26 Gege
… Flashback …..
An adorable boy who was about three years old was running behind a car. He was crying desperately. Tears and snot were smudged on his chubby and soft face.
“Mama!”
“Mama!”
He fell to his knees, crying but the car didn’t stop. It was as if his heartwrenching cries were unheard. He was crying so pitifully but there was no one to wipe his tears. No one bothered to stop by him and take him in their arms to console him.
A few moments later, when he was about to choke because of crying, someone pulled him up and hugged him.
“Xiaobao, don’t cry,” Another childish voice said and pulled him up.
“I’m not Xiaobao!” The little boy cried even harder. It wasn’t his name. His mama left him alone here. What would he do without his mama? He needed his mama back.
When he saw a five years old boy wiping his tears, he cried harder, “I’m not Xiaobao. Mama, I want my mama.”
“Then, who are you?” The another boy asked. He was older than the one who was crying.
“Han…” the little boy tried to speak but since he was just three years old, he couldn’t form clear words yet.
“Han?” The five years old boy asked.
“Han!” Han Zixin said, crossing his chubby arms over his chest. Since he didn’t know how to pronounce his name, he would just call himself Han.
“Okay, I will call you Han from now, “The five years old boy said with a wide smile. The smile bloomed on his sickly pale face. He leaned over to hug the chubby boy in his frail arms.
“What will I call you?” The three years old boy said, blinking those eyes which matched his own.
“You can call me Gege, “The five years old kid said with a satisfied look on his face.
“Gege?” The adorable Han Zixin asked with questions marks formed on his face.
The other boy nodded his head. “Gege means older brother. I will be your big brother from now.”
Since this boy was his big brother now, young Han Zixin wrapped his chubby arms around his body and asked, looking up at him, “Gege, why did my mom leave me here? I miss my mama. Can you send me to her? I won’t trouble her while working. Can you ask her to let me stay with her? I will be a good boy.” ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
Han Zixin looked so fragile and precious at this time that the older brother tightened his hold against the former. He asked, “What did she tell you?”
“She said that I have to live with my new family here, “Han Zixin replied. “Does this mean I am going to live with you?”
“Han Zixin!”
Both of them turned their heads to look at an old couple coming their way. The woman was old. She kneeled on the ground and hugged the boy, “Han Zixin, I’m your mama. This is your Baba.”
The woman pointed at him and then the old man standing behind her.
“No, you aren’t my mama,” Han Zixin said, getting out of her hold. He was young, not stupid. “My mama went away in a car. I want my real mama. You aren’t my mama.”
“This is your home now, “The woman insisted “You will live with us.”
“I will live with gege?” The boy asked with a look of awe.
“Gege?”The couple asked at the same time with a look of confusion.
Han Zixin nodded his head and pointed at the other boy who was trying to make his presence as less as possible.
“Han Zixin, this is young master Han. He is not your Gege. You can’t call him Gege.” The older woman quickly said, trying to keep Han Zixin safe from the unknown. “You aren’t allowed to call Young Master Han Gege. This is not right.”
“He is my Gege, “Young Han Zixin said stubbornly. “My Gege. Gege. Gege. I want to go to my mama and call him Gege.”
“Child, he is not your Gege, “The old man said again. She was afraid that if someone heard him call the other boy his brother, it might land an innocent boy in trouble, “He is Young Master Han.”
“It’s alright. He can call me Gege. I allowed him, “Han Nanxian said, bursting into a fit of coughing.
“Young master, should I call the doctor?” The man standing behind asked in concern.
“No, I’m fine.” Han Nanxian said, coughing again.
“Han Zixin, say goodbye to Young Master Han.”
Han Zixin smiled at the boy. “Bye, Gege. I’m going to my mama.”
“Bye bye, Han. Goodbye, Butler Uncle and Miss Gu.”
Han Zixin glanced at the boy standing on the porch looking so delicate that even a gust of wind could blow him away and let out a rare smile.
He was young but he knew at that time that this boy was going to become his world. His Gege. Although that boy was his Gege, still he had vowed in the heart of three years old that he had to protect his Gege from pain.