Red Threads

News

Mika has never been this happy since Nagra's death. A line of messages that he received some time ago, apparently gave a tremendous effect to his heart. If usually dusk never looks stunning, then now it looks very beautiful.

He arrived home when the sun had slipped at the foot of the western sky. A ray of orange light greeted him as he set foot in the courtyard. There are no clouds in the sky. The wind was wafting slowly, flying the children of her hair.

“You don't want to stop by first? Or, all of you coming to dinner?” ask Mika. His hand handed the helmet to Raga.

Raga shakes. “When-when yes. I still have business.”

"Be careful yes.”

Mika waved at Raga who was already preparing to go home, after delivering her. One hand was carrying a package containing several types of foodstuffs. Today, he will make dinner to welcome his father home. He also hoped that this time his mother would join him. For a long time, they never ate together again.

His feet lightly entered the house. Then, go straight to the fridge. Mika exhaled heavily, as her eyes caught a slice of her mother's birthday cake. Bi Inah must have kept a piece of cake—which is still a little good it—di in the refrigerator. Mika ignored the existence of the cake. Without taking or throwing away the cake. He just took some complementary ingredients. Then, close the fridge door again.

There was still an hour and a half before his father arrived home. Mika got out of the kitchen to clean herself first. Today, for the first time he felt so excited to be home. The house feels warmer than before. Although in fact, it still remained quiet as usual.

Papa

What do you want papa to bring?

Mika read five minutes after taking a shower and getting ready. He had a big smile that he could not hide. Then, his fingers typed in a reply quickly.

Mika Ars

Don't need. Papa quickly went home.

When his mother insisted on treating him as Nagra's killer, only his father insisted on defending him. The man was always trying to convince mom, if Nagra died because it was time. Not because of Mika. Only her father was still willing to have a long chat with her. Only, the man had never been home. After Nagra's death, his papa took quite a lot of work out of town. The man would only come home once a month or two. It was only two days at home. In fact, without even taking a job outside the city, the economic situation of his family was more than enough. Therefore, Mika dared to conclude one thing. His father was just trying to escape the pain of Nagra's death.

Mika was already finished preparing for dinner, when the sound of the bell rang out. He ran small to the living room. Her lips smiled widely, as she opened the door and found her papa standing right in front of her. Mika slid into the man's arms. For a very long time, he no longer felt that big, warm hand encircling his body.

“Mika help bawain ya, Pa.” Mika took the big bag out of her papa's hand, without waiting for approval.

“Mama where?” ask Martin. His eyes looked around the entire room.

“Mama hasn't come home,” Mika replied.

Martin looked a little surprised. “Not home? Supposedly, your mama has come home from earlier.”

The wall clock shows at eight o'clock in the evening. However, it was not too late. Her mother arrived home almost midnight.

Martin pulled the phone out of his pocket. Searching for his wife's name from the ranks of telephone contacts. A minute passed, his call did not receive a response. He repeated the call three times, but the person across the street did not respond.

“Maybe mama is busy,” Mika said. He tried to cover up disappointment. Last night, he told his mother about his return. He also said that he would hold a dinner together. However, his mother did not reply to the message. Perhaps, he will never reply to the message.

“Papa want to eat first? Mika cooked earlier.” Mika said with a face made as bright as possible. Martin nodded, while commenting on a wide smile. He put his phone back in his pocket. I don't want to disappoint Mika.

Dinner this time was not up to Mika's expectations. Although his papa praised his cooking several times, his heart still felt lacking. There was a void that filled one corner. The corner filled by his mother and Nagra. The corner was empty, like the seats on the right and front of it.

They did not move immediately after finishing dinner. There was a silence that lasted for a few moments. Martin was busy with his cell phone. Mika was busy with many things in her head.

“How are you related to mom?” martin asked, breaking the silence that had occurred between them.

Mika forced herself to smile widely. “Mama is good to me. Yesterday, we had the birthday of my mother together.” Similar irony. Everything that came out of Mika's mouth was just a painful lie. To him, there was no harm in pretending. Perhaps it will come true, as when Nobita drank the concoction of lies left by Doraemon. He hoped, if he had the potion.

“Good. So, you don't have to worry every time you leave both at home.”

“Papa don't need to worry.” Mika tries to convince, even though the look in her eyes says otherwise.

Martin was silent for a moment. His gaze was directed at the glass table in front of him. “About Nagra's case, papa already thought of one thing—”

Not yet had the sentence found the end, the sound of the door being opened was heard from the direction of the living room. Yulia looked surprised at Martin's arrival. Her footsteps stopped at the doorway, with her eyelids wide open. The woman pecked, for a few seconds. Before the end, force yourself to smile and approach Martin.

