Florianas
Chapter 11: A Pair of Betta Fish

The next morning Flo wakes up rather late because last night chatting on the phone with Arina until late at night. Arina told me that she would be school-permit for a few days, starting yesterday. The girl was at her grandmother's house because of Kak Aqila's problem. She said Aqila might get married this week if all goes well. After that, he was able to go home and go back to school.

Because of the rush, Flo did not pay too much attention to the road. When he turned around after closing the fence, he almost hit someone.

"Morning," in two days, the word and the person who greeted, the same.

Flo blinked. He took a step back realizing the distance was too close.

"No blood" Farrell passed Flo's hands. "Good." He smiles. "Lo why dumbass?"

"Why are you here? Not told Arina?"

"Eh..." Farrell scratched the corner of his jaw, looking puzzled. "What should Arina say?"

"So she's still not in school today."

"Continue?"

"Yes... Why are you here?"

Farrell was silent, staring at Flo. It took a while before he spoke again.

"Don't tell me from yesterday that I thought I'd pick up Arina?"

"Aren't you?" ask Flo innocently.

Farrell turned his face to laugh. He looks frustrated and frustrated at the same time.

"Gue knows which house you are and which house Arina is, Flo," Farrell said. "You're gonna pick up Arina I'm not gonna stop here."

"Yes, I thought you wanted to pick Arina up because she didn't go to school so stop by my house. Let's not be in vain 'that's because it's been here."

"It's very funny" said Farrell. His hand floated over Flo's head, scrambling her hair gently. "Ribet thought of it."

With Farrell's touch, Flo's breath missed several strokes. The butterfly began to flutter in its stomach. He suddenly forgot that he was in a hurry to go to school.

Tettot!

The sound of the baker's trumpet resuscitated Flo again.

"School!" panicked.

***

Flo is grateful that she is not late for school. He had to run to class because the bell rang just as Farrell's blue scooter passed through the gate. Despite the fatigue he remained carefree. Even his good mood continued to persist until the lesson ended.

It feels so good today. Everything—besides the fact he woke up bad luck—feel went well. Farrell. The results of his chemical replicas in the last lesson got satisfactory results. The first break he spent in the library was accompanied by Genta who brought many snacks.

"Udah official friend?" genta asked as he looked at the bracelet circling Flo's wrist. He also showed her dark blue.

"Yes." Yeah." Flo smiled

In addition to the bracelet, Genta is also aware of Flo's injured hand. Though he had removed the bandage and replaced using plaster so as not to attract attention.

"What's your hand?"

"Fall down after ballet practice" Flo explained his wound. And Genta was accepted as the reason for Flo's absence yesterday.

During the second break Flo went up to the second floor to meet Brother Farah. He wants to return the clothes he borrowed. Honey, what he wanted to meet was nowhere to be found. Farah didn't go to school.

So he waited in front of Farrell's class, intending to leave Kak Farah's shirt on him.

"Floriana.." said Genta who just came out of class with a rucksack. "Remain here?"

"You need to nitipin Farah's sister's shirt to Farrell."

"Oh—No need to crash, Rail!" genta's protest against Farrell hitting him.

"Who are you at the door?!"

"Gue's on the sidelines!"

The passersby only glanced at Farrell and Genta who were the source of the commotion.

"Eh, Flo," Farrell said, ending the debate. It was as if he had just realized Flo's existence. "You want to go home?"

"Flo wants to nitip his shirt Farah's sister lo," Genta replied to Flo.

"Balikin himself ajalah," Farrell refused.

"So Farah has split the house? It's called please 'that doesn't want to."

"Gue doesn't talk to Farah anymore" Farrell explains. "So mending Flo came home with me."

"Barantem mulu lo both," said Genta. He glanced at his cell phone. "Yes, I'll go back first. Ojek I have come. Bye, Flo," she said.

"Bye," Flo said.

"Be careful with people's children!" genta exclaimed at Farrell, stepping away.

"Genta doesn't have a motor?" flo asked, looking at Farrell.

"No. He said he was insyaf, abis dicehatin same angel. I'll wait to get the SIM first."

Beyond Flo's will, he smiled. I didn't think Genta would listen to him.

