Cahaya Mataku

Najma adalah hadiah terindah dalam hidupku dari Allah SWT. Namanya secantik orangnya, Najma Sofia. Matanya begitu dalam dan jernih, mata ayahnya. Ketika dia lahir, dia seperti datang dari dunia lain. Aku mempunyai angle saat kufoto dia dari jarak yang sangat dekat ketika dia sudah dibawa pulang ke rumah Fontaine Michalon, sekitar 3 minggu mungkin setelah kelahirannya. Mata itu seperti alien, kata ayahnya.

Dia akan memanggilku Maman dan memanggil Uda Ayah. Umur dua bulan setengah, dia sudah bisa bercanda-canda dengan penuh arti dan mulutnya mengucapkan kata ‘Ayah’. Tawa Najma seriang bayi yang didepict dalam lukisan-lukisan sebagai malaikat kecil bersayap sejauh yang bisa kubayangkan. Tawa yang jernih seperti kicauan anak burung, terkadang jahil, manja, terkadang genit.

Najma anak yang kuat, baik hati, pintar, sholehah. Wajah cantiknya, kuharapkan menjadikannya anak yang percaya diri namun tidak berlebihan ataupun sombong. Kami akan membawanya pulang ke Padang dan Bandung dan mungkin juga Yogyakata musim panas tahun 2016.

Anakku sayang, terima kasih sudah mengajarkan Maman banyak hal. Maman sudah lama menanti-nantikan saat seperti ini, untuk bisa mengatakannya kepadamu walaupun lewat tulisan saat kamu belum bisa berbicara dengan bahasa yang Maman pahami. Semoga Maman bisa menjadi Ibu yang membanggakan dan melegakan hati Najma. Ingatlah Najma, di manapun Maman berada, Najma adalah Cahaya Mata Maman. 

Ma Vie en France

Comment t’es venu l’idée de t’installer à Paris?

C’était parce que j’avais eu la chance de venir pour un stage à l'Université Paris Sud dans ma deuxième année de ma première master. L’année suivante mon mari a été reussi d’obtenir une offre doctorant et donc j’en ai encore de vivre ici.

Depuis combien de temps vis-tu en France?

Cela fait deux ans.

Comment s’est passé l’installation?

La première année ça faisait pas si facile. Moi et mon mari, nous étions surprises par les démarches administratifs qui sont trés differents que ceux des indonesiéns. Mais ça vient de temps en temps. On s’adapte bien et finalement nous nous installons bien. Comme mon ami belgique a dit, c’est dur mais nous suvivrons J

Les français sont-ils accueillants?

D’autant que je peux me souvenir, relativement oui :D. Il y a des gens qui aident depuis toujours. Les amis français nous invitent chez eux au dîner, au soirées… même lorsque je visitais la ville de sa naissance, j étais invitée chez ses amies qui habitent là-bas et nous faissions une pique-nique.

Qu’est-ce qui t’a les plus surprise à Paris/en France?

Comme j’avais eu la chance d’habiter aux États Unis, je n’ai pas eu la surprise sur la culture (occidentale)… pour moi ça sent pareil. Les démarches administratifs sont le plus surprisants pour moi. En Indonésie, nous pouvons avoir des carte bleus avec tellement plus de rapidité  :D

Quel est ton meilleur souvenir?

Toutes a été speciale pour moi. Les balades au printemps, les viandes halales que je fais cuit aux diners, les amis multicultures… et ce que me rends heureuse le plus est parce que j’en ai tous avec mon mari à côté de moi.

Quels conseils donnerais- tu à celles et ceux qui souhaiteraient aller vivre à Paris en France?

Soyez patient et prudent :D Si vous en regardez d’autre côté, les choses douces viennent et la vie est belle ici. Nous devons suivre des règles et ça nous rends des facilités. 

