Revisions

#9

Charcoal stared one by one the humans sitting at the dining table at this time. Millan, stepmother. Qefir, Millan's son. Firna, Qefir's wife. Edgar and... Arang looked at a girl who was looking down.

"Are you an orange?" ask Arang. Since waking up from a coma, Charcoal has never seen an orange. Every time he visited, the orange never existed. Every time he visited, Orange never came.

"How are you, brother?" Orange tried to greet Arang.

"I'm doing fine. Since when did you come back here? I heard you're not coming home for another two years."

Orange creases the forehead.

"I go home every year...." Orange answered confusedly, he looked at Millan who was pretending to drink.

"Is your health improving?" millan asked to switch the conversation.

Arang nodded.

"I'm doing fine. Edgar took good care of me," Charcoal embraced Edgar's arm, making the whole room startled and looking at each other especially Orange.

"Sit down, let's eat." Millan.

Charcoal sat beside Edgar and stared at the food at the table. The new charcoal picked up the shrimp when suddenly the orange shouted.

"Don't Brother!!!"

Arang dropped his spoon in shock. His hands were trembling immediately. Edgar reflexes holding Charcoal's hand.

"I'm sorry..." The unconscious orange has shocked Arang.

"Sister can't eat shrimp. Brother's allergic."

Arang looked at Orange who was looking at him worriedly while Millan and Qefir looked at each other.

"I'm sorry Mom, I forgot to tell the new cook that you're allergic to shrimp."

"Is that so? I didn't even know I was allergic to shrimp." Arang looked at Edgar.

"I've never eaten shrimp in my entire life, I just realized. Did you tell the house people about my allergies?"

Edgar nodded.

"Yes, they already know you can't eat shrimp."

"Eat the other.." Firna offers another plate of food on Charcoal. Orange continues to steal a glance towards Arang. Something was stirring in his heart. He knew that Arang had lost his memory, but he did not know that Charcoal's nature had also changed.

The atmosphere of the dinner felt very empty. Just stale talk was boring for Arang, but he tried to be polite because he did not want to be considered insane anymore.

"Is Chloe asleep? can I meet Chloe?" ask Arang to Firna.

"Hmmm, no. Yes of course. Let's go inside." Firna took Arang away followed by Millan.

"Chloe lama...." Charcoal immediately grabbed Chloe's hand and hugged her. While Chloe just greeted him awkwardly because they had not met for a long time.

"Hallo Aunt."

Charcoal holds Chloe and invites her to play in the back garden. Firna looks objected but Millan immediately pulls Firna's hand.

"Let her.."

"But Ma'am.." Firna looks agitated.

"He's not gonna hurt Chloe.."

Milan invites Firna inside, letting Arang play with Chloe and Edgar who come following.

Arang likes Chloe very much, he can laugh freely to see Chloe's behavior which he thinks is adorable. Edgar is also like Arang, he wants to accompany and serve all Chloe requests. Their laughter reached Millan's reading room, where Millan, Qefir and Firna were looking from the window.

"They look like a happy family.." Qefir chuckled.

"If the accident had not happened..." Firna.

Qefir embraces Firna.

"That's destiny. The accident was Ruby's destiny. Don't you keep talking."

Millan looked at Firna.

"The accident wasn't just Ruby's tragedy because it turned out to be a disaster for us, so don't bring it up again."

Firna did not answer her mother-in-law, she looked at Arang who was holding Chloe.

Getting into this family was a tragedy for me.

Firna unknowingly released the embrace of Qefir.

Edgar and Qefir were still talking in the study. Firna put Chloe to sleep. Charcoal used this opportunity to get around the house. Charcoal stopped in front of a photo. Father's photo. Arang looked at Martin's face, trying to remember something but failing. Charcoal walked through the rooms but no one could provoke his memories in the past. Charcoal stopped in front of a room, looking at the caricature image displayed on the door.

"This is my room." An orange suddenly stood behind Arang.

"Oh yeah?" Arang can't remember. Orange looked at Arang strangely and then he opened the door and let Arang in.

"Sister okay? should I call Mom?" The orange holds the oat Charcoal.

"Don't. I'm fine."

"Silver is allergic to shrimp and doesn't like to eat pineapple."

Charcoal turned his head because of the sudden chirping of Orange.

"Sister can't eat cabbage either."

Arang rounded his lips, surprised.

"Well, you know what? I don't even remember. Were we ever so close?" ask Arang.

Orange leaned against his study table.

"So don't really remember anything?" ask Orange.

Arang shook his head and went back to observing the room of Orange.

"Chloe." Orange spoke again. Arang had to look back at the orange.

"What's wrong with Chloe?"

"Did you like Chloe?" ask Orange, making Charcoal confused.

"Should I not like it? Don't you like Chloe?"

Orange scratched his head.

"Chloe doesn't like me, but why does she like her sister?" Orange speaks for itself.

Arang looked at Orange suspiciously.

"So, why did you go to school in Australia?"

The new orange will answer when Edgar knocks on the room.

"Arang, are you inside? Let's go home."

Arang looked at the door and then stood up.

"Son, save my number." suddenly Orange recorded a number on the paper and slipped it in Arang's hand.

"Maybe I can help Brother."

Arang looked at Orange once again and left without saying a word.

***

"We used to be so close?"

Orange laughed to himself and then he felt concerned.

"Is the amnesia severe enough?"

Orange went to the window to see Arang and Edgar who got into the car to go home. After making sure they were gone, Jingga went out of the room to look for her mother.

Orange was just about to open the door of the reading room when she heard her mother and sister talking seriously.

"Mom doesn't think his memory will come back easily."

Then came Qefir's voice, "Why does he like Chloe so much? It's a little bit of a nagging me."

"It's just a female instinct."

"But I'm still worried. If he moved to Jakarta, he might be able to remember his past. Do we need to limit his movements?"

"His behavior has changed drastically from before. He looked sane and normal. We can't limit his movements anymore, he must be suspicious. Let's just keep an eye on it. Tell Edgar to let him live a more normal life. I want to see what he's doing."

"I suspect Edgar didn't give him the medicine."

"Therefore you shall watch over Edgar."

"Why does Ruby change so quickly and look normal."

"He was indeed strong enough, even two accidents were not enough to take his life."

Qefir laughed, "Truly stubborn. But did you see her hands shaking?"

"Yes, I saw it. Ah, what a bitch, if he hadn't been hostile towards us, had he not been stubborn, his life would have been much happier."

"Yes, all this is his fault for making things difficult for us from the start."

The orange still stood still, not understanding the conversation he heard. So shocked, Jingga did not even realize that Qefir had almost opened the door and caught her, luckily Firna who happened to pass by immediately pulled Orange to leave until Qefir did not realize that his sister had stolen their talk.

.**