Children

An angreement was bound by two men. Roland smiled gently like an adult guy and his little fellow tried to smiled seriously while he quite doesn't get what was just they agreed. All he want to know is just her mom condition wouldn't get worse with Roland help.

After a while they took off each other's hands. Roland back to stand and tke boy introducing his wheelbarrow to the new pusher.

"Okay, you can now push or pull Wheely to the market, mister?"

"Wheely?"

Roland respond to the wheelbarrow named Wheely with confusion in head. While he is confused the kid giving him an information about the wheelbarrow he about to push, or pul.

"Hehe, you may not expect, but this beautiful wheelbarrow here is about the same age like me. And of course, we had through so many beautiful memories together"

The boy talked confidently to Roland about his little vehicle. But Roland wouldn't underrated his thing just because it's cheap, it is just,

"He talked just like it's his white horses"

No doubt, the boy really loved his cart. Still, his act is kinda little embarrassing to look. Especially when his related around, like his mother now.

"I'm sorry if that's looks embarassed to you"

"It's not!"

His mother feel sorry about him, but he was quite stubborn and brushed aside his mother's words.

Even Roland felt it was quite difficult if he had to face a kid like this every day.

Not satisfied with his words, the boy added a few words more to show his seriousness.

"This is father's legacy! So it's not embarrassing at all!" said the boy seriously.

Roland feel surprised about that one fact and want to know more about it. While they are in their way of course.

"Okay then, let's just go to the market"

Roland walks toward the front of the cart. Readying himself to lift up the handle, and start pushing.

The two of the girl and woman walk behind them. While Roland and his fellow pushed the cart. But that's quite confusing.

"What are you doing, boy?"

"My name is Jack. And I help you to push Wheely"

His name is Jack and he help Roland to push the cart. There is nothing wrong with it. But Roland just feel, odd somehow.

"Hey, bo – Jack, can you let go your hands?"

"But then you will be in trouble, sir"

Jack refused to let go his hands and let Roland do the job. There is nothing wrong with it. But still.

"Hey, my name is Roland. And can you just let go your hands for a moment"

"Why are you so pushy, Mr. Roland. I just want to help you"

"Just.. just let go for a moment, okay"

Jack is hestitant to follow Roland's words. Even his strong mother needs to be help to push the cart. Just because he is a man and younger than his mother, that doesn't mean he strong enough to push the cart.

But if it's just for a moment, Jack will do. Even if Roland stopped his feet because he is troubled pushing the cart, Jack just have to help him again.

Jack let go his hands slowly to find Roland pushed the cart in no matter. He surprised because there is like a dozen of big watermelon in the cart. Yet Roland find no matter to push the cart.

"Why are you stop walking?"

His mom wake him up in his admiration to Roland.

"What's wrong?"

Just when he look at his confusing mom, Aleyn walk pass through them.

Roland is not an ordinary man if he is that strong. Then he finally realizes, his daughter seem not ordinary too.

She wore tangled clothes that didn't match her appereance. She have beautiful face but with odd skin. Even her red hair isn't ordinary in this place.

Jack found something interesting and start running. He stopped and walk beside the odd girl. Looking at her with so much question in his eyes.

The girl – Aleyn found that her existence provoked a boy's curiosity. She feels troubled just by his stare. But she can't do nothing and just trying to look at another direction.

Jack really enjoyed the beautiful view before his eyes. To the point that he didin't realize he was disturbing someone's peace.

"Aawww!"

"Don't do bad behaviour like that"

Luckily his mother gave him a nice punch in his head to woke him and gave him a lesson to not do that again.

Jack stroked the hit head while looking down, ashamed. Just before a minutes pass, he ran away to Roland's side. Looking for something interesting to ask.

"Hey, you are so strong, mister"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah! Even Paul the bad boy couldn't push this much alone"

"Paul?"

"Yeah, he is a neighbour and older than me"

"I see"

Jack really enjoyed their conversation. Roland actually didn't have the intention to serve such thing. But he feels like the boy beside him will give him a nive chit-chat while they are on their way.

"So, Jack, how old are you?"

