18. a Story from Daniel

After dinner was over, all the children continued their respective activities. Emilly invites Daniel to the backyard where there are various games. He was really going to interrogate Daniel who brought him here, and why everyone here knew so much about Daniel. And here they are, in the garden behind the orphanage, Emilly is sitting in the swing while rubbing her feet against the slightly wet grass from the rain this afternoon.

Emilly looked at Daniel who was still standing next to him, Daniel crossed his arms, his gaze headed towards the front. "You haven't answered my question yet!"

Daniel turned. "Which one?"

"Why did you bring me here?" Emilly repeated her question. After previously he asked Daniel, when Emilly first set foot in the orphanage. But the man next to him still hasn't answered his question until now.

"Where do you want to take it?" Instead of answering, Daniel asked Emilly back.

"Daniel! I'm serious." Emilly looked at Daniel's black eyes with an intimidating look.

Daniel sat on the swing next to Emilly. "Don't want to."

Emilly raised an eyebrow not understanding, whether it was the wrong question or indeed Daniel's brain had a problem and couldn't seriously respond to Emilly's question which was actually very easy to answer. Daniel laughed after seeing the look on Emilly's face that looked annoyed.

Emilly took a deep breath and then exhaled. "Do you often come here?" she asked.

"To be more precise, first." Daniel started the story. "Before my mother left the person who loved her. This orphanage belonged to my mother, my mother started it before my brother and I were born—"

Daniel looked at Kiya who was looking at him seriously, "My mother really likes small children, especially when my mother knows that many children are abandoned by their parents, making my mother decide to take care of the abandoned children." Daniel is immersed in past memories of him and his mother.

"Luvi. Mother found him in the back forest. At that time his condition was weak, he was just born, his body turned blue—"

Emilly grimaced when she heard Daniel tell about Luvi. "I don't want to hear that part," she mumbled softly.

Daniel chuckled. "When Mother started getting sick, Mother gave the full rights of the orphanage to Aunt Anah, her sister. Previously, Aunt Anah really liked to help Mother take care of this orphanage."

Emilly is getting more and more interested in this conversation. Not at the orphanage, but Mother Daniel, whom Daniel had not explained about the reason Mother Daniel left her. "Mom, why?"

"My mother has a heart disease, Em," now Daniel looked down, the image of his mother again bothering him. Daniel realized, no matter how hard he forgot, the memories would follow him even more. Daniel waved his hand in front of his face. "Wow, I'm getting weak like this."

Emilly smiled faintly with a sad look in her eyes. "let's go home!" she said spontaneously and Daniel nodded in response.

****

Daniel's black sedan was already in front of the high fence at Emilly's house. Emilly still didn't come down, because her mouth was itching to say something before she entered her house.

"Thank you,"

"For?"

"You've introduced me to great kids! I wouldn't mind if you took me there again."

Daniel smiled cheerfully in response to Emilly who was very enthusiastic about the children in the orphanage, like his mother. Again, Emilly's figure reminded him of his mother who was already happy in another world.

Emilly looked at Daniel strangely. She didn't want to wake Daniel from his daydream who didn't know what he was thinking. Emilly started to open the car door and was about to get out, but Daniel reflexively held her hand when he returned to focus.

Daniel looked at Emilly who was next to him, one eyebrow raised. "Don't you want to kiss me first?" he asked with a smirk.

"Nothing!" Emilly hit Daniel's head with the bag she was holding.

Daniel grimaced before finally Emilly chose to get out of the car and slammed the car door hard, making Daniel gently stroke his chest.

While walking towards the door of his house, Emilly thought of Daniel who didn't seem to have moved from that place. When his hand grabbed the doorknob and opened it, Emilly looked back and found Daniel who was still in his car with a smile still on his cheeks.

Emilly immediately entered the house and closed the door. The sound of a car engine was heard, until it sounded far away and disappeared. Unknowingly Emilly smiled thinking of Daniel who was waiting for her to enter the house.

Emilly glanced at the watch on her wrist which was already showing ten o'clock at night. Emilly walked down the stairs to her room. Emilly stopped in front of Bobby's open bedroom, the sound of laughter and screams inside made Emilly curious and peeked.

Emilly smiled when he saw Bobby who was facing the television showing a football match, his hand holding the play station stick with Doni beside him who also did the same thing. Emilly is happy if her brother Doni can spend more time with her family.

Emilly walked back to her room.

"Goooaallll! I'm going to get a new phone,"

Bobby's voice was heard and Doni laughed back. Again and again Emilly smiled faintly when he realized that his eldest brother was still the same as before, always offering bets that would harm himself, but make his brothers happy.

Emilly lay down on the bed when she had changed into her pajamas and washed her face. Her eyes stared at the ceiling of the room before finally her spirit was carried away into dreamland.

****

"So you're really dating with Daniel?"

Emilly rolled her eyes lazily, while placing her bag on her desk. This morning Rachel really bored him with questions he didn't have to answer. Emilly shifted her chair to face Rachel, who was still looking at her intently as if asking for an explanation because of the campus talk about her friend's relationship with the owner of the university where she studied.