Chapter Thirteen

"JEWEL, go ahead. You need to eat. Don't you want to go home? Jihan is waiting for you at home," Jelo said softly to his daughter, who was sitting on his bed and was very far away.

He tried to feed her several times, various dishes, and he really intended to prepare Jewel's favorites.

That was a few times since the woman woke up a week ago. The doctor said that they needed to be grateful. Jewel is becoming a bit responsive even though she can only nod and shake her head at times.

Only then can it speak long words every time it disappears, so they do not force it either.

"Why are you doing there?" Despite the fear of what might happen, Jo was still happy to hear her son speak. Although it was cold and frightening to say, he still knew that Jewel's chances of recovery were increasing.

"Jewel, eat first. Wasn't this your favorite then? It's also Jihan's favorite, Je! That kid is so–"

"Why are you doing this?"

Jelo was silent. It is possible that the outcome of their conversation won't be good, especially when he answers the child.

"Why are you here? Why did you let Mommy go?" Jewel said it gently then, so if anyone can't see her face, you will think she is calm.

Jelo could see everything - the child's tears and her trembling. At that point, he wanted to call the doctor, and he wanted to help the child.

Yes, maybe he did not become a good father to Jewel, but his love for his daughter was never lost.

Losing a wife was his turning point. He needs to change, and he needs to adjust himself and his life because he only has Jewel.

He knew it was too late, but he still did not lose hope. He will not give up on any other hardship this time - a chance that his child will need her more.

"Je, Daddy loves you. I'm not even the perfect father that you want–"

"Where's Rod?"

Silence filled the place. Only the sobs and the occasional sigh of Jelo could be heard.

He was really nervous. When is the last time? Maybe it was when he was just building JL Automotives. But now. . . it's different now because he is nervous because of the child's condition.

"Jewel, you need to eat first. When you get well, we will leave here, and you and J-Jihan will always be together. . ." He tried to feed the child again, but in a flash, the porridge was scattered in his arms and thighs.

He wants to get angry and scold the child, but he has no choice but to understand her more. This is not her Jewel.

That motherfucker Rod Antonio, what did he probably do to his daughter?

"Where's Rod?"

He remained silent, just feeling how wet the slacks he was wearing were.

"You know what, why don't you just stay in your territory? Why are you still here? Why are you still so close to me! I don't even need you," the person in front of Jelo said without expression.

The truth is, that is not what he expected. He thought the child would disappear again, but he just kept staring at the emptiness and could not see the expression on her face.

He firmly pulled the child closer to him. He hugged her tightly, but instead of hugging her back, she struggled even more.

"Get off me! You're disgusting! You killed my mother!" It was as if a dagger had hit Jelo's heart. She was slightly taken aback by her resignation from holding Jewel.

Jewel took advantage of that opportunity, and she quickly dismantled whatever was attached to her. She hurried to the door and ran outside. It was only then that everyone was able to go to the room and help Jelo. They chased after the child while Jelo's tears were already dripping.

He knew it was too late, but he did not expect it to be so difficult.

During running, Jewel encountered a few nurses, so they were able to stop her. Jewel did nothing but shout. She wants to keep going even if she does not know where to go.

Faye was shocked to see her friend like that. It was good, and it was early to go to the hospital that day.

She immediately approached a friend she could barely recognize. This is not the Jewel that everyone is used to.

This is no longer the Jewel who smiles at everyone, the woman who never stops talking, the woman who seems to run out of breath while laughing.

"Je. . ." She said softly while gently caressing his best friend's cheek.

Jewel can only be considered a friend in her entire life. She's a certified loner, so she was lucky to meet her friend. Although she met many people in college, she knew that Jewel was the only friend she could always run to and trust.

"Faye. . . "Even though she was satisfied that he could still escape the force of it as she stared at Jewel's tired eyes, he said nothing, but he knew his friend was asking for help.

"Let's go back to your room?" she said softly. She knew he had to be careful because the doctor had completely instructed them to avoid things that could trigger the woman, just like her mommy mentioned.

"No, Faye. . . no, I'm going to Rod. He's waiting for me at home, and he hasn't had breakfast yet." Faye saw a frightening smile on her friend as she spoke. One thing is for sure, and Jewel really needs help.

She was also slightly nailed to the stand because of Jewel's apparent desire to visit her husband.

That worthless husband! She couldn't believe that even though Jewel was going through too much, she was still thinking about Rod even though she was not sure if the man was also thinking about her.

That stupid man. . . what curse did he even give to Jewel?

Instead of telling Jewel everything, I decided to keep quiet. It would not help her to hear something about that man. She hopes that with the loss of her friend herself, she will also lose her memory because it seems that it will be easier for Jewel to accept everything that's happening.

"Let's go back to your room first, okay? Plus, I got you some smoothies! Have you had breakfast yet? That's right. . . If, if yes–"

"No, Faye. Please. . . please help me, I need to see my husband–" She starts to go crazy again. Nothing has changed in a week. The good thing is that she is able to speak now.

That's why she was injected more often with sedation due to the situation. "Get off me, bitches!" She even shouted at the nurses who had been holding him.

Four nurses are already helping, but they still seem to be giving in to Jewel's strong movements.

"I need to talk to my husband. Get off! Fuck! I hate you all! Faye, help me please! Awww, how dare you hurt me?!"

Faye could do nothing but cry while staring and holding her friend. She could no longer do this, and she felt very sick.

She just breathed a sigh of relief when her father finally arrived with Jewel's doctor. They have no choice but to put the friend to sleep first.

"No! Don't come near me!" Jewel wishes not to see her father. She immediately turned to her friend, Faye, who was sobbing a lot.

"Faye, please. . . help me. You know where Rod is, don't you? Do you know where my husband is? Come with me, oh. Please, come on. . ." Faye could only shake her friend's answer, but despite this, she almost sank when her friend suddenly pushed her away as if it was dragging her away from that place while still trying to get lost.

She could not help but be afraid. It was as if she was feeling mixed up with her. Fear, pity, and pain for a dear friend.

"Jewel Aleena!" They both turned to the angry Jelo. He could no longer hold back. Because he is starting to blame that pest Rod Antonio for what his daughter is going through.

"Fuck! Just leave me alone!"

"No! If I'll leave you alone, who will you go to? Your husband that left you?" Jelo could clearly see Jewel suddenly turning around and throwing a sharp stare at him.

Soon after, she rushed at him, and even those present did not stop her. In an instant, Jewel grabbed his neck and tried to strangle him.

The child is too strong, and that is surprising because Jewel has not eaten anything in the past few days.

"What are you saying?! He didn't leave me like what you and my mommy did!"

He closed his mouth and stared at the child seriously. Out of breath, he forced himself to speak.

"He left. H-He went to Dubai for work. He left you, Jewel. Your husband left you."

The expression on Jewel's face changed rapidly. In an instant, it was filled with pain and grief, something that Jelo last saw before the girl finally lost consciousness.

#### Fourteen

“Faye, come on! Get that back!” I was shocked because instead of Faye giving up running and laughing, it only doubled. “You act like a kid. That’s why you have no boyfriend!”

She immediately stopped and then threw a sharp stare at me. Nah, right now, I need to prepare my feet for a long run because I hit Faye’s destructive mode.

“Run!!”

It was like we were playing in the park. That was the first thing some would think if anyone could see us. How come we even beat Jihan, who was busy using his cellphone in the corner.

I sighed when a friend suddenly put his arm around me. “I’m too tired, Je. I’ll go to the club later–”

He automatically stopped when I stared at it. “Faye Angeles, how many times have I told you–”

“That there is no true love in those clubs!” he actually finished what I was saying because she seemed to have memorized it already.

“I’m going to work, okay?”

I mean, she just mocked me. “That right. In your office, there is true love. . . just look at your boss. “

It was too late to control myself, and especially it was as if salt was sprinkled on Faye’s face because of what I said. She doesn’t want to be connected to his boss.

“You, where are you going after this?” I turned to her and then quickly pointed at Jihan. It was as if Faye and I had been Jihan’s mother ever since.

When my treatment continued, it was Faye who took care of Jihan. We could have taken someone who could take care of my daughter, but Faye was there because she wanted to be Jihan’s temporary mother while I was being treated.

I’ve been admitted at a mental institution. . . for real. I really experienced and was able to see everything, but because daddy could not bear to see me in such order, only after two weeks did she take me home. He also brought everything that the whole institution was lacking.

He hired people who could take care of me and watch over me. Almost everything is complete, even with the equipment in a large and vacant room in the house.

That was my place for three years. That’s almost what I’m used to, so when everything went well for me, Jihan could hardly remember me.

