Summer Night's Dream
Episode 26 - Dream

"You think that kid's just my son? You have a responsibility for him too!" the voice boomed accompanied by the sound of broken glass glass hitting the marble floor.

In the next second, another voice was heard, as jarring as it was, just from a different gender. This time it was the voice of a middle-aged man, "Then you thought you had been doing what all this time? You just relax at home, or spend money out there, or party with your brondongs! At least I've given you money, it's my responsibility!"

"Brengsw!!" the woman who had previously spoken screeched loudly. "Brengs*k!! Basic male brengs*k!" the screeching sound was getting louder accompanied by the sound of objects thrown\, some hit the floor\, some hit other objects somehow.

"Shut up!" the sound of a loud slap was now heard. "So what you say! If you still know yourself, you should take this opportunity to be a good mother! You should have taken care of him!"

"Hurrrgh!!!!" the voice of the female cry that seemed to have been slapped earthly with the sound of lightning out there. Very hard, making the servants in their house who were trying to break up take a step back.

In another room, the next room that was only limited to an opaque glass push door, a little girl stared at the shadow of her parents with a glazed look. Her tears could have fallen at this time, but perhaps because she had heard such fights so often, her tear production had already begun to decrease.

The sound of lightning roared again and the defense of the little girl's knee collapsed. His feet buckled and he fell on the floor. He hugged his knees and buried his face. She is not a strong girl. She was just a 6-year-old girl who was afraid of loud noises, including lightning. But why has no one ever calmed her down? Usually, for little girls who have mothers, their mothers will come hugging to quell the fear of her little girl. For those who have fathers, their fathers will come to read fairy tales so that the mind of his little girl is distracted. He had both but why had they never done such things? He could not remember the last time his parents took him to bed.

The push door opened, and a housekeeper who was old enough appeared from behind the door. He hurriedly closed the door behind him and came to the little girl.

"Non. Let's just go to the room, yeah," he persuaded while slowly pulling the little girl's arm.

Since there was no energy, the little girl complied and let her hand be led to the room.

After lying in bed and covered. The housekeeper stroked the little girl's hair slowly. "Mbok go home first yes, non," he said. Actually he himself could not bear to leave the little girl in this manner. But what power, he has a grandson also in the house that he has to take care of.

Knowing that the housekeeper - the only person who was kind and attentive to him in this house - could not stay, the little girl simply nodded.

"Tomorrow mbok mbok will be back again. Try to come quickly yes,"

Again the little girl just nodded silently. He turned to the right, turned his back to the housekeeper and closed his eyes. He could faintly hear the sound of footsteps moving away and the sound of the door closing slowly. Soon, perhaps because of the fatigue effect, the little girl fell asleep.

At 12 pm, along with the clang 12 times, the lightning again boomed. The little girl's eyes opened and she saw darkness. He hurriedly got up from his sleep. Another fear besides darkness is loud noise. He quickly got out of bed and fumbled around the room looking for a light switch. After finding it, he pressed on, but nothing happened. The room is still dark. He again felt the way, heading for the little nightstand beside his bed. Fortunately, he remembered there was a flashlight there.

With the help of a flashlight, he exited the room, then went down the stairs leading to the 1st floor of his house.

"Dad.." call her slow. "Mother..."

No one's saying. The sound in the house was only decorated with the sound of rain from outside and the sound of the seconds ticking of the wall clock. The little girl quickened her pace towards the room under the stairs, her mother's room. He turned the knob, unlike usual, the door of his mother's room was unlocked. He directed a flashlight to shine in his mother's room. Niente. There's no one there.

Without closing the door, he ran towards his father's room. The same thing repeated. The door was unlocked and no one was inside.

"Dad...Mother.." the little girl called back, this time with a louder volume. Hopefully, both parents are still in the other room in this house and hear it. But there is no answer. The little girl hugged herself with one hand. The house was getting cold and dark.

"Dad... Mother.." still not giving up, her little feet stepped down every corner of the room but there was no answer and no one.

He was in the last room, his father's office, where his parents had a fight.He pushed open the frosted glass door and again the cold greeted him. He knew his hopes were dashed, no one was there. But he kept stepping in. Slowly, her tears fell down her round cheeks. "Dad... Mother.." call her in a hoarse voice. At this time he thought, at least it is better to listen to the authenticity of the mother's ketus or the abusive speech of his father as usual than to hear anything like this.

