Elise Past

Ella bites her lip, after struggling inside her mind, she finally chooses to say it.

"My name is Elise Tjarda van Starkenborgh." After saying it, Ella exhales her breath with relief as this is the first time she told her real name to other people. She doesn't know why after said it to Henry, she feels an unprecedented relief throughout her mind.

"That's truly a beautiful you have there, Ms. Elise." Henry says while looking directly at her.

Elise bows down her head to evade Henry stare.

"I'm curious why would a lady as beautiful as you work as a waiter here especially since you a noble. Tell me what is your purpose, Ms. Ella ?" Henry asks as this is truly suspicious. Why would a Dutch noblewoman work as a waiter here, and it seems nobody realizes her true status.

Elise knows since her true status already known by Henry, eventually, she must explain her origin. If she does not explain it, she fears maybe Henry would not let her out. But after thinking about it quickly, she chooses to explain her true situation as she already depressed from enduring all of this alone.

"I was born in 1956 in Jakarta. I was born from a pair of a Dutch father and Chinese-Indonesian mother. My mother already died since I was 2 years old from her sickness, so only my father that truly take care of me. My grandfather has once held the post as the Governor-General of Dutch East Indie which is Indonesia now.

But I never met with my grandfather as I only know him from my father. I heard my grandfather was caught by Japan during their invasion. My father was only lucky to escape because he was not in the house back then.

My grandfather had a child not known back then because he keeps it as a secret. So after successfully escaped, my father married my mother to blend in the Indonesian society. As my father escaped without anything, he can only work as a merchant together with my mother. But due to not attract attention, their business was kept small by my father.

Luckily my mother understands my father difficulty, so they can only live a fulfilling life. After their 10 of their marriage, I was finally born. I live with my father and mother in a simple house in the outskirt of Jakarta.

2 year after I was born, my mother died which make my father very sad. I never truly knew her as I was just too small back then. After my mother died, my father went all out to teach me everything he knows from basic skill to Noble etiquette.

Unfortunately, my moment with him only lasts for 8 years before an incident takes him away from me." Elise starts crying again as she remembers that incident.

Henry gets up from his seat and sits beside Elise. He immediately takes her into his hug again and let her cry as he knows what she feels right now. He let her to her content before say, "Is it 30 September Movement ?"

After matching her confession and his knowledge, Henry quickly know what's going on. If he is not wrong, her father would be one of the victims from the 30 September Movement known as imprisonment and death of real or supposed Communists Party members and its sympathizers.

Elise wiped her tear with her clothes and nodded. She quickly said, "Yes, it was the 30 September Movement. I remember that day clearly, I was playing with my father in my house before a man barging in.

The man told my father something which I don't remember, after that the man quickly left. My father quickly running around the house, I was confused back then what was going on. After just 5 minutes, my father quickly piggybacks me and run from the house while carrying a bag.

Even though he is carrying me, he runs very fast to the forest beside our house. After a while, we arrived at a village and we quickly go to one of the houses. There is an old man sitting in front of the house.

My father talks something in Indonesian which I not yet mastered back then, so I don't know what they are talking about. My father quickly gives the old man the bag he carried and hug me tightly. I remember that face of his when he hugs me and says his last word.

I was crying loud when he quickly ran to the forest again, I was trying to reach him but the old man holds me back. He never turns his back even when he heard my crying, but I'm sure he is crying too." Even though Elise just crying, her tears seem endless as she is crying again.

"I was clueless about what happened back then, so I thought he just left me temporarily. But after 1 month, I was never heard and saw him ever again since that moment. I quickly know he maybe left me forever since that moment.

Luckily the old man is very nice to me, he treats me like his granddaughter. He never let me know his name, so I just called him grandpa. He taught me the Indonesian language and many basic knowledge he has.

But that didn't last long either. The old man quickly sends me to a mixed school for a foreigner after I stay with him for 1 year. I was not too sad as I already experienced the same thing when my father left me.

I guess he sends me out because I remember there are many military uniformed men visited the house once a while. The military men asked many questions to the old man, but what I remember is he said he just adopted me." Elise stopped talking as she takes a deep breath and wipes her tears.

Henry just silent as he did not know what to say. He never an expert at emotion, especially woman emotion. So he just patted Elise back gently to comfort her.

"It was after studying in that mixed school I learned the 30 September Movement. I was so heartbroken back then when I think the prospect of my father already died following my mother. My character quickly changed from a cheerful kid to an anti-social teenager in just a span of one night.

Since then, I never had a friend in the school as I was repelling them. Anyway, it seems my story already enough right ?" Elise stopped talking as she looks Henry face to face. Her face with simple makes up already ruined by her tears and snot.

Henry takes off his shirt and use it to wiping Elise's face.

"You must look yourself in the mirror now, it was so funny." Henry lightly laughed.

Elise pouted and replied, "You are a bastard, is that how you replied to a woman who just crying." Then she powders punch Henry's chest lightly.

Henry catches Elise wrist and pinned her to the sofa. He quickly kisses her aggressively while squeezing her chest lightly. Elise moan escaped when the kisses break, but she shows no resistance as she actively responds to Henry kisses.

Luckily Henry already locked the door before...