I'm the Newspaper Seller
Chapters 1. Recollecting Stories

The scorching heat of Jakarta city today is really very stinging sense of touch. I don't know how many degrees centigrade heat today when in the cavity of a foursome vehicle that has been turned on by the cooler, but it does not affect the car owner.

The sound of the horn was heard alternately sounding with almost the same warning sound, accompanied by a long traffic jam and spread a little uncontrollably. Not to forget also decorated with vehicle smoke that stings and pollinates the lung cavity that already feels crowded.

Jakarta city building the skyscraper as if it looks to be supporting the blue sky that stretches across the vast sky. This is not a poem or a phrase from someone but it is a view of what the man in the black car saw.

The blackened vehicle smoke coming from the tailpipe of the loud motorbike managed to make the man in black clothes who had been sitting on the steering wheel chair was choosing to close the window of his car.

"It's so hot today" he commented after he loosened the tie on his collar.

He gulped his salivary through the draining esophagus until he decided to grab a bottle of water in front of him. He opened it quickly and drank a few sips and put it back where he took it.

He looked down at the clock that was circular on his wrist was pitch-black which seemed to have shown at 05:00 p.m. He sighed, saying that he should have been home since then but this severe traffic jam caused him to be too late to get home.

Bastian Aruma, that's the full name of the man who has been struggling with his mind since, thinking of the wife who will of course wait at home let alone he knows Vira, he knows, his wife would not have had lunch if he had not arrived home.

Bastian looked back at the clock and somehow the umpteenth time he sighed heavily. The longer he was here could-can maag his wife relapse again. Bastian had already told his wife to eat first, but Bastian knew she did not want to listen to him. Eating together has always been a goal by his wife.

Bastian is happy to have a good and caring wife like Vira. The woman he married one year ago led him to a happiness that is always reflected in the look of his face. Bastian knows the woman he married a year ago was not the woman he was dating but, he married the girl only his father's will.

His father's will must he follow because he knows his Father has many services for him. In his life the 81-year-old man meant a lot to him. Bastian would never know the fate of his life if he did not meet the old man who he now considers as his own biological father even though the man did not have the same bloodline.

His focused gaze staring at the neatly lined vehicle was now diverted as the sound of children being heard made Bastian move his head towards the little boys who seemed to be offering some newspapers on motorist.

There were some motorists who appeared to buy some newspapers that the boys offered from car to car and gave the pennies to the boys who sold the paper.

A smile that makes happy in the corner of the lips of brown-skinned children due to the heat of the Jakarta city sun is clearly visible makes Bastian also smile. Bastian knew very well that the money that the rich people thought they were giving meant nothing but nothing to the boys. A piece of coin was extremely valuable to them Bastian knew that very well.

Tok tok!!!

The sound of a knock on the surface of the car glass was heard to make Bastian's attention towards the figure of the boy who was standing at the door of his car. Bastian smiled and opened the window of his car until there was no longer a barrier between him and the boy who was seen hugging some newspaper sheets.

"Sir, want to buy a newspaper? It costs five thousand. This is the latest news, sir. There's some news about cheating artists, about corruption and the artist world."

Bastian chuckled as the little boy explained.

"Father can read the newspaper while waiting for this jam to end. I know you must be very tired of waiting for this jam."

"I see the jam is very long, sir-" the boy pointed to the front and Bastian also stared at the boy's index finger and the boy spoke again.

"Mother must be very tired of waiting for traffic so you can read the newspaper while waiting for traffic. Would you like to buy?"

Bastian nodded. He grabbed the wallet and opened it directly in front of the boy. Before he pulled the money sheet in the folds of his wallet back he closed making the boy who had been staring at the wallet now quickly looked at Bastian who was apparently also staring at the the direction of the boy.

"Have you eaten?"

"Not yet sir. I haven't eaten."

"Why haven't you eaten yet?"

"Nobody's been selling since, sir."

Bastian nodded. He grabbed fifty thousand and then stuck it out toward the boy.

"Where do you live?"

"Then where did you sleep?"

The boy did not answer immediately. He seemed silent with the movement of his eyeballs that moved left right as if he was thinking. The boy was silent for a long time and finally replied, "I slept in front of the shop."

"really?" face Bastian was a little incredulous.

The boy nodded and Bastian nodded his head slowly and asked again, "Are you still in school?"

"No sir."

"Why don't you go to school?"

"I don't have any money."

"Where are your mom and dad?"

"My mother and father are dead."

"really?"

"Yes." Yeah."

Hearing that made Bastian laugh and then Bastian nodded again.

"This is the money."

The boy grabbed the money raised by Bastian. The two eyes of the boy glistened when they saw the blue colored money in front of his eyes.

"I don't have any small money. Do you have small money?"

Bastian shakes. He closed his wallet and put it in his pants pocket and looked back at the boy.

"I don't have a little money for you and I know, son you fight for your life."

"You are a good boy but no good boy if he lies. I know you still have both parents. They're still alive."

"I see you don't live in front of the store like you said and oh yeah, don't forget! Don't give this money to the big boss who told you to sell this newspaper and tell you to lie."

"Hide the money and give it to your mother to buy rice" Bastian continued.

Hearing that, the boy who had been smiling since he had earned money now had his face turned flat, there was a hint of fear on his face.

"Why? Why do you know?"

Bastian laughed.

"Why would I know?" bastian asked and then he was silent for a moment, long enough for the boy to be seen moving his head closer to Bastian.

Bastian smiled again then looked towards the boy and stroked his head.

"I know it all because I used to be the newsman."

"Just like you," he continued.