All Which Remains

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Abyasa

"What the hell is wrong with you, Farrah?" I yell at her.

"No, what the hell is wrong with you?" She yells back. Arron has left for school by now.

"How could you do this?" I ask, grabbing her arms. She's crying.

"I didn't do anything wrong," Farrah whispers. I let her go, and She fell to the floor.

"I don't think you're in the wrong," I pinch the bridge of my nose, "it's just that you should've consulted me first, at the very least."

"I know, but I had to make a decision. You live here, but I never see you. I wasn't able to ask you first."

"Just hand it to me." I stick my hand out. Farrah stands up and hands it to me. "Damn it."

Arron

Ramelan says that he wants to eat lunch with us today. I feel like I'm on cloud nine. The first half of the day passes by in a blur because I'm so excited to talk to Ramelan during lunch.

I wait for Ramelan to finish up with Dhuhr before we walk to the lunch room together. I'm so excited. We have longer lunches because a large portion of the school's population is Muslim, so class ends sooner so they have time to pray. I usually go straight to lunch because my family and I are Christian.

We walk down the hallway, chatting about anything and everything. I feel a bit sad when we reach the table that Fadhlan had saved for the three of us.

Now I have to share Ramelan. I sit beside him, with Fadhlan facing us.

"I forgot my lunch today," Fadhlan says, "I'll go to the lunch line. Want to join me, Arron?"

I look over at Ramelan. I don't want to leave him alone, but I don't have lunch either.

"Ramelan, is it okay if I go to the lunch line?" I ask him, leaning in close enough to see individual hairs on his shirt.

"Sure, if that's what you want." He doesn't look at me.

"I'll stay back, if that's okay, Fadhlan," I tell Fadhlan. He nods and walks off toward the lunch line. Ramelan turns to me.

"Why didn't you go?" He looks astonished.

"Because you only said it was okay if I wanted to go," I reply. My heart is beating too fast.

"Don't you?"

"No, I'd rather be with you," I say. My face is getting too hot, I'm too close.

"Um, o–okay," Ramelan says, blushing. Suddenly, he turns toward me and says: "Do you have a crush on me?"

I flinch back. Do I? I don't say anything, and neither does he.

Ramelan's face closes off. Just then, Fadhlan comes back. He sets his tray down with a thud, shocking me and Ramelan back into life. We both look away from each other.

"Something happen?" Fadhlan asks.

"No, nothing of importance," I tell him.

"Okay." Fadhlan shoves quina into his mouth. The school lunches are disgusting anyway. I put my head in my hand, and turn away from both of them.

"Hey, Fadhlan, do you have other friends?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I– what are their names? Are they two guys?" There's the memory of something, just beyond my reach.

"One of them's a guy, the other one's a girl. Janu and Aprilia. They're twins," He says, poking his food.

"Oh," I whisper. The memory leaves as soon as he says their names. What are we talking about? I bang my head on the lunch table.

"Are you okay?" Fadhlan asks.

"Yup. Doing just dandy," I say, my voice muffled. The bell rings, and I hear Fadhlan and Ramelan stand up. I stay at the table for the rest of the day.

I open the front door, expecting Mom to hug me like she usually does, but she doesn't. I push the door open farther and walk into the mudroom. It's a mess. It looks like someone left in a hurry. I drop my backpack and run into the living room.

I look around frantically.

"Mom? Dad?" I call into the space.

No one responds.

I check the kitchen.

Almost everything in the kitchen is destroyed. Cups and plates shattered on the floor.

It looks like a crime scene.

"Mom? Dad? Anyone?" I call again, my voice starting to tremble. "Mommy?" I start crying.

I run out of the kitchen and check Dad's office. He's not there. So, I check their bedroom. I open the door tentatively. Something stops the door from opening fully. Panic takes hold. I shove the door with my shoulder.

Clothes and personal items are strewn everywhere. There's a cluster of shoes beside the door. They must've been what wouldn't let me open the door all the way.

I step inside.

"Mom?" I whisper. There's no response. They're both gone.

I walk towards their bed, planning to do— what? What am I going to do? What can I do?

Something crunches underneath my feet. I lift my foot and pick up whatever I stepped on. It's a broken photo of Mom and Dad. In the picture, they're smiling and hugging each other. It doesn't look like it was in Indonesia.

I wonder where?