The Big 10

I have several most loyal customers. They are Mr. Samwise Rockefeller, M. Thibaud du Bois, Mr. Sanjeev Kahn, Mme. Marguerite Durmitascheva, Mr. Muhammad Hatta, Mme. Yelena Smirnova, Mme. Marina Berger, Mr. Van Kampen, Mme. Aurelia Sanchez, and Mme. Josephine Turner.

I always wanted to believe that each of them would come to my store because they understand what taste I always wanted to offer and share, in terms of solely, the merchandise themselves. I knit them my most beautiful scarves and shawls of the pattern I love most, the rumah gadangs, along with its surrounding ricefields and herds of buffalos.

The Mysterious Smile

The more I try to read, the more fascinating it becomes. I saw a glimpse of smile in the spring, in the winter, and in the autumn, but maybe the sun is too bright that I couldn't see anything in the summer.

My Dear Husband

And he smiles at me, gleefully, like a cute little kitten that just bidding his prey.
Sometimes he's like that. Sometimes I see a kid, so joyful, the whole of the oceans plays with him.
He commands the shark and he is gentle with the dolphins.
He is a Poseidon, he is a Triton, he is a Sebastian.

Maybe all we have is just Peterpan, and Kla, and Padi.
I never even know that I could love the former.
They're not comparable with Oasis or even Coldplay, let alone the whole ensemble of The Beatles.

But he loves them.
And so they're grown on me, too.

But then I heard Lonely Sally.
What a song!

Amertume

Is there anything more beautiful and yet at the same time, so sorrowful as sadness and bitterness that come to life? I hate being sad, but when I force myself not to, it just feels numb and I feel empty.

Today when Uda came home, he told me about this boy named Madi who is bullied by his friends when they are playing football together with the Indonesians.

I'm fed up with all the stories of children who lives in the environment just like Madi, and I hate it because all I can do is just praying for them that they would never be touched by any more violence worse.

Now that I live longer, there is not much more I can do than to embrace the sadness that comes... and be strong and hold my head up high, that somehow this life is beautiful... through its bitter and sweet times.

I pray that I'd always face the kindness of the heart of life.

When Lev has arrived

When Lev is here, I promise that he will find the best friends ever: me and Razi.
We will be like, oh I don't know... a mega trio or something who will definitely shakes the world-lol!

 I will make him love mathematics... so much that we will speak about it at breakfast, lunch, and dinner-in French.

 I will make him love the Book that shakes the world, that was a miracle given to Ahmed thousands of years ago... and we will study it, interpret it wisely, and talk about it during his very first years.

Not only we will talk about the Book during the meals... it will be spoken even under his consciousness :)

 His name would may not be Lev anymore... since his Dad has changed his mind over it...

 Whatever he will be called later, I hope that we can meet each other soon...

The Lingering Toll of A Bell...

It was Berceuse from Dolly, all that she heard, the time the long-legged gentleman stepped inside her room. She never thought, nor felt, anything quite like this before.

The warmth of the lips. She had only tasted it twice, something such peculiar; the first time was when she could just feels what it's like to feel; some medical books stated it as 'the phase when the sensory receptor able to function,' sometime when she turned three.

The other moment was vibrating.

It was Berceuse from Dolly, too.

He had golden-hay hair, his nasal was rough and skull-bulging-like, and he appeared to be recently shaving. She could pictured him in an ushanka-ish uniform and he would be the most graceful General ever. Like King Nicholas.

She was surprised to see him could be so tender, with fingers on the piano, playing The Berceuse.

It was his GrandDad Ricardovich.

She might still be three years old that time, but thanks to him she could understand the beauty of the white, high-ceiled hall where the piano was being played.

She could see the personality of Ricardovich. It was serene and sometimes empty, the Hall, but luminosity was everywhere and the sun felt so tender but the snow felt less cold.

He turned his body and saw Little Therryana. He laughed, and raised her in his arm.

His kiss was unforgetable.

Now they said that this young fellow would be her doctor.

Therryana was in love at the first sight.

