FLOWER WARS

Chapters 14. Jacob Upset.

After leaving Jacob and Anna in the garden, Bunga went to the library to spend his afternoon break. The library is simple but full of thick books neatly arranged in four rows of shelves.

Someone touched his shoulder slowly as he was busy choosing the book he was about to read. Flowers watched. A mature brown-skinned girl had been standing beside him.

Name's Ningrum. She was one of three indigenous girls who attended school there. Flowers rarely communicate with the girl because they are not one class, even though they know each other. Or another reason because Flowers are more often together with Jacob.

"I want to talk to you," Ningrum said, looking to the right and to the left, examining their surroundings.

"What's up, huh?" asked Bunga while returning the book he took into the shelf.

Ningrum took Bunoa to sit in the reading room with only a few tables. Everything's empty. Not many students would want to spend their rest time in the library. They prefer to play outside or around the school area.

Still with a watchful gaze, Ningrum leaned over the table, closing in on the Flower sitting opposite him.

"I heard that a police inspector came to see your father. Right no?" ningrum asked half a whisper.

"Where do you know?" The flower frowned. This conversation will be serious.

"The news has spread everywhere, Bunga."

Flowers stroked his chin. He looked at Ningrum for a moment. The girl seemed to want to draw a description from him. "Then?" tanyakanya.

"Did the police suspect your father was the mastermind behind the events at Djoehar Market?"

"Looks." Flowers nodding. "I don't know why."

"Is it possible because of the rumors?"

Chest Flower rustling. Already two people were revealing about the rumors of secret meetings that often occurred in his residence. "Why are you asking about it?" tanyanya.

"You must know something, Bunga."

"No. I don't know anything."

"You can trust me." Ningrum showed a silver necklace with a rose pendant with a spiked stem from under his shirt. "I've been wanting to talk to you about this for a long time. But, you're always with your Dutch friend."

"Jacob. His name is Jacob" said Bunga. "He was different from the rest of the Dutch."

Ningrum pulled the corner of his lips. "Yes, whatever," he said indifferently.

"This symbol. Have you seen him?" tanya Ningrum pointed at her pendant.

Flowers shudder. But he was not sure he had never seen it. It felt like the symbol of the thorny rose he had seen somewhere.

"This is Gerwa Mui's symbol" Ningrum said half-whisperingly.

"Mui Gerwa?" Flowers kept her voice down. The name was still unfamiliar in the ears of the girl. Sounds like sanskrit or something.

"Indonesian Young Women Movement," Ningrum explained.

"Indonesia" said Bunga lirih. A name that sounds sacred is rarely heard. The Dutch prefer to call this country by the name they embed, the Indies. However, a noble man from Yogyakarta named Raden Mas Soewardi Soeryaningrat so persistent fight for the sacred name to be recognized in the political realm.

***

Flowers enter the class that has begun to crowded. He saw Jacob sitting with Anna. The two were chatting, even though it seemed like only Anna seemed to be more actively talking.

At the sight of Bunga, Anna got up from her seat because the chair beside Jacob belonged to the girl. The two girls smiled at each other.

"Thank you" said Anna as she passed Bunga to return to her seat.

Flowers nodded then sat down next to Jacob who was pretending to be busy with his book. The face of the young man pouted. He did not smile or greet his friend.

"Why you?" ask the flower of astonishment. He checked Jacob's grim face.

"It's okay." Jacob shifted his seat giving distance from the chair that Flower occupied.

"Is there a problem, Jacob?"

"Nothing."

"Why are you so sniffed at me?"

Jacob just clicked. But it does not answer the question of Flowers.

"Jacob?" urk Flowers.

"Hm. I was reading. Don't disturb!" firmly Jacob.

Flowers blotted her lips. "Any," he murmured. But, the flower does not want to bother. His mind was being filled with his chatter a moment ago with Ningrum. A chatter that was able to make his chest rustle violently.

Seeing the indifferent Flower, Jacob became even more annoyed. He closed the book hard and got up from his seat, then walked away from the class.

Flowers gawked at Jacob's attitude. I wondered what was going on with the boy. Moments of thought, he finally decided to catch Jacob out of class.

He saw Jacob walking out the school gate. Flowers followed the young man to a diner. There, Bunga saw Jacob sitting in the corner of the long chair.

The shopkeeper was preparing a syrupy drink for Jacob. The young man also asked for a pack of cigarettes. It made the flowers even more astonished. He never saw Jacob smoking.

"Jacob, what's wrong with you?" bunga asked as he took a seat beside the young man.

"Why come here?" Jacob put on an unpleasant facial expression. "You don't bother me."

"You're so weird. It's not usually that you act like this with me. What am I wrong?" ask Flowers innocently.

Jacob turned his face away. "Denken (Just think)."

The flower exhaled his coarse breath. He did not have time to think about something like this. His head was filled with something huge.

"Sir, ask for lemonade one glass, yes," said Bunga to the shop owner.

***