In the midst of those thoughts, her grandma arrived carrying something in her hand.
"Grandma, where have you been?" Ehtra asked her grandma, who had just arrived.
"Ehtra, look, I have some food here. Come get some." Her grandma happily replied while pointing at the food she was holding. Then asked when she noticed her grandson's absence, "Did your brother already go to school?"
"Yes, Grandma. But don't worry, I gave him some money before he went." Ehtra hurriedly said, not wanting her grandma to worry about her younger brother.
"Oh, that's great! Then let's get inside and eat. You still have to go to your work, and I don't want you to go on an empty stomach." Her grandma urged Ehtra, and they held hands and went inside the house.
"Yes, Grandma. By the way, Grandma, where did you get the money to buy the food? I clearly told you to save it for your medicine." Ehtra said worriedly.
"Ha ha ha, don't worry, my granddaughter, the money I used to buy this food was from selling the okras and cucumbers I grew in our backyard." Her grandma laughed as she explained.
"Oh, thank goodness. Then did you buy your medicine? If the money is not enough, I can work overtime at the junk shop to save for your remaining medicines." Ehtra said determinately.
Arriving at their small dining table, her grandma stopped in her tracks to place the food in an evidently old bowl. Looked up at her thoughtful granddaughter with a sad smile while saying, "Ehtra, please don't be like this. I know that you're just worried about me, but working so hard at your young age to support me makes me sadder. I want you to enjoy your life instead because that's what I promised your mother when she left."
Her granddaughter started to work when she was 16 years old. This happened when they lost contact with her daughter, Ehtra, and Ehtan's mother, who was working abroad. Her daughter was forced to work far away to support them ever since Ehtra and Ehtan's father died. With how difficult life is, they can't do anything about it. They just hope that wherever she is, she is fine, no matter what the reason behind their loss of connection.
"Grandma, you don't need to be. Besides, this is the only way I could feel alive; by helping you and Ehtan ease our everyday life. So, please, let me do it." Ehtra said truthfully.
Hearing and seeing her granddaughter like this, her grandma could not do anything but agree by silently nodding her head. The two then eat their breakfast and get ready for today's work.
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At the junk shop where Ehtra was working
Currently, Ehtra is 18 years old, and it's her school's summer break, so she has an excuse to her grandma to work at the junk shop, but next week she'll have to stop working and go back to school since class will resume again. Nevertheless, she plans to discontinue her studies since they can't afford it anymore; besides, she's not good at studying anyway. Better to save it for Ehtan's education instead, who is good at his studies.
Organizing the metal junk, a voice transmitted by the small old-fashioned television in the junk shop piqued her interest, together with the other workers working in the junk shop, who similarly looked the same as Ehtra, tired and full of dirt all over their bodies from working all afternoon at the junk shop.
Taking a little break, they stood up and got near the television, watching intently the person having the speech. It was the president of their country.
He's been talking for a while now, but so far, it's all been nonsense, and everyone could clearly see it, but they couldn't do anything because they are from the poorest of the poor of the Lesthrea continent.
Silently, Ehtra looked at the President on the television intently, a hundred percent sure that the President was lying and everything he was saying and promising was nothing but bullshit.
The president intended to pocket all the public funds together with his allies.
These fools, just believing everything I said, not knowing I'll get all of this money for myself and my allies to keep their mouth shut, ha ha ha.
Ehtra clearly heard all the thoughts that the president had while faking and passionately delivering his speech on television. Not able to contain her anger, Ehtra thought hatefully with eyes seething with immense anger, Die! Just die! You evil creature!
After that, almost immediately, the president literally dropped dread on the stage while still giving his speech. This shocked everyone, including Ehtra. Who's also not sure what just happened.
The live broadcast was in chaos, not knowing what had just happened. When the president was brought to the hospital, he was already dead on arrival, so there was nothing that they could do. They then had the president's body undergo an autopsy to determine the cause of his death. With the president's high position, the autopsy results came out immediately.
There are no abnormalities with the president's death, which did not sit well with anyone because the president's death was obviously an assassination, as the result clearly indicates that he was healthy and wouldn't die just like that. This only means the assailant's way of killing was undetectable, leaving everyone, especially the corrupt leaders, in fear.
After this, the country was also put on a high alert and vulnerable with the sudden death of the president since the country was left without a leader, and everyone, including the countries from other continents, suddenly tensed up with this mysterious attack.