My Brother's Friend

43. El and Nathan

Piles of paper and maps adorn the El workbench. Starting from the morning the man was incessantly struggling on the laptop and occasionally reading the files beside him.

His brown bead continued to glare at the data report he compiled, after completion he made additional reports on different sheets.

The sale of the products they sold won a jackpot, when Ferry Irawan Halim stepped in to control the project a few months ago. El deserves a thumbs up on the results of the performance of the old man.

Yes, the old man who now began to call Papah.

Still feel awkward sometimes El still call him Om or a formal call like Pak, but on the Ferry side he will not force the will of El. Ferry told him that he would not demand El to forgive or accept his presence. Ferry knows himself for all the fatal mistakes he has made in the past. Simply seeing Risma happy to see El forgive Risma, Ferry is still very grateful.

After the day that El and Risma made up, Risma still often visited El at the Apartment bringing food after El came home from work. Sometimes if El will stay at Adit's house, Risma will also visit Adit's house with a bushel of food large enough so that they can eat together there.

Several times also El ventured to visit the luxurious house Risma lived in, there El saw the daily life of Ferry.

The charismatic, understated and hard-principled aura that El saw on Ferry was invisible when he was home.

Ferry is a fan of Naruto anime cartoons to have a costume set of one of the characters he likes; white hairy sandals always adorn both feet while at home; and; it is so interesting to sing the song of marah belonging to Melly Goeslow; doyan wheat bread with chocolate jam; and like his own fuss when talking to his pet that he loves very much, he said, The Arowana fish he named Kitty.

Recalling that El closed his eyes while twitching the base of his nose. Let alone El, Nathan who was his own biological child could only sniff his shoulders indifferently.

Leaving the report for a moment, El receives a video call from his father who is in England. As usual, they started asking for news and their health conditions, then their conversation went straight to the core where El had met and reconciled with Risma.

Arkana – Father El – review smile relieved.

“thank goodness you finally made up with Risma. Now you have to keep your attitude towards her and your new father, however we are already a family now.”

El just cleared a short moment. Assented.

“so, how does it feel to have a sister? Fun dong?” arkana asked with interest, El sniffed his shoulders.

“ mediocre.”

“be nice to him too. What was his name, Nathan? You and Nathan should get along.”

“iya.” El nodded slowly.

“don't ya-iya. Heard and done what I just said El!”

Both El beads spinning pushy hearing Arkana say ketus, “iya Father.”

“then, how are Adit and Milly doing? Especially my daughter-in-law. You didn't do anything to her?”

This time El a little flutter. He cleared his throat briefly and interrupted Arkana's speech.

“what the hell, Dad. Her thoughts are ugly mute about me.”

“you're a jerk. Just be careful if you mess with Milly, Aduin father to Adit let you know the taste!”

Arkana and Adit are like real fathers and sons. Having a submissive attitude and upholding politeness, Adit is very dear to Arkana. When Adit and El quarrel, Arkana will defend Adit more than El.

When this happened, El could only shut his mouth until Arkana stopped impaling him.

After making a video call, El returned to work until dusk was seen adorning the sky of the Capital.

El immediately tidied up the pile of documents and work equipment, turned off the laptop, and passed from his room.

***********************************

The black sedan car arrives at Adit's yard. El got out of his car with a disheveled face. The red streaks in both of his eyes indicate that El needs a break.

For a moment he noticed that there was a car parked in the yard. The car was not Adit's car, considering that Adit was driving Karmila home to a house far enough away.

Soon El stepped into the house, then his gaze caught Risma chatting with Milly in the living room.

And there's Nathan there too, busy typing his laptop in his lap.

“kak El,”

Milly got up to El, who was still standing by the door, and pulled El to sit on the couch. 

El who looks tired makes Risma rise and immediately prepare the food he has brought from home. Nathan was still sitting on the couch watching El in front of him. The man did look tired, even he laid his body on the sofa without removing the tie and black suit that wrapped his body first.

“eat first!” nathan patted El on the shoulder to wake him up. El cleared his throat, unable to fall asleep by Nathan's call.

“nyokap has brought a lot of food. After eating up lo, want to jump back or want to say I do not care.”

Forced El to wake up his body, after opening his eyes he clucked annoyed to see Nathan back sitting and struggling on his laptop again.

Recalling Milly's talk when he learned of Nathan's apartment number, El said:

“lo know where my apartment is from?”

Nathan doesn't answer because he doesn't realize El is talking to him. Until El cleared his throat, Nathan looked up to him.

“lo or My apartment up to my room number from where?” ask El again.

There was a pause before Nathan retorted.

“kepo lo!”

El was stunned for a moment before he replied to Nathan.

“no one knows where I live except Adit and certain people.”.

Before saying again El squinted his fierce eyes.

“...unless lo diem-diem followed me all this time, lest lo phsyco so yak?”

“iya I pshyco, you know all this time I want to giggle your neck until it breaks. Satisfied?! Eat there!” nathan's scolding then he passed out of the house.

***********************************

Finished struggling on the laptop, Nathan breathed a sigh of relief. It did not feel like he had been outside for almost an hour, until Adit continued to persuade him to enter the house but Nathan still survived sitting in front of the terrace.

