Only Love
#1
A 5-year-old girl is sitting alone. He sat clutching his legs and only saw people passing by. In a black dress that symbolized sadness and loss, he fell silent.
The funeral home consists of several rooms and his family occupies the very end of the room. The little girl saw her Daddy welcoming and greeting the guests who came. Dad Arthur always smiled a little even though in his heart was stored a huge sadness.
The little girl sat outside. He did not want to go inside because there lay his Mommy who did not want to wake up. He was already shouting very loudly, but his Mommy still did not answer.
Sit pensively alone while folding your legs and sticking them on your chest. Every now and then he wiggles his body forward and backward like a swing play.
Mommy. - tears seem unstoppable again and just flow from the end of his eyes.
“Whose name are you?” ask the boy.
“Sora,” replied the little girl.
“Greetings, my name is Sky,” Sky gives a small pin in the shape of a tulip.
“Don't be sad again,” said Sky while stroking Sora's hair.
The little girl smiled as she received a golden pin of written flowers, then picked up the white ribbon attached to her hair and gave it to the boy.
“Sky!”
“I go first yes, my Mommy has called. See you,” Sky went away while Sora continued to pay attention to the tulip pin she had just obtained.
**
10 Years later, and,
Mr. Arthur Thomas, sitting behind his desk, stared at a large brown envelope on the table. He knew what it was, but he didn't want to open it.
For the past 6 months they have lived and settled in Singapore, as Arthur works as a consultant for an advertising company.
His job in Singapore this time was also due to the orders of his superiors who could not entrust large companies to others. It has become a job demand that requires him to settle in one of the client companies and provide consultation on the company's management system.
It was like getting another new task. The brown envelope that was on his desk seemed to have told him and shouted at him about what he was.
Many times he moved cities, even countries to meet the demands of his job. Fortunately he has Ivy, his only daughter, who is very understanding. He never complained about this situation, always smiling when he heard him say that they had to move again.
Arthur knows, Ivy must be tired of moving schools, but he never complains. Arthur never saw Ivy have a close friend, even his cell phone he rarely used. He prefers to read books, listen to music, or watch television.
Although Ivy moved around school, he was known as a smart boy. He even skipped class at the time of First High School. He passed the test to be able to jump that class. Now he is almost 15 years old and he is already in the 2nd grade of High School, while his age friends are still in the 1st grade.
**
Arthur knocked on his door. Ivy swiftly jumped off the sofa where he was relaxing while watching television.
“Dad!”
It's been 10 years that he's only lived alone with Ivy. His busyness and often they move places make him not think to find a surrogate mother for his beautiful daughter. After all, his love and unfortunately for Keiko, his wife who is a native of Japan, is so great that he is unable to replace her with another woman.
“Dad, Dad looks so tired like today?” Ivy asked while bringing a glass of warm tea to Dad Arthur.
Ivy sat on the floor in front of the table in front of Dad Arthur. He knew something was hidden from his father. Such a close relationship between them made Ivy could feel if there was even a slight change in Dad Arthur's attitude.
“Same story Ivy, Dad. Don't keep it to yourself. Like Mommy said, we have to take care of each other and strengthen each other,” Ivy told Dad Arthur.
The flashback
Today Ivy is celebrating her 14th birthday. As Dad Arthur promised, he'd get a special gift.
Early in the morning, he had finished cleaning their rented house in Penang City, Malaysia. It just so happens that today is weekend so Ivy can celebrate her birthday all day with Dad Arthur.
The front door is open. “Ivy,” call Dad Arthur.
“Dad!!” Ivy greeted his Daddy with a big smile on his face, displaying his lined white teeth.
Dad Arthur came home with the breakfast he had just bought. He held her up high with a smile on his face to tease his only daughter. A smile unceasingly flashed on the face of the beautiful girl.
Hakka Mee is the breakfast of Dad Arthur. Hakka Mee is a noodle-based culinary with a chopped meat topping on it. This form of food is more or less like ayan noodles in Indonesia.
After they finished eating Hakka Mee to the toilet, Ivy billed an appointment to Dad Arthur.
“Dad, where is the special gift?” Ivy asked with her hands turned toward Dad Arthur.
“Oh yes. You if the problem of the gift must be very fast!” Ivy immediately smiled and returned to displaying her teeth.
Dad Arthur stood up from the sofa and went into his bedroom. While waiting, ivy cleaned up their used breakfast utensils and took them to the kitchen, and washed them. After that he immediately slid back to the sofa and sat down with sweetness.
They have never held a candle-blown event because they have never bought a birthday cake since Mom Keiko's departure. Usually, it is Mom Keiko who prepares all the birthday trinkets, ranging from cakes, gifts, food, to the smallest things.
Dad Arthur came out of his bedroom carrying a light brown box, with a dark brown ribbon on top. Ivy knew it was Mom Keiko's box that Dad Arthur looked at every night.
Dad Arthur sits on the couch right next to Ivy. He handed the box to his daughter. Ivy knitted her eyebrows together and looked towards Dad Arthur with a puzzled look. Dad Arthur smiled and nodded his head.
Open the box slowly. There was a small box that Ivy knew was the ring box belonging to Mom Keiko. In addition, there are several envelopes on the front that read the numbers 14, 15, 16, 17, until the number 20.
Ivy also saw a picture of their family, when he was 3 years old. Behind the photo is Mom Keiko,
My Love, My Sora
🌹🌹🌹