Farrell was silent for a moment, seemingly thinking, before interrupting, "Don't the angel of death again?"

"There's no way an angel would, either" Flo said.

Farrell chuckles.

"So, 'Where are you going to my house?"

Flo nodded in agreement. This time I did not forget to tell my mom that she was going home late.

Travel time to Farrell's house is about twenty minutes. Far enough. Unlike Flo, which only takes fifteen minutes to travel between home and school. That's also a walk.

Arriving at the destination, Flo found Kak Farah sitting in the living room with several friends.

"Hi!" greet Brother Farah. Still with the same shock as when he found Flo in front of his house last night with his sister.

"You're turning over your shirt, brother." Flo took out a brown hoodie from inside her bag. "Thank you."

Brother Farah accepted it while saying, "Sama."

After that Farrell invited him to leave Brother Farah with his friend. Heading to the small courtyard behind the house that enlivened the whistling of the birds in the cage. The cool breeze continued to blow, shaking ornamental bamboo trees and colorful orchids arranged on simple wooden shelves.

"Wait here for a minute, yeah" Farrell said. "Gue wants to grab something. Abis it's just I'm anterin home."

After Flo's brief nod, she passed. Leaving Flo alone.

After Farrell's departure, there came a woman around the end of her twenties who brought a glass of water and a chocolate-painted setoples.

"Say Mas Farrell white water, so not more sweet Mama," said the woman who Flo suspected as a household assistant, when lowering a glass of water from her tray.

Flo felt her face heat up. He could only smile with thanks. Then the woman left. Return it yourself.

"Not long, right?" said Farrell, present on the side of the rattan chair that Flo occupied. There was a fish bowl in his hand.

"No," said Flo.

Farrell occupied the seat opposite Flo, putting the fish bowl he was carrying onto the table.

"Fish my whale."

There are no whales. Flo sees only two fish****** in red and blue. This is definitely the fish Farrell meant yesterday.

Flo slightly lowered her head, observing the two beautiful tailed fish swimming gracefully. Gemstone. Seeing them left him in peace.

"Where do you like it?"

Flo raised his face, looking at Farrell with a pair of raised eyebrows.

"One make lo. Make friends vent. I told you yesterday" Farrell said. "You can't confide in humans, you can confide in fish. He will not be a secret. Because as far as I know, no one knows the language of fish."

"That fish won't understand what I'm talking about, dong?"

Farrell's right. He often feels that way. But too afraid to share, because he is not sure if anyone is interested in hearing his complaints. In addition, it is also difficult to entrust secrets to others.

"But if you want to understand your talk and can give feedback, you can take me. I'm sincere," joked Farrell, making Flo laugh.

"But I didn't take one?" flo asked, looking back at the two fish in the fish bowl. "They're a pair, right?"

"No pa-pa. If they miss, I'll be anterin to your house."

Flo's lips wrinkled, holding back a smile. This conversation is funny.

"The blue one's name is Farrell. The red one, Floriana."

Flo gasped at the information. He looked at Farrell, who looked at him first, deeply. Makes his stomach jump.

"When was their name 'that?"

"Since now."

Flo wanted to slap her cheek to be immediately aware of the erratic feeling she felt when she drowned in a dark pair on Farrell's face. But he couldn't have done that, because of what Farrell would have thought of him.

"So you want Farrell or Flo?"

It was impossible for Flo to be unaware of Farrell's change in pronouns. From 'lo' to 'you'.

"Farrell."

"Nice!" Farrell flaunts his dimples. And unexpectedly, he spilled the brown painting from his jar haphazardly.

"Rell!" Flo surprised.

***

Flo came home with a jar of fish between his hands. Silence home—as usual—welcome it. He stepped on his tiptoes, as if he wanted to dance ballet.

"Flo" Mama's voice called out.

Flo looked up at the sitting room. I didn't realize there was anyone there. There's Mama, Papa, and—with a jolt of disappointment—Fabian. Since leaving school, he had hoped he would not meet Fabian after school.

When did he return to Malang?

"Sit here" Papa said.

Flo comply. He put his fish jar—who still had the aroma of chocolate cake— onto the table before sitting across from Mama.

