Mentari in the Night Sky

The Past: Family Conversations

"They!!"

"Someone is calling your name" Stephanie said softly.

I'm trying to find the source of the noise on the basketball court. Someone had already stuck out his head before I even recognized whose voice it was. I want to hit a man's head in front of me.

"What's up, brother?" I asked as soon as I saw William trying to get up to where I was sitting.

"You can go home first. Looks like the match practice this time will be finished later and now the driver is waiting for you."

"...."

"Alvin didn't play today. You can go home."

The strength of being together for 18 years was terrifying. Just seeing my eyes move towards a place where the players could make William say the answer to a question I couldn't pronounce. I just nodded my head and grabbed my bag. Stephanie and Caroline didn't come home with me because they had other agendas.

Their agenda is to accompany their fiancee. Unlike me who until now continues to delay the engagement even until finally the engagement cancellation appears, they are both engaged and both families are very proud to announce it to the mass media. I admit the courage of the two of them, they did not even try to get to know their future fiancee when it was deeper and immediately agreed to her engagement. Even Ken and I who knew each other from childhood still took a lot of time to understand our feelings and they both unceremoniously agreed to an engagement with a man they even just met for 1 month.

Buk!!

A book landed right on top of my head.

"What are you doing?" I was upset to know who landed the book on my head.

"This week, the anniversary of my mother's death."

I hated him, hated how he could act like nothing had happened between the two of us. Her tone had even returned to the tone she always used when she was a child with me.

Was it to him that I was just a puppet that had no feelings whatsoever after all the things he did?

"Come like you always did."

I did not respond to his words and preferred to find where my driver was.

"Zeta," call him.

"I'll come if my parents come too. Satisfied? Now can you get out of my sight?" reply finally.

"Not that show, that show that only the two of us do every year."

I was silent, I didn't understand him anymore. I chose to ignore it and focus more of my attention on where my driver is. I finally found out where my driver was, I ran to my driver's place.

"Miss has been waiting a long time?"

"No."

"Ah... Mr. Ken."

I turned my body around and saw Ken who was following me. I really don't understand what he wants now. I did everything she wanted and suddenly she changed as if she had never asked me to do all the things I was currently doing.

"Please promise me you'll come."

Only a breath was given as an answer.

...-----...

"Today's Aunt Lily's death anniversary you remember that, don't you, honey?"

An arm touched my stomach gently, resuscitating me from the daydream. I turned my gaze towards the mother who was looking at me as if waiting for an answer. It seemed like mom had just asked me a question while my mind was traveling far away. I turned my eyes to look at Arthur, asking for his help.

"Mom asked if you remember today the anniversary of Aunt Lily's death" whispered Arthur.

"Ah.. Zeta remembered it," I answered followed by curious gazes from both of my parents

"It looks like Zeta is becoming more daydreaming" said the father, putting down the newspaper he had been reading.

William looked at me with his annoying gaze. I know what that look means. If I don't answer father's questions then he will answer them and reveal all the things that have happened to me lately. To be honest, I think you already know everything that's happened to me, from the announcement Ken made to my closeness with Alvin. It's highly unlikely that you wouldn't know that given how many bodyguards you secretly hired to watch over me, William, and Arthur.

Several times Arthur stepped on my feet, asking me to answer my father's statement immediately before William answered him. I feel like I've lost the right time to answer or maybe to plead. I took out a cup of chamomile tea from the table while silently stealing a glance towards the father who was directly watching me.

"Zeta only.. You know, don't you?"

"How do you know if Zeta didn't tell Dad anything?"

"Ah...,” reply I'm desperate.

"Zeta is in love" said Arthur.

I threw the novel in my lap in Arthur's face. He immediately complained that my novel about his nose. He didn't help me at all.

"Does Zeta want to watch this with Mom and Dad?"

I put three pieces of paper on the table. Very familiar paper, classical music concert tickets. As I guessed, I already know everything.

"We too?" william asked shortly after Arthur took the concert ticket from me.

"If you want," replied the gentle mother.

"..."

"Zeta, just because I'm always watching you and I know all the things you're doing, doesn't mean I don't want to hear everything right out of your mouth. I want you to keep telling me."

Guilt slowly surfaced in my heart. I knew that if all this time I had never told my father anything, most of the time I told my mother and suddenly all my wishes had been realized. I walked up to my father and hugged him. Father gently rubbed my long hair and whispered the words I always heard every time I was going to sleep. 'Daddy loves you', two words you can't even say to my two older brothers.

