Tin now stood before his so called home. Can beside him, with Grandfather behind them like a pillar, ready to break whoever comes forward to ruin the two people before him.

They recalled having a pleasing breakfast with merriment, with the pleasing sounds of birds chirping at the delightful view of the family. The small creatures drank water and ate the seedlings with pappy sounds of munching provided by the head woman.

Gucci, the favorite white furry dog of the small household, sat on the flamboyant cute chair made exclusively for him.

With a considerable bowl filled with dog food for him, he consumed it with small bites like a royal. Being patted every time by the girl sitting beside him for not making a mess, he bobbed his head with pride. Making everyone laugh at the table. Being the first one to finish his filling being duteous, he progressed to go under the board to nestle between the persons legs.

On the other hand, Prim helped the new comers with toasts, jams, omelette, etc. To fill them up by the home cooked food specially made for them. She saw the individuals eating unprecedented, which made her feel ecstatic.

She smiled remorsefully upon that. As she recalled her melancholic past, she had no idea what the other might be suffering, had no idea what the other might suffer later. She had always wanted to ensure that she'd be there to help them whenever they'd want her.

She always stood with a delicate smile, not revealing her problems to anyone but the people who wouldn't deride her for it. Raising her children alone came with vast responsibility. Which she had handled so much well on her own, without anyone's aid.

She sat with a hint of contentment among the people eating furiously. Smiling, she started her filling. Thinking about the time when raising Can and Lay were the happiest yet her resilient times. How much they've grown to handle their own burden along with their monotonous studies. Like a rewarding old woman she sat there eating, completely forgetting the hurdles she'd had to face later.

'You got some jam on your lips, Tin.' Can told Tin softly, making sure that the others might not apprehend their talk. He scoffed softly at the view. As he glanced at the older more warily, Tin looked like a child who was starved by his mother because he failed in his fifth grade exam.

Tin heard the taunt, eyed Can, not looking up from his plate filled with the sizable amount of the breakfast. He rolled his eyes back before snickering.

'Take it out fer meh, I'm awfully hungry.' And by so, Tin diverted his attention back to his plate, his right cheek poking out to a great extent due to the dangerous shoving of toast and jam in his mouth.

Can had his mouth gaped open at the view, yes he was too excessively hungry. And he didn't cleaned Tin's mouth. Looking him eat, made his appetite grow more. Hesitantly, he started eating competitively.

Like Usain Bolt he ate his filling, a voice inside him competing with his stomach to overtake the intake, which was always usual. His stomach was so used to digest inconsiderable amount of food all the time the latter felt hungry. It had a great deal of a work to digest unusual food items mixed with uncanny things. It always left others in awe.

While the family chewed onto their food they heard the doorbell gonging against the remote walls of the house. It wasn't unusual for Prim to overlook a new face every time before the bygone but advanced gate. Excusing herself she got up and wore her cozy flip-flops. Making her way towards the grand opening in haste, totally miffed about being disturbed.

As she reached the flashing gate, she pushed it open to meet a tall, old guard dressed up in jet black shirt and khaki pants.

She observed him having lavish wrinkles on his face, his hands folded behind his slightly arched back, with his legs together he smiled. She returned it graciously. She estimated his age to be around a decade older than her. Cracking a forceful smile she pulled her eyebrows up.

As they both waiied to one another, the uninvited person looked upon the short woman for a being. He bobbed his average sized neck side to side to note something. Tip toeing despite being so tall, he looked against the gate for individuality.

Prim hesitated upon the uncommon behavior of the person. She tip toed him with wrinkled eyebrows and snapped. 'What are you looking for?'

The person with a dissatisfied smiled went back down, scarlet in face and pursed his lips, 'I apologize for my behavior, madam. I have been instructed. Has young master Tin not come yet?'

'Oh,'

She got it. The person was for Tin and to pick him up from here, and she was certain that whatever may be the reason. Tin wouldn't first go to the huge mansion but ultimately come here, in comparably the small, old familiar house.

She saw the fellow person pointing at the car parked alongside the gate and looked at her, 'I've been informed that he'd come in this car. The Elder Master wishes to see him, urgently, madam.'

She nodded at herself, cogent. She had thought of taking the boys there by herself as she was uninformed about a car being sent.

Just when she was about to sleep the other day, she had got a call on the landline of the house. It was her mother speaking on the other side. She was told about the peculiar call the day before done by Tin's parents, and so she knew about their return, which left her thrilled. She sensed by her bliss that the days of suffering would be over.

She asked the man to wait outside as she fetched Tin. Not only that, she'd go with him. She entered in the kitchen with agitation, walked towards the gleeful table and begun with her hands crossed towards her chest, not wanting her stomach to take a jolt.

