Charade

DUSTY SPACE

More beautiful than the Mrs. Benedict herself. Her fair skin, her eyes are so beautiful and seem to be able to hypnotize the person who sees the hazel. I don't know what bad karma befell the woman until it ended tragically. I admit that woman is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. 

Now in the family room with Ella on her mother's lap, the head of the family is bestowing his emotions on Maria. I actually don't know who the figure that was killed was, because everyone looked confused except for Mr. Benedict himself who seemed to know who the woman was. It was clearly seen from the man's eyes that highlighted full of sadness and also such a great disappointment. 

"You? Did you really do it?" the voice was very soft, the emotion that seemed to be soaked was very clearly audible. 

Such a large room seems to be such a small cardboard box, narrow and stuffy. Especially when everyone was sitting with Maria who was cross-legged in front of Mr. Benedict. The auras of the two are obviously different. 

"Is your courage lost after killing someone? Please answer me, please while I'm still patient." Gosh the voice actually made me want to cry, I seemed to be thrown back to the past where I lost both my parents, the sense of loss was clearly felt in the figure of this man. 

"I'm sorry sir, I'm sorry." 

"I don't know whether to forgive you or not, you know I've been thinking of you as my mother all these years, but why? Don't you know how much I crave you. I want to be angry, but my sense of disappointment is greater than all the emotions that are on me at the moment." 

"I didn't mean to do that sir; I really didn't mean to kill Mrs. Sarah sir? Everything just happened." 

"I don't know, it's hard for me to believe you. My trust in you has run out of time. Now what should I do? I can't help but have to take you to the police, it's the only way for you to feel sinful with your God." 

"No sir, I beg you sir! I beg you to have mercy on me, I didn't mean to do that heinous thing. I swear," now Maria already crying, I feel sad but if you look back at it that's the consequence of what she did. 

"No! You have to pay for what you've done!" after saying that, Mr. Benedict got up and just wanted to step on his feet, the voice of the man's wife made all the heads turn and look at that face. 

"Whose Sarah?" after a long silence she finally asked that, I was curious to see at Mr. Benedict who was now displaying such a stark nervous look. 

"Do I need to answer? I thought it didn't really matter to you?" damn it, why did he answer it that way. 

"It's not important you say? I am your wife and I have the right to know who that woman is! Hans Benedict, damn you!" the shout was so loudly shrill in this space and unknowingly Mrs. Benedict slammed Ella's body from her lap. I saw the woman only seeing her child then catching up with her husband who was gone, as if hiding from his wife's question.

Because this kind of situation is so unworthy of a child to see, I finally carried Ella for me to take to her room. She didn't deserve to see this all. 

"Maria you have to wait for me! Don't try to get up or escape. I will take care of your case!" after saying that I'm leaving. 

In my arms Ella just kept quiet, I knew she must have been very confused and probably a little surprised when their parents were a little troubled. I put this petite girl on her mattress, as much as I could make her comfortable. 

"Ella, you're waiting here Okay? Let me take care of everything?" 

"But miss, are my parents okay? Why did mom yell to dad?" 

"It's okay, there is just a little misunderstanding between your father and also your mom. Everything will be fine, trust me. Now I have to go back downstairs, you wait here." 

When I was about to hold the door handle, the door of Ella's room was already open first. I can see the boy whose figure I rarely see, is now present. I think what Ella said is true, maybe this child always accompanies her when she is alone. 

But as I was about to pass this little boy, it was precisely my arm in his grasp and with such a sad look he looked up his head to look into my eyes. His left hand took out a piece of photograph, which he then gave me. After that he let go of me and I turned my head back looking at Ella who was sitting on her bed, then beside her was already sitting another figure. Not wanting to waste time, in the end I put the photo in my pants pocket.

When I arrived in the living room, I saw Mr. Benedict again. But this time the man sat cross-legged like Maria did. Seeing that, I chose to stand some distance away from them because I thought it was a good idea for me to give them both a little room to talk. 

"Tell me? Why would you want to kill someone I'm sure you don't even know her. Tell me, everything will be easy if you are honest." I could see clearly their frustrated faces. 

"I, I don't know sir. I just feel threatened, I'm sorry." 

"Who threatened you? Tell me who!" 

"I can't say it sir, I'm sorry." 

"Okay, you made things even more complicated. I don't even know why you know Sarah especially since I've never talked to anyone about her." 

I can see how shaken the two figures are. I don't know, something like this deserves to be further investigated, especially when Maria says she feels threatened. With such a confession alone, then the suspect is definitely someone else but again Maria will still get the punishment as the crime she has committed. 

The tap of my shoes made the two people turn their heads and so I felt déjà vu on the night I was invited to dinner together which I had done with this family. 

"Have you contacted the police? I think it's a good idea to leave the case to the authorities" 

"Yes, I have already contacted the nearest police, probably soon it will be here. But I also asked them to silence the media, but I'm not sure.  

Can you help me?" I who now sit down started looking at Mr. Benedict, we looked at each other and for now I feel comfortable with it. I then pulled out my phone and typed a message for Justin. I asked him to come with a few teams from our department. 

"Maria, get up and sit on the couch and you too sir," even though she's wrong I still have a sense of humanity especially to my elders. 

In silence the three of us drifted away in each other's minds, being on such a high but fragile wall on all sides, I didn't know what was really going on, I realized I should have been able to be more assertive with my task and get everything done quickly but I felt otherwise, I don't know which corner of my heart, I felt like I was being asked to follow everything slowly. 

I tried to take out the photo that was in my pocket. I know this photo is an old photo, it can be seen how the edges of the paper have turned yellow and are so scuffed. I opened slowly to see the figure in my hand, I then looked back at Maria. This is a portrait of the figure of the woman who was killed. 

"Where did you get that picture?" I then turned my head to Mr. Benedict who was hardening his jaw. He took it roughly and I could see his tears. 

"You know, this photo has been in the corner of such a dusty and untouched space for a long time, hoping that everything is kept tight. But why can you get it?" 

I'd better silence my mouth than I have to answer a question that even I don't know what to react to. Still with such a soft cry, the man stared at the photo full of love, a look that even exceeded the gaze when the figure looked at his wife. I have to go back to see the boy. I had to ask him and it was my determination after all this was taken care of.