"This was our house before I sold it to uncle Rendra. Now we will stay here, instead of having to stay in a hotel," Bayu says as he stands next to Heidy, who doesn't listen to what her father said. The girl is still stunned while looking at the magnificent house in front of her. Heidy just realized when Bayu grabs his hand and invited her to come in.
"Was I born here, Dad?" Heidy asks. There is a swish of compassion that begins to well up in her heart because she could not remember the memories in that house.
Bayu turns and smiles. "You were only one year old when we moved to Oslo. Besides, this house has been renovated by uncle Rendra. He said, to make it look more modern," says Bayu with a faint smile on his lips decorated with a beard that begins to mix with white.
There is a little bit of sadness that looks on his handsome face. There are many memories between him and Padma, his beloved wife in that house. Memories that couldn't be erased so easily, but which he always keep hidden from Heidy.
"Bayu!" says a woman who is none other than Astri, the wife of Rendra. With great warmth, the woman welcomes the arrival of Bayu and her nephew, whom she has never met in person. So far, they have only greeted each other via video call.
A pair of eyes with Astri's warm gaze begins to observe the beautiful girl with a slender posture in front of her from head to toe. Astri is amazed. She immediately grabs Heidy's face and kisses the girl's forehead gently.
"Welcome to Indonesia, Dear. This is your home too, so don't hesitate!" she says passionately.
Heidy smiles sweetly. She then nods slowly. "Thank you, Auntie. I will be very troublesome for you here," says Heidy with her typical speaking style. The girl is not fluent in Indonesian, even though Bayu often teaches her.
"It's okay. Besides, this is your first time visiting here. Auntie will make you typical Indonesian food. You will be addicted and feel homesick to come back here," says Astri while holding Heidy's arm, who is much taller than herself.
"Ah ... my goodness! You are very tall. The same as your late mother ...." Astri's words suddenly get stuck. For a moment, she is stunned and seems to regret her own words. However, it isn't long before she gets over herself. "You'd better get some rest! Come on, I will take you to your room," she says again, glancing at Bayu, who at that time gives a signal to her.
After taking Heidy to the room that has been prepared for the beautiful girl, Astri then approaches Bayu who is standing on the balcony of the house. Astri feels she has to straighten something out with her brother-in-law.
"Bayu, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I didn't mean to bring up Ms. Padma in front of Heidy. I just ..." Astri couldn't continue her words.
"It's okay, Tri. I can understand it. I'm just lazy to answer all the questions that Heidy will ask me later. That girl has a very big curiosity and that ... sometimes makes me so dizzy to explain everything to her," Bayu explains with a flat expression.
"Yes, of course. I can understand that," Astri responds slowly. The forty-six-year-old woman is silent for a moment. "When will you leave for Kalimantan?" she asks again.
"Tomorrow," Bayu answers flatly. A moment later, he then turns around and looks at Astri. His face looks very serious. "Tri, please take care of Heidy while I go to Kalimantan. I'm only there for two days. If you can, don't let her out of the house," Bayu orders.
Astrid nods without any further questions. "It's a pity if Heidy is locked up at home for two days, especially since this is her first visit to Indonesia. However, if that's your wish then I have to obey it," says Astri while looking at the courtyard. Looks like a car belonging to her husband who has just returned from work. "Rendra has gone home. I'll go down first," she says. The woman with the perfunctory bun passes in front of Bayu, who at that time choose to go to his room. Bayu wants to clean his body first before meeting his younger brother whom he has not seen for a long time.
Bayu is a furniture entrepreneur in Oslo. He has shops scattered in almost all major Norwegian cities. His main commodities are furniture and all rattan-based knick-knacks, which he imports directly from Indonesia. As it is known that Kalimantan is one of the largest rattan producers in Indonesia. Incidentally, Bayu who is a descendant of the original from there just wanted to raise the area of origin in the eyes of the world. He also employs about two or three people, who are rattan craftsmen, as experts in his craft workshop.
The afternoon has passed. The warm rays of the sun, which feels so different from Norway, finally come down to the western horizon. Night comes near.
On the dining table, various Indonesian specialties are very foreign to Heidy. However, the girl does not hesitate to taste the various menus that Astri has prepared for them. One thing that made Heidy wince immediately is the chili paste. It made the atmosphere at the dining table feel much warmer.
After dinner, Bayu and Rendra continue their conversation in the family room. Meanwhile, Heidy chooses to enjoy the evening atmosphere from the balcony. She points her cell phone camera around the place. Accidentally, Heidy catches the appearance of a cat with very large body size when compared to the size of other cats. Black cat with glowing eyes. The animal sitting on the grass stares in Heidy's direction. His eyes seem to hypnotize the girl. Heidy thinks for a moment. It is the same cat she had seen when she was in Norway.
Curious, Heidy decides to go down and intends to approach the animal. The girl leaves quietly while her father was busy talking with Rendra and Astri. They don't seem to notice when Heidy passes in front of the doorway to the family room. The girl just walks away until she arrives in the front yard and faces the black cat she has seen earlier.
The animal stares at Heidy for a moment then stands up and turns around. It seems to invite Heidy to follow him. Heidy continues her steps and follows where the cat takes her. The girl keeps walking and doesn't realize where her feet are headed.
"Don't go too far, sweetie. I'll get lost," Heidy says as she continues to walk cheerfully behind the cat's graceful movements. The longer it goes on, the darker it feels. Heidy starts to turn on the flashlight from her cellphone to highlight the surroundings. Only then does Heidy realize that she is now in the middle of an unkempt lawn, even though the grass is waist-high.
In front of her, a majestic castle made of mossy river stones stands beautifully, as if welcoming Heidy's arrival. The hair on the girl's neck instantly swells, plus the cat that she has been following all this time is no longer visible. "Sweetie?" she mutters quietly.