How She Can Be Loved
Chapter 7: The Author's Curse

Geck! Geck! Geck!

The sound of the door being knocked. Echoing the entire old hut of three orphans. This time the beat was much faster and louder, like it rhymed with the heartbeats of the three boys inside. It is difficult to breathe under these circumstances. The elfad who was standing right in front of the door, his breathing started to wheeze. Kananga who hugged Enrich in one corner of the room began to tighten her embrace to the youngest, also did not forget to be attached also his grip to the dagger that he prepared in case of things like now. Slowly, one-two-three steps, the Elfad began to approach the door slowly. The closer, the heavier his chest breathed.

“Kananga? The elfad? Enrich's? Are you guys inside? It's me, Asa.” The voice of a girl behind the door. That's Brother Asa! Together the three boys let out their breaths. “Yeah, Brother Asa. I think who.” Kananga opened the door slowly with Enrich still hugging her in fear. “I'm sorry I surprised you guys.” Asa's sister stroked the youngest's head while being invited in by Kananga. “As my apology, this time I brought more food supplies for you guys.” Sis Asa put the rattan shell that she had carried on her back. “Wah!” Admire the middle and the youngest. Their eyes sparkled at the contents of the rattan shellfish on their dining table.

“Kananga, come here. There's something I want to talk to you about.” Sis Asa suggested they speak behind the hut. Outside, Asa looked confused and agitated. Trying to figure out how to get rid of the bad news he brought. Asa deliberately chose to only tell the eldest, Kananga, because she believed that the little girl would act meticulously to deal with the bad news. What am I supposed to say? Where to start, huh? It does not stop that sentence continues to revolve in the head of Asa even since she herself also received the bad news.

“Kak Asa, what is this about the rebellion?” Kananga already knows. The bad news he had heard from the gossip of the people passing under the oak tree, where he usually shunned, trying to gather information from the village people without having to communicate with them. Kananga's conjecture about the plot of the rebellion of the villagers turned out to be true. Brother Asa is stunned. Amazed by the firstborn's meticulousness, and alarmed by the fate of the three orphaned boys.

“Kananga, do you know where it is?”

“From gossip moms.”

“Hah, basic, bucket-bail leaking it.”

Asa sat down squatting. Trying to lose his body to parallel with the height of the little girl in front of him. “Kananga..” There was a pause while calling out the name of the little girl before him. Now is the time to tell me another piece of bad news. The news that makes Kak Asa and Grandma very heavy hearted. “Kananga, Grandma and I don't know when the rebellion will begin. Most likely this is the last time I will deliver food to you.” His grip of the ladder on Kananga's arm grew tighter and tighter. His face looks heavy. “A remote and backward village on the border like this will not be safe for you. Go east. The eastern region was the territory of Duke Ishtarnia. I heard Duke Ishtarnia is very wise. If you manage to cross into his territory, it will be easier for you to get justice and a chance to live.” This time the tears of Asa had gathered at the end of her eyes. It was hard for Asa to say the news. To him, the three orphan boys were already like his younger siblings. The three boys reminded him of his childhood. If it was without Grandma, maybe she would also live the same life as the three boys.

“Alright, I understand, Brother.” Kananga smiled gently at the seventeen-year-old girl. Now her tears were already too much to gather at the end of her eyes. Wet already cheeks the girl by tears. “Kananga, really, forgive Brother Asa and Grandma. Sorry, we can't help you much.” Brother Asa's hand shook. He sniffled in front of the little girl.  “Why is Sis Asa sorry? I am even very grateful to Sister Asa and Grandma. Talking to us alone is very dangerous, let alone helping us. I can still be with Elfad and Enrich until now thanks to your help. Without Sis Asa and Grandma, we would not have survived until now. Thank you brother. Please also convey my thanks to Grandma.” Kanangan smiled sincerely, wiping away the tears on Kak Asa's face with her thin little hands.

