Aster Veren
Episode 24

- Esther

Why does Kalea keep looking at me like that? Was it because of this morning? My mind was scared when I saw Kalea's blue bead that kept staring at me on the edge of the sports field.

This morning my father picked me up, he came to my uncle's house with Kalea. It seems that she was very surprised to see me coming out from inside the uncle's house along with sister Hana.

Even my father told me to get in his car, let me sit in the back seat because the front seat was filled by Kalea.

Along the way we did not talk much, I was just a listener to the chatter of father and son who always make me jealous.

Although at first I hid behind the body of sister Hana and refused the invitation from my father. Brother Hana instead pushed me and convinced me that it was okay for me to go with the father who did not acknowledge me as his daughter. Then with a heavy heart and a little fear, I went to school with Kalea and dad.

If I'm ignored like this, wouldn't it be better for me to go along with the driver? My mind grumbled in annoyance while holding onto my school skirt and squeezing it when it heard Kalea's spoiled voice.

"God!" Kalea said to tear down my daydream, "follow me!" Next, pull my hand into the toilet, leave the sports field and other friends.

"What's Kalea?" I asked after gathering all my courage to ask him.

"How do you know my father?" He asked after closing the toilet door behind him.

"Your father?" I felt pain in my chest.

How could he acknowledge another man's father as his father? I continue in my heart.

"How could you leave so early to pick you up? Isn't that weird?" His words are full of emphasis.

Weirdo? My mind again felt the pain in my chest, more pain than before.

"No. Not weird Kalea ...." I answered trying to return that sharp gaze, even though my body was slightly trembling at the blue bead.

"Huh?" He said, shortening the distance between us.

What I said is true, right? It wasn't all that weird because my dad picked me up, picked up his own daughter and drove her to school. What's so weird about that?

But if you look at the situation .. Dad hasn't fully acknowledged me as his daughter. Besides Kalea was very sticky with dad, she must have been afraid that her father would be taken by me. But right from the beginning my father was my father, even though I knew it too late .. and I also deserved his affection more right? Butwhy? Why do you love Kalea more? I continue in my heart.

"Tell me, what do you mean not weird?" Tanya Kalea ruined my daydream.

"I–it ... your father was, actually ...." My answer was stupefied to feel my heartbeat racing so scared with Kalea's sharp gaze becoming increasingly intimidating.

"He ... he's my father!" After swallowing my own saliva, I felt my throat dry and narrow.

"A–yahmu? Fft... You kidding? How could my father be your father? Didn't you have a father all this time? Don't recognize someone else's father as Aster's, it's not good." It broke my heart.

"But I'm not lying." I said as I squeezed my gym clothes as tightly as I could.

"Is that how you want to have a father?" His question surprised me when I saw the look in his eyes that looked underestimating me. Then the next second he left me alone in the toilet right at the time the school bell rang.

What the fuck is that look? Didn't he also acknowledge the father of others as his own? Obviously Aunt Claretta said she would make her father Kalea, that means Kalea has no father, right? But why is he acting like that? Is it because he doesn't know about his father?

Uh ... My chest feels tight again now. My mind, holding the clothes on my chest and clutching them as tightly as possible, tried to calm myself by breathing.

***

"Surge! Don't block the road." Shouted a boy crashing into my body from behind, lucky I can still maintain my body balance so as not to fall.

"Whisper! Next time I won't fail." He said as the child walked beside his newly arrived friend and immediately embraced him.

Again they played me .. didn't they agree not to bother me anymore? That day Kalea asked them to excommunicate me right? My mind was irritated by their increasingly obnoxious behavior.

"See your way around stupid! If you want to daydream don't get in the middle of the road, you're blocking the others." Nadin's voice with his body nudging my body made me realize from my daydream.

Though there is still a little space left and right, but he bothers me. .. He should take care of the body and stop bothering me. My mind grumbled angrily glancing at the figure of Nadin who was still standing beside me.

"Why is it still here?" The question is near my ear.

"Ma–maaf." My words accelerated my footsteps when I heard Kalea's voice calling out the name of her close friend.

I took a deep breath after escaping from Kalea and Nadin, somehow I felt more afraid of them than the other children.

"Today the driver didn't pick me up?" I muttered to find the whereabouts of the car that was usually parked near the headmaster's car, but today I didn't see it.

My eyes instead caught the figure of a tall man in neat clothes and his black hair that caught my attention. Then beside her stood the figure of a woman dressed gracefully with makeup that .. excessive?

"Mother! Daddy!" Kalea's voice while running towards the two people I saw. He passed me after glancing at me with his sarcastic gaze.

Apparently the man was my father and the woman was Kalea's mother, Claretta's aunt. Who would have thought they had come to pick up Kalea together like that.

"I also want to be picked up by mom and dad ...." I was sad because my mother couldn't come to pick me up again, and Dad.

"Aster." Shouted someone stopping my steps that almost escaped through the school gate.

I saw Aunt Claretta already waving her hand at me as I turned towards the source of her voice.

"I don't have to go home with them, do I?" I muttered as I squeezed the straps of my school bag and turned my face away from them.

I don't want a car with Kalea and that aunt. I continued in my heart not like the look in the eyes of the child and the mother.

"What are you thinking? Your father's waiting, let's go home." The words of Aunt Claretta who was standing next to me, shocked me half to death as she clapped my shoulder.

"A–aster went home alone aunt." I said a little trembling while smiling stiffly at him, then I lyricized the figure of Kalea who was standing next to father. He's really scary .... My inner being when I meet her face with her cynical blue bead.

"Mom, why is it so long?" Kalea's shout made the aunt rush to grab my right hand and lead me towards the black car parked behind my father and Kalea.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, well Aster let's go in." Claretta said as she pushed my body slowly, forcing me to get into the car after Kalea got in first. Then the aunt opened the front door after closing my door.

Thank goodness the aunt sat in front. But I also never wanted to sit next to Kalea .. This kid and mom really scared me. My mind glanced at Kalea.

"So this Aster is really a father's son?" Kalea's voice broke the silence, she asked in an annoyed voice as father had already gotten into the car and started the engine.

"Calea." Whisper aunt Claretta while looking at her daughter and glaring at her.

Dad didn't do it, did he? My mind is sad that it has not received any recognition from him.

.

.

.

Thanks for reading...