NUMB

11 - It's the game of mafia

!W! use of strong language and graphic depictions of blood and violence.

***********************************

*Year 2000*

*Soreang, West Java, Indonesia*

"Mama! Mama! I got something for you!" Magnus screamed on top of his lungs as he parked his cycle in the front yard of his house, took the bag hanging from the handle, and rushed in, laughing with excitement. "Mama! Mama! Look, I got your favorite Ketoprak! I found the vendor today! Mama! Mama! Where are you?"

As he kept running all around the house, searching for his mother, he noticed the latch of the backdoor open and realized she must be outside in their backyard, watering the plants she called her babies. "Mama!"

Wondering why she wasn't replying back in a singing tone like she always did, he ran out further but his legs halted when his eyes fell on his father leaning over his mama in the center of the garden, who was lying on the ground and something red was painted all over their bodies.

"Ayah! Mama!"

"Magnus!" Asmodeous jumped up, his eyes wide and body trembled as he ran to stand with them. "Nak, aku... aku tidak melakukannya. Aku tidak... percaya padaku, Magnus. Aku... Magdalene, aku..." Tears fell on his face as he choked on his words. Magnus looked at his mother and noticed that something red was blood, her dress was torn so badly that her privates were visible and a knife drenched in blood was lying nearby. The bag he held fell to the ground and tears welled in his eyes. (Son, I... I didn't do it. I didn't... believe me, Magnus. I... Magdalene, I...)

"Ayah, is mama dead?" He looked up to meet his father's deep black eyes that were filled with pain and sorrow. With a sob that shook him to his core, Asmodeous's knees gave up and he landed right beside Magdalene's body.

"Ayah!" Running towards his father, he wrapped his tiny body around him as his strong fingers slid into his hair, sobbing hysterically.

"No... *hic* no son, your mama is just sle... *sniff* sleeping. She's... she's f.. fine."

"No, you're lying." Magnus stifled his sob as he let go of Asmodeous and looked directly into his eyes. "I know what death is. I searched when that guy in the news said your army died in battle. Mama thought you and Uncle Val died too. Mama... she's dead, Ayah?"

"Oh, son..." Asmodeous cupped his face and wiped the tears that fell on his face. "What... Whatever you saw... I..."

"You were not holding that knife, you were trying to heal Mama. I'm not that small, Ayah!"

"How did you become so mature already, son?" Asmodeous said through quivering lips.

Magnus glanced at the body that once danced around the same garden carefree, her contagious laugh making everyone laugh around her, spreading her positive aura that made every soul brighter and his body went numb. The pool of blood around her body was too much for his tiny eyes but he wasn't able to take it off from her face either.

He didn't realize when his father picked him up in his arms, when he closed her wide-open eyes, when he took out the phone and dialed the cops because the whole time, his eyes were fixed on the person that gave birth to him, wishing it to be a dream or prank. But it wasn't. His mama was in a place that no one could come back from.

"Mama...."

**************************

"Mama... Ma... Mama no! Come back... please come back... no..."