Chereads / Dodens Porter / Chapter 9 - Inside The Castle

Chapter 9 - Inside The Castle

"You mean? That's Padma you told me about?" asks Heidy in disbelief. He stares intently at Patra who is still watching the painting in front of him carefully.

"Yes, I remember her face and the red color very well. She is exactly like Aunt Padma, uncle Bayu's wife. That means ..." Patra doesn't continue his words. He turns to Heidy.

"Is she my mother?" Heidy's voice quivers slightly when she said that. "So, the voice I heard then was indeed my father's voice. Then, what happened to her? I saw her dead there," Heidy points to another part of the room.

"How was she die? Where?" Patra search everywhere in that large room. He is getting curious.

"I don't know, everything I saw felt so weird. It was like something out of the ordinary. I saw her screaming in pain," Heidy says quietly.

Meanwhile, Patra looks around the room and is stunned by the magnificent building. "Come on follow me!" he invites Heidy. Patra pulls Heidy's wrist to follow him. The young man brings his cousin to explore every corner of the castle. Both of them are so amazed. The castle is so wide. However, they do not want to miss the opportunity. He checks every room there and records it with his cell phone. They find a workspace with a lot of books in the cupboard that has begun to rot with age, as well as books, most of which have been damaged.

Their exploration continues into another room. There, Heidy finds a violin neatly tucked away in its case. The violin is well-kept and in pretty good condition. However, Heidy immediately put it back, especially since Patra asks her to go around again. They are now entering a room with shades that are so dark. There is a bed complete with mosquito nets that are worn out and torn here and there.

"I wonder what's in the side yard. Do you want to come with me?" Patra asks. Heidi nods. There is no reason for her to refuse. The youths then walk out of the room. After all, they couldn't find anything interesting there.

It's different from the courtyard next to the castle. In that place, they find two graves in very poor conditions. Both are covered in grass and dry leaves. Patra then cleans the headstone of the tomb. It has Carlen Eginhardt's name written on it. While the other tomb bears the name of Ratimah Amardani.

"Eginhardt?" Heidy murmurs with her gaze on the two graves. "Who are they?" she mutters again.

"This place is truly extraordinary. Auntie Padma is not just a woman," Patra couldn't shake the admiration in his heart. Unlike Heidy, who is still full of questions.

However, soon the black-haired girl immediately comes to her senses. She remembers that today Bayu would return from Kalimantan. "We have to go home before my father returns," she says.

"Oh, I still want to be here, Dy," Patra moans softly.

"I can't! Aunt Astri will also be reprimanded by my father. I don't want to get other people in trouble because of what we are doing," Heidy immediately leaves Patra. Inevitably, the tan-skinned youth finally follows his cousin. As someone much younger, Patra does not dare to refuse Heidy's words. The two of them walk out of the castle and return to the place where Patra has parked the motorbike. At that time, the day is approaching dusk. Heidy's feelings of trepidation are rising. She is sure if her father would have returned and is at home.

What Heidy was worried about is true. Bayu is standing in the doorway with Astri. Both of them welcome Heidy and Patra's arrival with unfriendly faces. "Patra. We have to talk," without further ado, Astri pulls her adopted son who has just gotten off the motorbike. Patra doesn't even have time to take off the helmet he is wearing.

Meanwhile, Bayu stares intently at Heidy. His eyes are getting sharper and sharper. Heidy knows that her father would surely give her a stern rebuke. The girl steps hesitantly in front of Bayu. "How are you, Dad?" says Heidy. She is trying to look normal. While Bayu does not answer. He is still staring intently at Heidy. A moment later, the man turns around and walks in. "Dad!" Heidy calls him while following his father who is now up the stairs and headed to the room where Heidy slept. "Dad. I'm sorry," Heidy pleads, following her father who has entered the room.

"Close the door!" Bayu says firmly. Heidy complies. She closes the bedroom door tightly. After that, the black-haired girl stands not too far from the man who now looks angry at her. "Tell me where are you from?" Bayu's tone sounds so firm.

"I ... I was just taking a walk with Patra," Heidy replies doubtfully. She isn't used to lying to her father.

"You left quietly? Why?" asks Bayu again still in the same tone.

"You didn't let me out, that's why I left quietly," Heidy answers bluntly.

"Tell me where are you going?" Bayu urges. His suspicions are so great for Heidy. He knows his youngest daughter very well. Heidy is a girl with very high curiosity.

"Not going anywhere. We were just walking around," Heidy lies. Her pair of eyes move erratically and look restless. This allowed Bayu to know that his daughter is being dishonest.

"Don't lie. I am your father, and of course, I know the real character of a Heidy that I raised myself since you were a baby," says Bayu.

"You know I'm lying?" Heidy's tone sounds strange.

"What do you mean?" Bayu does not change the way he speaks at all.

"I only lied this once. Then what about you? How many years have you lied to me?" Heidy's tone suddenly raises. The sweet-eyed girl's breath begins to catch up, holding back the anger she wanted to vent immediately.

"Tell me how long did you hide my mother's identity from me? I always ask about who and where my mother is. You said that she had died in an accident. Then take me to her grave right now!" Heidy's sharp and firm gaze is fixed on her father who is still staring at her intently.

"Why do you have to keep discussing that matter? I already told you that your mother died in an accident. I purposely didn't want to talk about it because it would only scratch old wounds. I'm taking you and your sister to move to Norway to calm down...."

"Relax from what?" Heidy keeps challenging her father. She increasingly dares to say in a firm tone to Bayu. "Tell me, is she my mother?" asks Heidy half pleadingly. Tears start to roll down her eyes.

"Who do you mean?" Bayu asks without changing his attitude and tone of voice.

"Who else if not a woman named Padma," Heidy begins to lower the tension. She slumps down, then collapses and sits cross-legged on the floor. "What's wrong if I want to know who and what my biological mother looks like? In our house, there's not a single picture of her. I don't know what my biological mother looks like. Do you think it's fair to me?"

"Yes. That's the best," answers Bayu flatly. His voice trembles slightly against the turmoil that comes from seeing Heidy's attitude towards him.

"I went there, Dad. I entered the castle and found a lot of things. Explain to me who Carlen Eginhardt and Ratimah Amardani are," Heidy demands desperately.

"Why did you go there?" Bayu sounds scarier. His anger is growing. "Why did you go there?" in the end, a loud snarl has to be received by Heidy from the man.

"I went there because I was curious and...." Before Heidy could continue her speech, Bayu first stepped towards the door and then opens it. Before leaving, the man turns and says, "Pack your things. We're going back to Oslo tomorrow morning!" he says as he walks away.