Author Notes at the End.
Chapters: [1] - [2] - [3] - [4] - [5] - [6] - [7] - [8] - [9 current] - [10 Finale]
59 ÷ 31 = 0
Chapter 8: March 22nd
INVENTORY: HOMEMADE MEAL, SISTER, NIECE
Balance: 0 USD
Tears flow like rivers as Hashim tastes the best meal in his life.
"Stop being sentimental Hisham!" His sister's cheerful tone betrayed her scolding words.
She scanned the room's scattered emptiness. "You weren't lying, huh?"
"I told you!!" Syllables barely came out of his mouth among the tears. "I had nothing to eat for the past 5 days!"
"Let's talk after you eat..." His sister knows better than to press any further.
"Unkie, why didn't you buy food?" Hisham's niece said. At her innocent inquiry, his face darkens.
"I don't have money..." Hisham admits.
"Yahaha, my unkie is poor!" The child's innocent laugh hurts as if it's a knife aimed at his heart.
"Don't bother your uncle!!" Hisham notices his sister pinching her daughter, he winces as he remembers her pinching him in the past.
"It's not my fault!! My boss didn't pay me." He starts. The niece straightens her posture, gesturing complaints at her mom.
"You know these short videos you watch? I work for someone who makes them. He ran away and didn't give me money!"
"Yahaha! Funny, he got you fooled!!"
Hisham stops his story and tries to save whatever is left of his dignity in his niece's mind. Children are brutal.
They eat silently afterward.
"How's your injury, Hisham?" His sister asks as they wash the dishes together after the meal.
"It's almost healed." He glances at his hand. "I don't feel pain anymore."
"Don't drop your mirrors carelessly anymore!" His sister never bought his story anyway. "Buy a replacement, would you? I need to see my face when I come here."
Hisham finishes washing his dishes. He glances back into the room. The young girl is playing on his computer.
"Unkie, what's this game?" The girl clicks.
"Stop, the Camera will activate--" He swiftly covers his Laptop. Nothing good can come from broadcasting his private life online.
"Let's play something else." Hisham closes the streaming application just in case.
Before she leaves, Hisham showers his sister with praises. "It's creepy!" She says, but she happily plays with her hair at the praise.
"I'll send you a meal every other day from now on... Make sure to take care of your health!" She offers.
"See later, unkie!"
Hisham feels cleanness in mind is for the first time in forever. He goes to clean up his room. "Time to work!" His face brightens.
To Be Concluded... Go to Chapter 10...
Author Notes
Hope you like this chapter. Hisham's sister comes again to visit, and I introduce her daughter here. I based their relationship loosely on my actual family.
This is the ray of hope after the lowest point of chapter 8. I tried to have a happy ending. While it might've been unearned, I don't think it's undeserved. (Even though the only thing Hisham did was survive.)
This is the longest chapter of the story.
What do you think?
Next chapter will be the final one. Now it's almost complete, I hope to see your opinions on the story overall.
If you're in the mood for another story check out my "Where to Start?" article for more information. If you want to support my Storytelling journey consider buying one of my NFTs, and joining my Beneficiary Rewards list.
 | The story series "59 ÷ 31 = 0" by @ahmadmanga is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 |
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* All images are created by me using iBisPaint.
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