"Stupid! Stupid!"

"Sorry-Urgh, sorry-"

Plack!

"Stupid! Stupid!"

Plack!

"Stupid! Stupid-stupid-stupid!"

Plack

"...I'm sorry-Urgh!"

Kick!

"Useless! Useless!"

"Forgive me, hick"

Plack!

"Hick-hick, it hurts"

"I've taken care of you enough. You're still whining about something useless!"

"Hick, forgive me mama, I will no longer ask for crayons"

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Useless!"

"Keurgh... Mama- Urgh my neck- Urgh… too strong... hurts."

"No, no, I'm not strangling you now. People will know this—no! The police will know! No-no..."

"Cough-cough... mama"

"You bastard, bastard! You-you!"

"Hick-hick. It hurts, Mama. My hair hurts"

"Shut up! Shut up! You son of a bitch! Shut up, or I'll cut your mouth with a knife!"

"Hick..."

"Shut up!"

Punch!

"Keurgh-cough-cough..."

"You... you have a cute face too, right? I know! I knew it! I'll dress you up like a girl and sell you to that old man! He likes children! Good idea! Brilliant!"

"Hick-hick"

"You know, my useless child, now I know how to make good use of you! Ha ha ha"

"Hick, mama… scary"

"Shut up!"

"Ah-ah, it hurts. My hair hurts"

"Who says you can argue with me? Who can argue with me? Who is it?!"

"Hick-hick"

"Because of your father! Because of your father! That bastard! He ran away and made me so miserable!"

"Forgive me, mama, hick. Please let go of my hair"

"Shut up! I can't deal with you anymore!"

"Mama, hick, don't leave me"

Plack!

"No-no... I won't slap you again, it'll be visible from outside"

"Hick-hick"

"Do you understand?"

"Argh, it hurts Mama."

"Do you... understand?"

"Hick... understand"

"You... You... Shit! Shit! Shit! Why! Why! Why can't I be happy! Why I got to live miserable!”

Sob... Sob...

"You... shit! Uh... Huh? Why did I beat you up again? Why did I beat my son again? Get in your room"

"Hick..."

"Get out of here!"

...

**

I remember my childhood. I used to live with a mom who worked at a nightclub. She rarely came home. While I often stayed at home alone, I was used to it.

When she came home, she was often very drunk. I always waited for her to come home, expecting to be greeted with family warmth, but that didn't happen.

She was a good mother and loved her family. I still have vague memories of her when our family was still intact and there was still harmony. We were a simple family, but we did not lack for anything. Perhaps that memory is the one I miss the most.

All that happiness was shattered when my father left us for no reason. Mom tried to be stoic at first. But she started to change. She started showing uncontrollable emotions all the time, and it kept getting worse.

She often took out her frustration on me through torture. I used to cry and hope that my mom would change, but I had reached my limit when I was in my teens. It was because I still remembered her kind smile and kindness that I was able to endure for so long.

After a long time, I was suddenly notified by the police that my mother had died of a serious illness at her home. I was so devastated at that time that I couldn't hold back my tears. I kept crying when I saw her last, she was holding a picture of me as a child. Even though I knew there was still pain, I still missed her.

I regretted not seeing her when she was alive, though she didn't look for me at all. Back then, I dreamed of our family being whole again.

'Mother'

"Big sis?"

"Uh?"

"Could you please remove this lady's breasts? She almost fainted"

"Sorry"

"Mama!"

"Urgh..."

"You wicked aunt! Wicked aunt!"

"Ma’am, can you calm down first?"

"Calm down?! What did you do just now? You almost tore it!"

"I'm sorry, but why are you beating your child? I know you're upset, but you shouldn't be. Have pity on them"

"It's none of your business!"

"Okay, I'll get this over with quickly. Do you know how strong I was?"

"What do you want to do?! Use force?!"

"If necessary"

"Shit! Go away! Mind your own business!"

"Come on, we're mothers. You can tell us a bit of your story. Rose, you just play with the kids. Give them the food we bought earlier"

"Wait, nyaa"

"You're the guide girl, can you do me a favor? I'll pay you double after this”

"Really?!"

"Hey, I hate this"

"It's okay if you don't want to. I just want to listen to what you want to say"

"Can you leave me alone? Huh, let's talk over there"

We soon sat down on the living room chairs. I didn't know how I was going to solve this, but I suddenly wanted to listen and help her. I caught a glimpse of this lady's face, just like my mother's. Maybe not the same physically, but more about her condition.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing"

"I know, you must often feel irritated with your work, right? You feel that your life is not happy, and you feel that your fate is not good. Combined with your difficult financial situation and the trouble of caring for them, and finally-"

"Stop! You talk too much!"

"Isn't that right?"

"Shit, don't make fun of me"

"No, it's a common occurrence, and you fit into that category"

"You're right, I'm just stressed"

"I know you're not a bad mother. You are reluctant to beat your child. You are not really bad, but at least you may not be yet"

"Do you have any idea what it is like to be poor? I work day and night just to have enough money for food"

"Let me guess, your husband doesn't work? Or is your husband dead?"

"Damn, I hate people who interrupt conversations! And how do you know that? Did Celi tell you?"

"No, I didn't. It's just that my mom went through that as well. I just wanted to know at first"

"That bastard... he left. He left us for another woman. And... And he left us in debt. Its huge debt. That was the beginning"

"I'm Myranda"

"What? Jenna, just Jenna."

"Well, Jenna, I guess we're both widows of bastard, we're in the same boat! You can keep telling me your problems"

"Really?"

"That's right, I was abandoned in the middle of the forest while heavily pregnant. By luck, I was able to survive and travel with my child until I reached this city"

"Oh, my God"

"Don’t worry, I became strong because of that"

"You probably know—you must have known that I work as a prostitute in this city. I didn't want to do this, but I didn't know how else to earn money. I'm an ordinary girl who doesn't have any skills.

And even though I earn money from that place, I'm so ashamed. I'm ashamed of my children seeing their mothers like this. I was disgusted by myself, so I tried not to go near them anymore.

I'm afraid their friends will make fun of them because of their mother's job. I want them to be independent and have a successful life. I'm willing to be hated by them as long as they can get away from me. It's enough to see them living a happy and prosperous life.

I've been saving money for them. My son Glen, who grew up wanting to be a knight, and his sister, Neril, wanted to work in a bookstore. I'm happy to hear that, and I'm trying hard to make their dreams come true"

"You don't seem to pounder it anymore?"

"I've grieved enough. My tears don't flow. Do you know how long I've been working like this? How much pain I've gone through and the condition of my children. I don't have time to sit around anymore. I have to be strong because I live for them"

"Very good! I'm even more convinced that you're not a mother who would abandon her children. I have an idea. And it will help your life too. That is, if you want to"

"What?"

"Besides wanting to enroll in the guild, I want to open a business. And it seems like this town is suitable for the first opening. If you're interested, how about partnering with me?"

"Ha ha ha, you're really funny, Myra."

"What's so funny?"

"Haven't you heard? Business is not simple. If you want to open a shop, you have to get a license from the authorities, and renting a shop is expensive too. And on top of that, the other expenses are really expensive"

"How much?"

"What do you mean? Do you have it? You know it's all going to cost 100 coins more"

"Hey Jenna, it looks like you already know how to set it up, doesn't it?"

"Of course, I have to learn. My daughter wants to open a shop, so I have to know it"

I took a bag of coins from my pocket and handed it to Jenna to check.

"Is this enough?"

"What's this? Silver- huh? It can't be real… Oh my god"

"Enough?"

***