SILENT SENTENCE

2. PROVISIONS AND SWEAT

BOTH of Ken's legs continued to pedal his bike at high speed, no matter the sweat pouring down the temple to his white neck. Even now, the back is already a little visible because of the school uniform that comes wet.

A sreekk!

Ken braked suddenly when he arrived at his destination; deka School. A security guard smiled as he opened the gate, it was seen he was used to the arrival of Ken, evident from him who let Ken enter after the young man muttered the word ‘thank you’.bKen ignored the strange gazes and amazed every student he passed through in the corridor of the 1st floor. He had already memorized the hallways of his sister's school, because every day here deliver supplies that Deka never wanted to bring.

“KHAA!”

Ken called as hard as he could when he saw Deka in the middle of the basketball court and was dribbling the ball. Ken kept a big smile despite the flat look and dislike given his sister.

“Why are you here again, huh? How many times do I have to tell you? Don't come back to school! Ap—”

Deka's ketus phrase came to a halt when Ken's hand thrust out a blue box filled with food. Ken nodded happily and smiled, in contrast to Deka's shy look as she looked around him.

“Already again, little sister? Your brother is so nice, anyway?”

“Silence, Bian!” Deka exclaimed at one of the students who became his rival on the basketball team. Bian laughed with a satisfied smile at Deka's irritated look.

“Emm... A kha? Mha—”

“Udah, quiet! You speak once more, just as you make me die standing!” Ken immediately clenched his lips together and nodded. Again, hesitantly he thrust a box of food into Deka.

“Mhba..” Ken gulped and did not continue his words. Deka held back the anger when Bian and some friends laughed mockingly, then unexpectedly, Deka's rude gesture managed to drop the lunchbox earlier.

Praakk! “Ah! Kha!”

“What? You wanna get mad? All you can do is embarrass me. I hate you, Ken!”

A rough push received Ken on both of his shoulders. The man looked at the back of Deka who had run, then looked down to take the stock box whose contents were slightly scattered out.

“Let me help, Brother.”

Ken turned his head and found a girl he knew named Ayu, the girl smiled warmly and picked up the box. Without reluctance, he took all the contents out earlier until it was quite clean on the floor of the field.

“OK, here's the box and it's all done, brother. No need to worry, Brother.” Ayu said while smiling widely. Ken smiled, touched his shoulder and muttered.

Ayu nodded. However, the girl's gaze turned furious as she found Bian and his friends still standing staring at Ken with disdainful gazes.

“Get up and look at the school owner like that, and I'll make sure you all get out of this elite school.” Ayu's tone sounded full of threats, powerful enough to drive out Bian and his friends.

As Ayu turned around, she did not find Ken in the back. The girl's eyebrows as pretty as her name were furrowed with a wistful look, without knowing a pair of hateful eyes were directed at her from behind the wall.

‘Awas you!’

_

_

...AT HOME - 13:12 noon...

KEN immediately stood up from the sofa when he saw Deka enter the house while carrying his backpack. This is an opportunity for Ken to apologize for the incident earlier this afternoon at the youngest's school.

“Kha, mhba—”

“DIAM!”

“DEKA!” Mr. Hardi who just came down from the stairs of the floor of the house immediately joined in exclaiming when his youngest son, “sopanlah a little on your brother. You just came home from school, instead of saying hello and entering well, even snapping.”

“Papa, don't defend this child. Every day that he does is nothing but lunch, it's a shame!” Adu Deka, trying to change Pak Hardi's view on Ken who looked at him.

“Too-shame what do you mean, son? Delivering supplies is the will of your own brother, besides you will not starve if you are busy at school.” Now that Mirna's mother is speaking, the woman even brought a large bowl to fill the dough she wants to make into a cake.

“Mama and Papa are the same! Don't know anything!”

“What do we not understand? Stop exclaiming in front of your parents, brat!” Angry his father with a sharp look. Ken who saw that turned anxious and turned his gaze to the Papa.

“Mbha... Aug—”

“Papa and Mama heard, ‘kan? He's mute! MUTE!”

Plaque!

“Close your mouth, Deka. Once again Papa heard the insults, not just your face that Papa hit, understand?!” A slap landed on Deka's left cheek, instantly making her red and hot.

Ms. Mirna put the cookie container on the table and looked at her husband in surprise. Likewise Ken, anxious feelings grew because as far as he knew, the Papa was not the type of father who was light-handed.

“Mbha..”.

“Now Ken is in, yes. Take a break, Mama wants to make your favorite cake. Later if it's done, Papa anterin to the room.” Deka wanted to shed a tear hearing the tone full of gentleness that Ken got easily from Pak Hardi.

“Egoist father! Choose thanks!”

“Deca!” Ms. Mirna called, but the 17-year-old had already run up to the 2nd floor to her room.

Ken felt uneasy about the condition he thought was created by himself. Deka will always behave like this, rude and cynical just for 1 ancient reason; mute. This deficiency is unacceptable to Deka. Having a brother who can't talk is embarrassing and a bad thing. In the past, they did not behave like that. It happened when both were children and did not really understand the situation. Year after year passed, Deka who grew up as a teenager understood what ‘sunyi’ is always written by Ken on a piece of paper in every first sheet of the book the firstborn. Ken is a mute man, unable to speak due to an accident that until now Deka did not know what. To be clear, mute Ken is a disgraceful and annoying thing. Yeah, that's all.

