Bad Old Memories

"Hey… come here you!" scolded the orphanage caretaker to James, who was playing with his brother, Arjoona. Joona's skinny hand tugged at James' arm, but he held Joona's hand as if to say that everything would be fine. James stood up to the caretaker.

"Be ready! Someone wants to foster you. Tomorrow morning you leave!" stated the guard and turned away. James frowned, then turned to Joona. Joona was sitting cross-legged behind him. The shabby Arjoona just went silently looked at James. He also heard what the caretaker said.

James walked back to Arjoona. This time he sat cross-legged in front of him.

"Joona, I have to leave," James said in a low voice and sad expression. He is as shabby as Arjoona Harristian, the orphan who shares his name. Arjoona shook his head and started crying.

"Don't cry, little brother. I'll come back to pick you up from here. I promise!" continued James while swallowing his saliva and feeling the same sadness. During the six years since he first met Arjoona, they never once broke from each other. Arjoona embraced James, and James also did the same.

"Don't leave me here, James. I'm scared. I don't want to die here!" Arjoona sobbed into James's shoulder and began to shed tears. James squeezed Joona's shoulder and didn't say anything. He had to find a way to bring Arjoona with him.

"How about this ...." James let go of his arm.

"I'll ask them to take care of you too. I'll say the reason that you're my brother, so we can't possibly be apart. How about that?" Arjoona started to smile and nodded. James smiled too.

As usual, James would share his food with Arjoona and sleep in the same bed with him. For James, Joona is the brother he never had. Joona is a friend as well as a brother. James has no friends at all apart from Arjoona. And Joona has no family other than James.

The next day, James went into the caretaker's office asking for consent to take Joona with him. But apparently, only James will be adopted.

"Do you think that family would adopt him? Luckily they want you, not Arjoona!" the guard rebuked James' idea of ​​asking Arjoona to be adopted with him.

"But sir, Joona is alone here. Just let him come with me!"

"You little rascal! Do you think you can ask for anything, huh!"

"I don't mean like that, sir. If they only want to adopt one child, it's better if I don't come with them either!" answered James boldly. The guard came over him, took a bat wood piece, and hit James.

"Aahhhh!" James groaned in pain, holding his arm.

"You dare go against me now! They want to adopt you, you know! Prepare yourselves. They will be here in a minute!" James grimaced as he grabbed his arm and looked up at the caretaker.

"Please, sir. Let me take Joona. They have nothing to lose. I will pay for his life. I'm going to work. AAAH!" James was hit again by the wood.

"I told you not to argue with anything I said, HAH!" James gasped in pain, but he still struggled to his feet. After all, he had countless scars during his time at the orphanage.

"If you don't obey... I will kill your life myself. Go out!" he rebuked again, pointing at the exit with the tip of his bat. While limping and holding his painful arm, James came out of the caretaker's office.

"What should I do? They'll be here in a minute," James muttered and looked around him. He looks for Arjoona and plans to run away together. James kept going around searching all corners of the orphanage, but he couldn't find Joona.

"Where is he going?" he muttered, then asked a few children, but no one knew about Joona.

Not long after, a husband and wife came to pick up James. They gave the caretaker some money and signed some papers. James couldn't run as he half dragged him to meet the couple.

"These are your adoptive parents. Say hello!" the caretaker ordered, and James was forced to shake and kiss the backs of their hands. The woman smiled brightly while her husband was a bit arrogant.

"Oh, you're so handsome!" she praised and was about to stroke James' hair, but he tried to dodge. James knew something was wrong with these people.

"Wait… I-I have a little brother. I want to bring my brother!" said James as they dragged him out of the orphanage. James' adoptive parents stopped and turned to the caretaker.

"You said he was an only child!"

"Indeed. Don't you believe his words. he doesn't have a brother!" James shook his head and tried to make sure he did have a younger brother.

"My younger brother, his name is Arjoona. I beg you. We can take him. He'll be home soon!"

"How about this. You come with us. Tomorrow we will pick up your brother. How about it?" said the woman suggested, so James was willing to leave. The suspicious James shook his head. But the woman kept persuing and was half forced James to leave the orphanage.

"I-I beg you, ma'am. My brother will be home soon," said James, still negotiating while they had even put his bag into the car trunk that was parked in front of the orphanage.

"We'll be back tomorrow, okay? I promise to bring you here to pick up your brother!" James had no choice. He forcefully left with worry and continued to look at the orphanage building. The building passed as the car drifted further.

James' suspicions were now confirmed. Husband and wife are not good people. They are a mafia who will sell children's organs or purchase orphanages. The organs will enter the black market for illegal transplantation.

James was also nearly harassed in the house where he held him for two days. He was forced to do nasty things to the woman's husband. James was also almost raped by the man, but he fought back and got a big punch in the body.

James was locked up the following night so that he wouldn't escape. God saved him when an offer came from an Italian man looking for a 12-year-old boy.

James instantly sold at a reasonably high price. He was brought in injured and barely able to stand because of hunger to the buyer. That was when he met Edward Belgenza, the younger brother of his adoptive father, Fabrizio Belgenza.

For some reason, when he saw James, Edward was softened. He bought James and took him to Italy after he treated his wounds.

"What's your name?" asked Edward in poor Indonesian.

"James Harristian." Edward smiled faintly.

NAPLES

James walked in irritably after leaving Delilah's room. He untied his tie and threw it away with a gasp. James hated being rejected, and mainly, Delilah had provoked his temper. He stopped at the bar counter, took a whiskey bottle, and poured it into a crystal glass.

"Sir… do we need to keep Miss Starley here?" asked Earth coming over. James sipped his drink slowly and did not turn to Earth.

"She couldn't get me the money. That's the consequence she must take!" James drank again with one hand in his pants pocket.

"But… it's only 100 thousand Euros. Why are we…." James turned around, and Earth instantly stopped talking. James glared at Earth with a sharp gaze.

"What are you doing, Earth?" Earth sighed and lowered her head slightly.

"Nothing, sir. I'm sorry," Earth replied, then fell silent. A subordinate of James then came and gave a note to Earth. Earth nodded and told him to wait. He read for a while before turning to James.

"It has been confirmed that Arjoona Harristian works at Winthrop. That means we are ready to go to Jakarta," said Earth explaining the message sent by the guard earlier.

James stared at Earth for a moment before nodding. He took out his phone and called Jayden.

"Hey, Jay!"

"James, glad you called me!" James smiled.

"Do you miss me?"

"Hehehe, tell me about it." James was silent, then turned to the bar counter beside him for a moment.

"I've found Arjoona. I think I'll be going back to Jakarta."