Mentari in the Night Sky

The Past: Advice

French Onion Soup, a meal that would probably be considered quite a sumptuous meal but not for my family. When this food came out, it was a time when mom was reminding us of who we were.

Many say if the French Onion Soup was once only eaten by the common people until finally there are various modifications to the recipe and how to make it into an expensive food. Looking at this history, I want to remind us of the humility that we should have as much as we have and how much power we have in our hands.

Dad had eaten this dish, followed by mom and William. Arthur and I stared at the dish in front of us. I once again observed the father who was calmly eating this dish, the moment where this dish was intended for me. Dad looked back at my eyes and told me to eat this dish before mom took out a sentence or two. I immediately took a spoon from the table and ate this dish along with Arthur who also started eating it.

"Mom heard everything that happened."

It turned out that mom waited until the first mouthful went into my stomach. Me and my two brothers immediately put down the spoon we held. William even confirmed his sitting position more firmly. The three of us always stopped eating whenever my father or mother was giving advice or scolding one of us. Something I didn't expect to happen at the dinner table because it always ended up with my stomach hurting.

"I'm sorry, Zeta. Zeta shouldn't have threatened Ken."

"It's not that I'm a threat, if you threaten other things like threatening not to see Ken back for the rest of your life, I'm not going to take that up. But, you, dear Zeta, why threaten to hurt someone? Someone you even know and love?"

"I'm sorry Zeta. Zeta was carried away with emotion," I replied while bowing my head.

"Then control those emotions. I don't want that kind of threat coming out of your mouth again, honey. I never taught you anything like that. Zeta has to apologize to Aunt Anastasia."

"Zeta promised not to do it again" I said as I extended my pinky toward my mother.

Mom breathed out and smiled gently at me and directly hooked her little finger. Mother also gently rubbed my hair before finally hugging me.

"Mom doesn't like it either when Zeta doesn't tell Zeta anything. How do you know about the bullying that Zeta got this week from someone else? Does Zeta know how hurt my heart is so you know what happened to you?" said the mother with a hug that got tighter.

"Zeta doesn't want to make me worry."

"But covering it up just makes Mom more worried."

Mother let go of her embrace and looked into my eyes as if asking me to no longer keep anything secret from her. I just nodded and once again hugged my mother. A hug that I might have been able to get for the past week if only I told her what really happened to me.

"But how can Ken do that. How could he put a knife, a gun, and a death flower on your desk?"

"..."

"That's the same as him wanting Zeta's death. I can't tolerate this."

"And you are Arthur!!! How can I hide all this from my mother?!"

"Ah... Arthur also doesn't want Mom to worry," replies Arthur nervously about getting a scolding from mom.

"The two of you!!!"

"Darling, is there no other food?"

"Oh!" reply mom while patting both hands.

Father's question made the mother re-conscious about her duties. He walked straight into the kitchen, leaving me alone with the three men who loved me so much. Before leaving the dining room, she said it might take 30 minutes until all the dishes are finished. Looks like that's enough time to discuss everything you want. Or, or, it could be that all this has been a plan of the father from the beginning where the new father told the mother everything that happened to me today so that the mother who was supposed to cook with the chef was still listening to the story of the father. I don't know, I just guessed all that.

Arthur and William continued to give me sentient gazes to open the conversation. I didn't know how to open the conversation because my father was still enjoying the dishes in front of him. I thought it was my father who would open this conversation. Wouldn't it be weird if I suddenly discussed the bullying I got?

"Dad," called me finally couldn't stand the gaze my two brothers gave me.

Father put the tableware in his hand. He looked at me as if asking me to continue what I was going to say to him. I just gulped, feeling intimidated by his gaze. I can't imagine how intimidating his gaze would be when he met another businessman.

"Zeta doesn't know what's going to happen tomorrow because Brother William told Zeta to see him tomorrow. But, Zeta doesn't want Dad to do anything that harms others."

"And what harm does Zeta mean?"

