Life's Challenges (Chapter Four)

It was very late, around midnight or more. He stood at the door, pressing his ear against it, trying to listen what the woman was talking about. Earlier that night, he had spied on her chatting with the tattooed man who had been having an affair with her for the past two years. Though he barely understood what they said because they spoke extremely softly, he caught a few words and could make out a little of what they were discussing. So far, he only heard the words sold, he, must, money, to that man, useless, everything and shares.

From these words, his conclusion was that they wanted to, or rather they must, sell something useless to a man they knew to get money and shares. The only word he didn’t understand was everything. It’s the reason why he was trying to hear what the woman was talking about. But this time, he couldn’t hear a thing. So, he gave up and went to bed.

For the next few days, he kept trying to listen to what they were discussing but to no avail. The woman seemed to lock herself in the room most of the time. The only times she came out was when the tattooed man came and when she needed to eat. She didn’t care whether he was hungry or not. When she saw him, she just appeared like she looked at an empty space or air.

He had not eaten for two days. The hateful woman had forbidden all the maids to give him food because he talked back to her. He was so hungry that he swallowed his pride and actually went to ask her for food. But, as usual, she didn’t care. He was so desperate that after a few times she didn’t give him anything to eat, he begged her. But even after begging, he didn’t get any. She just walked away and continued locking herself up in her room.

With nothing to eat, he had drunk a lot of water. But eventually, the water ran out, which made the tap water his only source. Feeling annoyed and hating the woman even more, he lied on his mattress. They were very rich, but the woman made him sleep on a mattress on the floor. Even though he had strongly objected, she just said, if he won’t do as she said, he would get no food. He was not surprise at her decision but he was not satisfied.

He knew nothing would change her mind about him sleeping on a mattress except money, which he hadn’t, so he forced himself to do as she said. Ever since his father passed away, he looked like a beggar. He had to do household chores although there were maids. He had to sweep, mop, clean the windows and wash the laundry. All the maids did were prepare meals, wash the vehicles and take care of a few other things.

She was running the business now. But at the rate she was running it, it might just close down in two to three months. And the money that the business was earning, which was getting lesser and lesser, was being used on expensive things and accessories like handbags, earrings, necklaces, shoes and clothes.

As he lied on his mattress, he wondered why his father had chosen that horrible woman to be his wife. She wasn’t even beautiful or anything. While thinking about this and his past, suddenly his room door opened with a bang. “Get out and follow me,” the woman bellowed, with a look that showed happiness.

He got up unwillingly and followed her with an angry expression. She led him to the living room where he saw a couple sitting together on the sofa. The woman sat down opposite them and gestured him to do the same. He unhappily sat beside her. The woman spoke. “Mr. Tan, you told me before you wanted a child because, forgive my rudeness, your wife over here has not been able to conceive although you have been trying.”

The couple nodded, the wife blushing.

“Well,” she continued, “As you know, it was our friend who introduced us to each other and he told me you were looking for a child who is neither too young nor too old. Therefore, Mr. Tan, I have the perfect child for you. He is right here. He is eleven going on to twelve this year in November the twentieth. He is a very hardworking boy. He...”

He looked at the woman in surprise. He had not expected her to love money so much that she was even willing to sell him. Now he finally understood what all those words meant. If she sold him, she would get most of the business shares. But the only thing he didn’t understand was that how was she going to get the shares. Even if he was not there, she would not be able to take the shares. She couldn’t unless...., unless he died.

So, was she going to kill him? Just to get the shares? She wouldn’t, would she? He didn’t want the shares because he still hadn’t forgiven his father for not telling him the truth about his mother’s death. He only found out when his grandmother told him. He looked at her again. From the first time he saw her until now, he could not understand what she was thinking at all times. Her face covers everything. He didn’t know whether the couple would really want to buy him.

“...good boy. You would love him,” she finished.

The couple looked at him. To him, they appeared very kind and polite. Even though they stared at him for quite a long time, he didn’t feel uncomfortable. In fact, he didn’t mind. After long last, Mr. Tan said, “We’ll have him. By the way, I want to know if he is any relation of yours.”

“Oh, erm... er..”

“She is my father’s second wife.”

“What?! Then how can you give him to us? You should love him.”

“She wants the shares my father left me. She wants money. She’s greedy. She’s even trying to sell me. But I don’t care. I don’t want the shares. I don’t want the money. I don’t want anything.”

“You ungrateful woman! Your late husband gave you so many things and yet you want to sell his son? You...”

“I don’t care! Take me with you. I no longer want to stay in this house where I’m treated as dirt. I want to follow you.”

The couple stared at him. He was determined to leave the house. He couldn’t take all the torture any more. He went to the woman and said in a soft voice, “Please. I want to leave here.”

The woman smiled at him gently when suddenly she exclaimed. “What is this?!”

She took his arm and showed to her husband. It was bruised and swollen. Mr. Tan said that he would take him to stay with him and his wife, but he wouldn’t pay her any money since he wanted to follow on his own accord. And if she called the police, he would have enough sufficient evidence to show why he wanted to leave.

“And what evidence is that?” the woman asked, with a smile.

“These bruises. If I show them to the police, you could be jailed and fined. How would you like that?”

“But if they see, they will just examine him and say he fell down and injured himself because that is exactly what happened.”

“That’s not true. Its obvious that you pinched him so hard that it swelled up.”
“Oh really? Then why is he only bruised on one hand?”

Mr. Tan kept quiet, not knowing what to say. He had been out-talked by her. With nothing else to say, he took his wife by the hand and left him and the woman alone. “So, you want to leave, don’t you?”

He took a step back. He had never seen her that angry before. He expected that it was because he made her lose face in front of Mr. and Mrs. Tan. He was not afraid of her. But he didn’t know what she was going to do. She called out to one of the maids and whispered something into her ear. The maid looked terrified but quickly went to do what she was told to. When she came back, she held onto a rattan cane. She slowly gave it to the woman and ran out of the living room.

An evil smile formed on the woman’s face as she started whipping him with it.

-------------------------
A tear rolled down his face. Although the scars were no longer on him, but his body and mind would remember the pain forever.

-brenda-