Just 5 minutes after that hug, dad immediately walked back into his study because some company managers contacted him, there seemed to be a problem in the company. Mother also began to put snacks on the table and walked to the kitchen to prepare her favorite drink, father, drinks are always mandatory in the father's office and only the mother can make them. William and Arthur were still in the living room, just as I had begun to re-read the novel.

Ting...

'At first I wanted to take you to a classical music concert but when I checked the guest list, your name was already there. Don't forget to come.'

I took the concert ticket out of Arthur's hands, he was a little surprised by my actions because he was reading some of the information on the concert ticket.

"It looks like Dad is looking for you a teacher and this event is not just an ordinary concert,” Arthur said as if he knew what I was looking for.

William moved his foot closer to us. He immediately took the ticket in my hand. Arthur and I were both staring at him who was currently busy contacting someone. We had a quick glance and he immediately went away from my place and Arthur.

"Looks,” said Arthur probing.

"A charity concert, isn't that weird?"

"What does Big Brother mean?” I'm not as intentional as before.

"Alvin sent you a message, didn't he?" ask her while looking at my phone. I took my phone and turned it over. I forgot how Arthur has sharp eyes. Now he just gave her a dirty smile.

"I'm serious Zeta, if Alvin can take it at a charity concert like that, I don't think he's at our level. He's already way above us, considering it was Dad himself who gave us this ticket."

I'm speechless. What Arthur just said makes perfect sense. Someone who can perform at a charity concert, especially his own father who gives tickets to this concert, it is certainly not for the lower middle class. This charity concert is a concert as a show of wealth and musicians who usually perform at charity concerts like this are world-class musicians.

"Allison Group participated in this charity concert."

William's sudden words startled me and Arthur. William sat back in his place and occasionally sipped tea in his cup. Arthur and I exchanged glances, we both hated his current attitude so much, he acted as if he was already the official heir of the Allison family.

"Then?" ask Arthur with sewot.

"Allison Group is working with Nakamoto Group."

"Huh?"

I looked at Arthur who was confused. I know exactly why William should be the heir. I can't imagine that Arthur was born the first child and would inherit all of the Allison Family's wealth. I don't even want to imagine anymore.

"The Nakamoto Group, the Nakamoto Family, the Parker Family's classy Japanese businessmen and they invested their wealth into artwork especially classical music. Although no member of the Nakamoto Family is allowed to become a professional music player, almost all members of the Nakamoto Family can play musical instruments and even their abilities are almost the same as world-class musicians," I whispered.

"How do you know all that?" ask William while putting the cup in his hand on the table.

This time two eyes looked at me. William looked at me with a curious gaze how could someone who did not care about things smelling caste and wealth like me know such a thing. And Arthur looked at me wondering how could someone like me have more knowledge than him.

"I was looking about companies that contribute to the arts, especially music and I accidentally found it. Brother knows if I'm becoming interested in the piano."

"I know, but the information about the Nakamoto Family you can't get just by searching the internet."

I forgot about the fact that William knows all the sources of information. I also forgot the fact that my face would change when I did not tell anything in detail. I also forgot the fact that my two brothers could read me so easily. By now, Arthur had stepped on my foot again, knowing that if I didn't tell him where I got the information, William would kill me.

Arthur cleared his throat and tried several times to distract William from me. William did not care about it and still looked at me sharply. William is currently worried about me, he doesn't want me to try something that he has been doing for several years. He's been getting a lot of information about the company or other family's private life illegally and he doesn't want me to follow in his footsteps. All this time, William never allowed me and Arthur to touch the dark things he'd touched. And I don't want him touching those things either.

"Zeta," called William with a heavy tone of hers.

"So don't know if I'll never get in touch with things like that."

"True, Zeta is impossible and I don't think Zeta even knows how to contact people like that" Arthur replies, trying to help me.

"Zeta," call William back in his heavy tone.

"Sister Alvin, I know from him."

"And did he tell you that he was part of the Nakamoto Family?"

Once again, Arthur and I exchanged glances and were silent for a long time. I don't know if Alvin's part of the Nakamoto Family. He only told me a few things about the Nakamoto Family and I just felt like he knew all the things about it because he could be one of the people who received the scholarship. Wait, why would I forget something so important, it would be absurd if William wasn't friends with someone in the same class as us. Of course, Alvin is the same as us.