Arthur Levan saw this. Therryana had just not realized it that he was anxiously gripping the butterfly net, for he feared that a heart would fall and shattered.

Зачем, Зачем

Die Drei Geliebte Geschwister from Alexeyevka sang it,the greatest precision one ever heard.

Ah, persons who hardly ever care of rough, faraway distance, they were. They were born on rough, faraway roads. Father of theirs, a tough, hard headed violinist from Biryuch, who met his long lost companion born in Sertolovo.

The companion played harps and piano. It was a warm, snowy day back then in Sankt Petersburg, when they met.

A glass of kvas, a piece of khlyeb, were what brought them together.

A glass of warm kvas and a piece of khlyeb, were what he wished he could just have every single night, against the freezing wind of the Palace Square.

Petersburg was a beautiful yet cruel passion. Yet there he was, a nobody's boy from the deep indigeneous land of Siberia, striving for a glint of glory with a violin on his right hand, a rusty long coat his father, the peasant shepherd gave, surviving from the humblest mean of famine each passing day to earn that title of du baccalauréat de la musique

Oh he thought he could play the greatest violin in Volgograd Oblast. But here in the majestic city of the north, mere a talent was not good enough. Those classmates of him, would never have to be feebled in recital examinations just because of the cold... hence producing those sweet, abundant amount of sounds from the strings were always taken for granted.

His scholarship was hardly enough. It was not seldom that sometimes he skipped not only obyed but even uzhin... regardless how uzhin to be something you could offer your enemy. Oh, brot et butyer... what he could indiffer slightly back then at home, how luxurious and sweet could it seem now!

On fortunate days, he could get half, three kopyejkis at night, when people seemed to be happy enough to pay attention to his violin playing at the Square. It was usually the beginning of each month. Typically when it was approaching the end of months, people became more indifferent, ignorant than ever, and sniffing towards what they used to call 'beauty in music'.

But brot and butyer, each costed nearly three kopyejkis, so to anticipate the broke times, he would ate the same bread each two days in a row, and thank God that during seasons like this, he could just light up his match to melt some snow and thus that made him his source of water.

It was snowing in Petersburg that night, when it seemed to be not a really fortunate day. He only had half a kopyejki in his pocket, heading towards his way home, a tiny, rusty chamber behind a ghetto, nearly 15 km away.

And he walk, and walk, and walk... and he stumbled. In front of the gate of a little cottage just around the corner.

A maiden stepped out of the front door, wearing full-dress and a robe, for it was far too cold for her thin, hardly fleshed-figure. And as she opened the front fence, the fully-loaded garbage plastic bag on her hand almost got to the stumbled body of the man, whose violin with a carved emblem of N.A. Rimsky Conservatory laid helplessly beside him, even the instrument looked as hungry as the master. 

The maiden knew him. They were of the same origin, as what came first to her mind when she first saw him playing la sonata de Katerina Maier.

She saw him the other days, playing music in The Square during the summer and fall, pigeons cheerfully chirping around him, coins hardly piling besides him. But he continued playing nevertheless.

She saw him sipping his kvas another day. A bird told her that kvas probably the only thing fulfilled his skull-bulging figure an entire day.

Kvas? she whispered cautiously towards the lying body.

The body's eyes turned towards her. They entered the front door together, right after the maiden got rid of her garbage.

That was the sweetest kvas he ever tasted.

And thus that was how he named each of his future children; Kvasiana for a girl, Kvasch for a boy.

Thus the middle maiden names of The Three Beloved Sister: Kvasyana, Kvaszyana, and Kvashina.

Who would be related to Ricardovich?

The eldest daughter.

The Eye of The Naturalist

Unlike The Realm of the Reals, there had never been limitation on the power of Kings of The Great Land of Opylus. They did have the shiny castles that glimps still even shinier the more our sights land upon them, with ponds of swans, unicorns, and even flying hippos. Sometimes, there could occur the more seldom fertilization between hippos and dragons, which produced an abundance of ridiculous offsprings according to His Kleine Herzog le Prinz du Brilliant Bedliszt, 58 years old the day this history written... and astonishingly still, such creature became one dear part of his core family.

