Their Treasure

10. Make Youself at Home

She didn't answer and turned back to Stef. "If you need me, I'll be in the park, honey." She kissed Stef on the cheek and left us. Then a woman came, she was quite old, much older than Stef. "Please take these things to her room, okay? I want to talk to our newcomer. Let's go to my office, Lessa."

He hooked his hand to my shoulder, and led me to the second floor. We arrived in front of a door in front of which stood a large man who wore black glasses and dressed in all black.

He opened the door for the two of us to enter. Inside this room, there were shelves filled with thick books. There was also this large sofa that was similar to that of Bakti Nusa library.

"Sit down, Lessa." Stef pointed to a chair in front of his dest where many piles of papers were placed on. He already sat on his chair, across mine. "We are a family. And precisely because of that, we've got to help each other, right?" he asked the same question he uttered on the plane. Did he have to repeat the same question?

"Of course. I'm willing to help you as best I can, Stef," I replied.

"Then I want you to help us to deliver some packages next week, because I'm short on people since one of our couriers is no longer working here. It's a shame even though they're very skilled in their field," he said matter-of-factly. He didn't ask how my life was or how I was feeling after being taken away to a very far away place. He didn't even offer me a glass of drink, even though he knew I haven't consumed anything since yesterday. Straight to the point.

"But I can't drive Stef, I'm still far below the age. I don't have a driver's license either," I said. I was longing for the conversation to end, then go find the kitchen for a glass of water or a bite of nutrition.

"About that, you will be taught later. I know one day that skill will definitely be needed in an urgent situation. Driving a vehicle is a very important fundamental thing—"

I nodded as I felt the pleasure creeping in my heart. So he will teach me how to drive, one of the things I've wanted to be good at without waiting for me to be old enough? Yeay!

"—Especially in the line of business I run. Everyone who works under me must be able to drive."

"What business are you running?"

"Drugs."

Eh? Did I hear correctly?

"What business?"

"Drugs," he said dryly.

My eyes widened. Out of all various lines of businesses in the world, this is the one he chose?

"So all the strange plants planted in such a vast area are—"

"We grow some of them ourselves in order to get their best quality," he explained with an amused expression on my shocked face.

"Why are you telling me all this?" I asked in surprise.

"Because I'm assured that you're not an idiot who can't keep your mouth shut. After all, no one wants you, not even your father. I'm the only one who gladly took you in. There's no place for you but here." He said in a tone that sounded like a whisper.

No need to remind me, I already know. No one wants to accept a burden like me. My biological father doesn't want to, neither do my brothers. I should be grateful, and not throwing him some prejudices like I just did.

I saw many children living on the streets along the way to this place. In this world, many children spend their entire life in orphanages. Many children are also being trafficked. Not a few of them were unable to face the brutality of the world out there and chose to end it all. If Melisha wasn't there, the same thing would have happened to me. And without Stef, I might end up on the street.