As expected Kak Asa, the little girl was always careful and calm in the face of all the bad news. Kananga's behavior looks much more mature after surviving a malaria parasite that gnawed at her body a few months ago. “Kak Kananga, Sis Asa? Is it still a long time?” Enrich suddenly appeared behind Brother Asa. He continued to hold his stomach which had been rumbling earlier. The arrival of Enrich saa haru talk made a smile on the face of Kak Asa and Kananga bloomed. “Haha, alright, Brother Asa will also help you prepare food.” Asa turned around slowly while wiping away her tears. “Really? Asik!” Enrich was excited, he thought that if Kak Kananga and Kak Asa were cooked, it meant that he would get more portions, especially if he acted adorable in front of them. Dinner that day was more lively thanks to Asa. Kananga and Elfad are still debating things that are not important. Asa's sister tried to break them. Enrich who tries to act adorable in order to get more food portions. The hut was filled with their joking laughter amidst the dim petromak light.

***

“Rebellion, yes.”

Kananga. After dinner and Kak Asa came home, after his two sisters fell asleep, this became the best time for Kananga to think about anything that concerns her heart. There are so many things that have kept him pensive these few weeks. His life in the world he created, his new body, the future of the middle and the youngest, his destiny as an insulted person in the Kingdom, his family's fate in the world he came from. All of those things kept turning in his head. He did not stop discussing with himself. Trying to answer one question at a time. His mind was made in a rage. Moreover, he had been aware of rumors of a village uprising in the last few weeks. Some groups of villagers, no, this time all the villagers kompak plan to revolt against the injustice of the village chief and his minions.  The participation of a corrupt noble made the villagers even more furious. Baron Ledger, a nobleman who was also a landlord in the village. A master who destroys the peace of his own people. His behavior is not much different from his subordinates. Rats are greedy, hoarder, corrupt, that's the word that best describes Baron Ledger. I don't know what the landlord was thinking. He did not even think of the consequences of his actions if Duke Ambrosh knew of a rat daring to squeak in his territory. What a big problem for this village. It was also a big problem for the three orphan boys.

If they knew the power of Elfad and Enrich at the worst of times like that..Ah, naw. Can't do. We better get out of this place as soon as possible.

For Kananga, there was no point getting involved in their conflict. After all, they were also not residents of that suburban village. Except for Sis Asa and Grandma, not a single villager cared about them. There is no point in getting involved in the rebellion. It was like a suicide bombing for Kananga and her siblings. So steadily, Kananga decided tomorrow that she would take her sisters away from the village. As far as possible. Leaving a rickety hut that they had last few months considered home. One problem that was billowing in the head of the firstborn was already resolved, then the more things he had to think about. Where are they going?

Earlier, Kak Asa suggested the three orphans go to Duke Ishtarnia region. Kananga asserted her proposal because she did not want to make Kak Asa more worried about them. How many hours passed, until the sunlight was already asleep on the western horizon, the eldest still considered Kak Asa's advice. His two brothers may have survived. But what about himself? Flashback a few months ago, when he just got his new body, when he realized his world now is the world of his writing dozens, even almost decades ago, he wrote, Kananga realized two of the most important things for her to get lost in her own writing world.

First, she is cursed and trapped in Kananga's body, the mad woman. The curse comes from the ancestors of the world like a fairyland because of the mistake he did a dozen years ago when writing the horn. The second was the past of every character he had ever written. That girl, as the author of that world, she herself had no idea Kananga was not the real daughter of Duke Ishtarnia. Also the youngest, Enrich, would become the greatest wizard and fighter in the story; the middle, Elfad, an advisor to the future King; and a rebel like himself, the, lived a childhood and grew up in that cruel world together. In essence, the girl had no power whatsoever over the stories she wrote. Before the story begins, he is blind to the past of all of his own characters. Maybe this is one of the world's ancestors' pranks to make it more languishing. If he followed Kak Asa's direction, to Duke Ishtarnia's territory, would all the stories he wrote happen? Will the rebellion happen? Will the tragic fate of a mad concubine he wrote with his own right hand really happen to him?