The Commonwealth of The Great Land of Opylus consists of Five States in the West and South Ocean, The Fifth Obergorgonic Galaxy and Star Constellation, centered in The Island of The Great Lion aside the Continent of Sapphire-Lazarus in Oplisch (Opylus language). They have all the seven seasons possibly felt by humanoid sense: The Smiling Spring, The Cheerful Summer, The Sorrowful Autumn, The Dreadful Draught, The Deadliest Sandstorm, The Merciful Rainy Season, and The Blizzardy Winter.

Der Supreme Leader Koenig Beckruth Herzogamherst III was Bedl's father, from the family line of The Beckruth Clan in the monarch of Opylus. He currently held the highest authority of the entire Commonwealth, marked by his prerogative to hunt and savour the unicorns. His True Comrades, Her Royal Highness Queen Tsarina Vastabandj Janitschina, Second to Throne, had bore him four fair-skinned children: Ray, Mirroirs, Raffles, and Bedl. All purely Opylusian, all inherited Beckruth's ruthless gaze and appetites for power--- in their own ways.

The Supreme Leaders of Opylus owned seven seasonal palaces and castles in Opylus only. Therefore they never had more than five children; for The Grandest Castle would be totally represented and governed, and belonging to the King himself, one other castle totally abdicated to The Queen, and the rest would be managed on behalf of each remaining children. With a note that, the King would move to each of the palace each seven season.

Today was the second day of spring, year 100 A.C. (Apres Constitution). Prinz Bedliszt awaken on his couch before the fireplace in his bedroom, Chamber Dragomir Le Blanc. The mermaids living in The Pond of The Glass across his baroque-ish broad window that led to the Garden of Liliana The Fairy were already sunbathing beneath the crisp, clear blue and white ray of sun, he could see one of the auburn haired of them had her auburn haired baby on her lap. The Prinz always loved to had a roasted baby-mermaid for his supper, but it was Liliana, one of his mermaid best-friend buddy who had the baby, so he was kind of restraining his appetite. The rainbow arched towards the Horizon in the West, one of the tip a few inches below the steps after the window. Gazing the sights even further, one could see the beautiful greenish sparkling of The Sea of Meredith, and some drapherd (dragon's shepherd) herding the dragons above it.

The book the Prinz read up until he fell asleep the other night was half open beneath him, bearing the symbol of The Eye of The Naturalist--- one of the symbols in Opylusian currency.

As what has always been his trademark in starting each and every day, Prince Bedliszt almost lazily 

The Draniki

The Pilgrimage was scheduled to take place between the middle of the spring to summer in the present estimation of Saxonic calendar. Such an extreme hobby for an old couple, but both of them chuckled indifferently by the possibility that one of them would have to bury the one dies prior to another, no matter how hard the consequence would be.

The first morning about 50 km of Orsha, towards Smolensk, was started by a bunch of draniki, and, to lead a softer, more American version of breakfast, the husband added a glint of mapple syrup on the draniki on his plate. The wife chuckled.

'Kardo, you're such a honey,' she poured in warm milk she just brewed from the portable advanced magnetic stove one of her grandson handed them two years ago.

It shall end in two and a half months. On the first month after the scheduled finish, they would have to spare time for one of their dearest granddaughter would have her debut, one they would not want to miss. It would be special, since it would be her birthday, too.

So, you know... the wife had quite a root in Lithuania and Latvia, and the husband had best friends from Poland and Ukraine. Both of them loved and wanted to end the journey around Smolensk, hence concluded: The Belarus as the main road to wander.

From The Bank of The Hjalmaaren (2)

Under The Veil, one could see that such a bright future awaits. A broad window on the left, through which you could see the majestic view of the Lake of Hjalmaaren. A bird on the fireplace was seen as though she was chirping while all that was left was merely. Silence. Total tranquility.