He stepped slowly trying to approach the window that still showed rain, but had not yet reached his destination, his foot stepped on something. Puncturing, piercing through the flesh of his feet. Be ill. But the little girl did not complain, let alone scream. He lifted his left leg and saw a piece of glass stuck there. He bit his flashlight, sat on the floor and pulled the broken glass out. Blood flowed out. With the end of his nightgown he covered the wound.

If the wound in his heart could also be covered with the edge of his nightgown, he would. But unfortunately I can't. Can't help it anymore, with the rest of her strength, she cried. Taut, roaring. Defeat the rain that only remains mists.

X-X-X

"Nara! Nara!" Ji-Ho shakes the shoulder of Nara who is still asleep. The girl's eyes were tightly closed, but just as it endured the pain, the girl's eyebrows clutched and her body moved restlessly. "Nara!" call Ji-Ho again. "You all right? Nara!"

Seeing Nara like that, Ji-Ho panics. He immediately pulled Nara in his arms. "What's up, Nara? Are you having a nightmare?" ji-ho asks quietly when he hears the girl sobbing more and more with her body shaking in her arms. "It's okay. I'm here" she said gently, stroking the girl's hair.

For a while, Nara cries in Ji-Ho's arms and Ji-Ho no longer asks. After being calm enough, then Nara released herself and wiped the remnants of her tears with her hands.

"You okay?" ask Ji-Ho again.

Nara simply nodded, then lowered her head while playing her fingernails on the lap. His face was sad and looked very tired. Either the crying drained his energy or the nightmare he was having. Or maybe both.

Seeing that Nara is not okay, Ji-Ho grabs the girl's cheek and cupped her face with both hands. "Is there anything you want to tell me?" He looked straight in front of him who was losing light.

Instead of answering, Nara's tears fell back. Somehow he feels claustrophobic looking at Ji-Ho's shady eyes. Those eyes made him want to tell his past. The past he had experienced was in his dreams, and he had also experienced many years ago in real life. No one knows the past but Zaza. The past that made him afraid to put hope in others because he did not want to be let down again. A fearful past has a greater affection for others because it does not want to be disappointed when left behind.

"You can tell me," one hand Ji-Ho moves up caressing Nara's hair, giving her peace of mind.

Nara took a deep breath. It might not hurt to tell me this, he thought. So he lowered his head, dodged Ji-Ho's gaze, grabbed his own hand and started telling stories. "When I was a kid, I was abandoned by my parents."

He shares his story with Ji-Ho. The dream he had. The quarrels of his parents, until the night he huddled alone in his father's study with an injured leg.

"I know they never wanted me. My mother was a famous artist before she married my father. He said I was the biggest mistake of his life and even ruined his career. Of course he hates me. As for father, father never wanted to marry mother, but because there I was he was forced. And back to all this being my fault,"

"Not your fault. It wasn't all your fault. Don't blame yourself. It's not your desire to be born in this world and they don't know what they're wasting" Ji-Ho's hands now moved tightly to Nara's hands, which began to feel cold and wet. "Then, when were you alone in that house?" he hissed furiously.

"Tomorrow, mbok Inem, ah no. I mean Inem imo found me at home when he came to work. He's the one who helped me contact my grandparents out of town, then took me to them, out of the house,"

Ji-Ho is fixated, not knowing what to say. Nara's face strongly implied sadness and it made her heart ache. He didn't know Nara had such a painful past.

"I promise I won't leave you," those words shot from Ji-Ho's lips. Not just because I wanted to calm Nara down. He meant.

"I promise I won't leave you,

Nara replies to Ji-Ho's eyes that are fixedly staring at her. A moment later he laughed. It feels strange to hear that word. "Don't promise like that. The last time my grandfather said the same thing, he died of a stroke," he joked in a flat tone. But what he said was facts.

Looking at Ji-Ho who is suddenly confused. A glimmer of guilt appeared on his face that was increasingly white in the sunlight. So, Nara hurriedly added, "Don't promise me, I'll be disappointed if you disbelieve,"

"Then I will try. I will try never to leave you. Hows it? That's better, isn't it?"

Nara smelled a smile. "All right, it's up to you." Her little heart asks to be able to trust Ji-Ho, to be able to hope. Somehow the end result will be, which is clear he is happy for now anyone wants to try to be beside him.

The corner of Ji-Ho's lips is interested. Then he stood up and then extended his hand. "Let's take a walk around this park. Fresh air can refresh our minds as well" he said.

Nara welcomed the hand. A hand that warms his heart and melts the cold of the past that had stopped in his dream earlier. The hand that for now wants him to hold and does not want him to let go.

X-X-X