Mentari in the Night Sky

The Past: Arthur's Trauma

"How can aunty come with us, Zeta?" caroline whispers.

"Mother knows about Brother Arthur and sister of Bu Jasmine."

"Huh? How come?"

"Carol, do you want to add pudding?" ask her with a friendly smile.

"Of course, Auntie. Everything that Auntie made was delicious" Caroline replied as she ran towards the mother who was in front of us.

I watched the face of the mother who again showed her sincere smile. I don't know if you really know about any of this from before or not. I don't know what truth and lies we've told. It's sad when all the truth is suddenly doubted to be a lie just because of one mistake.

Yesterday, after Stephanie had finished giving information about Ms. Jasmine, my mother suddenly called me and without needing to ask her to tell me all about the cause of Arthur's trauma. What I told you was the same information that Uncle Stephan and Stephanie gave, no flaws and no advantages, no advantages, it's as if you've known all that for a long time and waited for the moment when William or I went deeper. I don't think William will ever find out about this because he's part of Arthur's trauma.

"You sure everything's gonna be okay? We're visiting someone who could even turn down our visit" Stephanie said as soon as we got out of the car.

"Mr Jasmine gave this address to me, couldn't it be considered an invitation?"

"Just you," Stephanie replied as she stopped her footsteps, making me turn to her.

"My life was never mine, Steph,” my dream was so aware of the change in the look on her face.

"I'll take Carol away as soon as we get to the door where she's being treated."

I just nodded and resumed our steps towards the room where Ms. Jasmine's sister was being treated. Our footsteps stopped as soon as we saw that Ms. Jasmine was already at the door, as if she knew we were coming. She greeted my mother as soon as she saw my face. I don't know if what she wants is Arthur or me.

"You're finally here, Zeta."

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Please, come in."

Ms. Jasmine opened the door of the room where her sister was being cared for, showing a woman with long black hair standing in front of the window as her hands danced through the air in search of freedom. This treatment room is full of paintings. Collectors will surely be interested in the full-wound abstract paintings installed in every corner of this room.

"May I have a little chat with your son?" mrs Jasmine asked as soon as my right foot stepped on the room.

"Sure," replied the mother, returning with a sincere smile.

"Steph and Carol can stay with me, can't they?" mother continued after realizing that my two best friends were just standing outside the room.

"certain. I also hope Steph and Carol can be my sister's friends,” replied Ms. Jasmine, making my mother and my two best friends go straight into the room.

Ms. Jasmine immediately asked me to leave through her eyes. I just followed him walking to the end of the building which was only 5 meters from the room where his sister was in care. He put some coins in the vending machine. I think the reason he chose this place was because of the vending machine.

"Do you want to?"

I shook my head and immediately sat down on the side seat of the beverage vending machine.

"A lot of people are looking for Olivia's whereabouts" he said as he opened the soda can in his hand.

"And you think that's who's looking for Allison's family?" my reply.

"It would be better if your family were looking for him. Until now I don't know who's looking for Olivia."

"Sister Arthur, what do you want from her?" I just want to stop this pleasantry.

"Olivia always hated Mom because both of our parents always compared us both. The distance we were aged was quite far and still both of our parents compared us both as if we were born in the same year. Olivia always takes things for granted and does not want to show who she is because she is afraid that people will find out who her brother is. He did not want to be compared to his brother. What do you know about Olivia, Zeta?"

"Zeta doesn't know anything about him."

Ms. Jasmine chuckled as soon as she heard my answer. He exhaled before downing the entire soda and playing the can created a tone. I stood up and put a coin in the vending machine and gave him a can of soda. He picked it up and threw away the empty can in his hand.

"He met someone who made him believe in his artistic abilities. Slowly, Olivia began to step out of the room she locked and walk freely towards her muse. And Olivia's muse is Arthur, her first and last love."

"Olivia is also Arthur's first and last love to date."

"Painful love."

"What does Mom mean?"

"Someone disguised as Arthur, someone sent a letter in Arthur's name. Olivia took it for granted because the name ‘Arthur’ was written. I admit that Olivia was stupid for not checking the truth of the letter she received when she had many opportunities to ask Arthur about the letter directly. Olivia goes to the place written in one of the letters she receives, she doesn't know if she's headed for a place where her dreams and life will be lost a second time."

