No Rose Without A Thorn's

The Wounds of the Past

Keira entered the room sadly. He recalled the time he was at Nada's house, when he asked if Evan and Nada lived together. Keira lay down and closed her eyes. Unknowingly Keira shed tears.

"Keira, are you inside?" Mrs Lestari knocked on the door.

Keira hurriedly wiped her tears and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"What's up, Mom?"

Mrs Lestari locked the door and sat down in front of Keira.

"Mother was informed that Evan had been back here long enough."

Keira looked at her mother without any reaction.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Get him back!"

"Mom, can't we get everything?"

"Once again? If we don't get rid of him first, we'll be eliminated!"

"What would he do, Mom?" Keira asks in despair, even though she actually knows that Evan wants revenge for the death of his mother and brother.

Mrs Lestari looked at Keira sharply.

"Have you forgotten what her brother did to you?!" asked mother half screaming.

"It wasn't Evan's fault, Mom."

"That's his mistake. If only he hadn't made an appointment with you, that night...."

"Stop Ma'am... Please stop...." Keira closed her ears. He did not want to hear back his past wounds. He tried to forget the tragedy that hurt him. Ms. Lestari hugged Keira with pity.

"The boy really doesn't know himself! He should know what Hans did to you! Baskoro must have brainwashed him!"

Ms. Lestari clenched her hands full of vengeance.

"Mom, please tell me the truth about Zea."

Ms. Lestari looked at Keira in silence.

"Son, trust me. Mother never once intentionally kept you apart. If only I had known things would be this complicated, I would not have chosen to give birth to you both."

Mrs Lestari started crying.

"But being a mother is a mother's choice. I don't regret having you, my only regret is failing to protect you."

"You. and your sister..."

Mrs Lestari is crying.

"Mother is guilty of both of you...."

Keira hugged her mother. "This is not the mother's fault.. "

"Mom just wants to protect you..."

Keira then recalled to Nada, she took out the brown envelope and handed it to mother.

"What's this?"

"The child you gave the money to doesn't want to keep it. Mom, why did you become like this? Is that kid bothering us?"

"Mother followed your father's orders."

Keira sighed, she had expected it.

"Mom, that kid lives with Evan."

Ms. Lestari looked at Keira in disbelief.

"How do you know?"

Keira did not answer.

"Keira, don't approach them again!"

Keira was silent but when Mrs Lestari was about to leave she said quietly.

"The boy's got a scar on the nape like Zea."

Mrs Lestari who had been holding the doorknob fell silent, she looked at Keira sharply.

"What do you mean?"

"The boy had a forgotten scar similar to Zea." Keira repeated her words.

"But strangely he doesn't recognize us.." Keira spoke to herself.

Mrs Lestari tried to stand up straight.

"There are many similar scars in this world. Why are you worried?"

Keira looked at her mother.

"Somehow, I shouldn't be worried, but somehow when I'm around the kid I feel..."

"Stop Keira, Zea is dead!"

Keira did not argue anymore. He closed his eyes. Ms. Lestari opened the door and was shocked to see Dizza standing in front of the door.

"Who's dead, Mom?"

Hearing Dizza's voice, Keira gasped. He got up and ran to the door. Dizza was looking at his mother with a cold look.

"What are you hiding?"

"You're hearing wrong." Keira replied.

Dizza looked at Keira and Ny Lestari alternately.

"Well, let's just say I heard wrong."

Dizza relented and left the two, but Keira called Dizza back.

"So, I don't want to talk to you."

*

Keira and Dizza walked out of the house.

"Are you still angry?" ask Keira.

Keira sat on the garden chair and stared at the moon.

"Dad will be very angry if you meet him."

"Dad knows him too?"

Keira looked at Dizzah.

"Do you know him as a good man?" ask Keira.

Dizza nodded. "He was a photographer I worked with a lot. Brother, please explain everything so I don't have to be angry."

Keira grabbed Dizza's hand and held it. "You know, if something bad happens to you, you won't be able to forgive yourself."

