Ares: Never Grow Up
Dave's past! (1)

...~Mental iron can only be formed from the heat of life~...

POV: Dave

Bruk!

"Why are you here?! This place is not for dirty kids like you!" I looked at a boy taller than me. His eyes glared at me sharp and disgusted, like looking at a piece of dirt on the floor.

"Your shoulder slums! You smell bad too! It's appropriate for a bastard like you!" The boy then turned around, leaving me on the edge of the arid field. I immediately stood up while cleaning my dirty palms.

From behind this wire fence, I could only look at a friend of my age who played football. For a long time I looked, until I heard my stomach ring.

"I'm hungry ...," I murmured as I stared at my stomach. I also walked away from the field that did not accept me.

***

Tok tok!

I knocked on a wooden door quite simply. Shortly thereafter, there were footsteps approaching from within.

Cklek.

The door opened, displaying a middle-aged woman with a slightly chaotic appearance. "Ah, do you want to eat?" ask me with a smile and a friendly tone.

"Em." I nodded my head. Then he opened the door wide and led me into the house.

"Oh! It's Dave! Hello Dave!" greet a girl younger than me. I lowered my face slightly to return his greeting.

"It just so happened that my mom just made pumpkin soup! Let's eat together!" take it while holding my hand.

"ah! You should wash your hands first!" he said as he felt my hands full of dust and earth. He then pulled my hand slowly.

"Dave, wash your hands first. I'll prepare the cutlery. Luci make sure Dave washes his hands properly!" the middle-aged woman told her son. Luci just nodded with a smile and led me to the water washing tap. After washing my hands, Lucy took me to sit cross-legged in front of the food.

I stared at the steaming rice and some simple side dishes. "Have a meal, don't hesitate!" said the middle-aged woman while giving me a plate of rice.

After that we started eating them together. I just ate without a sound, while Luci and his mother talked.

As you can see, I was a pathetic boy. My name is Dave, and I am 6 years old. I was born of a night butterfly, and was the illegitimate son of the mayor.

A cruel fact for a 6-year-old, right? I've known this fact since I was 5 years old. Censure, insults, and also various verbal violence I always received from the surrounding environment.

"Dave, what are you thinking?" asked the middle-aged woman while looking at me with a smile. I put the spoon on the plate and looked at it wistfully.

"Why ... Aunt was very nice to me?" my many. Ever since I was a kid, it was Auntie and Lucy who took care of me. I wonder why they do this. Their condition is more or less the same as mine, equally people who lack. Why would they take care of me even abandoned by my own mother?

"Hmmm~ because Dave is funny? It would be a pity if a cute child like you is not cared for" Bibi said, adding more side dishes to my plate. Although all I eat is fried tofu with salt seasoning, but for me this is already very luxurious.

"Mother! I'm done eating!" lucy said as she showed her empty plate. Lucy's age is as good as mine, but she can still smile like this, surely because of the affection of her great mother.

"Smart kid! Quickly put your dishes in the laundry place yes," said Aunt while pointing at the dishwasher. After that Lucy ran there, leaving me both with Auntie.

"Dave ... I told you once, didn't I? That no child sinned when they were born into this world." Aunty sat beside me while taking the rice plate that was in front of me.

He started scooping the rice and pointed it at my mouth, I complied and opened my mouth, letting it bribe me. "But sometimes the world is blind, they judge a person's sin by the person who gave birth to them" he said, returning to scoop up the rice, waiting for me to swallow the rice I was still chewing.

"Although your life is now very heavy, but you must not give up on living" he added. I still chewed and looked into her eyes that looked tired yet full of sincerity.

Though I'm sure his life is hard, but he still cares like this.

"Mother! I'm done washing my hands!" Lucy appeared again with both her hands slightly wet. I also finished eating, and all I do now is shut up.

"It seems .. I have a purpose in life now," I said, staring at Auntie, who was drying Lucy's hand with a rather dirty cloth.

"really? Good for you," said Aunt with a smile. After that I stood up and approached Auntie. I slowly hugged her from the side.

"Thank you for taking care of me all this time, I promise I won't forget your kindness!" I said as I let go of the embrace and then ran small to the front door of the house.

"Wait Dave! Where are you going?!" aunty asked with a worried look on her face when she saw me open the door.

"Right Dave, why don't you just sleep here? The sun has set ...," Lucy told me.

"I'm going home to my real home. Thank you for your offer, but I .. want to be with my mother, who knows tonight mom is home!" After that I came out of their house and closed the door from the outside.

***

I ran non-stop to my house. A simple house that always makes me jealous of rich people. I don't know, even I'm not sure this deserves to be called home or not.

I stopped as I stared at a rundown house full of moss and dust. Because I rarely live here myself, I've always lived on the streets or in Lucy's house.

I immediately held the doorknob higher than me, and pulled it down. The loud creaking of the old door, sometimes makes me feel like I'm not coming home. I set foot on his dusty floor, occasionally looking left and right.

"Didn't you come home today?" I murmured while looking left and right.

"Ah? Dave's?".

I turned to my left side, looking at my mother who was lying on the sofa with a pretty messed up face. He woke up weakly and looked at me. "Why did you just come home? I thought you had left me alone" he said with a smile.

I fell silent, and saw his tired eyes. "When has your mother been home?" ask while walking closer. My mother immediately sat down properly while lowering the blanket that covered her body.

"Maybe since 3 days ago?" he muttered with a half-sleepy face. I was silent while looking at him. I haven't been home in a week, because I'm more afraid of being home alone. So I prefer to sleep in alleys and public places.

"So ... Mother .. I want to go to school" I said with a flat face. My mother, who was initially sleepy, immediately widened her eyes.

"You serious? Didn't you say you didn't want to go to school for fear of bullying?" asked my mother with a surprised face.

I shook my head and said, "Now that I don't care, I have a dream that I want to make happen."

"You ... Are you not ashamed to have a mother like me?".

"No, I don't care anymore. I will refuse however, is not my mother still my mother? And no matter how bad you don't care about me, I'm also Mom's son" I said. My mother then fell silent and started smiling.

"All right! Because I'm out of that disgusting job too! Let's start a new life!" My mother immediately stood up while throwing our worn-out blanket in any direction.

"New life?" I was confused by the vocabulary I just listened to.

"Yes! We will make a new life for ourselves! Just the two of us!".

TBC.