Chapter 2: 2. New ID
A light so blinding in my eyes when I opened my eyes. The light came from a wide-open room window with some houseplants on both sides.
I closed my eyes again and smiled brightly. Realizing this wasn't a dream, it was happy.
The woman now I know named Lily took me to her house, gave me a room so big, and bought me so many nice clothes. And what makes me so happy to stay here is that I can eat my fill of delicious food that I've never eaten before.
"You're awake? Did you have a nice dream last night? Why smile with your eyes closed like that?"
I opened my eyes wide and saw my foster mother enter a room I never did.
"Since moving here, I've always had beautiful dreams!" I replied with a big smile.
My mother smiled as she walked over to me and sat on the edge of my bed.
"I have taken care of all your adoption papers. So, from now on, you are officially my daughter, I hope you don't feel awkward anymore."
I was only able to be speechless at her word. Really, it seems like the kind of thing that every child in an orphanage could wish for.
We always look forward to adoption day and night. Having kind parents who would take good care of us like their own children.
"Oh yeah, I forgot! Since I think you should live a completely new life, you should change your identity too. I have prepared a name for you, and if you don't like it, you can tell me, and we can find another one for you!"
"What name did you pick?"
"Melody Putri."
"It's a beautiful name."
"Mom will call you melody! Do you like it?"
I only nodded softly in reply to mom's questions.
"Oh, yeah, I'm inviting some friends over for dinner today, and I want to introduce you to them. You do the shopping as a friend of mine,"
I blurted out, rubbing my nose in my hair.
It feels a little awkward, but I like it. So, this is what it's like to have a mother.
***
My eyes were wide open, reluctant to blink even for a second.
The mall!
Seriously, this is my first time in a place like this. This place is amazing! There's so much good stuff to sell here, and is it just me, or is everyone in here so pretty and handsome?
They're like the artists on TV.
"Before we shop for groceries, let's go get a cell phone. What kind would you like?"
Cell phones?
I was still speechless when my mother dragged me into a shop selling various mobile phones and accessories.
"Bams!" mom cried out as we entered the store.
A man who seemed to be my age turned his head and fell wide in his face. The man approached us.
"What are you doing here?" asked the man as soon as he stopped two meters right next to us.
"I'm going to get a cell phone, are you alone here? Not with your mom?" Mom said graciously.
"On my own, she looked for dress, and suddenly I lost her, so I stayed."
"Oh, meet Bams, it's my daughter, Melody."
The man looked surprised when mother counted me as her daughter. Looks like they're close enough, he must have known that mom didn't have kids.
"It's a long story, but clearly, now that melody is my daughter, you should be nice to her!"
The man she called Bams, however, nodded softly.
"I hate to pick up when I'm about phones, I don't know about them, so if you could help Melody pick up the phone, I'll follow your mom!"
"Mel, you and Bams will be fine. You pick up that phone you like!" after giving me her credit card, mom walked out on me.
Hesitantly, I looked up to gaze at the man standing in front of me.
"I don't know how long it's been till aunt Lily makes you as a daughter, but since you're her kid, I'll be good to you!"
He put his arm around my shoulder and half dragged me to the display case.
"Are you close to mom?" I asked.
"You could say that! My mom and your mom are friends from high school, and of course, I'm close to her. By the way, what kind of cell phones do you want?"
"Anything!"
Bams nodded softly and then showed me some of the latest cell phones that cost me a lot of money.
Come on! How come it's so expensive?
***
I saw myself in the mirror. Is it really me? How does an ugly duckling become such a beautiful swan? Wait, this mirror has no beauty filter or anything, right?
"Why are you staring? Pretty, huh, mama's girl?"
I immediately looked at my mother, who was standing behind me.
"Mom, is this a mirror with a filter on it?" I asked her silly-so.
She immediately laughed and patted my fat arm.
"What are you talking about? You are basically beautiful! Stop it, come out! It's about to start!"
Mother wiped the soft tops of my head before finally leaving my room.
My heart's beating so fast, my legs go limp like a jelly. Out there, there's her business colleagues, her social friends, and whatever wealthy people she invites.
What if they don't like me? What if they think that I'm unfit to be her daughter? What do I have to do?
"Hei, even look at you! Hurry down! It's downstairs, mom's making a fuss over you! I was sent here to pick you up!"
I still froze when Bams grumbled in my bedroom doorway.
Bams stop grumbling da glaring at me. He comes up to me and half drags me out of the room.
"Bams, I'm scared!" I cried softly.
"We're not cannibals, so nobody will eat you out there!" said Bams so carelessly.
"I'm serious!" I cried annoyed.
"I'm also serious! You think I'm on a porch?"
Ignore him. He's been a real pain in the ass since we first met the other day.
"Bams, what if they don't like me? How do they think I can be mom's daughter?"
Bams stopped walking and looked me straight in the eye.
"You don't have to put up with this shit, MEL! It's important, she's comfortable with you, she likes you, and thinks of you as her daughter! People, there are always pros and cons, so you don't have to like it! Besides, your mom's, not them! You got it?"
I froze and tried to digest Bams' speech. Yes, what he said was right. Why would I worry about something like that? What matters is mom.
"By the way, you're short!" Bam's whispered with a condescending look.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone