
********
A few weeks passed, Heaven completely accepted the fact that his first love's orange was already completely owned by someone else.
Nothing changed after the girl got married, she remained as close friends as ever. Chat together in free time, have lunch together, and do other fun things with the girl. Nothing has changed at all. Ahh, perhaps what changed a little was the orange husband who was sometimes present in their midst. And if there is Blue, it is certain that he will be a goat congek. And that's a little . . ., sucks.
That morning, Sky walked down the hospital corridor to the NICU room. The sky did not stop smiling, for some reason this morning he felt more excited and his heart was very happy. Ahh, maybe because last night he got his branded watch.
Sky walks while throwing Australian silver coins bearing the koala, yesterday a boy patient gave it in return for having successfully operated on his hull. He said it was a lucky coin, but it was an ordinary silver coin. The sky smiled amusedly as the head gurgles remembered it.
“There are lucky coins, boy base.” His murmur as well as tickled amusedly.
Sure enough, instead of luck, it was precisely misfortune that approached him this morning. The sky that was walking leisurely suddenly fell to its knees as someone hit its back violently. Damn it, I would love the sky to curse at the man who ruined his beautiful morning. Didn't that guy have eyes until he got hit like this?
“Koinku . . .” The sky shrieked as soon as his lucky coin slipped out of his grasp and rolled away just like that.
“Langit.” Hearing someone shout his name, the sky turned its head. There was an orange who had a surprised and relieved face at once, a strange expression. He guessed, the girl must have been in a hurry to hit him like this.
“Ji, you have eyes, but why not dipake?” And the Sky just grumbled at the Orange with great annoyance. He wanted to rebuke the man who hit him.
“Duhh, Lang. I'm in a hurry, nih. You can wake up by yourself, right?” The girl said without feeling any guilt. Orange was busy looking at the clock on his wrist, then left without any intention of helping him to move.
“Ji, help me first.” The sky screamed again. It's been hit, ehh that's not responsible anyway.
“I'm sorry.” Sahut Jingga shouted, but without looking at him at all.
“Sialan.” As Heaven was really upset, the girl had already ruined her morning spirit. Damn it, he also lost his coin. Where's that damn coin carrier?
Meanwhile, right across the sky fell down, Shien, who was about to exit the hospital building after a while, went to see his doctor to retrieve the medicine left behind, stopped his steps as a coin rolled and stopped right at his foot.
Shien's gaze followed the direction of the arrival of the coin. He slightly grimaced when he saw someone who of course the sky fell in an aesthetic way, it must have hurt so much. Lucky the girl who hit did not hit him.
However, Shien was made astonished. Instead of feeling sick from a fall, the man worried about his coin.
“Lumayan, lah. Sale can be two million.” Shien murmured as he probed the precious metal silver Australian koala coin. Shien thought, it was appropriate that the man was more worried about the coin, this coin turned out to have a price if sold to collectors. It is enough to buy a few packs of plaster to treat the man's knees and elbows which may be just a slight blister.
Looking at the man who was still a henchman in his down position, Shien then approached the man and stood right in front of him.
“Quietly, I am also not interested in this ugly coin.” Shien snorted inwardly as he watched the man extend his hand as if asking Shien to immediately return his coin.
Then without speaking a word, Shien handed the coin right into the palm of the man's hand for it to pass away indifferently.
“Unbelievable.” The sky was dumbstruck, the girl was blind or what? He was flabbergasted, unable to believe that the girl who had just passed had not received a helping hand. The girl just ignored the handsome guy. Ahh, this is like an insult to him. Wait, is he now less handsome to the point that the girl ignores him?
“If not interested, at least he help me stand cake, basic insensitive.” The sky grumbled as it tried to stand up. He was upset when he remembered the girl's gaze which showed no interest in him at all, but he was even more upset that the girl did not help him. In fact, he had reached out his hand to ask the girl to help him move, not ask for the coin to be returned.
********
Meanwhile, Shien who had just returned from the hospital got off the taxi in a hasty move.
With a hasty step, he walked into a fairly homey minimalist office building. Yes, the atmosphere of this publishing office is made as relaxed as possible so that the people who work here do not feel bored. They do not even need to wear formal clothes and can talk as casually as possible between superiors and subordinates, as long as they still know the limits of manners.
Snow Candy, a children's book publishing company founded by aunt Hilda 20 years ago. The track record of this company is very good, so it is highly respected, especially in America and Asia.
The company publishes about 135 children's books each year. In addition to children, the target scope of this publisher includes young and adult readers. Many authors work with this publisher. Including Shien who every year did not miss buying several award medals for his work.
The Snow Candy publishing company previously operated in America. But for some reason, aunty Hilda moved her headquarters to Indonesia.
Since the age of 20 years, Shien has joined the company as a children's literature writer with aunt Hilda who came down directly as the editor of a fairy tale written by Shien. The woman did not mind doing her job as CEO and editor, it was solely to help her nephew develop his writing skills. And unexpectedly, Shien achieved great achievements even from the very beginning of his appearance.
“Shien, why are you in such a hurry?” Fina asked who was following Shien into her room.
“I'm not ready. Today there was a meeting with the editor team, right?” Shien asked considering he was working on his new book. He then took the tablet out of his desk drawer impatiently.
“Tomorrow, tuh.” Sahut Fina relax.
“Ck, the person who was lying in the patient's bed for three days, if you know today what date is new strange name.” Fina muttered leisurely looking at Shien no wonder. No wonder that the girl forgot her schedule today to such a panic, because Shien had just woken up from her bed.
“So, now I'm free?” Shien asked as he sat himself in his chair.
“Yes. And don't forget tomorrow the day after tomorrow you have an interview for a talented writer of the year at a French restaurant.” Fina reminded. Shien simply raised his hand forming an okay mark using his index finger and thumb.
“One more time, don't wear it like yesterday. I don't want you to pass out again, it bothers me. Take care of your health, Shien.” Fina then warns Shien not to push himself to work too hard.
“Cash! Been there go.” Fina snorted when she saw Shien instead chased her away like a chicken.
“Last, Bu Hilda says you don't read mermaid tales anymore.” Fina returned to commemorate as soon as she saw Shien pull out a picture storybook titled The Little Mermaid from her desk drawer. He knew very well that the girl would cry in her sleep after reading the story. I don't know why, he doesn't know either.
“As far as I want to read anything.” Shien did not care. He then opened the picture book that was old enough and began to read it.
“That's weird. You have read that story thousands of times, are you not bored?” Fina asked curiously, and instead of leaving Shien's room, she instead sat down before him.
“You eat every day, are you bored?” Shien sat up without distracting from the book.
Fina who heard that could only grumble silently with her mouth twitching as if she was spilling all rough curses for the girl before her.
“Who is your favorite fairy tale character, Fina?” Shien asked suddenly, thus making Fina astonished. It was not usual for the girl in front of him to ask something unimportant like this.
“Emm. . ., I like Alice.” Fina replied after a while of thought.
“Because of that, when I was a child I like to run away from home to look for white rabbits.” Fina continued while remembering a childhood that was often scolded by her mother because she often ran away to look for a white rabbit as in the story of Alice in Wonderland.
“Stupid basis.” Cibir Shien returned to his reading. Fina simply snorted annoyedly hearing Shien sneer at her. Didn't he just ask? Basic sucks.
“But that was the most memorable thing in my childhood.” Fina's timpal who didn't accept her was fooled by Shien.
“Shien, what was the most memorable thing in your childhood?” Fina asked then, leaving Shien who heard her stunned.
“Impress?” Shien murmured in his heart, one corner of his lips was then interested in forming a wry smile.
Nothing worked in Shien's childhood. Caged in a room every day with a stack of books, unable to see the world, he has no friends other than his brothers Shanna and Shawn. It was rare for Shien to play with them because Shanna and Shawn were busy with his activities outside.
Unlike her home schooling self, her two siblings are free to attend regular school and live their lives normally.
For nine years of his life, Shien had no freedom like Shanna and Shawn, his parents asked Shien to do all his activities at home including school. Although Shien was given complete facilities without any shortage, he was very lonely. It's more like a restraint to him.
Shien who is sick and always at home, does not mean he gets more attention and affection from both parents. Precisely because Shien was sick, his parents were more focused on paying attention to the healthier Shanna and Shawn.
Sometimes Shien envies when every morning he sees his mother preparing all the needs of Shanna and Shawn who are about to go to school, he envies seeing his mother bathe them and dress them neatly, she envied seeing her mother feeding Shanna and Shawn at breakfast, and she also envied seeing her mother recite a fairy tale before going to bed to them. While Shien, his mother rarely did that to him. Very rarely, it can even be counted on the fingers. Every day that took care of her were nuns and nanny aunts.
Shien in childhood was like a mermaid who should not show himself to the surface because he had a very weak body. His father said because Shien was sick, he should not leave the house because it would be troublesome for people around him, especially if his heart disease recurred at any time.
Shien came to think, perhaps that was why his father never wanted to take him for a walk when the school holidays arrived. Because Shien was so troublesome, his father only invited Shanna and Shawn.
It's always like that when the holidays come. Shien was always left behind. He could only stare at the passing of his parents and brother who were about to go on vacation from the balcony of his room.
Shien had no idea what the state of the zoo was like, he had no idea what Dufan was like, and other entertainment venues, Shien had no idea because he had never gone there. Luckily Shanna could always tell it in detail, so Shien could slightly imagine what it would be like if she were there.
“Shi, how dumb?” Shien was startled when suddenly Fina touched his arm.
“Ohh . . .” Shien quickly rubbed the corner of his knowing eyes dropping tears just like that. But he never wanted to cry. Especially if it was because he remembered his childhood memories that were not at all pleasant.
“What were you doing?” Fina grunts as hell. Was the question just the wind then for Shien to the point that he asked her again?
“Ahh, stop. You are not happy to be invited to chat.” Fina whose mood today was sensitive chose to move on from the face of Shien. However, Shien did not care at all about seeing Fina who was annoyed at him.
“Do not return again.” Shien shouted as soon as Fina reached the doorway. Fina briefly turned around, looking at Shien with an annoyed look before then she stomped her feet and passed out of Shien's room.
********
Sky had just hung up the phone call from his older brother Dusk who asked to drive him to a French restaurant later in the day.
“Hiish . . .” He rolled around in his bed grumbling. Actually he was very lazy to accompany his pregnant sister, surely the pregnant woman would be very troublesome with all kinds of strange desires and requests.
Sighing deeply, he then looked at the ceiling of the room with a blank look. Actually he just wanted to sleep all day on this holiday, but his sister managed to mess up his plan in the blink of an eye. Wanting to refuse, but Dusk must have used his niece who was still in the womb to threaten him.
“You want your nephew ileran?” The sky ruffled his hair in frustration as the words of the threat rang in his head.
Lazily, Sky then moved from his bed to clean himself in the bathroom.
After finishing cleaning himself, Sky then stepped out of his room, then walked to the dining room to take breakfast, to then approach his father who was watching the morning news in the family room.
Yes, the sky was at his parents' house because it was a holiday today. Actually, Sky's father asked him to live with him rather than in an apartment, but the distance of the house with the hospital where he worked which was quite far enough forced him to live apart from his parents who lived next door.
“Pa . . .” The Sky that sat down next to Papa.
“Tumben is up.” Ledek Papa without distracting him from the television. He knew very well his son would only hibernate in his room throughout the holidays.
“Kak Dusk early in the morning already disturbed, ask to be delivered to a French restaurant.” His sister put the fried sausage in her mouth.
