[18 November 2004]
On a road of a highway, a husband is seen driving a car. His face is full of smile. He look so happy. For time to time he will look at his wife sitting at the passenger seat beside him. Her wife is heavily pregnant and today she will check in the hospital to give birth.
Her wife with a smile on her face stroking her belly. When she look up to the driver, she meet her husband gaze. She smile to her husband. He stroke her check lovingly and look up ahead again.
The atmosphere is full of happiness but when the car is crossing a junction,
--BANGG—
With a loud sound, in a split of a second, a car from the right direction crash into their car. The car spin a few time before it stop few meter from its original place. The car in wreck because of the collision.
The car that crash into them is not in a good shape either.
Pink balloons scattered and flew up into the sky.
The fate of the passengers of both car unknown.
***
[January 2020, 16 years later]
An SUV follow by a mover truck could be seen entering a residential area. They move until they arrived at a double-story semidetached terrace house with the number house eleven.
This is the second time they move places due to Nafeeza father’s work. Her father work as a professor at local university before and now he have open a private tuition institution with a partner as co-director. From today, this place will be their permanent home.
Together at the back seat, her twin sister Kireina is sitting at her right side. With her cold and expressionless face looking outside through the window.
Nafeeza sigh in heart. Through a four hour drive, she never say a word to anybody. She only answer with a nod or a glance.
Her words are precious like gold.
Even it happen like six years ago, Nafeeza still remember like it was just yesterday. The time when they moved the first time. Kireina was different. At that time, through hours of drive her mouth would not stop talking. She only stop when she fell asleep.
Nafeeza really miss it. At times when her twin sister would follow her like a chick following her mother chicken. Never leave her side.
Now, after six years, Kireina look at people like everyone going to mess with her. Classmates were afraid to approach her. She finish her lower secondary school without any friends.
‘I hope at the new school she will at least talk to her desk mate.’ Nafeeza thought in her heart.
Today things that was brought by the mover truck was not much. Only important stuff. Most of it was send last week. The house has been full furnished. All brand new.
They arrive at eleven o’clock and after all the things have been move inside, it is already three o’clock in the evening.
At first mom suggest that they all go out for a dinner tonight but father refuse saying he prefer eating dishes cook by her wife. But we all know that was not the reason.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do! Fine, go and buy the ingredient so I can cook.” Mom said to dad.
Dad only smile helplessly and go to the nearest supermarket for the ingredients for our dinner.
If dad knows what things to buy, well…that only god knows.
The reason why dad does not want us to go eat outside is because of Kireina. Her personality change so drastic and now she is so hostile at her own family member especially mom.
If we go out to eat for dinner, she definitely would not come with us. No matter how much we try, she would never go out with us. Kireina and mom did have a huge fight because of this before.
Dad does not want Kireina to distance herself more with the family. She does not communicate with her family or spent time with her family anymore. At least for dad, he want to let Kireina sit together with the family even for a moment. He want to decrease the hostility Kireina have to the family.
***
Dinner time finally come. All of the family member sit at the table. Although the atmosphere is a little bit awkward, it is still relatively harmonious.
Our family usually does not talk when eating, so it lighten a bit the awkwardness.
Mom was a bit moody but dad have good grasp of mom. Dad and his skillful words, mom’s mood loose and the atmosphere warmed a bit more.
Dad loosing mom’s mood by retelling his experience when searching and buying ingredients for our dinner. Telling on how hurry he was to go to the supermarket when dad realize he did not ask mom what to buy. Only after he reach the supermarket did he remember it and to make things worse, dad forget to bring his phone.
At least dad did not forget his wallet!
Mom laughing, “I was going to make you wait for me so that we can go together but you have already start the car and drove away. I was trying so hard calling you to stop but you didn’t.”
“So you were trying to stop me! I thought you were urging me to go faster so that why I did not stop the car.” Dad said.
Nafeeza giggle when hearing his dad answer. Kireina only continue eating, minding her own business.
“Eza, have you prepare all your school’s stuff for next week?” her mom ask Nafeeza. “Do tell if anything is missing. There’s still time to prepare it.”
Eza is Nafeeza nickname. She nodded her head, “Nothing missing mom. All set.”
Her mom smile at Nafeeza lovingly and continue eating.
Seeing that she did not intend to ask Kireina, dad nudge mom giving her a glance to Kireina.
Knowing what her husband want her to do her smile stiffen, she ask to Kireina, “How about you Ina? Anything missing?”
Hearing her nickname being call, Kireina stop eating and only look at mom like five second too continue eating again.
Mom frown with Kireina respond. This child! What that look supposed to mean?
Mom’s face lost the smile, “Ina, I’m asking you a question!”
Kireina did not give any respond. The dining table engulf in an awkward silence.
Mom is getting angry by the second. Why cannot you answer me? Are you mute?
Dad saw the situation going to get bad, “Ehem…It’s alright if Ina have everything prepared. If you need anything Ina can say ok.”
Kireina look at her dad, and answer flatly, “Everything’s ok.”
Hearing Kireina answer, mom snorted angrily. She continue eating while giving the death glare to dad. It all your fault!
Nafeeza sigh in her heart. She sometime envy her father. Kireina always respond to what their father talk to her. If anyone else talk to her, she will only give you a look. She only talk back to you when the topic is really important. If the topic is not a big deal too her, she will never respond.
Through all that, the suffocating dinner ended.
***
This year Nafeeza and Kireina is in the upper secondary school or more specifically form four. It is a relief that they transfer of school when still at the beginning of the year. They can still catch up with the school syllabus.
At the upper secondary school, students are divided into science stream and arts stream.
Nafezea is in the arts stream taking economics and business elective courses while Kireina is in the science stream taking science and math elective courses.
Academically, if to compare between the twins, Nafeeza can be consider an average students while Kireina is a genius.
That is only because Kireina IQ is higher than Nafeeza.
Maybe because of this, Kireina have lower EQ that making her having a hard time communicating with people.
Kireina does not talk her mind out. Everyday to all of the family members is like playing riddle with her. Trying and figuring out what actually on her mind.
Sitting on her bed, alone in her room, Nafeeza feel sad.
We used to sleep in the same room, in the same bed. But now, living in separate room. Nobody is allowed to enter her room. The only exception is her father.
All this hostile attitude happen when we were both ten years old. It was the first time we all move place to live.
This case is just like the seven wonder of the world.
Kireina was fine the day we reach the place but the next morning, when we were having breakfast Kireina said to our father she want a separate room with her. She insisted about it so their father agree never think much about it.
From there, Kireina starting to talk less. If it something does not concern her, she will never care. She never smile, become cold and hostile to people.
Kireina is hostile with everybody but she listen to our father.
Our mother on the other hand, if our mother talk to her, it is like talking to a wall. At the end of it was a big fight between them.
Nafeeza thinks that this situation is because between them, their mother is biased towards her more than Kireina.
That is probably why Kireina is more hostile to their mother than their father.
Nafeeza always notice this about their mother while pampering her so much at one side but always answer flatly towards Kireina.
Nafeeza remember when they were eight years old, a test was conduct at our school to look at the students IQ. Kireina was tested with an IQ of 180. How happy she was. When they reach home, she tell our mother about it.
Our mother answer was just a simple ‘ok’.
The praise that Kireina excitedly wish for was never given. Nafeeza still remember her distraught face.
After our father praise her and promise to buy her a present that she become a little cheerful again.
Nafeeza does not want Kireina to hate her because of this.
Only hoping that she is overthinking about it.