. While Zero chooses to study, his mother and brother support his decision. But in not all cases the sales are strong in the market. As time goes on, the number of sellers there has increased, so the number of buyers is also decreasing.

Despite the efforts of Zero’s mother, she suddenly collapses while talking to one of their customers.

“Her body suddenly weakened, this is because of stress”, as per advice from the doctor who checked his mother and she needed to rest at home for at least one and half months. Zero wondered why his mother had to take such a long break, but he could do nothing but to follow what the Doctor told them.

"For now, mom needs us. We have to do something".

Zero's older brother says, at the young age of eighteen.

The two brothers decide to report their father to the police to file a case and imprison their own father, for beating their mother. This is the apparent reason for the siblings to have their own mother's illness. But they failed to do it, due to the advice of Jezz's parents,

"If you could still report to the police about what your father did and get your father imprisoned, what do you think would your mother feel if she found out what you did? My concern is not about your sick mother but also about the two of you. He is still your father. You need him and so do you. Your mother needs you, both of you."

And so, the two brothers cried in front of Jezz's parents and they did not proceed with their plan to report to the police, despite what their own father always did to their mother before.

For the meantime, Zero's older brother managed alone in the market to support their needs.

“I know my sickness is not normal, I just can’t afford to proceed with the operation. Instead, I want to spend my income on my son. If I die, I will not regret this decision. This is my request, Doc, so please don’t tell my husband, especially my sons. Don’t let them know that I have cancer”

The plea of Zero’s mother to the doctor who checked her health. The doctor just agreed but they made an agreement through his mother by signing a waiver. In fact, it was the patient’s request.

Eventually, Zero observed his mother at home, ‘she could not stand and she just lay constantly in bed”, he talked to himself. He even thinks that his mother has a serious sickness. It makes him hurts to see his mother struggling from pain as what she feels. So he decides to look for a part-time job, for additional income to continue his studies, and to make sure that he can buy the medicine that the doctor had prescribed for his mother.

In his search for a job to apply for, he accidentally meets the woman he met before at Jezz's house. At his very first look, he remembered the face of that woman. And he didn’t make a mistake because the woman approached and greeted him with a slight smile.

“I remember you. You know Jezz, right? The woman said.

“ Yes, she is a close friend of mine.”

Zero replied in a gentle way because he already knew that the woman who was talking to him was the real mother of Jezz.

“ Can we talk?" the woman asked.

“Yeah sure! Zero replied. He agreed because he was interested in knowing the truth and other information about her and Jezz. The woman invited him to lunch in a restaurant.

Zero, felt a little bit shy about what the woman asks him to order for his food he likes to eat. While the woman is very formal, with generous words while saying something to him, she also ordered her food to be eaten at that time.

“ It’s nice to meet you here. I want you to know that I am thinking about you. You will be my way of coming up with something for me.”

The woman said.

“ What do you mean, ma’am? Zero ask.