Aster Veren
Episode 26's

- Esther

I opened my eyes slowly as I felt a gust of wind coming in from my bedroom window.

"Cold .. Did sister Hana forget to close the window?" I murmured while rising from my newest position lazily, then I looked towards the window of the room that was not closed.

"That's ...." I could not turn away from the figure of the little boy standing outside the window of my room that was open.

He approached? My mind saw that figure approaching entering my room, I quickly ran out of the room in a hurry while calling out the name of Brother Hana.

"What's wrong, miss?" Ask Brother Hana as I hug her body.

"That–ada ha–ghantu in Aster's room." I replied that she still hugged Hana's body in the family room.

I don't know, it feels like the figure near my window looks like a child, the shadow is really scary. He walked up to the window and grabbed my bedroom curtains, then the look in his red eyes made me shudder in horror.

"Ha–ghost? Ma–mana there's a ghost in this house, miss. Don't scare me." Said Hana while reaching for the top of my head.

"But the shadow of the little boy?" I asked to re-imagine the shadow of the boy.

"Little boy?" Murmured sister Hana makes me look at the look on her face.

"You're so disrespectful to think of me as a ghost." The voice of a stranger in my ear, I quickly turned to the source of the voice. And I found Carel standing in front of my door.

"Ca–carel?" I muttered seeing his annoyed expression.

"Why is there Carel?" I continued asking while releasing my embrace from Brother Hana.

"Pft... I mean the ghost lady of the little boy .. did the lady think den Carel was a ghost?" Hana's asking made me glance at her, and I saw that she was trying to hold back her laughter.

"I'm here because I told you I'd come again, right?" Carel's voice again caught my attention and reminded me of my conversation with sister Hana this morning.

"Hoo... But these nights?" I asked while glancing at the wall clock that showed at 10:15 p.m.

"Den Carel waited for the lady to come home, but when the lady came home. Miss is asleep, and Mr. Ansel is holding her up to the lady's room." Obviously sister Hana while smiling tipis.

"Dad?" I remember what happened this afternoon.

Right too, I'll go to the hospital when my shortness of breath relapses. Dad also carried me to the examination room. Aunty Claretta and Kalea also look worried about me.

Then we went home after waiting for Dad to finish talking to the doctor in person and asked me to wait in the waiting room together with Aunt Claretta and Kalea.

After the talk was over, Dad went back to the waiting room and canceled the trip to visit my grandmother's house. Then I asked Aunt Claretta and Kalea to go home with the private driver I had called. And father came home with me.

I don't know why remembering it makes me happy. My mind is reminded of the father's debate with Aunt Claretta, even Kalea who whines she wants to go home with her father was not cared for by her.

Isn't that a sign that you're starting to love me? Even Dad didn't wake me when he got home, he just carried me to my room.

"Why are you smiling like that after calling me a ghost huh?" Carel's voice broke my long daydream, and even he pinched my cheek in a fit of rage making me grimace in pain.

"Sakit–Carel." My wish was to take both hands off my cheeks, but I had no forgiveness from him.

"Alleged, den Carel. Don't be so rude to Miss." Sis Hana was not listened to by him.

"Ma–maaf ...." My words made him immediately release the pinch.

"From the cake." His murmured angrily while shaking his waist.

"Carel next time don't go into my room carelessly if you don't want to be considered a ghost." I said as I stroked my cheek and made the look in Carel's eyes sharpen back to my eyes.

"Hhe–hehe..." My laughter was trying to ease her emotions while throwing away the sight of any direction.

Daddy's? My inner self when I see a man sleeping on the couch in the living room.

"It looks like Mr. Ansel overslept yes ...." Murmured brother Hana also watched father.

"By the way Carel didn't come home?" I asked to get the boy's attention.

"Tonight I'm staying here. Tomorrow morning just come home." He answered while walking closer to my father.

"Staying?" My mummy followed in his footsteps.