She put down the fire woods that Jean Luc harvested just a few moments ago. Outside she could hear Henry and Therry laughing, their laughter that made her heaven here upon Earth.

Suddenly for a split second, she returned on a journey back in time. The time when eyes were still blurry by the chemotherapy, the time when laughter of other's sounded so pleasing yet irritating, yet envying. But now those laughters, that occured exactly where she wished she could do along with Arthur, Any, and Al back then...were the ones that she wished she could spent time with just even more than the previous . The gay laughter that sounded just beneath the white veil, across the White Little Chamber, among the Roses in The Garden.

***

Honey, the shrilling voice she always missed and made her smile at the same time, echoed from the alley towards The Little White Chamber. The tingling of the little bell of The Church sounded from far away, marking the beginning of the first mass today. Today felt just like ten years ago, how the time flew. The odour of the fresh lavender lavenders dispersing, as always, a reminiscing scent of a nuance that reminding ones of old times. An epiphany.

What are you doing here? Ah, that smile. That nose. Those broad, big, innocent eyes! She was so grateful that The Creator had inherited them all to each of her precious. The smile, she could reflect to Therry's. The eyes, she could recall from Henry's. The voice... well, not each of them got it, but the brain.... each of them did. Everyday in the family lounge back in Grenoble, each day that after Therryana herself finished read them a new verse of The Illiad, was the time when each of the two lovely boys recited her their newer memories of Mozart's adagio, or maybe Ali's Balaghah, or maybe even one or two proses of Goethe's Faust.

I am lighting the fireplace, said she, kissing her husband's forehead. Britta will come at seven.

Britta now had already her own family. She had a baby girl, whom she named Vasilissa, after Therryana.

Ah, an apollo! the shrilling voice shrilled excitedly, opening up the window, letting in the breezing weather. The sunny sky was before him. Outside, a view of the side yard, Henry and Therry wrestling along the hilly part.

Honey, are you kidding? Therryana giggled amusedly, but she then herself went ascilenced, as her own eyes saw the butterfly as well.

The white, transparent-winged butterfly drifted inside the Chamber, before then sailed the air back outside, towards the far end of the Lake of Hjalmaaren.

An apollo amidst the breezing weather of summer in Hjalmaaren? That was rare.

Wine Toasting at Gare de Lyon (3)

It was not casual that Davidovich James ever, even for just in a while, thought about anything else other than a cuisine he was preparing the time he prepared it. He was a very focused person. He would not let any of his customers stepping inside his restaurant in the downtown Edinburgh, or his anywhere, savouring a dish that was cooked half-heartedly.

But today was strange, such an exception.

He decided to take a walk inside the dining chambers to see who were present. He signaled his sous chef, Ferdinand, to watch over his roasted hare. He ordered Patricia to prepare the garnish for two ordered salmon with sauteed mushroom and truffle dressing.

It was his sister, Ann. He could not stop thinking about her.

Chamber Lord William. Three tables occupied; The Montgomery couple, one of his most loyal customers was there. They waved at him, and he didn't mind to come over and greet them for a little, perhaps, comment.

'Good evening, Mr. and Madame Montgomery... everything's fine so far? he kissed the Madame's hand. 'How about your favourite foie gras tonight, Sir?'

'Ah, young Chef, you know that I will only complain about the size have I told you always that I am craving for more!' Sir Montgomery chuckled and Dave smiled politely while pouring him more wine. 

Chamber Mary Jane. Such a big dinner of old rich people seemed to be held; the long, white linen coated table was fully occupied, and they were toasting for something like prosperity. Dave would not want to bother them, so he sneaked silently as fast as he could behind Roger, his big-figured servant carrying french buns and glasses of champagne, to the Chamber of Fourier Delicatee.

