Blooming At It's Time
¹⁷ Wounds and Trauma

Alora opened her eyes slowly, aligning with the glare of the lights that were on top of her. Her head still felt a little dizzy, but Alora forced herself to get up. Alora had just tried to lift her body, someone was already helping out swiftly. Alora turned her head and found that Alden was helping her to sit on the patient's bed. He just realized that he was in the hospital, precisely in the IGD. There was also Sandra and Harsa who were looking at him anxiously.

"Is it okay, Al?" Alden asked in a soft-sounding voice. Alora could hardly believe Alden could talk that softly. But now is not the time to pay attention to Alden's voice, because Alora still needs clarity from Sandra about the incident.

"Sandra..." Alora called out to the woman in a voice that still sounded weak.

"Alora... Rest first, you're still frail." Alden tries to calm Alora down, not wanting the same thing to happen again.

Alora closed her eyes, sighing deeply. He felt his head getting better. A second later, Alora realized that she had gone through a painful period just because she saw her father was alive and fit. He had never prayed for his father's salvation. Maybe God refused to take the man back.

"Drink first... You need to calm down. Have you ever been like this before?" Alden asked, offering Alora a glass of mineral water.

Alora drank a little water, then tried to remember all the bad events she had experienced. As Alora recalled, she had never felt this bad. So, Alora shook her head slowly.

"Doctor said, this is a panic attack."

Alora closed her eyes and lowered her head, after hearing Alden's explanation. He knew what a panic attack was, and he realized what it was. True Alden said, for now he should calm down. Alora drank the water slowly. Then, with full awareness Alora asked to go home.

"Let's go home."

During the trip, no one spoke. Even Alden was silent, not to be considered outrageous. When we got home, everyone went inside. Initially, Alden intended to put prescription drugs alone, but feeling a fairly gloomy atmosphere, Alden decided to stay for a moment while waiting for the moment to excuse me.

"Now let's talk." Alora in the middle room. Make everyone in the house, come together to the living room.

Alden felt that he had enough to interfere, he did not want to get involved any further than this. So Alden chose to say, "You guys talk, I go home first."

"You're here, Al." Alora suddenly. Not only Alden, Sandra and Harsa also look quite surprised by Alora's sentence. Realizing that, Alden understood that they did not want this matter to be heard by him.

"If so, I'll wait on the porch." Alden tried to use his voice as soft as possible, so that Alora could at least feel calm. Alden patted Alora softly on the shoulder, before turning to sit on the terrace, waiting for the three to finish their conversation.

In the living room, Alora sits on a couch, Sandra leaning on a TV table, while Harsa stands not far from Sandra. Alora looked at her two younger siblings who just lowered their heads. Alora can understand why Sandra looks sorry, but she does not understand why Harsa is too. After that, then he remembered the strange behavior of his two sisters when they had dinner with Alden at home. That night, Alora sees a mysterious man who is none other than her own father.

"Harsa, you know that too?" Alora asked, confirming the estimate.

Harsa quiescent. This time not because of his attitude that is ironic talk, but because Harsa is reluctant to answer. Let Alora conclude that Harsa already knew this matter first. So Alora laughed obliquely, feeling deceived by her own sisters.

"Why didn't you say it from the beginning?"

Sandra and Harsa were silent, making Alora's emotions even higher. "Don't shut up! Say something!"

"Sorry, Brother. I'm the one who banned Harsa for the story." Sandra finally opened her voice. Then he continued his sentence, "when Alo went to dinner with Alden's sister's family, Harsa told me that the person who was looking for him in the garage was probably Dad..."

"... I forbid Harsa to tell sister."

"Why, San? If you were cheerful from the start, I wouldn't be this surprised!"

"I don't want my sister to be like me anymore!"

Alora was silent, not understanding the meaning of Sandra's sentence. His sister was looking at him with watery eyes. Sandra had wet her cheeks while crying in silence.

"What do you mean, San?"

"I'm just as Harsa knows Alo's brother would kill himself."

At that instant, on the afternoon, Alora felt as if her body had been struck by lightning. His heart skipped a beat, realizing that his younger siblings had been harboring wounds all along. Alora didn't know what to say, she just wanted to hug her sisters.

Alora looked at Harsa who turned her back. Really he did not realize, if all this time had incised wounds on his sisters. If Alora could act crazy, she wanted to hurt herself now for failing to look after her sisters.

"He saw brother. The high school boy was scared, only to pretend he didn't know." Sandra spilled all her emotions. She was crying so much.

Alora who was already getting less and less strong resisted crying, finally broke out as well. Her tears flowed straight away. He wakes up to approach Harsa who is still behind him. Alora patted Harsa's field back. As Alora recalled, Harsa's body was not this big. He realized his youngest brother was now growing up. And during her growth into adulthood, Alora had incised a wound in the depths of Harsa's heart.

"Harsas... Sorry, Brother Alo." Alora was unable to say anything other than sorry. She hugged the tall body from behind, shedding her tears hoping that Harsa could forgive her.

Sandra, who had been crying alone since then, hugged her brother and sister. Meanwhile, Harsa who turned her back to her brothers also cried in silence. He clasped the hands of Alora and Sandra who met each other in front of Harsa's stomach. The crying of the three brothers broke, it might have sounded all the way outside.

Alden, who had been waiting on the terrace, seemed to hear the conversation and cries of the three brothers. Alden was worried at first, but after hearing the cries of the three, he felt relieved instead. At least, after venting out the contents of the heart, they would be fine. To be honest, Alden felt a little envious of the closeness of the three brothers.

After a long wait, Alden can feel the atmosphere from inside the house that began to melt. Sure enough, shortly after Alora came out to approach Alden with eyes that had been swollen almost like frogs. Alden had a small laugh to see Alora's condition that looked chaotic. But in his heart he also felt relieved, realizing that this matter was over.

"Have you spoken?"

Alora nodded.

"Are you all right?"

Alora nodded again.

"Thank God."

Alora and Alden both stared at the golden sky in the afternoon. No one's talking. They just stared at each other in the sky with their feelings.

"I'm sorry." Alora said suddenly, making Alden stop staring at the sky and turn to her.

"It's complicated today." Alora.

"Yes... Pretty draining... But thank goodness it's over." Alden smiled slightly at Alora who was still staring at the sky.

"You must have been surprised to find out that this man was my father."

Alden's quiet. He looked back at the sky. Actually, Alora has a point. Alden was not very surprised, he was just quite surprised. It's not important to Alden either.

"Well, yummy. You're shocked too, aren't you?"

Finally Alora laughed as she turned to Alden for a glance, then looked back at the sky. "Sorry, and thank you, Al." His word.

"No need, Al. We're friends."

Alora smiled faintly, relieved to have met someone as sincere as Alden.

"Everything's gonna be fine, Al. Everything's gonna be fine."

Alora turned to Alden who was looking at her. Alden's simple sentence was able to penetrate the sturdy wall that Alora had built long ago. Instantly, Alora felt as if half her burden was lifted so that she could smile more lightly. Alden smiled too.

Under the twilight sky, Alora and Alden calmed each other down.

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