The little girl wrinkled her eyebrows. Her front hair was already ruffled. His strange face was seen behind the dimmer pertomak. “Kak?... Not sleeping yet?.” Elfad woken. Rubbed his eyes. His voice rattled after falling asleep for two hours. “Not yet. Sorry, did I wake you?” Smiling the eldest made when he heard the middle call him ‘Kak’. Rarely does the brat call him ‘Kak’. Elfad shook his head in response to her brother's question. Vaporise. Stretching his body that is still sitting on a shabby mat given by Grandma, covered in straw. Soon her brother turned off the petromak in front of her as a signal for the middle to resume his sleep.

“I'll turn off the fire now-“

“Kak, if anything happens, tell me. Please don't keep it to yourself. At least, maybe I can help you think of a solution.” Kananga heard it. The boy was the best observer. I don't know when his sister started to notice the change. The elfad did not show much concern, but it seemed like this time he was really worried about his brother's behavior.

You, this bad boy... Perhaps because of his nature like this, he would later become the Crown Prince's trusted person.

“Elfad, there will be a rebellion in this village. I don't know when the rebellion started, but we should leave this village tomorrow.” Kananga was calm.

“Good. Tomorrow I'll help you clean up the stuff.” No need to ask too many questions. A smile of relief flashed on the face of that brat. Relieved that at least one thought her brother had already found a solution.

“Alright, it's too late. It's time to go to bed!” Kananga turned off the petromak in front of her. Walk away from rickety tables and chairs, his favorite place to be pensive. Fix the youngest's thin blanket that has almost not covered his body at all.

“Where are we going?”

“Ke east. Duke Region Ishtarnia.” Kananga smiled steadily saying her decision. There is no need to worry about Duke Ishtarnia. Solution easy. They just don't have to meet. Then all the fates he ever wrote would never happen.

Hah, in the end, it doesn't have to be that hard to find a solution.

Kananga getting ready for bed. Looking for the most comfortable position next to the youngest who fell asleep, missed the important conversation of his two brothers. His shabby blanket once again he kicked. Making some of his body in the cold air at night. Kananga quickly fixed the position of the youngest's blanket. Indeed, the thin, shabby blanket was not too able to protect the three orphaned children from the cold autumn air in this suburban village. Make them have to squeeze their bodies into each other while sleeping. The eldest and the middle gave the warmest place to the youngest. Sleep was between her two brothers.

Once again, Kananga is trying to find the most comfortable sleeping position. Realizing someone had just laid down beside her, the youngest whose shabby blanket had already covered her body again, was now trying to find a new warmth. Hugging the elder who was trying to close his eyes. The youngest smiled faintly in his sleep. Satisfied to get a new source of warmth.

Lookit. Look at the smiles of his sisters. Smile relieved the middle when he heard his brother's decision. The youngest smiles in his sleep when he is not cold anymore. Really, does he have to worry about himself now? As long as his two sisters can keep smiling, no matter what happens, there is no such thing as bad luck for him. Smiling Kananga rested her eyes.

Good night, Elfad, Enrich.

One night was once again missed in that rickety hut. Too bad, this will be the last night for them to spend the night in the village, in this rickety hut.

Grasak-grusuk. The striking sound from outside the hut did not disturb their sleep. It was probably the sound of wild animals in the forest. Grasak-grusuk. Sounded back. Getting closer. The more it sounds clear. It was so strange that sound. Unlike the usual sound of night beast activity the three orphan boys heard. There's no power. The three boys were completely asleep. Kananga who was usually on standby, this time was already too exhausted. They were completely unaware of the oddity outside of their hut.

It was someone's footsteps!

THE DUARRRR!!

The rickety hut was blown up. There's nothing left of that building. Even the tree that had been standing firmly hid the hut could not bear the explosion. Shock waves ravaged the entire hut. Flat with the ground. There was no sign of life in the hut. Crumbed. Crumpled the frail bodies of the three orphans. Taka was one of the survivors. Leaving a red puddle on the ground.

In a flash. Just a split second. After the heart of Kananga stops beating. After his heart doesn't sing it pumps blood all over his body. Curse active. Bring it back to the seconds before the explosion.