About five tables were occupied, and he was quite suprise to see Brilliant Bedliszt, his dual from the Complex World--- sitting at one table on the corner, winking coquettishly at him. He wore such a fine tux complete with a stick of rose on his right pocket, a pair of polished black loafers, Dave just knew it that it must be hand made---damn, he could see himself so fine with such outfit, he got to force him to tell where on Earth did he make those shoes.

He disdainly(in a good way)grabbed the menu out of Bedliszt' hand, faced him just a few inches from Bedl's nose.

'Well, well, gentleman...' he sighed, 'have we not signed the pact that each of our mischieves would stay away from my professional job? You can not mess around here, you see?'

I smelled roasted hare, Bedliszt grinned.

Davidovich sighed. Okay, fine, he replied. I'll have it to you rightaway, just---promise me you're not gonna mess around, d'accord?

Davidovich was about to turn his body back towards the kitchen when he noticed a middle-sized man wearing a long, greyish coat seating himself at the table near the window. Another distraction. Damn! He could not focus to his work by now, oh well... he sighed, then made his way really for the kitchen this time. Annie, Annie... why on Earth do you have to linger on my mind all the time?

Next order: 2 beef wellingtons, truffles and carrots... Dave headed to the pantry,for some olive oil, rushing so directloss he forgot he had people he could ask to take him some. Oceans of ricottas, burratas, fetas, beefs, loins, truffles, mushrooms, wines, and champagne and all sorts of vegetables greeted him; they which are usually calming and relaxing suddenly looked menacing as a gigantic, black-bat-liked shadow overcasted the entire area. Davidovich gasped, a glint of shining emerald eyes looked straight upon his.

Davidovich, as his reflex automatically reacted everytime he felt threatened, jumped to his feet, and in no time the intruder was already on the floor.

I told you, stay away, ever-- EVER from my work! hardly anyone would believe the threat came from Dave the flamboyant guy, who smiled cheerfully beneath the sunlight on the shore of California... those ocean-blue-eyes were glimmering so menacingly, shining much similar to the gleam of the sabatier on his hand, ready to strike...

and thud!

The sabatier landed just a few inches on the right of his opponent's left ear

... Brilliant Bedliszt himself.

The Prince of la monde à complex chuckled to see his dual, who was acting so surprisingly savage, as usual, when it came to his work. Maybe that was what made him so fond of him, his one and only dual from la monde à real--- none other than his passion---of beauty, of his life, and of cooking--- that after all, stopped him from killing Dave once and for all.

Prinz Bedlizst had not been able to stop his laughing for the next 15 seconds.

Davidovich calmly took some eggs, olive oil, tomatoes, and parsleys inside one of the many baskets in the pantry. Bedl poked him on the shoulder.

It was her, am I not right? he continously, as usual, teasing Dave. Such a psycho, you are, my friend... of constantly thinking, seriously.... about your own sister? Really--- it's not like she's your girlfriend or something like that, right?

Oh, I'm dying to know, hummed Davidovich, making Bedl burst back in laugh. Well, if it seems that you have that much time... why don't you check on her for me? he poked Bedl on the chest.

In a split second later, just like the wind. Dave was left alone in the middle of his pantry, on the warm summer night full of meads and wine, brains still vaguely thinking of her sister, heart as foggy as autumn in the middle of the Dorf of Wisembourough. Body could be trapped in Edinburgh, but who knows where mind could take you to?

The Sight of Two Skies (2)

-Erik-

Ah, how could it be so unconsciously to feel warm, enthusiastic, and at times, sophorific, to talk about love? To talk about dream? To talk about her hair, her smile, her habits-- to talk about his smile, his jokes, his habits? Was it because the pulse of our heart actually driven by them?

Something weird happened lately to the 14 years old of himself, nearly 15 years ago. He was no longer complacent to talk about those things, qualitatively. What remains were mostly flatness. At times, a shape of determination. A determination then shaped a tinge of passion. Then a hunger, hunger for more.