He glanced at Fabian who seemed to be in a good mood. And he just realized that the atmosphere in this room is very tense. Like someone just got hurt.

"Well, by the way, you answer honestly," said Papa, looking serious. "Sit here." He stood by Mama's side, giving her his place.

Flo glanced at Mama, whose face was red, before she moved her seat. He was convinced that he was in trouble now.

"Why, Ma?" ask her, because Mama never spoke.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" mama asked with clenched hands and a face like a person holding back anger was also embarrassed.

Flo didn't expect such a question at all. Such a topic has never been a family discussion at all. And it turned out that it made her feel ashamed, for some reason.

"Not having."

"Whose son sent you last night?"

Swaying Flo. Especially this one? Yesterday's problem wasn't over?

"I told you it was a friend, right? I've just met you too."

"But Fabian said he stopped by the house about a week ago, when no one was home."

Once again Flo glanced at Fabian. He remembered the return of the man a week ago. But he thought Fabian didn't know about Farrell's arrival considering he was gone when Farrell stopped by. Is Fabian spying on him?

"He's not in. He just wants Arina's name" Flo replied, not entirely a lie.

"Are you sure you're honest?"

"What does Mama mean?" Suddenly blood felt like it was attacking Flo's head. He's starting to feel hot.

Mama threw her clenched hand on the table. "This what?"

Flo gasped at the sight of a black-wrapped contraceptive device lying right where Mama's hand fell a moment ago. His heart was like jumping to the head, clanging in both ears.

"This mommy is tucked away in your room drawer."

"Ma... I'm..." Flo was confused as to what to say. His eyes began to heat up, piercing. Never before has he felt so embarrassed and cornered.

"Why are you doing this, Flooo?!" mom asked frustratedly, she almost cried.

"It's not mine... I don't know 'how it's in my room.." said Flo. As the words came out, he recalled the incident yesterday when Fabian was in his room, opening his drawers...

"Continue having who? If it's not you, why is it in your room? Huh uh?!"

"Sister Fabian..." Flo turned to Fabian who hurriedly hid his grin. "That must've got her—Yesterday Mama knew she was going to my room? He opened my drawer." he panicked.

"Sister Fabian couldn't have done that, Flo," Papa said.

"Why is it impossible? Just yesterday he accused me."

"The accusations are baseless" said Mama, coldly.

Instantly Flo was numb.

He stood up, saying hurtly, "I can understand that Papa believes and trusts Fabian more than I do. But I don't understand why Mama doesn't believe in Mama's own children."

Mama stood up. He showed his phone screen right in front of Flo's face. Screen showing the figure of Flo with a man—Farrell. Yesterday's. In clinic.

"Why did you go to the maternity clinic?"

Flo's not budging. Yesterday Farrell took her to the maternity clinic because it was the closest one from her home. And they're also willing to sew the wound.

"Flo?!"

Though without a word, Flo knew that she was being accused of being pregnant. And unexpectedly a childhood memory approached him. Memories at a friend's house, when he accidentally heard mothers gossiping about his mother. They said that Mama was pregnant before marriage, when she was in High School.

Now she understood why Mom didn't believe her. But that did not erase his anger and disappointment that was much bigger than yesterday morning.

"I'm not Mama" whispered Flo.

This time, my mother was silent.

"I won't get pregnant before I get married!" For the first time in his life, Flo yelled at the old man.

"Fuck!" reproof Papa.

Plakk!

"Ma!" exclaim Papa.

The heat ran over Flo's cheek, where Mama's hand had stopped.

"Why did you go to the clinic as a boy?!"

"Because of this!" Along with the phrase, Flo pulled loose the plaster on his palm haphazardly. He ignored the biting pain and the fact that blood was flowing back from his wound.

Flo briefly caught a glimpse of surprise in Mama's eyes before she passed away. Running away from home with tears that can no longer be dammed.

Drops of blood accompanied his steps to explore the streets under the hot sun. He continued on, climbing the stairs to the nearest bus stop.

He stopped after sitting in an empty bus seat. Seeing everything he had left running away, until he was no longer seen from the glass window.

***

It's Floriana

It's Farrell