Florianas
Chapter 10: The Whale

"Here-heard Aqila's pregnant?" fabian said as soon as Flo entered the kitchen. Aqila is Arina's older sister, next door neighbor. "The boy ran away."

Flo just relax. Maybe just gossip. Even though he was astonished since when Fabian cared about gossip in this neighborhood.

"Yes," Mama said sadly. "Pity. His family was really hit."

Stunned Flo hears verification from Mama. His movement pulled the chair to sit stopped for a moment.It turns out not gossip.

Is this why Arina was asked to come home last night?

"How's it going, Flo?" ask Mama. Spiked the fried rice onto Flo's plate, after which her daughter was steady in her chair.

"Yes," Flo answered briefly.

"No wonder anyway, mellow. Home at night," Fabian continued.

"Here you are," Papa raised his voice. "Don't take care of people's lives."

"I don't mean to take care of other people's lives. Just want to give contah aja so that the girl of this house can be more careful," said Fabian, so clearly he enjoyed his words. "Gee!" He looks like a fool. "Still girls, right?"

"Fabian!" exclaim Papa. He got up from his chair. His face was red. He was obviously angry and ashamed of his son. "Take care of your mouth!"

Meanwhile Flo gasped, her throat choking. That speech is so evil. Until without him satiri his fingers gripped the fork tightly. The darkest part of him shouted the command to get up and slam the fork into Fabian's neck to stop him from speaking. He's fed up.

Unfortunately, he was still sane enough to control his emotions in order not to act recklessly. Secretly set the breath to calm down before making a sound in self-defense. But suddenly he realized that unlike Papa, Mama had not reacted at all.

"Ck!" Fabian clucked, throwing his back into the back of the chair. "Floriana is not as good as it looks. He's the little! Her job came home the other night with a guy when the house was empty!"

Plaque!

Papa slaps Fabian.

Surprised, Fabian stood up. Instead of stopping talking, it becomes.

"Well, don't you know what time he'll be home when everyone else is gone?!"

"Don't talk like that about Flo!"

Flo, who was the subject of the quarrel, turned to look at Mama. His silence was buzzing in his ears, obscuring Papa and Fabian's mutual outcry. Instantly the intention to defend himself was lost. He is no longer interested.

Prangs!

Elbow Flo nudged the glass until it fell. Causing milk to splatter everywhere, leaving a puddle on the floor. The glass was scattered, waiting to be cleaned.

"Sorry," he murmured, sounding distant. But the voice he had caused deliberately was enough to silence the quarrel, waking Mama from daydreaming.

He went down to the floor, picking up a glass. Grasping it tightly in silence. Trying to focus the mind and dispel the cries that try to break the defense. It is confusion to determine which is more painful: the savagery of Fabian's mouth or the silence of his mother.

"Follow Papa!" firmly Papa's voice reigns, followed by the sound of a step away.

"Udah, Flo, let Mama do it. You go to school," Mama finally said, flat. "Let's talk after you get home."

Not to be asked twice, Flo stood up, passed without looking at him at all. His mind is one: go.

"Morning" said a familiar voice. Stop Flo's steps in front of the fence.

As Flo raised her face, she found a dimpled smile on her.

Rigid flo. He didn't expect this kind of thing. And he's not sure how to respond.

"Flo?"

Clamoring Flo heard his name called. Then his entire body softened as the warm fingers grabbed his hand, breaking his grasp. Shows a blood-soaked bell on his palm.

"Geez, Flo!" Farrell. "No pa-pa?" He deftly threw away the dagger and jerked the tie apart, using it to wrap Flo's blood-stained palm. "Hold a minute, let's go to the clinic" he said.

Flo lets Farrell in his panic do everything best he can. He did not refuse when wearing a helmet or when his hands were held around the man's waist all the way. He secretly enjoys Farrell's panic over his minor injuries. Fully aware that he had just found a place to go from the rot this morning.

He was comfortable near Farrell. The pain that had nothing to do with the wound on his palm slowly faded away. He knows this doesn't last long, but for now he's grateful Farrell is by his side.

Farrell doesn't let go of Flo's hand until they enter a clinic. He even stayed by Flo's side as his hands were sewn together. Continues accompanying. Convince Flo that he's not alone.

"Still sick?" farrell asked after they came out of the treatment room.

Flo shakes.

"Thank God. I was so horrified."

Flo had been waiting for Farrell to ask him why he could hold the bell in his hand. But the man didn't ask, making Flo relieved. He doesn't want to remember what happened at the dinner table this morning. Remembering him made his chest ache again.

"So, where are we going now? It's too late for school." Farrell checked his watch. "We were told to go around the field a hundred times."

"Come," Flo decided. "Where are you."

Flo never skipped school in her entire life. He completely avoided that bad thing. But maybe today is an exception.

"Are you going home? A break?"

Flo Brace. "I'm not sick."

Long Farrell looked at Flo before he said, "OK."