Some men would undoubtfully express their feelings by sharing it with circles of random friends, random people. He became wouldn't. Even when someday came public the times when privacy to be something commonly announced, he promised that he wouldn't. Apart from his professional accomplishment.

Erik Wilhelm Ahlgren smiled, his thin smile smoothened his hard, skull-bulging feature. Outside his four-wheel ride, on his right, a prairie of daisy lily, dandellions, more grass, more grass. On his left, an even vaster land of the mighty Sweden plain, more grass, more grass, maybe a flow of a warm stream ahead of him.

This is the kind of atmosphere he had always been fond of. A serene nature. 95 kilometres away, in the cities, there maybe lights that's been on since dawn. As a normal European young lad, he didn't deny it. He occasionally enjoyed the dark surrounding the shining buildings at night, on the bank of the river in Gothenborg, as for example. The sensation was always different, each of them, which why was it so refreshing to taste in turn between the two.

-Therryana-

She would never be bored here, she thought at first. She would really enjoy at least three summers, just resting and relaxing her mind, maybe writing one or two proses at times she feels like it. A great cook in the kitchen, a loving nearly-a-cousin maid, a Scandinavian rose garden behind her bedroom. Every two weeks she would be visited by one of the most dreamt-of gentleman by girls all around the world, none other than her caring, dashing brother, Arthur, whom she would always be able to indulge herself on his chest to.

She was not too blind about biology. She knew that this is the time when feromones takes place that she felt like longing for someone. But she wondered, must it be that over-lusty? Was it that really all about? Sure that deep inside she hoped that she would get someone as kind and loving as his brother Arthur, but given that he became one of the boys she interacted with most of her time until now, she was rather afraid that she would have become Arthur-complex: any guy with golden hair and blue eyes, with a little bit of educated manner would easily made her fall for him. It would surely remind her of how comfortable and safe it was to hide beneath an Arthur-like shadow.

No.

She had her own problem already. As much as she did not want her lover to merely care about her apperance, her body, her smile, her look--- she did not want to love someone merely for his attributes. She wanted to care for him for who he really was.

She just had not figured how.

Arthur, she called.

It was a nice room, where they were now. Across her bed, a tall, broad window displaying the side garden of the house, a scenery of The Hjalmaaren in the distance. Every morning Britta would replace yesterday's tulips or lilies beside her bed, which dispersing such a fresh scent in the air. A round tea table and a wooden brown jati chair were placed on the right side near the window, where Arthur, when he came to visit, usually sit upon, doing his works with books.

As today. The auburn haired gentleman turned his face towards his sister, then rose to his feet as he always did whenever Therry wanted to talk to him; he would come over so Therry would not have to louden her speak.

Therryana lifted her body so she was now upright, leaning against the backrest of her bed.

I want to know, Therryana started to talk.

-Anthony-

Borg, her half-Bavarian and Russian so they called 'bodyguard', had always been a nice company in journeys, but given her easy going personality, that was how Anthony always felt about going in far-distanced journey with anyone accompanying her. Borg was funny, and his jokes were at times dumm-witted.

Like just now, the time they finally obtained the car to rent and drive across Oerebro along the stream of Svartan. He reversed the conversation back to the occasion they experienced on the bank of the stream in Soedra Strandgatan where they happened to meet the brunette handsome man.

Oh my God, he was so handsome! Borg almost squealed like a girl, and Anthony laughed fairly heartily. She flapped her lemon-green morning coat to wrap her torso even more as the open shield did not shelter them from the fairly-cold breezing wind in Sweden's summer. This was another witty suggestion from Borg: let's drive the open shielded car, so we could enjoy the warm, summer noon in the plain! Woo hooo!

But it turned out to be quite windy. But Borg, perhaps due to his meaty body, seemed to be really fine and enjoying it.

Anthony rechecked her two-way pager. Another message from Albert, her cousin. She smiled. Albert seemed to be not really pleased. He was supposed to be arriving in Stockholm in nearly two hours from now, but his plane was again, delayed in Copenhagen.