“Where are you from?” Martin looked at the wall clock that had shown almost eleven o'clock, then turned to Yulia.

“Involuntary. I wonder if you could be a good mother to Mika or not. Turns out—” Martin shook his head slowly. “I have also worked in your office. But all the time I worked there, there was no overtime until it was past nine o'clock at night. Actually, where are you?”

“You don't believe me?” Yulia's tone of voice was an octave higher than before.

Martin turned to Mika, “Take your mama drink in the kitchen!”

Without taking out a word, Mika immediately moved out of place. Just three steps he left the chair, the quarrel of his mother and father was heard again.

Mika closed her eyes for a moment, sighing heavily. It was not this kind of meeting that he wanted. Not a fight that was in his dream, every time he thought about a happy family. However, the words full of emphasis and anger from both parents made him believe that the happy family was only in his dreams. In reality, his family was never a family.

Mika was about to bring a glass of warm tea into the living room, but her mother's scream stopped her steps. That shout crushed his whole heart.

“He's just a damn child carrier! I told you to push him away first. But, you instead insist on keeping him!”

“I won't upset Mika. He's our son!”

“He's a shit-carrying boy! Nagra died because of him!”

A transparent layer pooled in Mika's eye fertilizers. He bit his lower lip. Hold back with all my heart so that the puddle of tears does not drip.

Mika stepped slowly towards the middle room. Caring for the ears, though in fact he failed. The screams and snaps of his mother can still be heard clearly.

“Mika makein warm tea, Ma.” Mika said slowly. Both of his parents looked at him with shocked faces.

Mika doesn't want to linger. After putting the tea on the table, he walked quickly to the room. Closing the door with a little slamming.

His body was falling behind the door. It looks like it's falling. Getting stuck in an empty space is very painful. The cry of his mother who said that he was the son of an unlucky bearer, ringed in his ear. Dragging him deeper into destruction.

Mika hides her face between her knees. He bit his lips hard, holding his stuffing out. He did not even stop the bite, when the salty taste hit his tongue followed by a rancid aroma.

The pain that hit her chest, leading Mika's hand moved towards the scar on the arm that had not completely dried up. He pressed the scar. Pressing with all his might, until he felt the scar re-open. The whirling and piercing pain in his arm, was able to reduce the slight pain in his heart.

Through the corner of his eyes, he could see a red liquid seeping from his long-sleeved clothes. Mika hissing. However, he laughed a little. The pain in his arm was pleasant. More fun than hearing the quarrel of his parents.

♥

“Eh, have you heard from Nagra?” ask Anggita.

“Udah. I read it last night in a group. Poor, Brother Nagra. Very helpful for the culprit.” Raya.

Mika looked at her two friends with no understanding. What perpetrator? What are the rumors about Nagra? “What's up?”

Aggita threw a look of disbelief. As if not knowing the warm news about Nagra is a great sin. “Lo don't know, Ka? Holy hooch! Where are you going?”

“Lo just got out of goa huh. Or, do you not know who Nagra's brother is?”

Mika wanted to laugh hearing Raya's question. How could he not know Nagra? However, he just shook his head slowly. I hope it will make two friends tell me.

“Serius you don't know Brother Nagra? That handsome vice chairman of OSIS. He was our time committee MOS, one year ago.” Raya percocos, as if she knew Nagra is a pride in itself.

“What's the matter? Didn't he die?” ask Mika.

“Well, that's it!” Anggita crashing the table with great enthusiasm, to make several pairs of eyes fixed on them. Think of smiling as a gesture of apology. Then, he said in a whispered voice, “Evenings in the storm force group. Some say, if it turns out that Nagra's sister did not die by suicide. But, killed.”

Mika's body stiffened hearing the news. His breathing stopped for a few moments. Been murdered? Was Nagra really killed?

“Not expecting anyway. A good guy like Nagra's sister has an enemy that's that big. But, come to think of it as strange. Why did Nagra kill himself? His life was almost perfect. His parents are rich, he's smart, he's a lot of fans, he always wins every time he's in the Olympics. Especially less than his life, to make him want to kill himself?” Anggita expressed his opinion. His eyes looked sad and incredulous.

“And he said again, who killed Brother Nagra was a person near him.” Raya. Making Mika's mind increasingly uncertain of direction.

What exactly happened behind Nagra's death?