Ares: Never Grow Up
Dave's past! (2)

POV: Dave

This year I am 12 years old, and this is my last year in elementary school.

"Dave! Could you please help me to lift the pot over there?" my mother ordered while looking at the large pot at the end of the room. My mom still moves the other pots.

"Yes ma'am," I answered and began to lift the flower pot.

It has been 6 years since then. My mother stopped working in the nightlife, and I started school. My mother opened a flower shop after we moved into a more decent house.

"Dave, have you done your pr?" my mother asked while tidying up the roses laid out by the window.

"Already dong, I'm a diligent child!" I answered while wiping the empty pot, to keep it clean. After that we both focused on what we were doing. Since this flower shop was the only source of income for our family, so I had to tag along to look after this flower shop.

Klinting!

"ah! Welcome aboard! Is there anything you can help?" I said when I heard the door of the bell ringing. We deliberately put a bell on the door that would ring every door open.

I stared at a man in a suit who was looking at me with an intimidating look. Highlight his sharp and cold eyes, as if humbling this place. "Dave, come here." My mother's voice resuscitated me. I immediately ran towards my mother and hid behind her.

"What's wrong? Why are you here?" asked my mother with a flat expression. The man took out a cigarette that was still intact from his pocket and a lighter. He then lit his cigarette.

"Excuse me sir, please don't smoke in the store. It will affect the quality of the flowers" I reminded the man. He stopped looking at me, then smiled. After that, he put his cigarette back in.

"Something is wrong? I just want to come here. Is that all you can't?" asked the man while looking at my mother. The man's smile was weird, horrible, and it made me uncomfortable. I feel bad about being close to that guy.

"Not to dodge. You haven't even visited us in years" my mother said, touching my shoulder with her left hand.

"You're right. Because today I want something" he said, looking at me. My mom's getting her grip on my shoulder.

"What do you want?".

"I want Dave."

I'm speechless. I glanced at my mother, her expression was already very angry and I could see her gnashing her teeth.

"Can't! I won't allow it!" My mother screamed at the man. But the man immediately spent a lot of money. He threw the money in front of our faces.

"Don't worry, I'll finance your life and Dave's. But Dave will come with me, not with you" he said. I hugged my mother more and more. I don't understand what's going on! Who was that man and why he wanted me, why was my mother this angry and what happened between them.

"Mother ... Who is she?" I asked while pulling my mother's clothes. He then looked at me with a sad look, which made me even more confused.

"Dave, do you have a cell phone?" ask the man suddenly. I turned towards him slowly, hesitating to answer his question.

"No" I answered immediately.

"Don't you want a cell phone?" ask the man again. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to, because most of my friends already have cell phones.

But I also realized that my family's circumstances did not support my greed.

"... I don't want to" I replied with some hesitation. The man smiled obliquely, his eyes like he was looking at a meal.

"Are you sure? If you say you want, then I'll buy it for you" he said, crouching down, and looking at me.

"Dave! If you want a cell phone! Mama's gonna buy it!" my mother said while touching my cheek.

"I can buy you better" said the man with a smile.

"Mom can make you your favorite dishes every day!" my mother said again, now she crouched down and kept holding both of my cheeks.

"I can make you taste good food from all over the world" the man continued.

"Mother ... I can hug you every night so you have a good dream" said my mother with teary eyes.

"Mother ... I can ... play with you to be happy," said my mother along with her tears.

"I can buy you all the toys you want, and I guarantee you won't be lonely" said the man with a confident smile.

I'm rattled.

Why these? Why like this? What was? Why did that man make my mother cry like this?

"Mother .. Who is she? Why would he take me?" ask my mother, while rubbing her tears that flow on the cheeks.

"I am your father" he said with a proud smile. In that instant I started to feel something that I had not felt for a long time.

Feelings of disgust and anger.

I let go of my mother's embrace and walked towards the man.

"DAVE! PLEASE GO BACK-"

THE PLAQUE!

I slapped the cheek of the man who claimed to be my father. My mother who was shouting was immediately silent, this man's smile was also gone. "Why ... Did you just come now? When things are going well, why are you just here now?" ask her.

"ME! I'LL NEVER GO WITH YOU! I WON'T FORGET EVERYTHING I EXPERIENCED WHEN I WAS A KID!

I WILL NOT FORGET WHERE ALL THE INSULTS I USED TO SWALLOW CAME FROM!

I WILL NOT FORGET HOW DISGUSTED THEIR GAZES WERE AS IF SEEING THE DIRT ON THE FLOOR!

I WON'T! EVEN THOUGH! COME WITH YOU!" I shouted right in front of the man's face. I don't care if he's hurt or not. I don't care what purpose he's here for.

I will never go with her, I am happy with my mother even though my life is simple.

I held my breath until my chest went up and down. My legs and hands trembled after letting out all the anger within me. I looked into the eyes of the man who was looking at me seriously.

Until the man's lips lifted.

"Well, if that's your decision. Don't regret it" he said, then stood up and turned around. He left this flower shop, leaving behind a hot air and a pungent perfume smell.

My mother came and hugged me from behind. "Dave ... Dave ... My son .. forgive Mom," he said, shedding tears on my small shoulder. I touched her hand that was holding my neck.

"It's okay Mom, I'm not leaving Mom. And the rest is not your fault" I told him.

After a few days of normal walking. The man who claimed to be my father never came again. Up to months. The flower shop is also a big shop. There are more visitors who come here after there are celebrities who come to buy flowers in our store.

Thanks to that, I was able to continue my education until middle school. But ...

The man appeared again.

When I was in the 2nd grade of junior high school. He's a-comin.

And destroy everything. My mother and I could only keep quiet as she spread bad slander on social media, until we were ostracized by the rest of society. Mother's shop that was just starting to sell immediately went bankrupt. I was also expelled from school.

No one believes us, they trust us more than the news of the mayor who is my father who is a dog*n.

"Sorry .. sorry ... Dave," said my mother many times in her sleep. I myself was also confused as to what I should do to overcome this situation. When I tried to find a job, no one would accept a dropout like me.

And the culmination of all my despair, was when my mother fell ill.

TBC.