FLOWER WARS

Chapters 17. Indigenous Girls Are Not Equal With Dutch.

Flowers knocked on her father's door. The man was cleaning his dagger with a cloth. He timbang-timang guns like a baby.

"Father," call Flowers from the doorway.

"Opo, Ndhuk?" Tumenggung Wirya said without distracting from the keris in his hand. "Here in" she asked.

Bunga slowly stepped closer to Tumenggung Wirya. The man looked at her and smiled. Then ask her to sit on the amben.

"What's up, Bunga?" tanya Tumenggung Wirya's. He put the keris he had put into the sheath on the table. His attention now turned to the princess.

"I want to talk, sir."

"Speak what, Nduk? It's important as it is."

The flower of a bit of distress swallowed its salivation. His mind was filled with doubt. But he had to talk about it with his father.

"Sir, how far have our people fought?" ask the flower with the throat choked.

Tumenggung Wirya looked at the princess full of probing. He was quite surprised by the question of Flowers. "What fight do you mean?" tanyakanya.

Once again the Flower swallowed its salivary. "I know about the secret meetings you had with the people inside the pavilion."

The man with the hair that started to partially whiten was chuckling. "There are no secret meetings. It's just a fatuous event for you and your friends."

"Sir, I'm not a child anymore." Either got the courage from where Bunga interrupted his father. "Mother doesn't have to lie to me constantly."

"You've been eaten up by rumors out there, Bunga."

Flowers shudder. "I'm sure it's not just a rumor, sir."

Tumenggung Wirya looked at the princess while sighing deeply. Unexpectedly, Bunga has grown into a critical teenager. Although in the growing period the girl was so wayward and often broke her rules. Not infrequently also the flower makes him angry.

"So, I'm saying it's just a rumor, flower."

"Why did you cover it? Do you not trust me?"

"Nothing's covered up, Nduk."

Flowers were disappointed by the father's reply. He felt he was old enough to be part of his father's secret plan.

Ms. Galuh, the woman he met with Ningrum a few days ago, had already told her all. Everything that the flower needs to know.

She was recruiting as many indigenous girls as she could to fight against the invaders; helping the fighters in the country, including her father.

And Bunga was embarrassed, as the daughter of the important person in this secret plan, he just found out everything. Therefore, he decided to join Gerwa Mui led by Bu Galuh, without a second thought.

"I want to fight, sir," said Bunga without heeding his father's words.

"Your job is just to finish your school. That'sthat's all. Don't be neko-neko (assortment)."

Tumenggung Wirya raised his right hand, gesturing to Bunga not to speak anymore. He looked at the princess with a heart that suddenly felt anxious.

"And one more, Bunga. This has been warned many times. I don't like you hanging out with the Londo (Dutch) boy," said Tumenggung Wirya.

"If you want to fight for this country, the first thing you have to do is stay away from the invaders" he continued.

Flowers turned her face away. There was disappointment from there. It was not the father's warning to stay away from Jacob that disappointed him, but his father's seemingly unwilling attitude to involve him in secret plans.

***

At the dinner table, Jacob simply plays the food on the plate without intending to eat it. Therese watched the son who looked glum.

"Wat is er mis met je (What's wrong with you), Jacob?" ask the woman, making Ambroos who was enjoying his dinner look away at his son.

"Is er een probleem (Is there a problem)?" ask Ambroos to Jacob.

"Nee (No)," Jacob answered briefly.

"Why is your face moody?"

Jacob just shook his head slowly. "I'm not hungry."

"Nee, nee, nee, Jacob. It's disease-prone here, you know it," Therese said.

"I lived here from childhood, Mamma. Why worry about such things?"

"You're rarely sick because Mamma always takes care of your health."

"Your mom is right, Jacob," said Ambroos from across the table. "Your physical needs to be strong to enter the Military Academy later after graduating from AMS."

Jacob's appetite was completely gone when he heard his father's words. "I don't want to go to the military academy!" sergeant.

"You or not you will still send Papa to Bandoeng after graduation."

"Nee!" jacob shouted while challenging the gaze of the father.

"You don't have a choice, Jacob. Enter the Military Academy, or Papa returns to Holland" Ambroos threatened.

Jacob hated this. When the father's authoritarian attitude is applied to him. When the will of his parents is forced upon him.

"And one more, Jacob. This has been repeated many times Papa reminded. Papa doesn't like you hanging out with that native girl!"

"Je papa heeft gelijk (Your father is right), Jacob. Indigenous girls are not equal to us."

Jacob stood up quickly, so his knees slightly collided with the table, making the dishes on it shake. Then, without saying a word, the young man waltzed away leaving the dining room. He didn't even touch his father's call.

***