A Young Widow

"Aw!"

Little Jack got hit by his mother.

"I told you to not use those bad words! For heaven's sake, society began to pollute this child's mind"

Jack's mother put her right hand at her face, feeling dizzy because of Jack's bad behavior. Meanwhile, the guy besides amused by a kid's spontaneity.

Jack, who was still stroking his head, saw his mother with a helpless, defenseless face, defending himself because he felt innocent.

"Mom too, even though hitting her child is not good"

"I'm doing it to punish you! A child couldn't control themselves sometimes and they need to be punished if they are doing a bad thing, understand?!"

His beautiful mother is angry, although anger doesn't suit her face, it is still quite terrible for a child-like Jack to see. Jack wants to cry but manage to hold it.

His mother didn't feel pity for him, instead, she begins to walk again to the market.

"Just do what Mr. Roland said and wait for us"

The mother walks quickly with her anger still in her face.

Saw a situation where a mother gets angry at her child, Roland can only smile at them. He wants to calm down the situation, but that's too late because the mother already left them behind.

"Hey Jack kid"

Roland calls Jack who still holds his tears to not fall. Jack lifts his head a little to see what the mister wants to him.

"I will try to calm your mother. So until we come back, please invite my daughter to play somewhere, and last, a strong boy shouldn't let a beautiful girl saw his pathetic face"

"!"

Jack shocked at Roland's last words and saw Aleyn for a moment. Aleyn got shocked too when he saw her suddenly. But right after he realizes there is a beautiful girl saw him, he rapidly turned his face and wipes his tears.

After feeling he is clear, Jack turns back again at Roland with a face full of enthusiasm.

"Mister, please tell mom I'm sorry, and we will waiting for you in downstream down the river over there"

Jack pointing at a downstream of the river not far from their position. Roland nodded at Jack and turned at Aleyn.

"Girl"

"!"

Aleyn shocked and quickly turn her face at her dad, she still enjoying a view of the downstream of the river Jack pointed when her dad called.

"Don't do anything dangerous, and always think about what you are gonna do, and again, run away if there is some rich guy try to approach you"

"Don't worry, mister! I will protect your daughter at all cost!"

Jack respond at Roland's word to Aleyn. Roland surprised when a seven-year-old boy talking about protecting someone at all cost. That words made him smiled with satisfaction. For his daughter, she nodded innocently with a beautiful smile on her face. Roland gives his daughter a quick smile before he goes.

"Okay then, kid. I'll leave my daughter to you"

"Ookie dookie!"

Roland begins to walk to the market as he gave Jack his last request. Jack spiritful waving his hands at their departure. But suddenly stopped when he saw his mother looking at him creepy.

When Roland finally start to walk, Jack's mother had to wait for him with a creepy looking face. Roland can't do anything with that and only can smile while slowly approach her.

Right after they finally walk together, Jack's mother begins to talk.

"That kid, he is quite sensitive for children on his age, but his sensitivity sometimes makes me worry that he will absorb everything around him, including bad things like dirty words"

That is the concern of reasonable parents. Unfortunately, Roland quite confused about how to respond at that concern of reasonable parents, while he is not a parent. Even though a moment ago he becomes a father unofficially, it was still only last night. He one hundred percent sure can protect Aleyn, but one hundred percent can't sure if he can be a good father for her.

Thinking about that starts to make him worry about himself instead of others. Jack's mother can see the anxiety on his face and starts asking questions.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Roland? You look so nervous"

"Please just call me by my name, eh, Mrs...

"Helen. My name is Helen. I'm sorry to not introduce you directly before"

"Don't worry about it, sis"

"Sis?"

"Can I call you that? Because it's quite impolite for me to call a person who older than me by her name"

"Hmm"

Helen thinking about Roland's demand for a moment. But while she still thinking, they already reach the town's gate.

The town's gate fills up with many merchants or deliverers like them. The situation is so busy with the guards checking the merchants and delivers goods in one line. The atmosphere was quite crowded, and inevitably they had to come in line.

Roland was quite impressed with the crowd and gawking for a few moments. Suddenly Helen patted his shoulder and wake him up.

"Hey, right here"

Helen leads them to find a shortcut through the crowd. At first, Roland hesitating to follows Helen's leads or not, but she forced him with 'come on, its alright'. Roland inevitably has to follow her.

Roland slowly pushes his wheelbarrow, hopes that the guards didn't recognize him. But suddenly after he walks a few steps, a guard noticed and approach him.

"Hey, you"

"!"

Roland shocked and quickly stopped his feet. The not-too-old guard coming to him and he doesn't know what to do.

"I've never seen you around. Are you new here? And you immediately want to grab the queue?"

"Well, that's..."

Roland can only give the guard an innocent smile while hoping that a lifesaver would come.

"Hey"

Speak of the devil, the lifesaver comes at the right time. The guard notices Helen's voice and directly turns his face to her.

"Helen!"

"A, Samm"

Fortunately, those two knows each other. Roland can let a breath of relief for that.

Helen approaches the guard named Samm and tries to talk about Roland to the guard.

"What are you doing here?"

"W – well, he is coming with me"

"He?"

Helen undirectly mentions Roland and the guard, Samm directly looking at Roland and judge him. The judge going quite tense, Samm looking at Roland seriously, and Roland only can smile innocently.

After a few second judges, Samm comes with a conclusion.

"You finally found your husband's successor," said Samm with a bright smile in face.

The two being mentioned shocked at the same time. But the most shocked person is Helen.

"What do you mean? Don't come with a quick conclusion like that!"

Helen got angry at the guard. The guard shocked when he gets misunderstanding at their relationship.

"Sorry, I think you two are..."

"No, we are not like that. We even just met a while ago"

"Just met? ... ahh, I see. So this dude is trying to help you and asked for help if he can stay at your house as an exchange he help your work?"

