Mentari in the Night Sky

The Past: William

For the first time after my mother's death, I was able to sleep well. I think my body has reached the limit of fatigue so that I can finally enjoy my sleep again. I watched Caroline who was still sleeping soundly beside me, it seemed like she was the same as me who was also very tired to finally fall asleep very fast especially when she just came from London yesterday.

Last night, at about 9 o'clock I think, Caroline suddenly walked into my room and asked me not to throw her out. He said he could not sleep in the guest room alone, other than because it was cold because he was afraid. It rained heavily last night and was full of flashes, Caroline was terrified of lightning.

I turned my attention to the clock that showed me at 7am, not usually neither Ken nor Arthur had woken me. I shrouded Caroline's body and walked out of the room.

The house was very quiet, not as usual. Waiters who usually have passed by to clean the house also have not shown their faces. I decided to walk into the dining room, the only place that wouldn't be empty especially at breakfast hours like this. There will definitely be one or two people even though I will only find grandfather, at least I found another life in this house.

"Sister Will? Steph?" call me surprised as soon as you set foot in the dining room.

I walked towards one of the chairs beside Arthur. I don't know if William and Stephanie are in this house, and I don't even hear from them if they're both coming to Wales. I'm sure something happened.

"Where is everyone?" I asked as soon as Ken took the bread out of my hand. I looked at him in wonder before finally giving the rest of the bread in my hand to him. He put jam on my bread and put it on my plate. I know he is a very nice person to his partner but I am not used to his attitude towards me. It's like being someone else.

"Grandmother has come home from the hospital and she wants peace at home" replied Arthur.

"Why don't I know anything?"

"I don't know either. I didn't even wake up when grandma and grandpa came home from the hospital" Ken replied as he rubbed my lips with jam.

"They're your grandmother and grandfather?"

William's question instantly made the atmosphere turn awkward. Ken just smiled as he continued eating his bread. He knows very well that William has not been able to take it back as before. He knew it well and therefore he always tried not to cause trouble or make William's mood go bad. Surely, he also received all the bad sentences that William had given him. He accepted the anger that William showed him so well. It was so good that William became even more angry with him.

"Carol's not awake yet?" stephanie asked to break the awkwardness.

"Yesterday night heavy rain. I think he's only really sleeping soundly after the rain has subsided."

"Can you stop this talk? Zeta's here too, quickly tell me why you've suddenly come to Wales."

I looked at Arthur who was staring at William. My guess is right, something must have happened.

"Alvin, he's going to announce everything that's going on in the Nakamoto Family and the Allison Family."

"That's all?" arthur's reply was uninspired, he hated everything related to the Allison Family and of course the Nakamoto Family.

"Not 'that's all'. He'll tell the world who he really is. He wants to destroy the Nakamoto Family and the Allison Family. Dad doesn't care about it as long as Zeta doesn't try to ask him to stop what Alvin is trying to do. I don't care even if the company is destroyed."

"You're gonna use Zeta for the umpteenth time?"

"Sister Arthur," I called slowly, realizing that this conversation would turn into something worse than a fight.

"There's not a month after mom's death and you've been thinking about the company's image. Doesn't she have any meaning to you? And now I really think that Zeta is just a business tool for you."

"Sister Arthur," call me a second time.

"What Alvin is going to do is very impactful for the company. Those who work for the company, those who do not know anything, they can be affected. You can't let this happen, right? I know you care enough, Zeta."

"William!!!" arthur shouted while slamming the plate, making the sound of shards sound quite loud because of the silence in this house.

"I don't care about the love you have for the company. I also don't care if the company will be destroyed. But can you just show me how you feel this one time? Show me the feeling you have for mom, your love for mom, your loss for mom, can't you show it? Just one time. Just one time. Can't you be the most important thing in your life? Can't it be just once?!"

Arthur's words make Stephanie and Ken silent, as well as me. I know sooner or later, Arthur will show you how much he hates William's attitude, which always hides his feelings. I know Arthur just wanted William to be able to express himself more but saying everything now would only make William hide his feelings even more. A feeling that only he could show me and my mother.

"Zeta, I don't care if you're going to call Dad or Alvin, I just hope you can stop what Alvin's going to do" William replied, further making the atmosphere worse. This time, Arthur even stood up from where he sat and held William's collar.

"Sister Arthur," called me as I stood from where I was sitting.

"This one time, please use your heart instead of your rationality. Can't you see Zeta holding back her feelings for Alvin? Can't you see how they are suffering because of the feelings they have? Can't you see if the two of them are trying to forget all the feelings that once existed or may still exist? Can't you just love Zeta once, not in the way you hurt her?"

Arthur took his hand off William's collar.

"If the Allison Family is more important than your mother's departure and the pain Zeta is feeling, then just stay the way you are and never change yourself" Arthur said as he walked out. I think he's going straight to Olivia's rehab because only that place can now give her peace.

Silent.

William gave me a document, a document I can guess. The document contains photos of the father's meeting with Mrs Sei, along with details of when, where, and what was discussed in their meeting. The document also contains the truth about who Alvin and Sina are, along with DNA tests that prove themselves.

