Fish

As opposed to going to school this morning, I'm now home with my new friends. We were riding our own bicycles, riding our own hills without pedaling our bikes, and making happy jokes.

The sun is heading to the western horizon, about to set and fall back to sleep. And by the time I got home, Dad and Mom were busy in front of the house, which was actually more like an overgrown yard than a garden.

My grandmother's yard is very large and rural. The yard is planted with vegetables that, unfortunately, have now dried up because of a prolonged lack of care. The vegetable plant was dead. Understandably, Aunt Tin, the next-door neighbor who helped Oma during her absence, was unable to help with the plants. To be honest, Auntie Tin has helped too much. He practically bathes you, changes the cast, and makes you something to eat.

Oma was very old and could only sit in a wooden chair, staring intently at the sunset, as if she could actually talk to the sun.

"How was your first day at school?" Dad asked.

I took off the backpack and put it on the porch, then took off my socks and put them back in the shoe. "It's a little fun."

"Thank god!" Mom answered. "Now you'd better get in the shower and help Mom with dinner. There are chicken eggs and vegetables in the kitchen."

"No fish?"

"To get fish in this place, we must go to the market a great distance away. The nearest market is the market where we stopped yesterday."

"Under the mountain?"

Mom nodded with regret.

"But if you really want a fish, tomorrow I'll go to the river and look for it. You want a freshwater fish?"

Not wanting to worry my parents, I just nodded and went into the bathroom. I know that my parents are trying to make me feel at home by doing everything I ask. But it just feels a little overwhelming and makes me uncomfortable.

The bathroom in this house is right next to the kitchen. We only use a manual water pump here, but the water is crystal clear. The modest bathroom, with its water stored in a medium-sized pool that is the size of an adult's chest, When water soaked the body, it was so fresh.

I don't know if everyone in this place is still using traditional tools or if my grandmother is the only one who survives. Still, this life honestly kind of makes me feel weird. On the one hand, I'm happy, but on the other hand, I get pissed off sometimes.

After I take a shower, I'll go to the kitchen and cook some carrot soup for dinner. Especially for Oma, mom smoothed the food to such a place as baby porridge.

"Mom, eat!" Mama politely fed Oma. "Don't worry about Tom; he's a big man with a mind of his own."

"Honey, why are you discussing Tom in front of Mama?" Papa, who was at the table with me, asked indignantly. "We shouldn't talk about Tom."

"Then how long would you like us to hide this? Mama needs to know, honey, so she doesn't keep waiting for Tom. Now it's just us. You, me, and our daughter Her beloved son no longer even wanted her."

"I'm full!" I said as I wiped my lips.

Papa turned his head. "Why?"

"It's okay. I'm gonna go to my room."

"You haven't even finished the rice on your plate."

To be honest, I'm not particularly fond of that threatened argument. Didn't they pick themselves back up here? My parents are weird.

*_*

My room was in the middle, with a large window facing directly into the sea in the distance. From here, I could see the beauty of nature as well as the brilliant lights of the night.

When I got to the room, I put my body on the bed, and then I looked up at my slightly moldy ceiling. I haven't had a chance to clean up. Dad had too much work to do and hadn't had time to repaint the house.

I saw a picture of my childhood hanging on the wall. It was taken when I graduated elementary school, along with Uncle Tom and my parents. Uncle Tom himself was Mom's only brother. Uncle Tom and my mom never change; they always get along. Uncle Tom had even been the first to support her when my grandmother and grandfather opposed her marrying him. Uncle Tom also became Mama's maid of honor, as well as the only female representative at a modest wedding held in the church.

I learned all these stories from my dad's family. They considered my mother's family to be rigid and looked down on my dad's level of economics. Because, indeed, Dad's family are the worst people in the village. My grandfather's father was someone the police arrested for embezzling funds from the village. My grandfather, Dad, or, as usual, as my older cousins called him, Papa Bi, even died shortly after his release. Somebody stabbed Papa Bi and killed him instantly.

It was the past that Mom and Dad tried to hide from me, but it worked. That's why when we come back, most people just welcome Mom, not Dad.

Ring!

The sound of my phone ringing came as soon as I reached out, and the screen of the phone bore Flora's name. Hurry, I received the call.

"Hi, Flo!" I waved to the camera.