"How old am I, well, wait a minute"

He pulled out seven fingers from his hand. But he start counting from one and stopped at three somehow. Looks like he has difficulty in counting. Feel pity for him, Roland give him a help to count his own age.

"That's four" said Roland at Jack fourth hand.

With Roland's help he feels so surprised, even his eyes sparkling in admiration.

"Then what's this?"

"That's five"

"Hooo"

Jack really looks amazed at Roland, even though he only helps him in counting.

"Okay-okay, I got it from here! So this is, one, and two, and three..."

And he start counting smoothly until he find seven in his fingers.

"It's seven. My age is seven"

"I see"

Jack was really proud of his big brain to the point that he wasn't satisfied to count from one to seven only once.

Even the two adults nearby are happy too because his success. Except one who wasn't know what actually the two guy doing in front of her.

After he succeded counting his own age, Jack throw the same question to Roland.

"How about you, mister?!"

"Me, I think it's around 40"

"Around?"

"Yeah, because I'm a little doubtful about my age"

Jack puzzled with Roland's words. He explained something Jack couldn't reach the point.

"Why you hesitate with your own age?" said Jack curiously.

On his next question, Roland hesitate to give him the right answer or not. It maybe will pizzled him more. So Roland take the easier way to explain his answer.

"Maybe because I'm not counting it"

"Not counting? Your age?"

"Yeah"

"Why, I think your age is important because you have to celebrate it on your birthday"

A moment of silent happened after Jack words. That is quite awkward, because should answer, but he just speechless somehow.

His partner in chat began worried about his silent. But just when Jack want to ask about Roland situation, Roland finally answered.

"I forgot"

"Forgot?"

"Yeah, I forgot to count it. Since I was always wandering in the world. Sometimes I began to forgot who I was"

A worried expression began appearing in Jack face. Somehow he felt sad to hear Roland's little story.

"Why are you sad?"

Roland reads Jack's sadness as he bows his head with a sad face.

"Your story sounds pretty sad because you don't have a home and always wandering" said Jack in his pitiness.

But instead feeling sad, Roland laughed at Jack's speculation.

"Why are you laughing?!"

"Aha ha ha! Sorry-sorry! But still, you are a children after all"

Feel understimated, Jack wants to reply on Roland underrated. But just when he want to start talking, Roland continuing his reason of laughing him.

"The world itself is my home, kid"

At Roland's words, Jack's madness replace with admiration. That is just a simple word coming from Roland, but still it's heard pretty amazing.

"I can eat, sleep, or bath where I want. As long as it doesn't disturb other's peaces, I will do it. Because the world itself is our nature mother"

For the second time Jack was made to emit a light flicker from his eyes. He still walk forward, but his eyes looking seriously at Roland's great figure.

"You are so amazing, mister"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, I bet if I can meet with my father, he will be as great as you!"

Jack was very happy in his encounter with Roland to the point he began imagining someone he had never met.

Roland realizing the fact that the boy beside him never meet with his dad. That's so sad, but why? He start looking for answer with looking at the boy's mother. But respond the mother gave was quite surprised.

"I think we should ended the conversation"

"Eh, why?! The exciting part has just begun!"

The one who protested is Jack. He began to enjoy their conversation, but his mother told him to stop.

"Hey, kid"

"What, mister? You want me to stop too?"

""Yeah, please. Why? Look"

Roland told Jack to look ahead. Where the city entrance gate is not far away from them.

"Aa, we're here"

"Yup, and, can I ask you for something?"

"What's that, mister?"

"Can you guys not coming in and play around outside instead?"

That is not a hard request coming from Roland. But still why is he asking that kind of demand.

"You see, my daughter is so beautiful isn't she?"

Jack quickly turn around to look at the beautiful figure of girl in red. She is beautiful and even a seven year old like Jack wouldn't lie about her appeareance.

Jack looks very interested when Aleyn getting so nervous.

"What if some rich guy interested in her? Do you know what it means?"

Jack start thinking hard at Roland odd question. Then after he realizes what he want to talk about, Jack surprised.

"Oh no! They are a bunch of freak!"

"Pfft"

"Boy, watch your mouth!"