LONLIN: Twins 13

The End is Not the End

After the debate that night, the atmosphere was getting colder. None of the two who open their voices talking as usual, even just looking at each other rarely.

Devlin clutched tightly onto his spoon, not intending to eat. Dillon realized it, but he himself was equally uncomfortable.

Dinner just skipped three without laughter as usual. Everything's cold. Everything's grim.

"Dadn't come home, Mom?" Devlin asked the mother who was preparing to go to sleep.

Mom put on a thin smile, then said softly, "Maybe overtime."

Devlin nodded even though he did not understand the relationship between his parents now.

Early in the morning, when mom had gone to the hospital for work and Dillon with Devlin was still getting ready to go to school, dad came home.

Devlin smiled faintly, then ran over to his father. "Didn't you come home last night?" ask the little girl.

Dad shook his head slowly, then carried his already heavy daughter. Then he kissed her, then dropped Devlin again.

Dad's moving on to Dillon. Hugged his son warmly and rubbed the top of his head.

"Have you eaten yet?" ask your father for both of his hearts.

Both of them nodded and father's face turned mellow. "Two," hiss father softly.

Dad took a deep breath, then tried to smile. "Change the shirt there. Today we go for a walk."

Dillon and Devlin stared in confusion, but both of them were obedient, not wanting to make dad sadder.

***

"So Dillon and Devlin didn't go to school."

"I took them for a walk."

"Why are you, anyway? Don't take them in our car!"

He looked up, looking at his wife's anger. "They're my children" hiss father.

"They are my children too!"

Dad rubbed his face rough. Desperate with everything.

"We'll just split up."

Deg.

Devlin watched them from upstairs, biting his lower lip. I wish I had done something to stop Dad.

"Are I not entitled to live as I wish? I just want to have another activity" said the mother trembling.

Dad clasped both of his palms firmly on his lap, and Devlin grew increasingly clenched.

"But don't abandon them" hissed father sharply.

"I didn't abandon them!" rebutting the strong mother, her tears began to drip in her eyes.

"I hate you every time I find them home alone. I hate you, every thought there might be bad things happening to them while we're not home, because of that." Dad sighed again, "We're splitting up, so I can stop hating you."

Devlin's cry broke. He clasped his hands and smothered his own mouth, not letting his sobs come out.

***

"Where's Dillon's dad going?"

Devlin asked when he saw Dad and Dillon getting ready to leave with a thick jacket and a carry-on bag.

"Fishing," replied Dillon eagerly.

He deliberately wanted to show off to his twin sister.

"Two of you?" ask Devlin again. This time her lips were crying.

Dad looked up because he was tying his shoelaces, then smiled softly, "Devlin wait at home. It's gonna be Devlin's bait fish, okay?"

Dillon, who had intended to heat up Devlin, returned to chiming, "The most pleasant thing is when fishing, not when eating fishing."

And sure enough, Devlin began to glaze over at Dillon's words. Father sighed after seeing the behavior of his two children.

"I'm coming!" whine Devlin. He's really gonna sob now.

"Can't! We're going to ride the bike," replied Dillon.

Dad smiled again, then gently held Devlin's shoulder, "Devlin dear, Dad took Dillon fishing, this as a gift for him because his grades were always good in school. Let alone the value of Mathematics," Dad turned to Dillon and smiled proudly at his son.

Then, Dad turned to face Devlin and gently rubbed the top of his daughter's head, then continued, "Who said eating fish is not cool? Dad's fish are always special, you know. We'll clean and cook together, okay?"

Devlin smiled, then nodded in agreement.

Dillon. Fishing is a gift for him. So, Dad also looked at himself. Dad even knew that his math score was the highest. She secretly smiled.

***

"Borneo?"

"Yes." Yeah."

"She's a girl" paused for a moment, but then Mother continued in a weak voice, "It would be better if she stayed with me, here. In Jakarta."

Father lowered his gaze. He clenched both his hands tightly. "I'll take good care of him."

"It's not so, I'm worried..."

"Aren't we talking about this over and over?" I looked up, looking closely at my mother. "Do I have no right to my children? Am I that bad I don't deserve to be a father?"

Mother broke the cry again. He covered his face with his palms and sobbed there.

Behind the door of the room, Dillon turned his head, staring at the twin sister. Hopefully, this is just a silly dream that should be forgotten the next day.

Devlin was silent. His eyes were still staring blankly at the tightly closed door leaf, trying to open his ears even though he was eager to care about it at this moment.

"But they can't be separated" Mother's voice came back after a long silence.

"If so, they both come with me."

"GIO!"

Dillon gasped, as Devlin suddenly rose from his seat on the edge of the bed, opened the door and stepped out.

Dillon steps in haste after Devlin, leaving the room where they heard the debate between the two adults who were destined to be their parents.

"If you want to separate, then separate!" the blonde exclaimed. His hands clenched fragile on both sides of his body. The newly arrived Dillon, just stared at Devlin's back from behind.

"Not to hate each other like this." That fist, started to tremble, as Devlin hissed continued, "Don't fight on."

Dillon guessed, could Devlin who was usually a crybaby, now was glazed with tears.

Across the street, Dad stood with his jaw hardened, silent, unresponsive, while Mom sat with her head lowered. She's still crying.

Dillon approaches, then grabs Devlin's hand and pulls him away, but is stopped because Devlin refuses to move. The bright brown eye bead kept looking fixedly at his father, making Dillon stare in confusion.

Dillon's confused gaze was interrupted, as Dad said after he had heaved a heavy sigh, "Devlin..."

Dillon's afraid. Almost all of his organs were shaking out of control. He swore he would not listen to his parents' decision on his and Devlin's fate.

"Devlin can't go!" Dillon looked at Father fiercely. "Where ever," he said sharply.

Mom finally looked up. Face swollen. Shaky. As for Devlin, it still remained silent. This is what Dillon doesn't like the most. He never liked, never wanted, never expected, never wanted to see, his only sister was hurt.

Dad rubbed his feet rough. He looked away for a moment, then looked back at his pair of twins. "Devlin's... You live here with Dillon and Mom."

Can't imagine how relieved everyone who heard Dad's words just now was. Mother even smiled with relief, though her eyes were shedding tears.

Dillon, too, tightens his grip, then throws a smile at Devlin just to make sure they are safe now.

Devlin also breathed a sigh of relief. Here's dad. Wise, gentle and warm. First love.

"Dad..." Call Devlin slowly. He carved a faint smile, not knowing that his father was desperately enduring the pain.

"Hhmmm, I'll definitely see you guys often." The adult man forced a smile, then turned to reach for a large bag not far from him. Ignoring the existence of another colorful striped bag near his big bag-bag Devlin.

"I'm coming with Dad."

Instantly the air seemed to evaporate somewhere. The feeling of tightness took over quickly their relief just a moment ago. Dillon's heart slipped instantly. He widened his eyes in disbelief and always did not want to believe. He suddenly felt afraid of what Devlin had just said. Unknowingly, he strengthened his grip on Devlin's clasped fingers, making the younger brother grimace faintly, but Devlin was reluctant to let go of the grasp.

Before anyone questioned his intentions, Devlin again voiced with difficulty. "I'm coming with Dad" he repeated.

His voice is vibrating. He's sick too. He's also hurt.

He loves everything. His mother, his father, especially Dillon. He's a pity. Therefore, no one should suffer. No one can be lonely. No one can be alone. Mom and Dad should always have the same score, right?

Dillon's... Now we share the task, yes.