Kai had just arrived in front of the gate of his house; it looked like Raya, who had just got home from school. As usual, she didn't put his shoes back in the shoe rack and just left them in front of the door, making Kai annoyed with his attitude.
Kai's hands immediately tidied up the pair of shoes and put them on the shoe rack, of course, while saying the anger in his heart. Kai's feet had just stepped in front of the door. Her mother had been sleeping on the sofa with a tired look; her heart was being sliced.
"Ray, when you come home from school, you clean your shoes. You think everyone has nothing else to do than clean your shoes?" Kai said with anger and a high tone.
Raya did not answer Kai's words; she preferred to cover her ears using the earphones on her study table. Since Kai's father had laid off, Raya's behavior has become increasingly unjustifiable; she has turned the house into a warehouse where she can fall apart at any time.
Kai couldn't help but take a deep breath at his sister's behavior. She immediately returned to the TV room to correct his mother's sleeping position; the rest of the cassava chips that his mother had fried were still scattered everywhere.
"Kai, you're home," said the mother, adjusting her seat.
Kai is silent because she can't see his mother like that; she has to work alone to support the three humans in this house. Kai doesn't hate his father because he understands that maybe his father is also dizzy and has no other choice but to act as he pleases, but there is something Kai doesn't like about his father's change, which is abandoning us and making us struggle alone.
Tears continued to fall when Kai lay down on the bed; she couldn't stand seeing his mother like that.
My mother heard a knock on the door.
"Sis, have you eaten earlier?" asked mother with her hand holding a tray containing a plate of rice with side dishes and Kai's favorite cold water.
"Not yet, ma'am," said Kai.
The mother came into the room and handed me a tray.
"Oh yes, ma'am, this is the sale of chips today," Kai said as she reached into his pocket to take Mrs. Asih's money.
"Fifty thousand rupiah," said the mother. A smile etched on his lips; there was relief in his heart because the chips she had fried from the morning weren't in vain.
* * *
"I'm annoyed with Raya," said Kai, who had just arrived on his bicycle in the park.
Diga had already arrived at the park and immediately climbed the tree house because he was the only one who was good at cleaning the tree house, from various small animals to leaves that fell into the tree house.
"Why else?" asked Diga, his face not looking at Kai because he was still cleaning under the table in the tree house.
"That's crazy! He is getting increasingly arbitrarily at home; everything will be a mess whenever she comes home from school. She doesn't know if my mother and I have worked hard to give food daily. Moreover, her pretentious style doesn't want to sell mother's chips in the school canteen," Kai grumbled, making Diga laugh a little when he saw the look on her face.
"Done," said Diga.
Diga approached Kai, who was already sitting on the balcony of the tree house, and answered his swear words earlier.
"Well, how about that? His name is also a middle school kid; you must be like that in middle school, right? Dispose of the bag in the TV room at will, "said Diga.
"Yes, Ga, the situation is different. I used to have a maid at home who could help my mother, now? No such thing. All my housework is with my mother, who has to clean it. Raya? Just stay in the room like a snow white," Kai said more passionately.
"Kai, maybe Raya is lazy and becomes a burden at home. But think about it, maybe she's also like that to get your attention. She hides his sadness in that way," explained Diga.
"Besides, you said earlier that you had something like that; you already told him nicely and asked him what she wanted. Besides that, you also understand what she wants and can agree on what should be done, "said Diga.
Diga's words immediately awakened Kai; indeed, since his father was laid off, their relationship has become increasingly strained because of the annoyance Kai always brings when he comes home from anywhere when he sees a messy house.
There is always a hidden sadness in humans around us that we may not even know we are aware of.
They were both silent, stunned by each other's words, like a ball bouncing around in his mind.
"Why, Bella, why is Bella so mean to hurt you," Kai said, suddenly breaking the house.
"How come? It means?"
"Yeah, I wonder why someone would hurt you. Even though you are a person who can always open your ears wide when listening to other people's stories and your kindness that others may not be able to meet," said Kai.
"One more thing, your sincerity makes you good with people without thinking about the feedback," Kai explained again.
Diga fell silent even more because he heard Kai's words.
"Yes, everyone is also good at times but differently."
"I never thought you would meet a human like you. You are romantic in quotes; yes, you can give what you have in other ways to the person you love. Romance that can't be found with other people, it's like you stay still; it's already romantic, Ga," Kai's words grew wider as if his heart was speaking, not his brain.
"Ah, it's just your feelings because you've known me for a long time," said Diga reassuringly.
"No. We're just like this; it's already romantic," Kai said while pinching Diga's ear and running away.
Like a cell phone finding the signal, Diga felt that Kai had brought out the sign he had buried deep down this time. But again, they were both blocked by a word called friend.
The afternoon air accompanies laughter; they know that there is a secret that has been slightly revealed from their hearts. Romantic, something that Diga never thought of that seemed to make Kai fascinated by him.
"Diga. Why didn't you eat lunch earlier?" asked Diga's mother when she had just returned from the park.
Mother had prepared a plate of rice with side dishes which she put in the serving hood.
"Sorry, ma'am, Diga doesn't know. Earlier, Diga had already eaten at school," Diga answered slowly.
Mother was silent as if there was a broken heart that she couldn't get out right then and there.