"It seems to be revoking the scholarship of those who bullied Zeta or hurt the people who bullied Zeta, including Ken. Zeta doesn't want that to happen."

"Why?"

"Because Zeta doesn't want to be feared by more people."

"If what hurt Ken was his father, it wouldn't be a problem would it?"

I was silent, unable to answer father's question. I knew right from the start that whatever Ken did, everything would still go wrong in the eyes of my father or his father. From the moment he decided to do all the things he wanted, from then on no one would be able to help him.

"Zeta, why do you want to accept all this? You can easily deny all of Ken's accusations to you, but why did you just shut up and accept it?" ask William.

"To help him and protect him" I replied without thinking.

Arthur stomped my feet, making me stare at him in confusion. I immediately turned my gaze toward father and William in turn. William looked at me suspiciously. Dad just scrunched his forehead.

"Shelp and protect her from what?"

Once again, Arthur stepped on my right foot. I don't know if father and William don't know about Natasha. There's no way that if they both know, they'll ask me why I helped and protected Ken. I can definitely read and know all my actions.

Wait, if dad and William don't know yet, then what do they know about the bullying I'm experiencing?

"If Zeta is in the middle of negotiations, Zeta's enemies will immediately find out what Zeta is hiding" he said, drinking water.

"Zeta wants to return the favor for all the things Ken has done so far" Arthur replies, trying to improve the atmosphere.

"really?" ask William to investigate.

"That's enough. I'm going to see Mom. Finish your meal before the main meal comes."

"You didn't think you'd believe what you said, did you?" william asked Arthur as soon as he disappeared from the dining room.

"And I also don't think you believe what I say," Arthur replied making William sigh.

Arthur went back to enjoying the soup in front of him and did not forget to tell me to quickly finish the soup before mom and dad returned from the kitchen.

...-----...

"You crazy?" arthur asked as soon as he entered my room.

"I don't know if Will's father and brother don't know anything about Natasha."

Arthur immediately lay down on my bed and stared at the ceiling of the room for quite a long time. It made me wait for him to reopen both his mouths. Just as I was about to walk towards the bed, Arthur suddenly woke up and immediately sat looking at me who was standing.

"I manipulated the CCTV footage, I omitted the moment Felix came."

"Brother crazy," I said in disbelief.

"I know."

"Why?"

"You want to protect her and I want to grant you every dream."

"Not by doing such a crazy thing, Brother."

Tok..

"They? Have you slept?"

I saw Arthur now telling me to answer William's question honestly. But if I answer honestly and William walks into my room, William will be more suspicious of me and Arthur. If I wasn't honest, there wouldn't be a problem but I would feel guilty for lying to William. Right now I'm just keeping quiet not following Arthur's orders.

Tok.dok..

"Zeta?” call William once more with a knock on the door louder than before.

Again, Arthur told me to answer William's call. This time, I shook my head and asked Arthur to keep quiet. Without further ado, Arthur walked straight to the door and opened it, making me see William's surprised face in my room.

"What are you doing here?"

"Play," Arthur replied, showing me my Nintendo, which was already in his hands.

William pushed slowly on Arthur's body, blocking the way, and went straight into my room. This time, unlike Arthur who was lying on my bed, William actually took another chair and sat opposite me. He took something out of his pocket.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I will grant your 3 wishes if you write it on this paper," he said, placing 3 sheets of paper with 'wish cards' on my desk.

"What about me?" asked Arthur who was also walking closer to my study table just to look at the wish card.

"You will forever be my little brother and I will protect you forever" William said ignoring Arthur's question.

"Why? Zeta can't pay it back."

"There's no excuse" William replied as he flicked his index finger to my forehead.

"Whatever happens in the future. I'll protect you" William continued, pulling Arthur's body out of my room with him.

"I will always protect you, too" said Arthur silently following William's pull from my room.

I don't care what's going to happen. Whatever happens tomorrow. Be that...

...-----...