They also went back on the bike. Driving for a long time. Makes Flo think if they're planning on going out of town.

"Where are we going?!" tanya Flo broke the silence.

"To a place you'll definitely like!"

"How can I not like it?!" Flo try.

"Definitely like! The place we're going to right now is good for nenangin yourself!" farrell exclaimed, beating the sound of the wind.

"I'm calm!"

"Gue who is not calm look at you now!"

Flo hunch.

Less than twenty minutes later they stop at a town forest unfamiliar to Flo. He's never been here at all. He is not the type of explorer who knows all the ins and outs of the city. Most of his free time was spent within the walls of the house. So it is not surprising that he does not know about recreational areas.

Flo loved to walk in the shade of shady trees, gently buffeted by the gentle breeze, with Farrell by her side. His feelings became more peaceful. It was as if the wind was blowing away all his anger and disappointment this morning.

The forest was completely unsettling for Flo. Strange indeed—tak like his usual self, he felt safe with Farrell who incidentally he just knew. But that's it, he doesn't understand either.

"We're sitting by the lake there, huh?" farrell.

Flo nodded.

They took their seats under a large tree whose roots had already spread into the lake. Flo occupied the left end of the wooden bench, while Farrell chose the right. They don't talk to each other. Only Farrell muttered a song he had ever listened to Flo.

Flo finds out that Farrell occasionally steals glances at her. Maybe rowdy. It reminded him of the fact that his personality was very different from Farrell and his friends. How boring it is.

Flo actually wanted to get Farrell to talk, but he was confused about what to say. He did not know what topics would interest Farrell. They do not know each other well, their friendship environment is different.

"Flo?" As always, Farrell broke the silence between them. Flo was very fond of that.

"mm?" Flo turned.

"Aren't you pa-pa?"

"Udah. You were just doing it."

"Not your hands, your feelings."

Flo paused for a moment before replying, asking herself the question. Determine if it is okay.

Flo finally nodded. "Thank you."

Farrell's eyebrows shot up. "Make?"

Flo shrugged her shoulders. "Make. everything. Everything you have done today. Until you get truant."

Hearing Flo's words made Farrell smile. "Gue never minded getting truant anyway."

Despite the hesitation, Flo smiled back. He was somewhat troubled by Farrell's remarks. Because he himself objected to having to skip school if it was not an emergency.

"But Flo," Farrell continued, "gue can ask for something no, in exchange for your thanks?"

"What?" ask Flo for a moment. He didn't mind Farrell asking for something in return. As long as it was possible to do so, he would try to fulfill it.

"So we're not awkward mulu-gungo both, you want to be my friend?"

Flo cringing. Baffled.

"Not a friend of my friend. Really friends."

"Not as Arina's friend?"

"Not as Arina's friend," Farrell agrees. "I'm like Genta."

"Do you think Arina is the same?"

Farrell nodded. "You?"

Flo nodded.

Farell smiled, Flo replied. The two showed each other dimples.

"Don't thank you."

"Okay," Farrell agreed. "So..." he took his backpack, removed something hanging on one of the zippers, "fit me same Genta still SMP—pas still alay, we have his friendship bracelet."

Flo folded her lips, holding back a laugh. It was discovered that the object Farrell had released was an emerald green bracelet with a small metallic fish-shaped hanger.

"Cringe. But yeah... Don't laugh!" Farrell reprimanding.

"No." Flo fixed his expression.

"Lo want to wear it?" Farrell opened his hand, revealing a bracelet on the palm. "Arina also wears. The four of us will wear it."

Flo glanced at Farrell's wrist. Looking at the similarly shaped bracelet in brown side by side with the black watch of the man.

He also raised his own hand— the hand that was not injured. Farrell put the bracelet on his wrist.

When he finished, Flo raised his hand higher. Seeing the fish hangers swaying.

"Why dolphins?" tanyakanya.

Farrell raised his hand, making his fish hanger sway on Flo's side. "Not dolphins, whales."

"Why pope?"

Both of them put their hands back down.

"Because I'm actually a pet whale. But since I can't, I keep the hangers."

Laughing Flo, whether it's a joke or not. It felt easier now to laugh near Farrell. Probably because they are friends now. Real friends.

"Fish pets ******."

"You keep fish ******?"

"Yes. Make friends vent. I think you need one."

"Make what?"

"Make confide in."

***

Smile still faithfully stopped on Flo's lips upon her arrival at home, ushered Farrell. Unconsciously he continued to shake his left hand. Doing so made him happy.

"Assalamuaikum!" Flo pushed the door open. "I'm home!" he said, stepping foot in, not forgetting to close the door behind him.

There was no reply to Flo's call. Then he just passed by to his room. Plunge yourself into the bed.

Just as his eyes were clenched, a knock on the door kept him awake for a moment.

"Flo, can Mama come in?"

Before saying Flo cleared his throat first, try to remove the pleasure from his voice.

"Yes." Yeah."