A transfer student who can transfer to our school, is certainly not someone from the ordinary. I don't think much about Alvin's background because I don't care about anyone's background. And again, Alvin is very simple, you could say if someone just looks at his appearance, no one would think if he came from one of the most influential families in Japan.

Do Stephanie and Caroline know this?

"What's with this gripping silence?"

Mother's question made the three of us re-awaken. Arthur went straight towards the mother and spoiled with her. William prefers to return to enjoy his tea with his flagship style. And I'm still quietly doing nothing.

"Mother, why do you like wassail so much even in the summer?" ask Arthur to try the pleasantries.

Mom was stunned to hear the question Arthur asked. This is the first time someone has asked me about my favorite drink. So far, we have been very indifferent to this family, not indifferent but rather because we do not want to interfere in each other's affairs and respect our every preference whether on food or drink. Just for that matter we don't interfere with each other.

"This is the first time I've ever had a question like this. May I ask why Arthur likes steaks so much?"

"Hmmm, since Arthur likes it, there's no reason. Wait, there's no way this is also the answer to the question Arthur just asked?"

"Can I take that as an answer?"

"No!!" whining Arthur in an angry tone that only he let out when he was with his mother, even William and I had never heard his angry tone other than when he was talking to his mother

"Wassail is there every time we will give hope or prayer to family and relatives, right?"

Arthur just nodded. Mom and Arthur's conversation led me and William to focus on them. I wanted to understand Dad more deeply so decided to listen to this conversation. For William, I think he already knows the answer to Arthur's question, there's no way someone who in a day spent 12 hours of his own with my father didn't know about this. Father also could not let William not know anything about it because it could be that in the future there will be someone who asks about 'wassail' this was to William and it would be very strange if William could not answer it.

I think William's only interested in listening to Arthur's pampered and pampered tone. When the three of us were kids, Arthur used that tone every time he asked William for his curiosity. You could say, William was the second father to Arthur and William was aware of it. Even though William didn't show it as directly as he did when he showed it to me, I know for sure how much he loved and loved Arthur. I even felt like there was some kind of bond between them that I couldn't see and see but that bond was slowly being seen. Something that makes William become aware of his duties as the successor to the Allison Family and something that makes Arthur realize if he is just a shadow of the Allison Family, both of which are what make 'bonds' what I couldn't see before became what I could see. I just hope that bond will never be able to break.

"Your father does not want to forget that in life we also have to give hope or prayer to others. Hope and prayer are priceless gifts. If God has granted someone's hopes and prayers, we will not be able to dwell. Therefore, I want you to also remember to give hope and prayer to others. It could be that your hopes and prayers become a savior for someone."

"But Mom, Arthur asked me why did you use the word 'you'?"

I really want to hit Arthur. He's the number one mood destroyer I've ever met in my life. I've never seen someone who could ruin an atmosphere like her. Mom just smiled as she pointed at me and William. Arthur followed my index finger and looked at me. He just looked at me and didn't look at William. Ah.....

"Zeta, why didn't you go to Ken's house like before?" mother asked, making my two brothers breathe out.

"Ah... Zeta wants to go along with Father, Mother, Brother Will, and Brother Arthur."

"Zeta, I know if you two are not good, even I think it's getting worse. But something you've done together in the last 10 years has become a habit, maybe Zeta can change that habit but can Ken?"

"Of course he should, Mother. Zeta is nobody else in her life. William felt Ken enough to give shame to Zeta," said William firmly.

"Sometimes I'm afraid of you, William. William increasingly resembles Father in his assertiveness. But William, I know all that and I'm also disappointed in Ken but at the moment Ken is the one who remembers his mother's death the most."

"Mother, Zeta is tired" I said before things got out of hand.

"Zeta's not finishing this topic, is he?"

"..."

"Alright, I can't force it. I just want Zeta to remember that Ken will be forever dependent on Zeta. At the moment he is not aware of it but sooner or later he will realize it. The habits that he accidentally created for your presence in his life and the habits that he also accidentally destroyed, he will realize that. When that happens, I just hope Zeta doesn't hurt Zeta and sacrifice herself."

A sentence I didn't think much of at the time turned out to be a boomerang in my life. When that happened, I thought that mother was someone who could read the future.

...-----...