Brutal Family

Part 15 Lay Umpet

"Where are you going to be tidying up at this hour? Dating huh?"

Papa chuckled, wearing his shoes. The shirt that Papa wears as I remember just bought, judging from his appearance now there must be an important event.

"To the office deliver work again?" My eyes are squeaking suspiciously, but it's Sunday. "It just so happened to be a date, Pa? How come Papa didn't tell Unga?!"

"God .... Papa wants to see an old friend. That reunion. Do you want to come?" Papa's wearing a watch.

I nodded, not at the question. Papa is getting charismatic at his age right now. It doesn't look like she has a seventeen-year-old daughter.

"That's right if Papa asks you definitely don't want to. Even though at the event, there is a child of your age to join his parents reunion."

"Yes there is and not much. I'll be betrothed again, don't want to ah. But it's really not a date, is it, Pa?"

"Same date who's-"

"Jiang, Om."

"It's noah." Papa welcomes Brother Heman. "You want to date Om's son, huh?"

Brother Heman chuckled discordantly. Today Brother Heman will take me to the cousin's society. It just so happens that the show coincides with Raina's birthday. I was invited to surprise them. Plus Papa will also go, I'll just go with Kak Heman rather than at home alone.

"Om come Bungah yes, Hem," Papa's message watched me go to the piggy bank of Brother Heman. Papa waved his hand, hesitating to let me go. "Be careful on the road!"

Brother Heman returned a thumbs up at Papa's worries. While my eyes see Jaya pecking on the side of the road. Jaya decided her gaze first, back on the bike. I pressed tightness in the chest. Even Jaya doesn't matter I go with other people.

"Let's take the cake to Rai, will you?"

They nodded in agreement to Kak Heman's words. I look for the stuff in their eyes. Afraid to be ignorant again.

Jaya who had been silent to see the busyness of the cousins turned her face when she met me.

This time, I hope my steps are right. I try to follow my instincts, blend in as much as possible.

Raina came alone to the assembly place.

They hide in the bushes. While I walked carefully over to Raina, carrying a birthday cake.

Raina looked surprised at my presence. We stood facing each other until her tears escaped. Everyone came out of hiding singing birthday songs, Raina sobbed. I was so excited to see their togetherness. Maybe this is how family should be.

Raina suddenly hugged me. He muttered a word of thanks time and time again. There was a strange vibe in me replying to Raina's embrace.

"Sama-sama," I answered no less slowly.

"Be careful, brother," he whispered.

Raina wiped the tears in her cheekbones. He said something through his eyes. I block Raina's hand, she nods at a glance turning to hug another cousin.

Raina's words were a little disturbing. He didn't escape my watch during the show. In fact it wasn't just Raina who was weird that day, Raka too. He kept watching me. Jaya was on the other side, occasionally looking over where I stood.

***

　

"Jay, we need to talk" I said, preventing him from leaving. "Let's talk carefully, I'm sorry if my request yesterday upset you."

Jaya fluttered back to me. From a distance the cheers in the tree house unite with the gurgling of river water. One thing is certain, Jaya managed to snatch the warmth in the heart. What does the crowd mean if Jaya is this cold. It doesn't mean anything.

"I won't talk about it again if you don't want to hear it. But please don't do this."

Still not enough frustration Jaya, now increasing his misunderstanding. Brother Heman always comes at the wrong time. The arrival of this man made Jaya leave me. If this keeps up I'll really lose Jaya.

"Let's join again."

The rest of the day I spent at the cousin's society. They're not as bad as I thought. Either I may have been affected by Kak Heman's words in the town square or they began to open up.

They accept my presence. Letting me sit in the midst of them, feeling the warmth of the burning fire of the fish as well as the eye-piercing smoke. Unlike the first time I visited this place, I did not feel foreign.

Unfortunately, happiness is incomplete. Someone's been shutting me down these three days. Jaya ate her food without interest, her gaze flat on me. Our sitting positions are opposite, the embers of the fire are in the middle.

Sophia had already taken her sister. So patient Jaya was feeding her sister. She loved Sophia very much. I envy Sophia.

"Nake?" asked Brother Heman to blur the daydream.

"Hm? Eh-oh delicious. Delicious."

Brother Heman is fanning the embers, his other hand is turning the fish. "Sunday to be together again, huh? I'm ready to pick you up."

Actually if I have to gather cousins again, I just want to come with Jaya. I hope next week we will be better, now I want to make up with Jaya. If only I could hold back a little of my curiosity about this family back then and find out for myself, it might be that this time Jaya and I were chatting together in front of a campfire.

Man is only a planner, the scenario of life is governed entirely by the Almighty. But behind this matter, I can get one step closer to the cousin society.

"Ucing grass, hayu?" Pratama came carrying a pile of firewood. Half threw it because it was heavy.

Everyone exclaimed to reply to Pratama's invitation. "Wood!!!"

I looked to my left and didn't understand why.

"Sir, what's wrong?" I asked finally, confused everyone gathered in a circle. They exclaimed happily saying 'gambreng gambreng'.

"Ucing grass. Game hide-and-seek, we hide let the person who became his cat - meaning the guard is looking for us."

I know that cat is a cat. Sophia once said 'If Una's sister wants to apologize Opi, cat Opi for Kak Una', the next day Sophia came to the house to give me a black cat. In this game again different turns, cat can also be called human.

I ran along with the game, as everyone scattered in search of a hiding place. Raka is a cat. We have to hide from Raka. Despite the confusion of where the best place to hide was, I kept running after them. Suddenly my hand was pulled by someone.

My mouth was smothered with my frightened screams.

"Don't go to the woods" he whispered, making my eyes growl. Jay?

Huft. I thought it was a bad guy!

I nodded obediently, his palm still smothering my mouth. "They know the way home, but you'll get lost there."

Some of my cousins ran into the woods. They are lost behind thick trees.

Jay released his hand. "We're hiding here. As far as I'm hiding in this place it's never been discovered."

Raka's calls came closer calling out one by one our names. I close myself to Jaya as Raka passes by where we are hiding. My mouth can't hold back a twitch, it turns out Jaya still cares.

　

　

- Damaisland-