"Quite, so!"

Helen gives Samm a thumb. Samm too proud of his proper assessment. Meanwhile, Roland got scared of the guard proper assessment.

The guard seems to can understand their situation. But he somehow looking for the presence of someone who is not in place.

"Where is little Jack? Isn't he come with you"

"Um, well, he got something to do and wait outside. So could you let us get in fast?"

"I see"

A sense of relief comes to Samm's face. Then to do something about Helen's request, he turned at Roland and try to give him a quick check first.

"You look young but I know you are just five or ten younger than me"

"Heh, uh, well, that's..."

The guard very good at reading the situation. Even though Roland has a face of looking-thirty-guy he old enough to be called a young uncle.

Fortunately, Samm didn't want to bother such things and continue to another question.

"So, what's your name, young guy?"

"Young guy? Ahh, its Roland"

"Roland, huh. Do you intend to stay in this city or village around for a long time?"

"Well, that's my plan to do"

"I see"

Samm gives Roland a quick check by a walk around him once. After that, he gives a thumb at Roland and let him into the city.

"Okay, you are good"

Roland responds that by give Samm a thumb too. Besides them, Helen quickly invites Roland to walk fast. Roland begins to pull the wheelbarrow outside the line. Barge in past migrants who queue up first.

When trying to not make a loud noise, Roland somehow feels that the guard Samm gives him a very simple check while his fellow gets to asked a quite much question and a scary-looking face by the guards.

After passing through the city gate with no problems, Roland immediately approached Helen who was waiting for him.

"That's so easy than I expected," said Roland while looking back at the checking session.

"Well, we should be grateful because the one who caught you was Samm"

Is she planning this or is that just my feeling, Roland thought. Roland feels suspicious about Helen's act before, and moreover with the guard terrible judgment.

"Hey, let's hurry, why are you daydreaming?"

While Roland has a thing to think, Helen already left him behind in a few steps ahead. Roland begins to pull his wheelbarrow to catch up Helen who already walk again.

From behind, Roland can see Helen having a hype after getting into the city. Somehow he can see a maiden who got excited while walking in the city or is it just his feeling.

"Hey! Right here!"

Helen stopped in front of a small shop selling fresh fruit. She gives Roland wave when an old woman approaches her.

Roland tried to speed up to only get a misunderstanding when he gets closer to the two women.

"Is he your new husband?"

"Ha!"

That is Helen who was shocked at the old woman misunderstanding. Though there is nothing Roland can do instead of smiling.

"No, he is not"

"Why not?"

"Eh?"

The old woman seems annoying than her look. She refuses to believe if Roland, not Helen's new husband. She even gives Roland a quick check of judging.

"He looks pretty good in my opinion"

"Hettie, please don't tempt me to betray my love"

Hettie, the old annoying woman only smiled brightly at Helen's refuses. After that, she walks to the watermelons and gives them a nice look.

"Wah, you bring more watermelons than yesterday. Is this not heavy for you, young mister?"

"Hmm, Nah it's not really"

"I see. If it's for a young widow I will do anything to catch her hearts, like that?"

The old woman teased Roland. He tried to read Roland's heart just to make him more disturbed.

"Hettiieee"

However, Helen catches Hettie and pushes her to another place. She tried to keep Hettie away from Roland while she makes Roland do his last job to finish their work.

"Hey, Roland, while I keep Hettie busy, can you move the watermelons. Just put it lined up there"

Helen pointed at a place where the watermelons arranged in a row. After that, she pushes Hettie to stay away from Roland.

When Roland start to do his last job, a thought came to his mind. Is Helen being more childish when she's away from little Jack? While looking at her talking with an old woman, she just looks like a maiden who is tempted to get married soon.

Roland watched Helen while moving the watermelons into place. However, a moment later she starts coughing hardly. She looks quite in pain. Fortunately, there is an old woman who helped her to calm down by giving her water to drink.

For a moment Roland can see a hard worker person when Helen holds her pain to not make anyone surround her worried.

After a moment of worried, Roland finally finished his job. The old woman can see his hands finally free and approach him, leaving Helen who still to calm herself down.

"That was quick, young mister?" said Hettie while walk closer to Roland.

Roland gives his hands some pats to clean off the dust before answering.

"Well, that's not a big deal"

"I see"

Suddenly Hettie gives Roland a silent gaze. Roland doesn't know what to do and only can wait for her to talk again.

-

"You have a great responsibility in your hands, mister"

Roland didn't know how much time had passed. But suddenly the old woman speaks a serious thing. He wasn't sure if the old woman seriously talking like that. But before he can respond at the woman's word, Helen entered into the conversation.

"Hey, Roland, you already finished the job"

She comes in a more healthy face. Roland feels relieved because she was just tired and thirst.

"That's no big deal"

"Ukukuku"

Suddenly the old woman laughed. Then he tried to tap Roland's shoulder and talked.

"You are good at picking candidates, Helen"

"Eh?"

"What! No, we are not like that. He even has a daughter already"

Surprised by Helen's word, Hettie turn back again at Roland. Gives him a curious look for a moment.

"I see, so you are also a widower, Mr. Roland"

"Eh, aahh, weell"

Roland wants to dismiss Hettie's judgment, but he remembers that his unofficial wife can't just reveal her whereabouts.

"Ah, that's enough, let's get back soon!"

Helen pushes Roland to pull the wheelbarrow quickly. She let him walk first and follow after asking for leave to Hettie.

"Then we will leave"

"Okay, thanks for your hard work. You too, young mister"

Roland only responds to Hettie's word with a genuine nod.

They start to leave the shop and heading back. Meanwhile the old woman, Hettie has the last word for them.

"What a poor widow and widower"