Flora, with her red hair, responded to my greeting: "Hello, Alina! How are you doing, sugar?"

"Well enough, how are you?"

To be honest, I'm glad I got back to talking to my old school friend. Flora made it to high school on a scholarship at our dream school.

"How's school, Flo?"

"As before, so much work. You're on your own?"

I tried to smile and hide the envy that came to my chest. Burns my heart. "Not good. Schools here make me doubt I'll even get into our dream college."

"Do not be discouraged. Everything has a way."

"Just imagine me having to endure at that reform school? Oh Jesus, Flo. What if I have to end up a loser in this little village?"

Flo took a deep breath. I could see her doing it. His voice was also more remorseful. "I'm very sad about your condition, but you just calm down. I'll send you material from my school so you can study."

"Thank you."

"No problem. By the way, have you heard anything?"

"What news?"

"That Crist and Clarisa go on a date."

"Seriously?"

"Of course. Isn't this too much?" Said flora. "He just broke up with Megan, but he's already hooked up with a new girl."

I smiled, then grabbed the blanket and used it as a pillow. "Did you make it to the chemistry club at school?"

"No!" Flora answered with a little sadness. "But you stay calm. I made it to the biology club."

"Is being a member of a chemical club that hard?"

Flora nodded reassuringly. "Sort of. I thought I was going to die for it."

"Alina!"

The sound of Mom's screams drove me out of the room, just to keep chatting with Flora.

"What's your mama's problem?"

"I don't know; maybe he wants me to help her change the cast of Grandma."

"Well, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"What's the big hurry?"

"You seem busy."

"No."

"And I'm busy with homework."

"All right then."

Click.

Line's down. I quickly put my smartphone back on the table and hurried to where Mom was. On the porch.

"Why, Mom?"

"Here it is!" Mom said. "Alina, they said they made an appointment with you."

"Who? Oh, my goodness! - Mia? Zu?"

I was shocked to see those two classmates sitting on the porch with dad. They're eating Mama's boiled peanuts.

"Hi, Lin! Let's go to the fair." Mia looked pretty that night in a short, knee-length dress and a thick coat. "Tia is waiting in the field."

*_*

I didn't intend to, but I finally went to the fair with Mia and Zu. We rode bicycles, which were fortunately equipped with electric lights.

The venue was a bit far away. On top of a hill and close to schools and Kelurahan offices. From a distance, we could already see the flickering lights of the rainbow at the event.

"It's beautiful," Mia says.

"How about we ride the Ferris wheel later?" Zu came up with a proposal.

Me and Mia have nodded together.

Even though the road we were on wasn't scary at all. The atmosphere was really calm and warm, somehow. The bright moonlight also adds warmth.

By the time we got to the field, there were so many visitors. In fact, Mia says that a lot of people from other villages on the other side of the mountain are coming in for comfort.

"Where's Tia?" I asked before we bought a ticket.

Zu answered, "already inside her lair."

"You sure?"

"Or did she not come?"

"What are you saying, Mia?" Zu looks upset now. "Come on, don't get any ideas. She will definitely come."

Finally, we managed to buy a ticket. It's not expensive; it's just a few cents, but it's enough to give us some privacy. Like we promised before, we're heading straight for the Ferris wheel.

"There's only one place left for two." The limelight was remorseful. but he continued, "Why don't you come up for the next session?" He would talk to me, of course, because my ticket was the last one.

"How about we exchange tickets?" Recommends Zu.

However, I reject Zu's plan.

"No problem. You go on ahead."

"No what?"

"Of course it's okay. Besides, there are more people on the waiting bench." I pointed to the long bench near the ticket counter. And that finally convinced the two to climb the ferris wheel.

Actually, I'm not too fond of the ferris wheel, and I'm interested in the little ferris wheel a few miles away. Everyone looked so happy.

I was so shocked when someone tapped me on the shoulder that I accidentally turned.

"You're the new kid, right?"

Goodness gracious! Why is Leon here all of a sudden? What's he up to?

I gulped and nodded.

"I saw you waiting in line at the Ferris wheel."

- why?

Why would he know?

What's he going to do?

"What's your queue number?"

I saw the number on the ticket I was holding. "Seat 12."

He laughed, then showed him the ticket he had. My goodness, how come it's the same?