Back To the Beginning
Jasmine Flowers

My mom stopped somewhere. Right in front of her were dozens of jasmine flowers that looked like they were gathering.

The flowers were pointing upwards like they were staring at us. The flower is shaped like a white star with a yellow core. Very sweet flowers.

My mother grabbed a strand of the flower, smelled it fragrant and put it in her hair under the hairline.

"Hows it? Beautiful isn't?" ask my mother to ask my opinion.

"certain Ma... The flower is identical to Mama."

My mother always plucked jasmine flowers as her talisman in living everyday life.

My mother picked one more stalk and gave it to me.

"This is for you, Evelyn's a very cute boy."

I grabbed it and started to smell the fragrance this flower brought on, while looking at my mother in front of me.

"Indeed, a very distinctive aroma."

After a while enjoy the beauty of the flower bed... We went back to our house to prepare for the main event.

......................

The real morning has come.

My mother and I were dressed in the best clothes we had, ready to go to the town hall.

Every time on the way to town hall, I was always nervous cold hot. While my mother who auditioned there walked casually like nothing would happen.

The road from our village to the town hall was a stretch of land with a bunch of flowers beside it still visible.

Since this event is an event every year, many people are going with the same direction and purpose as us.

They came from various villages, all gathered in the town hall. It's what makes me nervous, and my mom doesn't seem to.

Hundreds of steps we have gone through with my hands that always hold my mother's hands that are very warm.

A lot of people are already seen in our view with the best clothes they have.

When compared to them, my mother looked younger and prettier. Therefore every time we step there are always many views that point in our direction.

I spontaneously lowered my head, I don't know why. She raised her head high and walked confidently with her eyes focused forward.

Every time I see my mother acting like that, the more I admire my mother.

The city hall already seemed very crowded filled with contestants and spectators. We had a little trouble walking forward to the stage.

The stage is located inside the town hall. The stage is a place for contestants to show their talent and prowess in singing one by one and will be watched by hundreds of people. Of course there will be a jury to judge.

After working hard to enter the city hall, we saw the same condition of the city hall as years ago.

The town hall was extremely spacious, enough to accommodate hundreds of people inside. Simple chairs have been prepared for the audience, for spectators who do not get a chair will usually stand or sit on the floor.

Of the many simple wooden chairs, there are some chairs that seem more decent, namely the seats contained in the contestant and jury areas.

The contestants will generally take their families to cheer up and watch their shows. And their seats were all in the seats of the contestants who were close to the stage.

The condition of the city hall is now just filled with contestants and related people. Later when the event will begin, new audiences will be welcome to find their seats.

Many of the spectators present at this event were very unexpected. A great deal.

Because of that sometimes the voices of the singers are not heard to the back of the audience.

So the singer's ability to amplify her voice is very precisely taken into account here.

The type of music used is usually only religious and non-religious types of music.

My mother drove me to the contestants' seats.

"Evelyn, you wait here... Don't go anywhere until you get back, okay?" mother's orders.

"Yes Ma.. Evelyn will stay here."

Mom stroked my head and started walking away. Looks like my mom will take care of all sorts of things for her audition.

......................

Increasingly, the contestants and their families began to fill the contestant seats.

I've taken a position up front, I've got the best place to watch.

Sure enough, the front row seats were already filled up very quickly.

The seats on my right and left are occupied by people I don't know at all. I was in the middle of them.

The contestants they supported were also just like my mother, they all walked away from the seats and walked to the edge of the stage to take care of all sorts of things.

From my seat, I could see my mother who looked like she was in line taking a turn number.

With jasmine flowers in her hair ties, my mother seemed to shine when compared to the other contestants. My mother looks so special.

Moments later, my mom had been in front of the queue and took the turn number to perform.

Afterwards, my mother seemed to continue walking towards the backstage. My mother looked here and found out that I was watching her.

I emitted a curious aura from my eyes.

Seeing that my mother showed me her whole finger in one hand.

Lima, my mother's fifth turn.

Very early.

......................

After waiting for so long, the spectators were welcome to take their seats.

