Aster Veren
Episode 08's

- Esther

It was raining like this today. The rain that was not how slowly hardened as time went on, then the thunderous roar of lightning began to arrive along with the shortness of breath I experienced due to the tight grip of someone on my neck.

If it's not wrong then I just slept in my sleep, but the next second I woke up because I felt a tight giggle on my neck.

I couldn't breathe, couldn't see the figure of the man who choked my neck that day from a power outage. I only know he's a grown man from both hands.

Why did I forget this horrible incident? My mind touched my neck and tried to swallow my saliva when I felt my throat dry up.

"We've arrived miss." The driver's voice surprised me, I quickly got out of the car and rushed into the red uncle's house.

"Welcome Ase–ter .. What's wrong with your knee?" Said red uncle immediately walking towards me.

"A–ah this ... Aster fell while running in front of the school gate, hehe ...." Obviously I tried to keep laughing so as not to worry him.

Ah yes, I remember. The man ... he's a distant relative of the grandmother who came to take care of me at Siti's bi house after her departure. I continued inwardly as I remembered the figure of the man who had strangled my neck.

"Let's take care of your wound, next time be careful ...." Said red uncle immediately grabbed my hand and took me to the available seat in the living room.

Then my uncle asked me to sit waiting for him while he picked up the P3K box in his room.

Soon the uncle returned with the P3K box in his hand and sat beside me. Then deftly uncle cleaned the wound on my knee and bandaged it with plaster.

"It's over." Uncle's words made me immediately comment on a thin smile on him to hide my ringing.

"Thank you uncle." My words made her smile warmly and her right hand immediately grabbed the top of my head.

"More times be careful yeah ...." He said then along with the knock on the door of the house that caught my and uncle's attention.

"Who's meeting at this hour?" Uncle muttered immediately walking towards the door, "ah Aster, go take a bath after that we eat together." Continue before opening the door.

Without saying much, I immediately went to my room to clean up.

***

During the dinner, the uncle suddenly became very quiet. Even though that night uncle talked a lot asking me a lot of things. But tonight, he was even mute after meeting someone this afternoon.

I can't tell him about the school day after tomorrow either. Well after all uncle is not my relative, why did I tell him? He won't come either, will he? Even though I was happy because my uncle wanted to be my guardian. But I can't keep bothering him, can I?

I closed my eyes trying to go to the dream, but the scary shadow was again present with the rain that fell back after it had subsided last afternoon, fortunately there was no lightning like yesterday night.

I can't sleep now .... My inner being turned to the right side turned to the window of such a large room with a white curtain covering the window.

"I can't, I have to sleep anyway." My murmurs closed my eyes again trying to remove that terrifying shadow in my head.

For a few minutes I slept but woke up again when the shadow of the man reappeared in my nightmare. I haven't dreamed of that horrible thing in a long time, but I've been dreaming of it again.

The big hand that gripped my neck firmly, the sharp gaze and heavy voice that scared me to death.

"Sir Hana hasn't come home yet?" I muttered as I got out of my bed and walked out of my room intending to fetch some drinking water from the kitchen.

"Aster, you haven't slept?" The voice of red uncle surprised me.

"Pa–paman?" I muttered while walking over to him who was also fetching some drinking water in the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" The question made me tremble a little.

"A–aster thirsty." My answer made him smile.

"Do you want me to make you some hot chocolate?" Her question seduced me and reflexively nodded my head while smiling broadly at her.

Uncle's house is really spacious yes .. it's a pity that living in a house this big is only four people. My mind was grabbing the couch cushion I was sitting on.

"The hot chocolate is ready." Said the uncle who was standing in front of me while keeping a white cup on the table, and it really caught my attention. My eyes can't move from that cup.

"Wait until it's warm yeah, it's still too hot to drink." Uncle continued before sitting next to me, it seems like he knows my thoughts now.

"Why hasn't uncle slept?" I asked while looking at him.

"There's still work to be done uncle ...." He answered while turning on the large television in front of us.

"Uncle is very busy, don't get sick." I try to give my best smile.

"How was school?" Asked uncle after returning my smile and nodding my words.

"Fun as always, Aster also had many good friends at school. The day after tomorrow also–" Obviously I lied and immediately stopped my speech when I almost slipped to tell uncle about the school event the day after tomorrow.

"The deer? What's up on that day?" The question made me misbehave.

"Ti–no, forget it hehe ...." My reply immediately grabbed the white cup in front of me and immediately sipped the hot chocolate inside.

"Nob." I went back to enjoying the hot chocolate.

"Aster," uncle's voice made me turn to him, I saw that uncle was looking at me with a serious look.

"Tell uncle honestly, what's the day after tomorrow?" The next one still looks at me.

"That .. is not an important event ko, uncle don't worry." I answered again with my stupid smile, I just didn't want to bother him any further.

"Tell me, let me judge it is important or not. You don't have to hide anything from uncle, remember? Now I'm your guardian, and we're family." Said the uncle while gently stroking the top of my head.

His big hand was really warm, in contrast to that person's hand. My mind remembers my nightmares.

"Aster?" My uncle's warm voice again brought down my daydream.

"It's nothing uncle," I replied, turning back to him before drinking the hot chocolate with the white cup I was holding.

"Then Aster goes to sleep now. Thanks for the hot chocolate, good night uncle." I immediately went to my room.

***

- Arshel

What's wrong with the kid? It seems he is hiding something .... My mind wonders when it sees the suspicious moves.

Though I wanted to hug her, but still couldn't. I also wanted to tell her that I was really her uncle. The sister of his biological father. But I can't do it either, suck! I was still in my heart, breathing tiredly.

"Mother also knew about me adopting a child, even he sent someone to keep an eye on Aster. Looks like I'm gonna have to tell you about the kid as soon as I can." I muttered as I remembered Tomi's arrival this afternoon.

He did come to visit me on orders from my mother, at first he came to persuade me to go home. But at the end Tomi told me about the mother who kept an eye on me and until I found out about the Aster I adopted. Mom is very quick to find information. So it's no wonder that he managed to find out information about me adopting Aster.

I hope you don't find Aster's true identity, I'm afraid he'll reject his grandson. I'm also worried about Aster's feelings if he finds out his family won't accept him.

For now, I can only protect her and make her feel the happiness she cannot get from her father. My mind as I moved out of the living room after turning off the television and returning to my work room to finish my pending work.

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Thanks for reading...