In The Rain
CHAPTER 10
The nurse who served on the floor of Thunder's room told them to enter at once as long as not too long and noisy. “Patients can't sleep. Pain,” the nurse said to them with a sad face.
“Maybe I should go in first and tell daddy if you guys come to see him,” said Gemintang. No one objected, including Raden who was cold and distanced himself.
Gemintang pushed the door of her husband's inpatient room and stepped into the room. The hospital offers the largest and most expensive rooms. Wreaths lined‐deret along the window sills and on the TV table.
Thunder is not liked by people who have dealt with him, but he is so respected and feared, as evidenced by the pile of greeting cards quickly healed and a row of bouquets sent for him.
Now that Thunder did not seem terrifying, he began to open his eyes and see the arrival of the Starlings. His skin was yellowish-gray, pale like a corpse, his lips blue, dark circles appeared around his eyes, but his eyes remained sharp and sparkling as usual.
“Good morning.” The Starry bowed towards Thunder, clasped Thunder's hand and kissed his forehead. “Told the nurse you weren't calm all night. Absolutely can't rest?”
“No need to set-up me, Gemintang.” Thunder pulled his hand. “I will soon go to the realm of immortality to rest.” Thunder laughed with difficulty. “You have completed all the payroll payment?”
“Yes, already” replied Gemintang, while stepping back and receiving the rejection of Thunder for the attention it gave. Thunder was seriously ill, so it was understandable that there was an unpleasant attitude.
“Good. I don't want them to think I'm dead.” Thunder placed one of his hands on his stomach and grimaced in pain.
When the pain of Thunder subsided, Gemintang said gently, “You are willing to accept another guest?”
“Who?”
“Laura and Heny.”
“Heny! Hypocritical woman. He hated me so much when he first knew me. He thinks I married Agatha for her money. He blamed me for causing Raden to run away from home. He's pinned the blame on me for every wrong incident in this family.”
“Why didn't you fire him a few years ago?”
Thunder laughed out loud and only stopped when the pain returned to him. “Because I like to fight with him. It sharpens my brain. Now he's looking at me to mock me who's lying on this bed. Ha!”
The star had witnessed Thunder's attitude like this, but he never cared about it and let it go until it all passed. The Gemintang regretted Thunder who chose to behave like that during their last days together. “Already, don't get angry. Heny picking roses from the garden for you.”
Thunder snorted approvingly to meet Heny, his housekeeper. “Laura don't need to come here. This place must be very scary for that stupid kid. Does he know I'm not going home again?”
The starry cast a glance, avoiding the glare of Thunder's sharp eyes. “Yes. I told him yesterday.”
“What does he say?”
“He said you'd go to heaven and be with his mother.”
Thunder laughed until the pain attacked him again. “Hmmm, only fools think so.”
“Can I take them in?”
“Yes, yes,” replied Thunder, waving his hands in a weak gesture. “Better we finish it soon.”
“There's one more.”
The calm voice of the Gemintang made Thunder's eyes look back at him nanar. Thunder looked at the Gemintang with a sharp eye, probing, making the Gemintang feel bad. “Raden? Raden coming?”
Gemintang. “As soon as Randy called him, he came home.”
“Good, good, I want to meet my son, to convey some things to him before my death arrives.”
The heart of the Gemintang was filled with joy. This was the time for the two stubborn men to settle the quarrel between them, quickly the Starling walked to the door.
Laura was the first to enter the room. He ran to the bed and wrapped his hands around his father's neck, hugging him tightly. “I miss Daddy coming home,” he said. “We have a foal. Beautiful once.”
“Hmmm, great, Laura,” replied Thunder, then gently pushed Laura's body away from her. Gemintang observed, hoping once at that time Thunder returned the unfortunate overflow that his daughter had shown him.
“You picked roses?” Thunder muttered in an angry tone as he glanced at his household assistant with furrowed brows.
“Fuck those flowers. You don't bring food for me?”
“Master cannot eat food that is not from the hospital.”
“What's the difference?” shouted Thunder. “Hah? Try answer.”
Thunder looked at the woman‐the woman one by one with an angry look, only then turned her head towards her son with fiery eyes. A few moments later the two men stared at each other. Nobody's moving. Finally Thunder's chest moved slowly, letting out a low laughter voice, with a somewhat raucous tone. “Still mad at me, Raden?”
“I've forgotten that anger a few years ago, mister.”
“That's why you came back? Make peace with this old man before he died. Or want to attend the reading of his will?”
“I have no interest in that will.”
Sagely Heny took a step forward. He was worried that this meeting would turn out to be unpleasant. “I'll take Laura home now. Laura, let's kiss Daddy, let's go home.” The girl obediently did as Heny commanded.
Thunder did not care about their departure. His eyes were fixed on his son. The star was left alone with two generations of Buana who lived apart for many years.
“You look handsome, Raden,” said Guntur analyzing. “Hard and crafty too. Your cunning is not visible in the photos full of smiles that appear in the newspapers, but I see it.”
“I have a very great teacher, which is you sir.”
The same laugh, the cunning laugh, re-echoed inside the room. “You are right, my son, you do have a great teacher. The only person who knows how to survive in this world. Be sneaky towards everyone and no one can beat you.” Thunder gestured with an impatient attitude. “Two of you, sit.”
“I'd rather stand up, thank you,” Raden replied. Seating on the available bench. Never had he seen the face of such thunder. Raden was forced to leave home. He knew the competition between them, but it was inconceivable that the situation was like this.
“From the news I read, your airline makes you rich.”
“My colleagues and I have since seen the opportunity for Air Skyways. Until now we have indeed exceeded the target.”
“You have a good philosophy. Transporting passengers, dropping passengers, low fares, planes never stop flying. You made a profit while other flights couldn't survive in the airline business.”
Raden was surprised to hear that his father was following the success of his airline company, but he did not show the look of his surprise. “As I said, we are happy with the success of ltu.”
The nurse entered the room with a syringe. “I want to inject painkillers, Mr. Buana.”
“Just inject the needle into your own bok*ng, do not disturb my body,” cried Thunder to the nurse.
“Thunder,” said Gemintang, surprised by the roughness of the nurse.
“Doctor ordered it, Mr. Buana,” replied the nurse firmly.
“I don't care about the doctor's bullshit. It's my life, I don't want to get a painkiller injection. I want to feel everything. Understood it? Now, quickly get out of here.”
The nurse clenched her lips, showing an annoyed attitude, but she also came out of the room.
“Thunder, he just did..”
“Do not set-up me, Gemintang!” Never had Thunder spoken in such a tone to a Stargazer before. The starter immediately retreated, like it had been slapped. He was silent, clenching his lips. “If all I get from you is a feeling of pity, you better not come again.”
Taking a deep breath, the Starling grabbed the bag then left the room in a dignified manner. As soon as the bedroom door closed again, Raden turned towards his father.
“You are indeed a jerk man.” Raden's eyes looked fiery. Every muscle in his athletic body stiffens because of holding back anger. “You have no right to speak harshly to him, I don't care how badly you're sick.”
Thunder laughed amusedly. "I have a right. She's my wife. Remember that?”
Raden clenched his fists in the thigh, unable to bear to snort angrily before leaving the room.