Enrollment of college abroad is quite difficult for him. he wondered, he, Milly alone is quite easy when doing registration why Nathan is more of the installment that he must complete even must be completed within 3 days.

Fortunately, Nathan moved quickly, so Nathan passed the selection stage. Just take the test that will be held next week.

“lo why the long time outside? I know a lot of mosquitoes outside,” El came to Nathan who was closing the laptop and he put it in a bag.

“iya, you mosquito!” Ketus Nathan avenged El's delicacy.

Before Nathan made it inside, El prevented Nathan from continuing the delayed chat.

“my questions have not been answered, you know my apartment number from where?”

“so curious huh?” next to Nathan's eyebrows raised full.

“so hard to stay answered doang!” el complained while shaking his waist.

“from people.” Finally Nathan answered El's question even though the answer needed to be asked again.

“who's the guy?”

“lo unknown. I asked him to tell me about lo.”

“lo, seriously?” el turned his eyes wide, not believing what he had just heard.

Nathan clucked, “iya.”

“why?”

“effort I make you know you are not in vain is not it? Lo same Mother can make up because I tell you where you live to Mother. And the problem lo the same Milly will not run fast if I do not tell you Lo apartment to Milly.” Nathan is at length.

El was silent, looking thoughtful. You could say there is also a point in what Nathan said.

Nathan sat back on the porch. His gaze was in any direction with a hollow highlight.

"before Papah married Mother, which I know Mother is a Widow who was left alone until she met Papah. After they got married I was so happy. Their happiness really feels, my days also feel perfect when Mother loves me like her own biological child. Until I found Mommy crying in Papah's arms, at that time I wanted to see Papah in his study but I heard Mommy crying there. In between her crying, Mother said that she missed the boy she had left behind for several years. After hearing that suddenly my mind was empty and stiffened as if struck by lightning. Starting from there I broke down to talk to Mommy because I think Mommy has the heart to lie to Papah. But in fact I know nothing myself..."

"...until I recklessly find the address of the old house of Mother, I want to know who the child Mother who deliberately left Mother. The old house was already sold and was already inhabited by new residents. Then I was desperate to hire a special person to find out everything about the past of Mother and her son. Until a few months later my people gave a pile of data, from there I know the biggest mistake Papah and Mommy and I found your personal data..."

"...gue nggak sia-sia buat bayar orang. Semua data lo gue pelajari secara cermat: bagaimana kehidupan lo setelah Bunda ninggalin lo, keberadaan bokap lo di Inggris, pendidikan serta pekerjaan dengan jabatan tinggi, alamat Apartemen lo dan orang-orang terdekat lo. Sampai dimana gue tau lo ada hubungan dengan Milly, perempuan yang gue sukai. Tapi gue nggak bertindak karena gue tau lo benci sama Bunda dan lo memang sengaja menjauhi Milly karena kesepakatan lo sama Adit..."

"...but when Milly began to often tangisin people kayak lo, I goiter. And when Mommy already knows you're in touch with Milly and Papah helping Mommy to approach you, I'm not liking you more..."

"...until I started to budge as Milly's message kept spinning in my head,"

"Milly said what's the same?" asked El who had been sitting on the other terrace chair, from earlier El just continued to listen to Nathan's conversation without the intention to interrupt at all.

"during the trip to your apartment for Milly anterin, I told Milly everything about our condition, where I and Milky were shocked when I called you with the title of stepbrother. Milly thought I was lying until I showed you a photo of Risma in the past and then Milly believed my words. Milly said that everything happens is not a coincidence. It has been the way of God, my presence helps Mother to improve your relationship, although later I do not know how your relationship with Mother ahead. It turns out I did not take the wrong step to tell your apartment the same Mother. Papah and Mommy have also apologized for the mistakes they made. They won't force us to forgive them."

Nathan said, "sorry if I envy you all this time. And as long as I'm gone you have to take care of Mommy."

"uh uh? Where are you going?"

"gue wants to go to college abroad" Nathan replies casually.

El was surprised, "where?"

"France" Nathan said in a nosy tone, trying to tease the man who was tightening his jaw.

"uh uh? You're kidding, right? Milly didn't tell me you wanted to go to college in France."

"kalo dikasih tau, there you will be angry bro.." kekeh Nathan immediately greeted a strong pull on the collar of his polo shirt.

"easy man I'm kidding. I'm not going to France, I'm going to Aussie."

"uhuh??"

"duh.. Huh.. Huh.. You think I'm a conch?" erang Nathan and El let go of his grip.

"why don't you talk about going to Aussie?"

"i've been talking about it, right,"

El twirled his brown bead, puffed up.

"lo suddenly said it. Why is it only now that I just want to deketin lo?"

"don't deketin me! I'm still normal, I still like girls."

It is better for El to shut up than to reply to Nathan's words that began to fall apart.

El's one hand landed on Nathan's shoulder, patting slowly while giving a word of encouragement during Nathan's time in the Aussie.

"the idea is that next month is not now. The advice will be just as I want to go, I forgot."

El completely silenced his mouth tightly, then left Nathan laughing at him on the porch.

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