'Uhm, Tin. Looks like your parents sent you a car. For y'know, go there..'

She didn't added "home" at the last, as she didn't wanted him to presume that he was dictated to go there by her.

Tin looked up from his plate as he munched onto his food, his bulge in odds with his cheek still intact as he stared at Prim like everyone else in a befuddled state. Prim just shrugged in response. She pondered about the precise answer to convince him.

'I'd come with you, if you want.' She assured him after being lost in thoughts, but he sat there nonchalant. He had no idea that his parents would know that he'd stay at Can's house, and he didn't wanted trouble for them. Can too sat there aloof, for he knew something like this was bound to happen. Lay looked at Tin's uninterested face, and pursed her lips.

"Looks like he'd expected something like this.." She thought.

Lay watched everyone's faces, it was certain about what would they conclude later.

'I'd go along with Can and Tin..' Grandfather raised his palm, Tin looked up with his capacious eyes at him, the old man knew he was demented even after looking at his deadpan expression, he smiled at him and reassured the latter. He cleared his throat and turn to his daughter, 'Please tell the person out there, Prim.'

_____

As Tin and Can stood before the huge mansion, with hearts pacing fast, with slow deep breaths to poise oneself. As grandfather stood behind him with his cranky old cane, wearing a dark blue shirt with cream pants, with his transient grey hair still being a mess, he looked like having a drawn-out marathon.

Tin had got some of his shirts from the previous condo he and Can were staying before. He thought back of his condo being a huge litter of the living room's being totally unorganized, their bedroom being a chaos of blankets scattered on the floor, along with their closet. The kitchen's vacant plates bring broken on the ground, which shook Can at his core. As he walked throughout the apartment, it was certain by whom it was done. And Tin showed utterance, for he knew this was presumed to be happened. Thankfully, grandfather wasn't there between the glass pieces. Which was a relief because if he'd seen this, the latter was sure his brother would be dead by the old man's cane.

He had remained in the car along with the elderly driver, chatting in the parking lot. They sat in the car, the old man beside the driver on the main seat. They talked about the driver's work experience with the powerful family.

'My family had been serving them since the father of the elder master, and I eventually started working during my late twenties, sir.'

'So, how have been doing now, hm?' The grandfather asked with curiosity, and with a hint of a familiarity. He was about to interrogate regarding the unhinged family, but somehow the questions turned to them both.

'They treat me well, sir. Though, there's barely socializing among us, I've been treated good.' The driver said, smiling ruefully.

The grandfather swithered about asking Tin to him, thinking whether he had known a bit of him, to quench his thirst. He eventually rolled his eyes without a second thought and asked. But the driver in return just pondered,

'Young master Tin? I don't remember him much at the house during his younger days. You see sir, he was only a child when sent abroad for his studies. I don't think he recalls me working with his father. And I saw him only after a good nine or ten years, but I haven't talked with him since then, not until today, sir.' He answered thoughtfully.

Grandfather nodded as he talked to him about his own, how he was a survivor at a adolescent age, and now blessed with a family of his own. He didn't want to explain the situation to him at the moment. Not that he didn't trust the driver, but since he was just there as a auxiliary, he thought it would be better if the boys tell the people out there on their own. And gladly, he didn't asked him. But whenever there would be tranquility between them while the other two were in the building, Grandfather would commence about another topic to keep him busy.

As Tin and Can got into the car, grandfather interrogated them both by rounding up the questions,

'So what happened there?'

'It was a chaos.' replied Tin, smartly.

He glanced at Can beside him, holding onto his bag of his antique shirts and pants. As he watched his little lover, he saw the latter's fiery cheeks out in rage. Of course, the antagonist spared no time to tear down their winsome place.

"I'm going to rock his head off!" Tin recalled Can screaming furiously in the kitchen few hours ago. And he still in the car, couldn't help but laugh at the innocent tantrum.

As he finished recollecting the thoughts for a back up, he held onto Can's hand. When they reached outside of the huge mansion, the driver respectfully bid them after he had left them inside the gigantic gates. They stood before the shimmering house of Tin, which he had not even considered his. After being approached by one of the head servants of the house, they nodded at one another to follow her,

'The elder master and mistress are waiting for you in the living room, sir..' She said, flashing a ingenuous smile at them, as she led them through the blank ground of marble floor till the massive doors.

As the door opened, they were greeted by Tul. Of course, Tin thought. Tul would be here obviously. Tul licked his lips, and lifted his head. His dark circles visible and despite that, with his dry lips he looked unimaginably old. He straightened his back which was leaning on one of the bygone walls, and observed the people along with his brother.

