章節 18: Luci's Promise
Spider was too happy to think about his future marriage plans with Luci. Even the man had already prepared a wedding dress design in his mind. It was the dress that Luci would wear on their wedding day.
'Here Bee has no right to refuse because I already have a promise from her. And I know Bee will never break a promise.' His memory drifted to the past when they were still adopted siblings with eight other children.
'That's when the dawn started to break,' Spider recalled in his brain. 'And little Bee is awake. It was caused by the noisy crowing of the rooster and disturbed her sleep.' A chuckle crossed his cheeks, like a splash of red ink falling on clear waters. Now the memories were not formed through the words in his mind, but rather coherent fragments of scenes in the past.
In Spider's brain, he saw little Luci or Bee awake. Soon the eldest of them, named Lion, would wake them up forcibly to work in the stables and garden. After the sun was a little high they would go to the city for busking and begging.
There were tears in Spider's eyes.
The cage in which they sleep only had a yellow lamp with 15 watts of power. At night and bedtime, the lamp would be turned off, just as it was then. Spider, who was awakened by the crowing of the rooster, finally opened his eyes slowly to see through the roof tiles whether it was dawn or not. Because sometimes the rooster could crow in the middle of the night.
It turned out that the sky had started to lighten even though it wasn't too bright. Spider looked around to look at his other nine siblings, especially because he wanted to check on Bee, his youngest sister who had a beauty like a princess.
Bee or Luci just arrived a month ago.
'Her lively and cheerful behavior could make me feel warmth and happiness,' he recalled again. 'That warmth has also saved me from a critical condition when I used to have a fever and cold when days rained. Bee always hugs me to sleep.'
Bee was always cheerful. But lately, she had started to get moody and missed her orphanage in the past.
No wonder the adopted children were treated like working machines in the house. They even had to sleep in the stables of the livestock. Not to mention the food was rarely given. Once the food was given it was usually stale and moldy.
When he looked around with the aid of the pen's lighting illuminating the livestock, Spider found Luci sneaking up and peering through the hole in the wall of the cage made of wood.
Several other children followed in Luci's footsteps. They all stood on their knees and peered outside.
Spider knew what they were doing. The kids just wanted to see the sunrise. For them, the sunrise was a very meaningful entertainment because in their hearts they believed that the sunrise was a hope that grew and would eventually come true.
Therefore they did not want to miss the moment of the sunrise while whispering their hopes to be fulfilled. The system was almost the same as shooting stars.
Spider also approached little Luci who was then six years old while Spider himself was already twelve years old. The little Spider gently tapped Luci's shoulder.
Little Luci gasped in surprise but Spider had already calmed Luci down with a hiss, "Shh." the long one.
Spider then whispered, "It's me, Bee." Then the boy smiled a very wide smile, a smile that was eventually eroded by time because of the torture and burden of life that Spider felt.
Little Luci pranced to greet Spider.
"What do you see?" Spider asked Luci while acting as if he didn't know what Luci was observing.
"Shhh, I'll say it but you have to promise that you won't tell anyone," Luci replied in a whisper, and her index finger pressed against her tiny lips. Spider nodded as he raised his thumb
"I was peeking outside. There's a sunrise over there," Luci pointed at the wall beside her. Spider knew Luci was pointing to the east where the sun was rising now.
"Why are you peeking at the sunrise?" asked Spider pretending not to know. His smile couldn't stop growing every time he saw Luci's cute and adorable behavior.
"Shhh, I'll say it but you have to promise that you won't tell anyone," Luci whispered with the exact words as before. Luci always said that when she had a secret.
This was very funny considering Spider honestly already knew what secret Luci had. Again Spider nodded in understanding. Then the boy held up his thumb.
Now Luci's face drew closer with her lips almost pressed against Spider's ears. Never forget her tiny hands cupped around her lips, meaning that other people wouldn't be able to hear their conversation.
"They say if you can see the sunrise often, your wish will come true. That's why I see the sunrise every morning," Luci whispered in Spider's ear.
Now it was Spider's turn to put his lips close to little Luci's ear.
"What hope do you have?" asked the boy in a low voice.
"I wish I could go out and play outside with the other brothers and sisters," answered Luci who this time also brought her lips to Spider's ear.
"You want to go out to be free?" asked Spider again.
Luci shook her head then replied, "No. I just wanted to go out for a bit to play with the other brothers and sisters."
"You don't want to be free?" Spider frowned in almost disbelief. All the children here wished for freedom but why didn't Luci want it?
Again Luci shook her head while continuing to smile playfully.
"Why?" asked Spider in disbelief. He didn't even realize that his voice was loud enough for people to hear.
"Miss Flora (the caretaker of the orphanage where Luci used to be cared for) said that if I was adopted then I already have parents. And if I want to thank Mrs. Flora, then I have to obey the parents who adopted me," explained Luci, Spider couldn't believe it.
The problem was, so far the adopted children had never been treated like children. Children here were treated as slaves who had to work and earn money non-stop.
Their bed alone was a cage in which also contained livestock. If you think about it, the adopted children were no higher in status than the Dusky family's farm animals (the family that adopted them). Because the farm animals still get fresh hay, a portion of very decent food for the size of the animal.
Instead, the children were given stale food, food not even acceptable for animals. If they as humans got that bad food wouldn't the Dusky family not regard their adopted children as a family? Even as a human?
But why was Luci still so positive and obedient like that? That's what always made Spider curious. That's what always made the boy always find out about Luci. And the longer he did it the more Spider liked Luci.
"Now tell me, for those who hurt you but you still want to obey them. Then what will you give me as the person who always shares candies and food for you? And what if I could find a way for you to play outside?" asked Spider. At first, he just wanted to tease Luci.
"For you, mmmm….I will never leave you alone forever," answered Luci with a very wide smile.
At first, it sounded very funny and entertaining. But gradually Spider began to like the promise and intended to collect it one day.
Even after he was beaten at the cage to make him injured. Spider was determined to stay alive to remind the promise of Luci gave him. His girl, his first love.
'Yeah, just for my first love,' thought Spider happily, 'Bee.'
***
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