Episode 10

"Just sit tight, let's eat. It'll get cold soon, you know," said Ajeng, as she pulled out one of the chairs and sat down next to Sean.

Ajeng picked up a skewered meatball and offered it to her foster child.

"I've already brushed my teeth, I don't want to eat anymore," Sean replied, quickly turning away and looking back at the table—not at a storybook, this time he was fiddling with a Rubik's cube, his hands moving randomly, clearly with no intention of aligning the colors.

Sean also didn't bring up the incident from earlier that day when he left Ajeng behind. He didn't even utter an apology.

"Are you sure you don't want any?" Ajeng asked.

Sean remained silent, his attention fixed on the Rubik's cube.

"Are you really not hungry?" Ajeng asked again, but Sean continued to keep to himself, leaving her to mutter to herself...

"Well, then I'll eat it, okay? It'd be a waste to throw it out, might get cursed then. End up not able to buy food and starving for life, eeek, scary," she rambled on. She even shuddered at the recollection of a book about punishments in the grave she read as a child.

Various retributions for those who commit injustices on Earth.

Ajeng then grabbed the plate of meatballs onto her lap, took one skewer, and began to eat...

"Yum, this is delicious, no wonder they're pricey. Each skewer is five thousand, and it's just got three meatballs."

"Back in my village, a skewer like this would be just a thousand, and with four meatballs,"

"Mmm, but it tastes so good, Sen, you sure you don't want some?"

Finally, Sean turned towards Ajeng, his mouth already full of saliva.

"Here," Ajeng offered the skewered meatball again, but this time not to Sean's hand but directly towards his mouth.

"Aah," Sean obliged and bit into the meatball.

At first, it was awkward, but then they both found themselves enjoying the snack together.

Unnoticed by them, Reza was watching them from the doorway.

Ajeng and Sean had their backs to the door, and Ajeng hadn't closed it.

Seeing this scene warmed Reza's heart.

He was a reticent man, not adept at expressing his feelings, finding it difficult to find the right words to explain the situation of the divorce to his child. He was at a loss for words, and that always ended with his silence.

Reza was aware that Sean was angry with him and that he was taking it out on those around him.

But what could be done? The relationship with Monalisa was beyond repair.

Before Sean or Ajeng noticed him, Reza quietly retreated and went into his room.

Morning arrived.

Yesterday seemed like a dream when Ajeng woke up; she couldn't remember a thing. All Ajeng was concerned with were her duties for the day.

Preparing Sean's packed lunch, arranging it neatly in the lunchbox, even drawing cartoon characters for it.

Then she hurried upstairs to wake her foster child, waiting outside the bathroom door, continuously instructing him...

"Brush properly! Open your mouth wide, say 'Ahh', then 'Eee'. Rinse thoroughly, then spit."

"Don't just scrub your belly! Feet, armpits, thighs, you have to wash everything!"

"Stop being so noisy, Ajeng!" Sean finally retorted after restraining himself from losing his temper earlier.

"It's your fault I'm not allowed in there!" "Hurry up, wrap the towel and get out!"

"Oh, my word, Jeng, your voice is loud enough to reach my room," said Reza, who had come due to Ajeng's loud voice. His room was the closest to Sean’s.

And Ajeng's loud voice was indeed bothering him.

"Sorry, sir, I didn't mean to," Ajeng apologized, feeling guilty, even bowing her head, not daring to look up.

But Reza was irritated by the word 'sir' coming from Ajeng's mouth.

As if standing in front of him was not Sean's nanny, but his own daughter.

*Hmph\, why does this girl have to be so petite?* Reza grumbled to himself.

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