Mom entered carefully. His young face was scratching a fretful gurat. Like a sick patient. His steps were almost undetectable to Flo's listening senses.

Seeing Mama approach makes Flo wake up, sit in the middle of the bed. He allowed her to sit on any side. Not to forget he covered his hand which was still bandaged with a fur pillow.

"'Where is school today?" ask Mama about it. Something that rarely happens.

Although only two, Flo and his mother are not so familiar—do not mean not loving each other. They just don't like pleasantries and don't talk much. That'sallthatis.

"Ordinary kayak."

"Flo, Mama's sorry about this morning. Mama didn't defend you because she didn't want to make things messy."

Flo kept quiet. Thinks. Is it true that Mama is silent just because she does not want to make things more chaotic? Or did Mama not believe him, as she had expected this morning?

He wanted to make sure. But if it turns out the answer he got as he expected, it will be very painful. So he chose to accept that reason. For it is easier to be in uncertainty with a glimmer of hope than to demand honesty and to be faced with disappointing reality. It's painful enough to suspect that the only person he has doesn't trust him, he doesn't want to face anything more painful.

"Yes," Flo replies, flat.

"Sorry Brother Fabian too. He's just a lot of trouble on campus

So it's a bit unstable for his emotions."

One corner of Flo seedlings rose slightly. A little to barely visible. "I think he's been stable."

"Guus!" reproof Mama.

"So when did he come back to Malang?"

"Tomorrow. Same Papa too. There's something to talk to the rector about."

Mercifully. The sooner Fabian leaves, the more peaceful the house will be. Calm his life.

"Oh," said Flo briefly. "Well, if no one wants to talk anymore I want to rest."

"So Mama heard from Brother Fabian you came home late last night and not the same Arina too, right?"

Flo nodded. "Arina came home first because she called her mother, told to go home quickly. Keep my friend's motorbikes leaking tires, so have to go to the workshop first. On the way home, it rained. We are afraid there is nothing if we continue. So my friend stopped by his house first."

"Are you guys or girls?"

"Turkey." Honest flo. Before Mama again said, she first added, "Home there is her brother, not both. Mama knows her brother. Brother Farah."

"Your ballet buddy?"

Flo nodded.

"Next time tell Mama if you come home late."

"Yes. Last night I just forgot to tell you, I didn't mean to hear anything. Just remember, it's close to home, so I think it's free."

"Mama knows." He rose from the edge of Flo's bed. "Yes, have lunch first."

"I'm not hungry. Just want to sleep, tired."

Flo broke down her body, pulling the blanket back at Mama. As soon as he heard the sound of the door opening and closing, he rolled over, choosing his back. His mind floated staring at the remains of the star patch on the ceiling of his room. He hates this morning, but he likes the hours after. Time where Farrell was in it.

Geck, tok, tok!

Flo sighed, annoyed. But then he sat back down and said, "Come in."

The door opened a little. Papa's head poked out from his crack.

"Sister Fabian wants to apologize" Papa said. "Can?"

Flo refuses, but she can't. Feels unrighteous to reject the wishes of a stranger who has so well received it like a real daughter.

"Can."

Papa disappeared, replaced by his son who waltzed in casually. There was no trace of guilt imprinted on Flo's half-brother's face.

When the door closed behind Fabian, Flo felt insecure. Jeopardised. He feels trapped with criminals who can do reckless. But as much as possible he was calm, waiting for his brother to say something.

"Lo doesn't expect me to apologize, does he?" asked Fabian, kicking the chair up to roll into the bed. Then he sat down at the study table, playing Flo's stuff, opening his drawers.

Flo just shut up.

"But for the sake of your peace of life, you don't have to complain to Papa if I don't apologize."

"I don't care if you're sorry or not." This time there were no more 'sister' frills in his sentence for Fabian.

"Because I'm not wrong, am I?" Fabian's eyebrows shot up. Making Flo disgusted.

He who previously still tried to be kind and friendly to Fabian has not been interested in doing that again since today. He will start to hate it with all his heart. He will not forget that Fabian said '******'. Those words were still ringing in his ears.

Flo glanced at the clock on the wall. No five minutes had passed since Fabian was in his room, but he already wanted the man to leave.

"It's time to pretend to apologize" Flo said.

Fabian moved away from the table, across the room. Stop for a moment before opening the door. His eyes explored Flo's body.

"Gue wondered what the guy saw from lo. Ordinary face, flat body."

When Fabian mentions the word 'cowork', without permission Flo's brain imagines Farrell's figure.  Makes him suspect that last night Fabian had seen Farrell's face when driving him home.

"It's good, too, my friend. The Arina."

The door opened, then closed rather tightly.

***

Again, I'm writing this chapter. Sorry to be bored.

And, as usual please give your support if like this story, vote, comment, and share. I will appreciate it.

Story dong your impression of Fabian in the comments. I want to read your blasphemies. I personally want that pug of Fabian's garbage mouth.

Adios.