I'm the Newspaper Seller
8. Noodle Kuah Soto Tears Tears

It was time for dinner, the rice was ripe and served on an old carpet of Hello Kitty characters that had been peeling off a lot. Do not think if this old carpet is Bastian's search results piled up this dumpster is their own.

Mirna put two bowls of noodles. One bowl for Bastian and the other for Mirna.

"Eat, boy! Mama's been cooking rice and noodles for Bastian."

Bastian nodded while wiping his hair that he had combed it neatly. His hair was still wet and his hair was still fragrant after he used the shampoo today. It seems that today the dust is getting more and more because the season has entered the dry season so that dust dust scattered in the wind until the head is much faster dirty.

"Thank you, Mommy."

There is no answer from the figure of his mother he just fell silent and busy eating. Bastian smiled happily the smell of noodle soup stirs his hunger. Already since this afternoon he imagined how delicious it would be to eat a packet of noodles with soto flavor.

The atmosphere now seemed silent no more conversation between them. The sound of chewing was heard and the clang of the plate became a complementary tone of voice until finally the sound of stuffing from Mirna was heard making Bastian quickly turn to look at his mother who quickly stopped her crying voice after realizing that Bastian was staring at him.

"Why, Ma?"

Mirna shook her head slowly. He smiled for a moment as if he wanted to tell the figure of Bastian if he was okay and finally the lips that tried to cover him with a smile back vibrated until finally the cry broke.

Mirna cried a hiccup and made Bastian frown in confusion.

"Mama why? Is Mama sick again?"

There was no answer from his mother that he continued to cry while occasionally wiping his cheeks that had been soaked by tears.

"Mama's head is sick? If Mama's head hurts once tomorrow we go to the hospital if you've been to the hospital surely Mama will be cured."

"no need. Ma-ma-ma is afraid of injecting," she replied.

That's the answer I need to hear. As if there were no answers other than that. Fear of injection and fear of injection, it was as big as a syringe so that Mama was so very scared but it didn't seem to be what scared Mama but the hospital payment bill which of course would make her afraid that Mama could not pay it.

"Why do you cry?"

Silent moment. Mirna fell silent. The tears flowing from his eyes dripped down the bowl mixed in that still-large bowl.

Mirna's cry broke again making Bastian feel worried. Bastian was afraid that his mother's illness would get worse if he cried.

"If Mama hadn't met your father, it might not have been my life."

"If only Mama had followed the words of Mama's parents maybe Mama's not like this."

"Mama has ruined Mama's own life. For the love of love Mama willingly lived in poverty like this with your father but she foolishly and ruthlessly left Mama alone and left one child, that is, you must."

His two eyes were red with tears one by one soaking up the food on the carpet.

Bastian could only go silent not knowing what to say.

"He used to be the one who asked me to run away together. He made a sweet promise and I started to get lulled."

"I thought that love could make people happy, but it didn't seem like it destroyed me like this."

"If I hadn't met your father, I probably wouldn't have lived like this."

"Maybe I've been a scholar and worked in a big office. Even if there is no way I will be the successor in my parents' business.

"Mama what now? I was trying to disappear and deliberately did not give any news to not be sought by parents but now I expect someone to come and pick me up.

"You know what, Bastian? This mom wants to go home to Mama's house and meet the parents and apologize and say that everything that was said first is true."

"Mama wants to say that love doesn't always make people happy. I'm sorry to know your father" she repeated.

Bastian's chest hurt as if someone stabbed him from the inside, unable to express Bastian with words. Bastian's feelings are broken, very painful.

Indirectly Mama seemed to say if he regretted meeting with Father and that means the presence of Bastian is also a regret for him.

Mama did not say that directly to Bastian but, Bastian can draw conclusions if his birth is also included in a regret.

Unaware of Bastian's vision became blurry due to tears blocking his view until a drop of tears soaked a bowl of Soto noodles owned by Bastian.

Bastian rubbed his tears acting pretentiously to hold back from sobbing. She didn't want her mother to know she was crying.

Now Bastian pretends to enjoy a bowl of noodles made by his mother. Sipping the broth until a drop of tears managed to blend in on a spoonful of soto sauce. The taste of these tears, the tears of pain. Tears of sadness. Anyone can replace these tears with happiness.

Does anybody?

Whereabouts?

Please show them one by one.

Now the soto taste tears in the night of pain accompanied by the sobs of Mama's cry. Is there anything more sad than this? if there is then Bastian is convinced, that the story is of course still part of Bastian.