FLOWER WARS

Chapter 8. Commemorations.

"What does sampeyan say?" The eyes of the Flower grew looking at the man. Both of his hands were already clenching furiously.

"Gundik Londo, listen to ndak?" The man repeated his words. Then he drew closer to Bunga and lowered his voice beside the girl's ear, "Your father must be ashamed to have a child like you. You made your father's struggle in vain."

Bugh

"Flower!" jacob yelled as he pulled the girl's arm. He was surprised when he saw the flower suddenly hit the man's face.

"I'll beat him up!" The flower tried to release her hand. Enragement peaked.

"Hey! Flowers, calm down" Jacob asked without letting go of the Flower's hand.

"This guy is outrageous!" The flower stared intently at the man. I don't know what the man's words meant, which clearly Bunga couldn't help but teach him a lesson.

"What did he say?" ask Jacob.

"You want to know? He said I was your pela!"

Bugh

One punch landed hard on the man's face, until he fell down. The corner of his lips was bleeding.

It was not the flower that struck him, but Jacob. The young man's face was red. A sign that he is covered in anger. For a moment the Flower was stunned to see what her best friend was doing.

"Go!" throw Jacob at the man.

The man spat out blood from his mouth before finally leaving Bunga and Jacob.

"Excession," Jacob grumbled.

While the flowers are silent. The man's words really hurt his heart. Moreover, he offended about his father, making him wonder on the sidelines of his heartache. It felt like the last sentence the man spoke was a little awkward.

"Morea ...." Jacob touched the girl's soft shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Flowers shudder. "How's wheel?" tanyanya diverted the conversation.

Jacob grimacing. "We'll just leave the car here."

"What if someone steals it?" The flower frowned.

"Just be it." Jacob picked up his car keys and walked down a trail on the edge of the coffee plantation.

"You're really gonna leave your car here?" Flowers follow Jacob's steps.

"Ja." Ja."

"You'll be scolded by your papa, Jacob."

Jacob flicked his shoulders, thinking the Flower speech was only a wind then. "Let's tell him what's going on."

***

Tumenggung Wirya stroked his chin while listening to one of the men inside the pavilion speaking. He listened carefully to the dark-skinned man.

His chest rumbled as the man alluded about the Flower. His palms clenched tightly.

"We hate those white people. Hating to the flesh. But, princess Panjengan, instead befriended the invaders. That's totally inappropriate, Mr. Wirya."

"Panjengan should keep an eye on Panjenengan's daughter, sir. Don't let him hamper the plans we've been putting together for years."

"Yes, Mr. Wirya. I've heard a lot of great football out there with Ambroos Janssen's son."

Tumenggung Wirya snorted. "Flower and son Ambroos Janssen are just schoolmates. No more than that."

"But many see them often together. It's really not good for your reputation as a leader."

"As for my daughter, it will be my business only. You all need not consider it a stumbling block in this plan." Tumenggung Wirya spoke with a heavy voice while staring at one by one the men in the pavilion.

"But, it could have been a long-time princess who leaked this plan to Ambroos Janssen's son. And it's very dangerous." The man wearing the watch on his head spoke.

"The flower knows nothing about this plan" Tumenggung Wirya asserted.

"Don't know?" cynical guy with a scar on his left cheek. "Confirmed? For years we held secret meetings here. There's no way the long-term princess wouldn't be curious and find out."

"Soemargo!" sentak Tumenggung Wirya called out the name of the man with the scar on his face. "I told you, let me take care of the flowers!" emphatically.

The man called Soemargo lowered his face. While Tumenggung Wirya looked agitated. The reports from his people were enough to annoy him.

The next morning when Bunga was ready to go to school, Tumenggung Wirya called his daughter to him. He must affirm to Bunga that he does not like the princess close to the child of the invaders.

"Father has been niteni (noticing) your behavior all this time. How close are you to that child of invaders?"

The flower that was bowing its face, clenched both palms. "Just be friendly, sir."

"Father doesn't want you to get too familiar with the boy."

"But ... My friend at school was just him, sir," protested Flowers.

"But you don't want to know. Keep your distance from the boy!"

"But, Mr ..."

"Nothing but." Tumenggung Wirya pointed at the face of the Flower firmly. "It's enough that you make friends with the child while in the school environment. Outside of school, you don't let you hang out with him."

The flower breathed heavily. All this time, his father did not like Jacob. Counted how many times the father warned him to keep his distance from his best friend, but, Bunga always had a way to escape the supervision of his father.

***