With a hint of boisterousness, the spectators began to fill the entire nearby seats.

When the audience had gotten their whole seat... It indicates that this event is about to begin.

I'm getting nervous, but I'm not the one performing.

......................

The audience and the judges have occupied their seats.

The show will start soon.

I look around me. It seems like it's not just me who's nervous at the moment, many people in the contestant's seat are very nervous expecting the best results for the contestants they support.

Huhhhhh... Let's calm down, and encourage Mother!

I can't imagine how nervous it is to be the one who gets the first turn.

I don't really remember the clothes he used, but the performance he displayed was good, applause adorned the end of his appearance.

The second contestant appeared on stage.

The contestant was a large and burly man. Everyone did not expect to see such a person singing a weak religious song.

But the expectations of the spectators were smashed to pieces. The big guy can very well sing on stage with his best performance. A standing ovation from the audience was given by the man.

The third and fourth contestants appeared in turns on stage.

Unfortunately, both of them are not satisfactory. Maybe they were nervous because our first song was in front of hundreds of people with the judges constantly staring at him judging his performance.

But still, applause is given to those who have tried to show their best.

Next, Contestant five. My mother came out on stage.

The audience and judges seemed to have seen my mother repeatedly on stage, and encouraged her to succeed today.

My mother began to take a ready stance on stage, and music from simple musical instruments had been played.

The voice of my mother may have been very familiar to the hearing senses of the audience and judges.

I saw their reaction...

Fortunately, they now look like they are enjoying it.

If this keeps on holding. I'm certain... Mom will definitely get away.

But in the middle of appearance... Suddenly the ground shook. The power of its vibration increases with time.

The music from a simple musical instrument played by some people suddenly stopped.

A lot of people standing from my seat they were silent in confusion.

Up to a point, the shock gets louder and more pronounced.

Many objects around shifted to fall under the floor.

And most surprisingly, suddenly the large and thick ceiling at the top of the room fell towards the stage with and carrying fragile-looking wood.

I realized, that... My mother is still on stage.

"MAMA!!" I shouted hysterically, my voice booming over the voices of the contestants who performed on stage.

With the ground still shaking, I ran towards the stage near me towards my mother whose condition I did not know.

My mother fell on the stage with a large and thick ceiling holding her body, she could not move.

I tried to get rid of that big thing from my mother's body, but the results were nil.

I turned my gaze towards the back expecting help from the people around, however...

Instead of getting help, we were stared at with terrified gazes. It looked like they were watching their nightmare happen before their eyes.

Immediately after, everyone inside the town hall ran out screaming in fear and hysterics.

I felt movement in front of my body.

"Mama!"

"Don't come any closer! Go awayl... Find a safe place" my mother said in a limp tone.

"But I don't want to leave Mama here..."

"Go! I'm begging... Stay alive."

"MU" IS"

The solid pillars began to collapse one by one.

Knowing that my mother pushed me away from her.

The contestants came out from backstage.

Someone grabbed me and carried me leaving my mother limp alone helpless on stage.

"YESY!!!" I cried with tears in my eyes and scattered uncontrollably.

I looked at my mother, and then she smiled.

The longer it goes, the farther it goes, until my mother who I love so much, the mother who is very special to me, is invisible to my field of vision.

I was taken out by the man and witnessed the process of the collapse of that magnificent city hall, with my mother still inside.

I was taken to a nearby refugee post.

I don't care anymore...

Every night I used to scold myself and blame everyone there for not helping my mother.

I don't give a shit...

At the funeral, I couldn't cry... I can't shed a single tear. It was as if my tears had drained away.

All around me there are many people crying over the loss of their loved ones.

I don't give a shit...

I was taken to the nearest seat to win.

I faintly heard the sound of someone's footsteps pointing towards me. I didn't move my head one bit.

"You Evelyn?" ask the guy.

I don't give a shit...

Waiting for an answer that never came, the man sat beside me.

He sat with me for so long.

I try to see the weirdo next to me...

Realizing that I was starting to see her, she looked back at me.

"You Evelyn?" ask the guy again.

I finally saw his face...

And that was my first meeting with Ariadna.