Trapped in the Past

Natural Disasters

The middle-aged man whose black hair started to whiten covered in gray was smiling after hearing Kagami's words. He closed his seat, so that the distance with Kagami was very close.

"Oh, yeah. So you already know." There was relief in his tone.

"Then, father will tell you the full story today. I think you're old enough to understand everything" he continued, leaning back to look at the ceiling.

Ten years ago all the mass media was horrendous with the natural rampage that occurred in the northeastern city. Earthquakes and raging sea water hit the outskirts of the city, then the small island that was in the path of natural fury on that day was destroyed. The island has a village called Padamiri.

People flocked from all over, police, fire departments, hospitals, volunteers and television media were lined up along the safe path.

Febriante was no less curious. From where he lived in the northern city, he traveled to the northeastern part of the city. His journey there took an hour, but while passing through a beach his ears heard the sobs of children.

Febriante pulled over his car, then left a quiet beach when the night of the disaster happened. There was no one there, but the crying voice of a child grew sharper greeting his ears.

Far away he took a step until the voice he heard led him to a boy who was as unwilling as he lay weakly hugging his knees. The boy's crying voice slowly disappeared after Febriante approached.

"Son, what's wrong with you?" panic at that time.

Febriante scanned the surroundings, no new traces were made by the humans there except himself. The boy with a soaked body was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital.

Medical treatment lasts for an hour. The boy was not seriously injured on the outside, but from the analysis of the attending physician, after examining the back of the child's head was hit hard from a blunt object. Although it does not bleed, it can affect his memory.

Additional information that Febriante could at that time was a song notebook found under the clothes of the boy. He hugged her tightly in her stomach. Although it was not destroyed, the book was soaked.

His intention of going to the disaster center to help the victims who were there turned to wait for the boy he found was unconscious.

The boy began to blink his eyes. His gaze was dazed, then crying as he looked at Febriante's face. Her crying voice echoed through the room, Febriante who knew nothing immediately called the nurse. He did not know how to calm a child.

A nurse slowly clutched the boy's body while fondling his team. Slowly the crying sounds subsided. After that Febriante took over and took a ride on a child he did not even know his origin.

Time had gone on, it had been five days since he had found the boy, but during that time the boy had always cried when he was thrown a question, or joined another orphanage. Febriante was overwhelmed, he finally asked Roland to help figure out the origin of the child.

"He won't leave my wife's arms. I think he's a timid and a whiny kid" Febriante told Roland next to him.

They stood looking at Airu, Febriante's wife playing with some of the children of the orphanage. Not to forget Kagami was writhing spoiled around his neck.

"Even so, he was only silent and calm while in front of the mirror. Observe the reflection of his shadow in more detail. He calls himself to speak even though his eyes are empty. That's why we call him Kagami, which means mirror in Japanese." Febriante took a pause in his speech. "Can you please help us find her origins, Roland?" continued.

Roland fixed the position of the hat he was wearing while smiling at his friend. "No problem. I'll try to help as much as possible. Give me a picture of him, to make this search easier."

Febriante breathed a heavy sigh. "That's the problem. Kagami was so afraid of the camera phone, I had repeatedly wanted to take pictures of him, but he just kept roaring in tears," she explained and Roland laughed a little.

"But I have a little clue. When she was unconscious, a hospital nurse found this book under the boy's shirt."

Febriante took out a worn brown book, showing it to Roland. His friend had opened the book, looking at the contents.

"Book not song?" Roland frowned.

"Yes. I think this has something to do with the boy's past. I think this could be petunj—"

Febriante's voice was cut off as little Kagami walked towards him, then pointed at the book that Roland had in hand repeatedly.

"Book me. My book," said the boy pleading repeatedly.

"Book me," he said again and then screamed in tears.

"Oh, ouch, darling. Don't cry."

Airu tries to calm Kagami down. This time the boy continued to cry while pointing at the book that was still in Roland's hands.

"That's a book, Kagami?" asked Airu to the boy in his carrier. The boy nodded, though his eyes were still wet.

Roland handed the book over, then for the first time Kagami laughed as he hugged the book tightly.

Febriante smile. It was as if there was hope in front of him. "That's a book, Kagami?" his question then got the same nod from the boy.

"So you remember what your name is?" continues asking.

Little Kagami was puzzled, he looked long at the face of Airu.

"Oved Kagami. That's your name" replied Airu.

"Oved's Kagami." Little kagami repeated.

Febriante and Roland laughed. The boy is thought to be seven years old, but his attitude is like a three-year-old boy. Very, very spoiled, timid and whiny. I also heard plates.

"His name is Kagami Oved. Nevermind, Darling. Don't ask strange questions to a child like him. Let him live with us, let us heal his wounds until he gets his memory back, " said Airu before passing from there.

Febriante. "The boy has taken my wife's heart. Even now he pinned my last name on the child? Really, yeah," he chuckled.

"Seeing from everywhere, he's still a little boy, Febriante. Don't be so hard on him. I also have a child who is the same age as him" Roland said.

After that Roland went to the evacuation center, carrying a photo of little Kagami and asking one by one to the victims of the disaster who were still displaced. However, none of them knew Kagami.

Until now, the search for Roland and Febriante has still not yielded results. They do not know, whether Kagami's parents were victims in the disaster or indeed before Kagami was a child who was deliberately discarded? It was still a big question mark on their minds.

The long story ended. Kagami caught his adoptive father's eyes glazed over. Remembering the past makes the man feel sad. It did not feel like a long time had gone by, he was getting older, but until this moment he had not found the bright spot of the existence of Kagami's parents.

"You used to be very crybaby. Very crying hobby. Now he has grown into a strong man. No time to walk, yeah." Febriante smiled with relief at his adopted son.

"That's it, yeah, so Mr. Roland got involved in finding my parents. Then, Dad, this black bruise on my forehead isn't really a scar?" Kagami was excited to hear this new fact.

"When I found you, there were no serious wounds on your body. Even your forehead is bruised there. I don't know if it's your birthmark or an old scar, obviously, it's just your head that's going through a big bump until your memory is compromised."

Kagami drowns in a sea of words he doesn't understand. Then try to match each piece of the puzzle with a vague memory that he saw. It's difficult, but Kagami knows that what he sees and hears now is interconnected.

"If my parents were still alive and I met them. Are you and mom going to be sad?"

Kagami's question made Febriante laugh. The pale man in front of him was astonished, what made his adoptive father laugh like that.

"No. Instead I feel happy and proud because it has become a port for you to stop by."

Their conversation was both ended by hearts each warming up. Febriante got up and went out for a breath of fresh air, coinciding with the arrival of Kagami's two friends. Alita and Mirai.

"Kagami, I made you some fried rice!" alita said when she got there.