Deka never knew and wanted to know that Ken loved her so much. Even every time Ken delivers lunch to school, Deka will not receive well. If accepted, the basketball-loving teenager will throw it away. Ken did not not not know things, because never immediately went after giving his provisions. He would follow Deka to peek from afar. When Deka easily threw away all the food, Ken had to be smart to put on a smile, even though it was too painful.

‘I just want to protect you, deck.’

Life still goes on, no matter what happens today or tomorrow, life still has to go on as usual. Ken smiled happily at the medium-sized box, he had just finished wrapping the box with a light brown plain paper. Smiling with relief, briefly glanced at her dirty thumb and index finger from the adhesive glue, but she flicked both shoulders indifferently.

‘Udah hours 01.00 nights.’

Suddenly he felt his head throbbing dizzy, almost the beautiful-looking teenager was unsteady.

Lucky Ken can immediately throw himself into a soft and comfortable mattress. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes to sleep. Maybe because for more than 1 month it does not sleep soundly, if it is too late because it must keep Deka who still can not stop nightmares.

The phone is behind the pocket of the pants.

📲 [‘Still remember your job, ‘right? Now come quickly and don't sleep before I really fall asleep, understand?!’]

“Pi, Kha... Au ha us khi.dhul ga (But, Deka... I have to sleep too).” Ken tried to defend himself.

Unhappy sounding very clear from across. With a limp step, Ken got up from the bed, then walked out.

Before going to Deka's room, Ken took himself to the kitchen. He had to prepare a glass of warm tea for the youngest.

“Ken, Dear?” Ken was surprised, his body was almost unsteady as Bu Mirna's voice greeted.

The beautiful woman laughed, she pinched her first child's thin cheeks while handing him a glass of tea.

“This, already Mama readyin and you stay to your sister's room.”

Ken chuckled hoarsely and grabbed the tea carefully, a sweet kiss landing on both cheeks.

“Ken sleeps later too, huh? Mama or Papa can replace keep Deka.”

Ken smiled, he muttered, “dakk, Mamh. Kkha skha ndi..rhhii..”.

Ms. Mirna smiled again, feeling not enough with 2 kisses on the cheek, she added a kiss unfortunately to Ken's forehead.

“Wash your face, you start growing pimples. Ck, ck, ck.” Ken laughed funny. He rushed to Deka's room with a glass of tea.

“Which kids?” Miss Mirna looked at her new husband before answering.

“You slept, I was ready for tea for Deka. Ken is also there.”

Mr. Hardi found a fondness in the beautiful eyes of his wife who passed on to Deka. Attentively, he draped the strands of his wife's hair behind his ears.

“You're sad again, Sweet.” Mum Mirna should have smiled shyly at the funny and adorable call, but her rebellious heart told her to just cry.

“I had a chance to think..”

“Hm?” Mr. Hardi is a good and caring husband, he is also an easy listener to understand.

“I'm thinking to... Stop sending Ken to school,” Mr. Hardi was initially surprised, but he chose to be wise and heard his wife's complaints. “Free Ken school, Mas, he will never graduate with that condition.”

“Are you absolutely sure, Mirna?” Ms. Mirna was crying, hugging the body of the husband with a million sorrows that continued to creep horribly every second.

“I don't know, Mas... I don't know... A—I just want our children to be happy like normal school children. But for what length should we wait, my dear? Ken's so miserable... Sitting in the 3rd grade, the teachers said they were not strong. Ken udah—”

“Shhttt... Listen, honey, listen to me. Stop crying and blaming yourself, I understand what you mean. Mas thought Ken would never be able to graduate school, he was even still in the 3rd grade of High School when his classmates were satisfied sitting in college. He's 19, honey, but Ken's still walking in place. I feel the same way, Mirna. Mas sad, it hurts so much to see our child like this.”

Ms. Mirna choked on her stuffing in Mr. Hardi's chest. As much as possible to hide this timid sadness, years of harboring tenacity that gradually turned weak. He can't. This beautiful woman could not bear if the firstborn child suffered all his life.

“But no matter how strong this suffering may be, we must remain strong, Mirna. Look at our son Ken, have you ever heard him complain about his weakness? Ken fought with us, honey. He does not want us whose parents are sick and sad for what he feels so far, so Ken continues to be tough even though he must be miserable. Be strong, Mirna, be strong for our Little Prince.”

“Mas... Mas Hardi's..” Ms. Mirna looked at her husband in tears, her eyes sore. However, the heart is much more sick to know that the beloved firstborn suffers alone while harboring everything.

Mr. Hardi sighed while wiping his wife's tears full of tenderness.

“If you can't be really strong for Ken, please.” No matter how hard a grown man is, he must have shed tears. Mr. Hardi looked at his wife seriously, although behind that, the tears of the tough man almost dripped. “Mas please, dear, be strong... Pretend to be strong for Ken, for our kids. We can definitely make Deka accept it like he used to. It's just a matter of time and maybe our efforts are still lacking.”

The glass filled with warm tea was shaking in Ken's grip. Almost fell if he did not rush to leave the hide, cut off the auditory contact he got earlier because he did not want to be sad and destroyed deeper.