No Rose Without A Thorn's

Lestari and Resti

Keira asks Mrs Lestari to meet her at the park. It is uncomfortable to talk in the house. Ms. Lestari came in a panic, thinking her daughter was in trouble.

"What's going on?"

Keira caught a glimpse of her mother and shifted her seat on the bench so that her mother could sit down.

"Mom, have you been happy all this time?"

Ny Lestari looked at her daughter in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"I thought all along that mom had to marry me. Ma'am, I'm an adult, explain to me what made you bond with me."

"Shut your mouth Keira. Don't talk about nonsensical things!"

"Why do we have to go into someone else's life, Mom? While we were once happy living a threesome."

"Keira, what's troubling you? Is there anything bad you've heard?"

Mrs Lestari asked back. He knows his daughter who has a sensitive feeling. Even if Mr. Kusuma put Keira's name on the family card as his son, Keira still considers herself a stranger in the family.

"Keira, mom told you to live a happy life. Don't worry about useless things."

"Can we be happy, Mom? Mom took the woman's position,"

Plaque! Mrs Lestari slapped Keira in the face.

"Don't you mention the dead woman! I didn't take anything!"

Keira held back the pain in her cheek because her heart was much more sore.

"She's back ma'am, she'll get back at us."

Mrs Lestari looked at Keira in confusion.

"Who do you mean?"

"The girl's son is back for revenge."

Mrs Lestari growled furiously.

"How dare he come back! After what his family did, you even ...." Ms. Lestari could not continue her words should she hug Keira tightly.

"But I'm not going to let him harass us!"

"But she's innocent of anything ma'am" Keira sobbed.

"He was guilty of being born into the wrong family!"

Keira wiped her tears.

"Mom, what else are you hiding? What the hell is going on?"

Ms. Lestari won't answer.

"Mom won't budge. I did everything for you."

"Forku?" Keira asked in wonder.

"Why don't you do everything for Zea? Why did you leave her at that orphanage?"

"I told you not to talk about your sister! She must be happy."

"How did you know she was happy? What if he curses us from there? I even feel like he's alive!"

"Don't be silly, Keira!" Ms. Lestari threw away her face. Keira looked at her mother suspiciously.

"Why did you bury Zea with the other children?"

"You even know that the bodies are unrecognizable!"

"The children did not have a family to recognize him, but not Zea! Zea has us to recognize him. Why did you just take their testimony?"

"Because you need immediate treatment! I can't linger delaying your treatment! We have to get going"

"About me again?! Why don't I die, Mom? Why was I still alive that night and had to live half-dead like this?"

Keira cried loudly. Ms. Lestari was crying too.

"Why Mom always puts me first. He's your son too, Mom!"

"Do you think you don't love her?"

"If you could repeat, you would never give birth to your sister!" jerit Ny Lestari's.

Keira was astonished, unable to believe her mother said such a cruel thing.

"Mother just hurt her. I can't take care of her. What kind of mother am I?" Mrs Lestari is crying.

"No way!" Ny Lestari cut.

"Your sister is no more," he continued.

Keira looked at her mother. For the first time he felt that his mother was hiding a lot of things. Keira did not argue but was determined to re-investigate the fire.

*

Evan stared at the photo sheets on the table. He was in a secret apartment. He never told Nada about the apartment. Nada only knew that she was looking for a girl from her past, she never even told her that she was Keira.

Evan looked at the pictures of my family and was astonished. None of the photos show any other family members besides Mr. Kusuma, Mrs Lestari, Keira and Dizza. Where is Keira's younger brother? Is Mrs Lestari still hiding it? What's for?"

The question danced in his mind.

"Mrs, where are we going? It's the third time we've circled this street." Driver Ny Lestari asked timidly.

"I told you it's up to you to turn where you're going. I just don't want to go home!" exclaim Ny Lestari angry.

The driver did not answer. He glanced at Mrs Lestari from the windshield, not understanding why a usually very elegant employer could be so emotional like this.

Ms. Lestari squeezed her own skirt in agitation.

"Fuckin' woman!" angry talk.

His memory drifted into the past.

For the first time he sat directly opposite Resti, Kusuma's mistress.

"Tell me what you want to say, then never see me again!" Lestari said firmly.

Resti laughed a little, then drank the tea very slowly, increasingly making Lestari fed up.

"You don't have to show me your drama skills" said Lestari sharply. Resti laughed again.

"You think you've won?" ask Resti.

"Then do you think you won?" Lestari asked back.

Resti took a cigarette and exhaled the smoke strongly. Lestari tried to restrain herself from coughing.

"You're still a hypocrite like you used to be" Resti said flatly. Lestari did not answer.

"You, get out of my life like you promised."

"Promise? What did you promise me?"

Resti looked at Lestari who held back in anger.

"It wasn't me who killed your ex-husband!"

"Not you, but Baskoro!"

"He was unintentional."

"I can't believe your bullshit!"

"Don't make me lose my temper."

"I'm sure you're the most patient person, considering your patience has only been a savings for years!"

"You!" Resti feels demeaned.

Lestari stood up, not caring about Resti's anger.

"My patience is over. You have a chance and I won't give you a second one!"

Lestari left and stopped for a moment.

"Did I tell you that my husband said he wanted to get rid of his stash?"

Resti tightly gripped the tea cup and threw it. Without them noticing, a boy overheard their conversation.

*

"Sister, I can't take it anymore!" Resti yells at Baskoro. Her brother was pacing around in the study. Evan eavesdropped on their conversation from the outside.

"I've sacrificed my life for Kusuma. I left my career and let them humiliate me with the status of 'Storage'!"

"Shut up Resti!" Baskoro yelled at his sister.

"Do I have to shoot that guy?" ask Baskoro.

"Sister, please don't hurt Kusuma." Resti started crying.

Baskoro looked at Resti in annoyance and then he opened the door, he looked at Evan who was caught eavesdropping. Baskoro said nothing. He left Evan while whistling.