The Street Child (Min Yoongi)

Chapter 6: Indemnity

"O Messenger of Allah! Who among the people is most deserving of my good company?"
He said,
"Your mother."
He asked,
"Then who?"
He said,
"Your mother."
He asked,
"Then who?"
He said,
"Your mother."
He asked,
"Then who?"
He said,
"Your father."

. . .

After bidding Vernon goodbye, I walked towards Mark's house which was only a few blocks away from school. Afraid that he would fall asleep before I reached there as he usually did after school, I started running. After 10 minutes of sprinting, I ended up in front of his house, gasping for air. Crouching down, I put my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. Hearing the door click open, I looked up to find papa tuan staring at me with surprise on his face.

"Oh... Hi, papa tuan!" I enthusiastically greeted him.

Mark's dad was my dad too because he treated me just like his own daughter. He had told be to call him Papa Tuan seven years ago.

He released a booming laugh and thumped me on my back. Very hard, may I add. I winced, biting my lip and grinned at him in pain. Oblivious to my agony, he asked the reason of me blessing him with my presence.

"I-i came here t-to see Mark," I answered groaning.

"Mark?" He asked with confusion evident in his eyes.

"But isn't he supposed to be in school with you?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You mean he isn't here?"

"Uh...no?" He answered, but it came out more like a question.

I immediately made a 180 turn and walked out of the house, with papa tuan's confused voice in the background.

So he didn't come here after going out of the school. Tapping my finger on my chin, I thought about where he could be. Where does he go when he wants to be alone? It suddenly clicked. I snapped my fingers in realization and started walking towards a place I was all too familiar with.

. . .

This place stored a lot of my memories with Mark. Whenever one of us was sad or needed to get away from our daily troubles, this was the place we used to come too. Something about this place was magical, so that it instantly calmed down your nerves and it felt like you were in pure bliss.

I followed my way through Mark's foot prints made by the crumpled autumn leaves that had fallen from the numerous trees in the forest, and was met with a breathtaking sight. The sun was at its peek in the sky, and the weather was perfect for a picnic. The aqua blue sea was glistening like diamonds. The soothing sound of the calm waves crashing on the shore was the perfect remedy for a troubled soul. My favourite was the salty air of the sea that I loved. Gradually, my eyes travelled down and landed on a lone figure silhouetted against the sunlight, emitting sad and lonely vibes all around the place.

My eyes softened as I looked at Mark's figure, shoulders slumped, his long legs dangling off the edge of the hill. I tried to approach him slowly, not wanting him to know I was here but apparently, the crunching of the leaves under my feet alerted him of my presence. However, he didn't turn around to check who it was since he knew we were the only ones knowledgeable about this tranquil place deep inside the forest.

I walked up to him and took a place beside him on the edge, swinging my feet below. I looked at him, and at that moment, my heart completely shattered.

Hot tears were streaming down his face nonstop. He kept biting his lip and clenching and uncleching his fists in an effort to stop them. He turned away from me, not wanting me to see him broken like this. Seconds later, he started hiccuping and sobbing horribly.