Documents that Alvin had also sent to one of the media but was successfully taken back by William, seeing how a piece of paper containing news had been written by a reporter who always worked for the Allison Family, he said, just waiting for approval for the news in my hands can be published. It seemed, the reporter who wrote this news changed his decision and preferred to give all he had to William.

"This time, Alvin will do a live interview. Please, for mom's sake."

William held the back of my hand while giving his pain-filled gaze. He breathed a long breath while standing from where he was sitting and gently rubbed my head until he finally left the dining room. Ken took all the papers in my hand and threw them away from me.

"Sister William, is he really.."

"Sorry."

"They?! Why didn't you wake me?!" caroline shouts the silence in this house. The silence that my grandmother wanted didn't seem to last long with Caroline in this house.

"Steph?!" call Caroline in surprise and fear.

"Zeta, didn't I tell you to keep it a secret if I was here?!" continued.

"You think I don't know?! I already knew from the moment you left," Stephanie replied as she walked towards Caroline and held onto her left ear, causing Caroline to complain several times. Stephanie takes Caroline out of the dining room. I think Caroline's gonna get a lot of public lectures from her twin sister.

"Aren't you going to ask me what I'm going to do?" I asked Ken.

"No. I just hope you won't hurt yourself. I'll tell the chef to cook something" she replied as she walked away leaving me alone in the dining room.

I don't know what I should do. I did not want to involve the ignorant and innocent into this circle of destiny but I also did not want to involve myself more deeply in this destiny. The pain I have received, I cannot accept more than this pain. I was afraid I would do something bad once the pain I felt increased. I was really afraid of the thoughts I had...

...-----...

On the day of mother's death..

"Is grandma okay?" I asked as soon as I saw Grandpa walking into his study.

"Just need a break. What does Zeta want?"

"Zeta can't attend mom's funeral. Zeta, I think Zeta should ask Grandpa for permission."

"Is that what you want, William?"

Grandpa's question instantly made me turn my body around, only to find William standing at the door staring blankly at me. He walked into Grandpa's study with steps that I thought were quite heavy, the same as me when I set foot here. He also carried a stack of documents in his hand, making grandfather look at him full of question marks.

"At first William was going to ask for the same thing as Zeta but William changed his mind" he said, sitting next to me, facing his grandfather.

"Grandfather, let's destroy the Allison Family. All the documents, all the evidence, William's already brought. Grandpa just needs to use all of this at the right time" he continued with a feisty, impelled spirit.

Grandfather was silent as he stared blankly at the pile of documents William had placed on the table. I couldn't read what Grandpa or William were thinking, they were both covering their feelings and didn't want anyone to find their true feelings. At least that's how I feel.

I don't want to get involved in this conversation any further. I want to get out of Grandpa's office. Now I really feel claustrophobic, so claustrophobic just by looking at the pile of documents in front of me. I don't care if Grandpa finally agrees to William's wishes. I think what Grandpa feels is enough reason to destroy the Allison Family, my own family. But, could the Allison Family be destroyed so easily?

"William," called Grandpa with his heavy voice.

"Yes Grandpa?"

"Is this what your mother wants?"

"..."

"What do you think, Zeta?" ask grandpa as silence begins to fill this room. Questions that made me not want to get involved any further.

"Mom doesn't want anything. I just want to love my dad right even after his death. I don't want the love I left for my father to re-create a burden for my father. I just want to love my dad the right way. The right way according to my father," I finally replied after grandfather continued to force me through his eyes.

"William, your mother will continue to love your father even if she is reborn she will still choose your father. Destroying the Allison Family is like destroying your mother."

"In the letter that I left to William, I said I would continue to love my father only until the day he left. Doesn't that mean the love you gave me is over?" william's reply shows his desire to destroy the Allison Family or perhaps shows his stubbornness.

A letter?

Why don't I know anything about letters?

"No, that's just one of the lies your mother gave you. Only then will you not hate your father too much."

"Zeta, can you leave me and grandpa?"

I nodded and walked out of the room. The look on William's face, I can't describe it for sure, I feel like there's a relief in him. A relief he was looking for from the moment he learned the news of the mother's death.

"Grandfather..."

"William, your mother wants you to be the heir to the Allison Family. He wants you to keep what is yours, he doesn't want you to let go of everything just because of his disappearance. When Grandpa's heart was filled with hatred for your father, your mother said, 'Dad, he is the man I chose, the first man I chose in my life, I don't want to feel like my choice was a mistake, a mistake for me, for both my parents, and for my children. I don't want that to happen. I love him even after everything that happened and I hope you can still love my choice'. Grandpa did hate your father, even Grandpa considered the death of your mother was caused by your father but Grandpa could not hate your mother's choice. Grandpa can't hate Grandpa's daughter's choice of love. Grandpa hopes you can also do this thing that Grandpa is forcing. Don't hate your father because your father was part of your mother's choice, a choice he loved so much," cut grandfather to end a hatred that slowly grew in William's heart, and perhaps mine.

I'm really afraid William's gonna shut himself down...

...-----...