TWISTED FATE

" GONE DAYS "

Bombarded against the shore, loud waves washed the debris onto the white golden sand that covered the floor. There sat a little boy in his shabby clothes on an old and rickety bench was enjoying the view. The scent of the salty sea ran through his nose as he breathed in the fresh air while a gentle breeze rustled onto his body from head to toe as he shivered.

He heard a familiar ringing voice called for him from afar,

"Hain! Vatan Haini! Where are you sweetheart? We have to get going!".

"No!", he shouted as his eyes became teary.

A mature woman in tattered dress appeared in distance approached him. As she got closer to him, his eyebrows slanted inward as he pouted. She came and persuaded him gently as she hugs him tightly. She felt sorry for him and guilty at the same time for giving him poor and unwanted life. She knew that he never wanted to born this way. At some point, she felt guilty for giving birth to him.

A mother of a little boy named Vatan Haini and also a wife of a food hawker named Vatan Baba, Vatan Anne also known as Mrs. Vatan is also a food hawker living a thorny life. But with his son and husband by her side, she won't give up on living.

Hain, along with his mother went back to his dad and continued to walk as they sell foods to passersby. They were taking a break from going back and forth in a marketplace at a nearby beach where they can relax and isolate themselves from the crowds. The foods that they sold were in good quality but they didn't get much profit from it. Most probably because of the outfits that they were wearing. With the money that they got from their business, they still couldn't afford to buy new and clean outfits. These hardships in their life will never stop them from having a dream, a dream of having a cozy life, a life where they can stop being food hawkers and enjoy their sweet time together to the fullest until...

One day, a day that is just the same as any other day, but it ended somewhat differently unpleasant. As usual after they gone through the day surviving in the sea of men hustling and bustling in the market, they still couldn't finish selling the foods from dawn until dusk. Mrs. Vatan suggested to her husband that is all for today. That night, Mr. Vatan asked his wife and son to dress up properly because he wanted to take them somewhere. Knowing that he is the head of the family, no one can defy his decision. Mr. Vatan said that Hain have to go with them but then Mrs. Vatan begged him to let Hain stay at home as she knew that he was still a kid and tired from walking all day long. Mr. Vatan slapped his wife's face in rage. She fell to the ground from the impact.

Hain ran to his mom to help her but Mr. Vatan pulled his arm and kicked him by the stomach. He twitched on the ground and tried to hold back his tears of anger. He knew he couldn't do anything. He tried to get up but the impact from the kick on the stomach made him vomited badly. Mr. Vatan couldn't care less about his son. Mrs. Vatan felt that his husband's attitude changed and she knew it's because their current lack of money. She slowly walked to Hain and helped him to get up. She agreed to bring Hain along with them even if it was against Hain's will. She went inside her room to find something neat to wear even though all her dresses were tattered. After she have dressed up, she went outside only to see Hain was still wearing the same clothes with vomit stains. He was calling for a death wish. Mr. Vatan came to him viciously beat him to a pulp from out of impatience. Then, he dragged him with his wife followed at the back.

From a distance, Hain saw men in black stood from afar. His father threw him on the ground and confront the men. Mrs. Vatan was puzzled and curious seeing them talking somewhat something business-like thing. He then pointed at both of them while talking to the men.

"Here's your money.", the leader of the men gave Mr. Vatan a sum of money.

"O' Lord, thank you so much sir. It's nice doing business with you. You can do anything you want with them.", he said while smiling from ear to ear.

"Oh... It's nice doing business with you too. Goodbye.", he replied as he pulled out a dagger from his pocket and stabbed Mr. Vatan on the neck.

Mr. Vatan was lying on the ground dead in front of his wife and son. Both of them were petrified seeing someone precious in their life on the ground lifeless.

"You boys take care of the kid. I'll take care of this sweet lady over here.", he said to his men. Mrs. Vatan was scared to move if fear if she wound ended up like her husband.

Hain swiftly ran from the men and dashed straight to the leader to save his mother. He pulled out his fist and tried to land an attack to him but the leader dodged him with ease and countered him with a gentle kick. Hain fell to the ground with some minor injuries. The man stepped on the Hain's back that made him immovable. Hain stared at the man with wrath in his eyes and made the man giggled.

"Kid, I like those eyes of yours. Say, do want to join us? You would make a great henchman. No, maybe even greater. What do you say kid?", he proposed to Hain.

"No! Let my mom go! Don't touch her!", he said furiously.

"Don't worry. If you join us, we won't touch her. Instead we will be giving you better life. Better than that filthy man can give.", he said while pointing at Mr. Vatan's corpse.

From that day and onward, he lived a different life. A life which is different from any other kids in the world. His days of being a child of a food hawker now left as "Gone Days".