Dizza was silent, he knew Keira loved him.

"Please just this once, leave Evan. My sister can't explain everything now. One day you will understand."

"Sister...."

"Please promise to stay away from him and don't tell me."

Dizza wanted to argue but saw Keira saying solemnly he was disallowing any intention to protest.

"When will I find out why?"

Keira looked at the moon again. "Do you know you're father's most precious treasure?" ask Keira.

"No. I think father's treasure is his company."

Keira smiled, "Don't be silly. You are my only real son. Dad did everything in the company for you, because you were his only successor."

Dizzah looked at Keira.

"I think Brother is wrong. I always felt that it was Big Brother who would inherit it, because dad always entrusted everything to Big Brother."

Keira laughs. "You're nuts. Brother is not father's son. You're the only successor."

"I really don't care about the legacy" said Dizza.

"I will willingly give it to Brother, as long as Brother and mother don't leave me."

"Dizza, you.."

"Sir, I'm serious. I've been wanting to tell you this for a long time. Later if you leave, I won't take the company. I don't care. I just want to be with you guys. So. so..."

Dizza didn't continue the sentence.

"So what?" ask Keira.

"So, if you want a sister who owns the company, you don't have to get rid of me..."

Dizzie suddenly cried.

"I'm sorry big brother, I'm sorry for thinking like that. I just. forgive me..." Dizzah is still crying.

"I never thought that we would fight over the company. I'm just afraid that one day it turns out. I just want to say that you are my most precious treasure.. "

Dizza talks no shit.

"I often hear about the tragedy of another family's power struggle. I don't want to...."

Keira was crying. He did not think that Dizza had the fear he harbored. He hugged Dizzie.

"Sister won't leave you. I promise to take care of you."

Keira closed her eyes remembering that she had promised Zea the same thing.

*

Later that night Keira fell asleep with thoughts overlapping in her mind. Evan, Zea, Nada, Dizza wandered in his dream. Yet another dream came back. A nightmare he had almost forgotten.

A memory that traumatized him for years. A tragedy that left him unable to meet Zea and Evan that night.

In the dark of the night Keira was screaming hysterically.

"Take me off.... Don't. please please....Jangaaaaaann.please...........!"

BRACKET...

Keira's bedroom door was smashed, Keira shrieking in a semi-conscious state.

Mr. Kusuma turned on the lights, Dizza and Mrs Lestari immediately calmed Keira down.

"Sister, why brother?" Dizzie asked in panic.

"Keira, wake up. This is Mom.. " Mrs Lestari was trying to hug Keira who was shouting involuntarily.

Keira opened her eyes and looked at the worried Ms. Lestari. He unconsciously cried.

"Silence, calm down.nothing." Mrs Lestari hugged Keira.

Dizza looked at Mr. Kusuma question mark, but the man said nothing. Leaving Keira's room, Dizza looked at his father and rushed out leaving Keira and Ny Lestari, following his father.

"Don't ask anything." Mr. Kusuma knows that Dizza is behind him.

"Why do I always know nothing?" ask Dizza.

"This time I want to know why Brother is like that? It's not like I hear him screaming in the middle of the night. Lately he's been screaming three times even though it's not as loud today."

Dizza had heard Keira screaming three times in her sleep, twice before when Dizza banged on the door, Keira would wake up alone and say she was just a dream. But this time, Keira did not answer Dizzas crush even more hysterically shouting until Dizza had to wake his mother.

"He's just a nightmare."

"What nightmares are always coming?" ask Dizza astonished.

Mr. Kusuma turned to look at his daughter.

"Nightmare from past wounds will always come if you don't really recover."

"What?" Dizza doesn't understand.

"What past injuries?"

Mr. Kusuma went into the room and told Dizza to go back to sleep.

Dizza returned to Keira's room and saw her brother was calmer with her mother. He walked to his room thinking, then he snapped his finger.

"I will no longer be a child who knows nothing!"