There was no time for him to feel sorry for his younger brother, he was the result of his greed. And he was sure, he would be excellent without him.

'Welcome back.' Tul said, as Tin held on to Can's reddened fist to not mount on him. He gritted his defined jaw in response but didn't said anything. Why would he? He didn't thought of giving any respect to him, nor greet him.

'Yeah whatever,' He walked past him. Emitting a furious rage within himself, Can behind him. Can gritted his teeth while he glared at Tul with fury as he walked past him. Tul sighed at the response, but he wouldn't want to take another punch from the latter, recalling the time when he got one from him a few months ago.

Behind them, as the old man entered the huge house with his weary legs, following the two men, he was greeted by Tul too at the entrance.

'Oh, how awful.' He said, totally relating to the situation going on. He did greet him but scoffed in the way, and the latter just nodded in response.

Tul watched them go into the enormous living room just few feet away. He just had stayed behind at the entrance to meet Tin and the people he was with.

As the two young men walked hand in hand, the older walked slower than usual, he gulped the saliva in his mouth. Can eventually called him and asked for his unusual behavior.

'I don't really feel good, Can.' Tin said clutching onto his hand, 'Feels suffocated.'

It wasn't the first time had felt suffocated inside his own house, it used to happen every time he breathed and every time he'd walk. And once when he'd thought he should've been dead by hanging himself or slashing his wrist, a ray of hope always stood still within his soul.

'I know your brother is a douchebag, but you don't have to talk with him, I could've beat him up there and then if you hadn't held me..!' Can replied smoothly. His teeth gritting every time the mention of Tul. The anger upon his eyebrows being expressed.

As they reached the doors of the room, beyond that two adults waiting impatiently.

Tin glanced and Can, and the latter nodded, holding onto his hand harder. Tin realized that he felt no happiness within himself whatsoever to meet his parents. He didn't knew whether he should feel upset about it or not. It wasn't like they had never talked to one another, there wasn't any attachment between them since the false incident. And he didn't hoped to be like that later on.

Can budged him on the shoulder to snap him out of his thinking. Tin looked at the door and pursed his lips, he looked back at the old man. He signaled him to go themselves, that he'd be here, just behind them His heart pacing eerily fast in agreement, he breathed out and knocked.

The massive doors opened to revel an old woman with tears in her eyes, an old man sitting beside her, caressing her head. And at a distance two confused men.

Raasa glanced at her child and got up to hug him. She applied all of her weight on Tin's shoulders, and by which he held her with his force. Can had already let go of Tin's hand and went a little away from them. He had no idea whether she was really crying or not, he had only got a glimpse of her on the sofa, sniffing. He had not even seen her in magazines or the television. Perhaps he had, he thought. He just couldn't identify her.

Tin held onto her with no despair, he didn't felt to have a cry because he didn't felt sad. Tin looked at his father for a little help, but the latter stood doing nothing.

'I'm so sorry..' She coughed a little, and Tin helplessly caressed her back, hoping her to stop. She had spent her time crying all the day, waiting for them to come. And she had not rehearsed anything to speak to them. A small genuine sorry was all she had thought. She sniffed loudly onto his chest, making it all soaked with her endless tears.

And as she got away heavily, she met Tin's expressionless eyes and kissed his forehead. And perhaps then Tin felt remorseful. He had his hands slip off her body, and step a bit back.

'It's good to see you back..' She smiled at him, and the latter nodded ruefully. He didn't know whether he should've said, "Yes, mum." or "It's good to see you too even if I have hardly any memories with you.." But he just nodded in the end.

'I've heard about you..' She said as she turned to Can. She smiled and looked back at Tin ruefully. She really had missed out a lot into Tin's growth. Remembering the time when Tin was just born, he used to constantly asked for a feeding from her, which she used to give voluntarily. That time she had temporarily quit her job at the business to take care of Tin. She didn't started working again until Tin was four and had started going to school, which gave her ample time for her job.

He used to recite her poems he'd learn at school, and she would only pretend to hear it, thus him running to his step brother for comfort. But he wouldn't remember it now. She thought, it was so long back. He was a grown up, an adult at the moment. He had his features mixed from both his parents, so it was very hard to identify whom he looked like. It was as though he was a total different person.

Can glanced at Tin and cracked a forceful smile and let out a unflattering laugh. He looked at Trai helplessly and smiled awkwardly. His brain was totally screaming, "Can I leave Tin in this room with you?"

Trai watched him nodded in agreement, breathed out gratifyingly and said,

'It's good to see you both..'