He definitely didn’t understand what happened to her mommy, so we didn’t tell the truth either. All Jihan knows now is that I came from another place for work. He didn’t ask any more questions and just understood because he also said that some of his classmates’ mommies went somewhere to work.

Three years have not been good for me. If I do not lose, I am often unconscious. Usually, I just know everything every time I watch CCTV in that room for three years.

The people that daddy got were also very good, so they think the three years have been even easier. He said it was a good thing, and I was also brave enough to fight because otherwise, my recovery would definitely last longer.

To this day, I still do not get everything that happened in my system. It seems hard to believe. It was as if what they were talking about was just a dream, as if I suddenly woke up one day. I was calm that I had accepted the lost and left.

Mommy. . . She never showed up to me again after that, but I know she also helped me to recover. I know until now, she still watches over me because she loves me.

Rod. . . I don’t even have an idea where that man is. I don’t know, but I’ve been okay when it comes to him. That’s why daddy still doesn’t want to hear even his name. I have also received our separation. I accepted that he did not fulfill his promise that he would not leave Jihan and me. Because Jihan was a bit aware that when his dad left us, Faye and I often looked for him but liked us, he did not mention it every time he faced his grandfather, my father. He believed it when we said his dad was working far away.

I am satisfied with my son and the love and support of Faye and daddy.

Daddy. . . I believed him when he said he would make up everything for me. He is now far away from the father I grew up with. The house was no longer as chaotic and noisy as it used to be. It’s also amazing that I don’t see daddy as that man anymore. Maybe he also changed his life.

It was like hell for me for three years, but it all paid off now. I have been with my son for two more years. At first, he was still a bit foreign to him, and he’s always stuck with Faye.

We talked to him sincerely, and I am glad he immediately understood. Well, my son is really smart.

“We will go to the department store. I will find something to wear tomorrow,” I said to Faye as I also started arranging the things used and eaten there.

“Is that tomorrow?!” Faye quickly ran to Jihan, who was still busy drawing on her cellphone. “Junak! Congratulations! You’re really great. It’s a good thing you didn’t inherit from your mommy,” she said, laughing as she looked at me and teased.

“Hey! Excuse me?”

They just both stared at me and then laughed.

•••

“Jihan! Come here!”

This is what I hate most when I am with the child around the mall. He’s too restless, and he goes everywhere. Laughing, he approached me again as he covered his ears. He knows the drill, and he knows his ear is the one I will target whenever I scold him.

“I’ll pay for this, then after we will go home. Thank you, Jihan. Just sit here. You can’t stumble. You can’t get hurt. You’ll go up on stage tomorrow. Do you understand Mama?”

“Yes, Ma’am!” he said loudly while still saluting as if he was just playing all the time.

I just shook my head and smiled at the child’s extreme cuteness. He is only nine years old and will graduate in the third grade tomorrow, but he is tall. If you just don’t see him act and speak, you won’t think he’s young.

I feel like he looks like a teenager.

I immediately lined up at the counter in the area, which is good, and even on weekends, there are quite a few people. Jihan can’t stand that, so we can definitely have dinner at home. I even looked at the young front who was sitting not far from my place. There is a small bench there that looks like a seat for people who buy and measure shoes.

I paid for the polo and the slacks that Jihan himself chose. I just don’t really like the color, but because that’s what he wants, I can’t resist.

When I paid, I quickly went to the child’s place, but Jihan did not appear to me.

“Jihan?!” Confusion enveloped my system. I do not know where I will start running to search. I immediately headed to the corner on that floor where the stuffed toys he had been returning were. I looked at every place he could hide, but I saw nothing.

The sweat dripping down my senses is cold. I was scared, and I didn’t know to whom I would probably ask for help.

When I saw a guard not far away, my hope of seeing the child gradually developed. Finally, the right person that I can ask for help–

“Mom!” It was as if I had a thorn in my throat when I saw Jihan running toward me. The boy smiled. From time to time, he waved at me.

In an instant, I lost my temper. I lost the words I used to preach to the child, but I put them aside. Jihan did something wrong, so I can’t ignore what he did.

When it finally got close to me, I immediately took a deep breath for all the words to be said, but I was preceded in speaking by a happy child.

“Ma! Ma! I saw Papa, and he’s already here. He’s home from work!”

It was as if I had suddenly run away from strength. After a few years, it is only now that I just saw my own hands shaking too much. I deeply regret that I looked up just to see the person who made me turn my back five years ago.