"Hee ... This is your family's photo album?" Mumbled Carel immediately grabbed the photo album he was referring to, the album lying on the table.

"I remember, I kept it in the bedroom drawer. Why is it here?" I asked to watch the album in Carel's hands.

"Hha–hahaha... What is this?" Carel's laughter surprised me, "look, there's a story behind this photo." He continued while showing a picture of me crying, a photo he took off from my photo album. Carel showed me the back page of the photo.

...02/28...

...Aster cried in shock at the sound of the piano keys he touched. He said he wanted to learn piano from me because my game was so good. But when he tried to touch the keys for the first time, his body was staring and for a few seconds his face looked surprised until then he cried hysterically because the sound released by the keys was not as soft as the sound I let out if I touched it....

...I who could not bear to see his expression immediately took my headphone and photographed it as a memento ( ⁇ ⁇ ) . Then I scolded mom for not easing Aster's cry and instead busy photographing her 。(T ⁇ T)｡...

...My daisies are so funny... ( ⁇ ⁇ )...

"Oh my goodness .. I've cried because of something like that?" I muttered in embarrassment when I noticed the photo of my ugly face while crying.

"Look cute yeah ...." Said Hana who turned out to see the photo in my hand secretly.

"This Heh~ looks cute too ...." Carel made me look at the photo he saw, "but his hat was cute. Hhaha ...." Continued playing me.

...(.(.Photo by Carel ⁇ ️)...

"Carels!" Shouted I felt indignant seeing her annoying expression.

"No–nona." Hana's words made me realize the presence of a father who was still sleeping on his couch.

"Don't yell, you can wake Uncle Ansel!" Carel made me glance at the sitting father, thank goodness I didn't wake up with my screaming voice.

"It's night, you better go to bed." Sis Hana said, patting my shoulder gently.

"Then Aster would sleep with Hana again." My words immediately stared at the brown bead of Hana's sister as she looked up at her.

"Eh, that's ...." Murmured sister Hana looks doubtful.

"What's this?" My father's voice surprised me, Carel and sister Hana.

"Tu–tuan! Forgive the commotion ...." Said Brother Hana along with my hand which grabbed the clothes of sister Hana and held her tightly.

I don't know why I still feel afraid of my father, but I was happy when I heard Hana's story about the father who carried me to the room. But now, I remember the voice of my father's rejection at my grandmother's house that day.

"Why are you awake?" Ask Dad looking into my eyes with his cold eyes.

"Eh, that's ... Asters ...." I nodded as I felt my palm cooling down. Even my heart is starting to race now.

"I woke him up by accident." Continue Carel while putting my photo album to its original place.

"Wake up?" Asked Dad looking at Carel full of investigation.

"That's .. I went into her room and opened her window. Looks like Aster woke up because of the air of his room ...." Obviously Carel avoided the direct gaze from father.

"It turns out you haven't changed yet" muttered father after sighing, then I saw the look in his eyes on the necklace I was wearing.

"Hehe ...." Carel's laughter sounded forced.

"Miss, let me take you to the room. I will accompany the lady to sleep." Hana's voice made me look back to see her expression.

"But ...." My words stopped when I saw Hana's warm smile.

"Then, we'll excuse you, sir." Continue sister Hana while bowing her body before leaving in front of father.

"Hana. Make me some hot chocolate and take me to my room." Carel said stopping my steps and Hana's steps that almost left the living room.

"He? But den ...." Sis Hana immediately got a warm smile from Carel, for the first time I felt surprised when I saw a smile Carel had never seen before.

"Okay, I'll make it." Kak Hana immediately went to the kitchen and left me in the family room.

"Ka–kak Hana?" My murmur could not prevent his departure.

"Do your best." Carel whispered his teeth and smiled broadly as he patted my shoulder before going to his room.

"He? What's?" I mumbled not understanding his words.

You mean do your best? Me ... dad? My mind noticed the figure of the father who was still sitting casually on his sofa.

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Thanks for reading...