Flower Seller Girl

Ariel's Story

The breeze of the night hit the white face without the makeup polish, letting her hair be played by the wind to the right and to the left. His eyes glare trying to penetrate the thick of the night into the sky which only shows a few stars. Lily held on to the balcony railing, the cold of the night she ignored. He was pondering the path of his life that was briefly pleasant and briefly stifling the chest.

“Ma, Lily Kangen. Mama what else is there?” His face was sad, his eyes could not escape looking at the flickering stars. “Mama is happy, right, there?” Shut up for a while to catch your breath hoping to loosen his chest that feels squeezed. “Papa said, there's no place more beautiful than the one you're in right now. Hopefully it's true.” Both of his eyes were glazed.

The girl was also an ordinary human who could feel longing, longing for the person who had given birth to her and was gone. Repeatedly in her memory how she smiled, hugged her, stroked her hair, kissed her, fed when she was sick, scolded her for doing wrong. Life used to be so beautiful as if the world was hers.

Lily wiped away the tears that had dared to wet her cheeks. He realized, my mother's last message was:

[Never cry because you miss your mom. You will always be present in your every breath, your steps, the blink of your eyes, your heartbeat, everything you do. If you cry, your mom will cry too. Be assured that your mother is always present in your heart ]

Removing the remaining fluid that is still attached to the eye fertilizer. “Ngak, kok, ma. Lily was just a little crying. Lily promised to smile and be happy. Lily loves mom.” Clutching his chest tightly as if he was hugging something. Once again take a deep breath to reconcile the longing turmoil that occurred a while ago. Then make a smile.

After feeling better, he turned around to go into the room.

A knock on the door and a voice calling out rang out as Lily had only a few seconds closed the door to the balcony. The voice belonged to Ariel. Lily opened it.

“Aunt Belle, let's have dinner! My stomach is very hungry,” Ariel when Lily has opened the door. The boy did not feel awkward at all to grab Lily's hand and pull her.

Lily smiled, her heart that had been a little upset became warmed with Ariel's sudden treatment.

“Why did you call Auntie Belle? Aunt's name, right, Lily is not Belle,” asked Lily who followed Ariel's steps.

They joined hands leaving the room towards the dining room. Ariel holds Lily's hand. Ariel guided the step because the boy was already impatient to arrive quickly.

“That was my dear call to Auntie,” she replied without glancing at Lily and further speeding up her steps. “Aibi can also call me with any dear call that Aunt wants.”

“Good. But it seems like Auntie should think about it first.”

“I wait.” Ariel pulled her hand even faster down the stairs.

“Be careful dong, we can fall!” Lily warned.

“Not going. I'll catch Auntie if Aunt falls or slips.”

“This you, yes.” Lily doesn't think about Ariel. This boy though small but spoke like an adult who was seducing.

***

At the dinner table everyone had gathered, including Dion. After the man returned from the office, he did not shower or change clothes first. The sense of accomplishment and tiredness that gnawed at his body disappeared immediately upon seeing the arrival of his family.

Upon arrival at the dining table, Ariel immediately pulled the chair next to her Mommy and sat down on it. The boy really couldn't wait to eat. Just look at his hands immediately guerrilla take the side dishes and stack them on a plate that has been filled with rice. While Lily greeted all the people with a smile that seemed forced. He slowly sat down beside Dion without looking at him.

Dion stared at the shady cute face beside him that. The girl's face looked gloomy, different from when she delivered it this morning to campus. Did something happen on campus? All right, he'll hold back that question. There is a sense of prestige when he shows his attention to the girl to everyone.

***

“That's how it is in my jardin d'enfants, Grandpa. Who likes to make noise will be punished. And his sentence sings before he goes home.” (Jardin d'enfants \= kindergarten)

All the mangosteen responded. Lily is also a listener. He did not say anything, unlike when he had just arrived home.

When others laugh, they laugh. His mind is now split in two, between focus and not. Tiara's words were floating around in her mind.

“What Ariel also ever punished?” ask mami.

“Of course often, Grandma. Grandma knows no, I sang what song?”

Mami shakes. No one will know before being told.

“I often sing the song 'On Sunday'.” Suddenly the boy laughed broke out, somehow the cause made the ones there look at each other.

Looking at those bewildered faces, Ariel continued again, “my friends no one understands the meaning, they don't even know what language it is. They were all confused including my teacher.” Again, the boy's laughter filled the room.

“Then what's funny?” Tiara asked.

“At the time of the lyrics 'tick not tuk', friends laugh all, they think I'm being funny.” Pause for a second to laugh again. “Then they wanted me to teach them the song, including my teacher. My friends and teachers were terrible, repeatedly taught but unable to pronounce correctly. Basic bule! But they sing it very funny.” Laugh back.

And they were laughing.

“You he-bak you also aja-l gulu,” said Kharel dotted with his foreign accent. Ariel is much better at pronouncing Indonesian than her daddy. Although Ariel's rustic dialect remained, but anyone who heard could understand.

Everything's getting chuckling.

“Well, like Daddy my friends talk when I teach. Even worse.”

Everyone is still laughing. Kharel bumbling himself for being an easy target. Dion came and sat down next to Ariel. For a few seconds her gaze was locked onto Lily alone. Just like before, the girl had a burden. All sat in pairs except for Lily who was sitting on a single sofa.

“What's up to laughing like this?” dion asked as he ruffled Ariel's hair.

“Oncle Dion, ne me casse fitting les cheveux! Je ne suis pas beau plus tard.” (Uncle, don't break my hair! I will not be handsome anymore)

Dion smiled until he showed his teeth. But the hand did not stop playing his nephew's hair, “tu es toujours beau un toutes circonstances.” (you remain handsome under any circumstances)

“Stop, Uncle!”

Lily saw the interaction between them, so close and familiar. His smile was slightly reviewed and his heart warmed even though he did not understand what was being talked about. Never before had he seen Dion so intimately with anyone else, with mom and dad alone not. Accidentally his eyes were rubbing with Tiara, it seemed like the one-beaked woman was watching him from earlier. Can't be interpreted by the woman's gaze. Lily's smile momentarily shrank and her gaze fell onto both of her hands.