"Mother contacted Arthur after 1 hour of not getting word from Olivia. Arthur went straight to the place where Olivia was with William. Unlike William who prefers to wait for their bodyguards to come, Arthur immediately breaks into a small warehouse behind his school and sees the terrible condition of Olivia. Not just one person, but ten people try to touch Olivia and once they see Arthur they become more and more so to touch Olivia. Those ten people were people who were hostile towards the Allison Family. They were hostile towards the Allison Family but they were hurting others just to make one of the Allison Family members suffer. They use others to hurt others. They beat up Arthur who tried to help Olivia and they rendered Arthur helpless as he watched Olivia cry for help, help that came out not only from her mouth but also from her eyes."

"What happens next?" I asked after Ms. Jasmine stopped telling stories for a minute.

"William made it into the warehouse along with his bodyguards. The bodyguards help Arthur and Olivia but they can't help Arthur's blind temper. Arthur picked up the gun the guards had brought and shot the ten men, two of whom died. William confessed to shooting the ten men because he knew that if Arthur confessed, your father wouldn't help Arthur."

Now everything makes sense, the reason that the bodyguards no longer carry guns and the reason that the case is so closed. Sure dad and mom know about all this, they just don't know more about the reason behind the shooting. Arthur shut his mouth and said only the ten men took him to the barn and beat him. William, who saw how Arthur tried to cover up the reasons behind the shooting, would certainly respect and do what Arthur did.

Now my question is where are the eight living people?

"The incident left Olivia traumatized by men including Arthur. He said he deeply hated and regretted knowing Arthur. Arthur never showed his face in front of Olivia. And now that Olivia has slowly accepted the incident, she is eager to meet Arthur. I tried to ask Arthur to see him but Arthur always refused and giving you this address was the only way Mom could think of it."

"May Zeta ask?"

"Where did the eight go?" reply Miss Jasmine like she just read my mind.

I'm nodding.

"Only William knows and maybe your father."

“By Zeta back ask?”

“Sure.”

“What will I do if Brother Arthur does not want to return either back to his former self or back into Olivia's life?”

“Mother will do nothing, Olivia will make Arthur come back to him," he replied with confidence, a confidence that even I as her sister could not have.

Ting.

'When the visit is over, where are you?'

"When the visit is over?" jasmine asked as soon as I closed the phone.

"Yes and thank you for making Zeta unable to see Mother's sister."

"Sama-sama," she replied as she gave a joking smile of hers.

Me and Ms. Jasmine were walking towards the lobby, where my mother and my two best friends were waiting for me. Jasmine had peeked into Olivia's room while giving a smile, as if Olivia had seen her. Just as we reached the lobby, Stephanie and Caroline's hands were filled with a canvas of paintings, paintings that did not show any sadness.

"Did Olivia give you the painting?" asked Ms. Jasmine while gently rubbing the canvas of the painting.

"Yes, Mommy."

I will not be able to follow the conversation of the three people, I better approach the mother who was talking to one of the managers in this place. Mother pulled out her business card and a check, something she wouldn't have done with her own hands if it weren't for something important to happen. I looked at my mother's face and found nothing but her friendly, carefree smile. Was it really a mother's smile or was it just a pretence?

Before we left, I had a 1-minute conversation with Ms. Jasmine. I'm sure you said something that would have a big impact, seeing how Ms. Jasmine reacted after hearing what she said. I just hope what you say won't hurt anyone.

"Olivia's a beautiful and sweet girl. I want her to be Mom's daughter-in-law" she said as soon as we got in the car, causing Caroline to choke.

"What do you think of Olivia?" I asked her, looking at Stephanie and Caroline.

"Beautiful and sweet girl" replied Caroline.

"That's what Auntie just said."

"Hehe."

"Is it okay for you to have a daughter-in-law who has been abused by ten men?" I asked Stephanie to step on my foot and make Caroline drop the snack in her hand.

"Is that his fault? The ten men were wrong to have corrupted a girl. Zeta, don't ever ask questions like this again when you also know it's not her fault" she replied, giving the driver the order to immediately drive the car.

"Olivia told him everything that happened to him. She's made peace with her past" Stephanie said before joining her mother and Caroline's conversation.

Peace with the past...

Will someone who has made peace with his past announce it to the person he first met?

...-----...