“Udah do not need to complain, do whatever you want your sister. Itung-itung learn, so later if your wife is pregnant and cravings you are already used to ngadepinnya.” Papa's recoiled speech made Sky swallow his sausage round and round, to make his chest hurt. Hurriedly he gulped down the water to push the sausage into his digestive tract.
“Why? Surprised until you choke so?” Cebik Papa did not care at all about his son who now seemed to have difficulty pushing his food.
“Papa not wrong to say, really. One day you'll get married, right?” Imbuh Papa relax.
“Not wrong, Pa. But Papa suddenly said my wife was pregnant. Yes surprised me, married not yet, already talking pregnant aja.” Reply to the Sky with a slight snort.
“That's your wedding splinter dong, Lang. That's Orange already married, your time is not.” Papa's complaint finally. He was worried because the age of his son who was said to be not young anymore, but never married either.
“Iya deh, later.” Sahut Langit relaxed, then resumed eating his sausage.
“When will you be, Lang? Wait for Papa to die?” Papa swerved towards the sky.
“Papa said what, anyway? Relax why, anyway? Papa is also young, kok.” Sambar Langit who does not like to hear Papa say the word dead, even though he knows Papa is only joking. His mother had left him first, it felt he would not be able if he had to be left behind again by Papa who is currently the only parent for Heaven.
“I'm still nyari that fit aja.” Sky gives a reason.
“If you already have something you like, go straight. Don't let anyone else be treated like Orange.” The sky that heard Papa's words again made choking, he then turned to Papa with a gawking view while blinking his eyes in disbelief. How did Papa know this? As he remembered, he never told Papa anything about this.
“You're Papa's son. Yes Papa knows, lah.” Said Papa as if he knew what his son was thinking while hitting Sky's thigh with anxiety.
Yes, as a father, Papa knows that his only son harbors feelings for his friend, Orange. Although the Sky never tells a story, but Papa can see it from the eyes of the Sky which always sparkles when his son tells about his togetherness with Orange which is always done well at school, work, and other places, or outside of that.
“If you are not a coward, maybe now Jingga has become Papa's son-in-law.” Cibir Papa then made the Sky look bad.
Not wanting to respond to Papa's scorn, Sky chose to shut up and continued his breakfast. If served, Papa Langit can mendeknya all-out.
“Ohh, yes. Next Saturday you join Papa for dinner with Papa's friend, yes?” Pinta Papa after a moment of silence and only the sound of the television was heard.
“Ngapain? Not ahh, males. Unplug me later you guys discuss the past.” The sky refused Papa's request outright. Because from his experience, he will only be silent until sleepy when accompanying Papa to meet his friend. Or what makes him very lazy is when they try to promote his daughter to him.
“Quiet, you won't join this time. Papa's friend will also bring his son, you can chat with him.” Papa said calmly. However, the Sky instead looked at him suspiciously.
“Papa no longer want to mate me with Papa's friend's child, right?” Ask Sky suspiciously. He began to look at Papa with a look of dislike.
“Ya, no, lah. Papa is sure you are still selling, why Papa play soul mate all?” Reply Papa's joke.
Since long ago, Papa Langit was not a person who would interfere in the affairs of his children. Be it their ideals or love, Papa is just enough to support the decisions of his children.
“Totally?” Sky asked to make sure, his gaze looked threatening. Papa who saw that only snorted amusedly while nodding his head confidently.
“Uhh, big LOVE for Papa.” The sky raised his hand to form a mini love using his thumb and index finger covered in sauce. He loves having a father who never demands anything from him.
“So?” Ask Papa expectantly.
“Cute, doong. But buy a new car. I'll share the catalog.” Answer the sky as he moved from his seat to save the empty plate to the kitchen.
“The child . . .” Papa muttered while tickling amusedly. His only son was always able to take advantage of the situation.
********
To be continued . . . .