Her prodigy cousin, Albert. It was he who gave her(confidentially) this advanced pager, another exciting (in his opinion) result from his lab research at Cambridge. Albert was really genuine in science. That's what makes him so exotic, Anthony always had such an impression towards him.

So this whole week of vacation in Oerebro and surrounding places of The Lake Hjalmaaren supposed to be fun: there will be she, Therryana, and Anthony's other cordial cousins, Albert Davidovich and Arthur Levan. They were awesome group, Anthony really loved it them to be hanging around together. It was a pity that the occassion was due to Therryana's ill. Even that finally Albert was willing to come. Ah, Mom, Pa, Uncle Fadev, Jo, and Dave should be here as well... Anthony thought, while she casted her gaze to the distant mountainous scenery around the road.

Look, Borg, don't you love it that I picked you to keep me company, Ann poked Borg's shoulder and laughed.

Hey, you owe me one, Borg laughed back.

Indeed, Anthony happened to skip almost her entire first week of summer school in reading Latin during the seven days trips in Oerebro. No one would forbid her, not Pa or Mom, but it was just quite unethical. First, she was sent to a village near Altdorf to have a Lady Summer School, or any summer school she liked that she had applied for the preceeding semester, and although she had said she would like to visit Therry for some time, it turned out that her tendency changed.

Although the change was not unreasonable.

She had to meet Albert.

Pa said that wherever she goes she would always need to be accompanied by one of the Hidden Horses, so she chose Borg, especially because he would not be too much protocoler in asking why she should leave Switzerland so much. Borg promised that he would not question why Ann needed to go to Sweden in such a length of time, alone, without her other family member, or speak about it to the other family. Ann had saved some of her pocket money for two way tickets for both of them, without disturbing her summer school money amount. Even when it turned out that she lost her appetite of summer school after she left Sweden this time, she had prepared it to return the summer school money back to her parents.

Hey, turned out that you're lucky this time, Borg, Ann pointed at a four-wheel drive that apparently just stopped by the fence of the same house where she and Borg headed to.

The brunette gentleman was loading what seemed to be his baggages and other belongings down the car. Borg parked just behind him. Anthony saw the emblem of Uppsala University Research Hospital attached to one of the luggage.

The brunette gentleman of Soedra Strandgattan , accidentally, seemed to be that new doctor of Therryana's Albert had spoken before.

What a coincidence?

Clay of Roland-Garros

In 2011, there were some fascinating sight, and stories, and some other miscellaneous things happened in the Court Phillippe Chatrier(after her German lesson, now that this half-English and Russian young lady started to train her pronounciation in French). The young lady spoke English and Russian at home, and learnt German at school. She actually really wished to be able to speak to Federer himself after the match... to salute him of his must be great work today, against Senor Nadal, whatever the result would be later. We will call her That Young Half English-Russian-Lady(TYHERL).

She had such a pair of blue-sky eyes(now you must have known her family name already). And so young as she was, there would be no excuse whatsoever to let her watch a match in such crowd alone. We zoom at her surrounding. Okay, beside her sat another blonde woman wearing a pair of black sunglasses, handed her a stick of pink cotton candy. It must be her mother. On her left, chatting calmly towards a brown-haired young boy who looked two years ahead of TYHERL, a dark-haired man in his mid 30's---now that he was stroking TYHERL's head and kissed her cheek amusedly. That should be his father--right?

Apart from the portray of the happy English-and Russian family, the spirit of Roland Garros transcended the souls of the Dual World. This is proved by the existence of, among many other Dual Citizens who actually presented there, these two silently arguing Woman and Man (we call them W and M)transparently drifting above TYHERL's place.

W had been a huge fan of Roger Federer since after 2002. She just really realized it by now the elegance of the swan-like style he demonstrated on the court. She also watched his newest Rolex commercials--- my, the fine gentleman should have regain his reborn on this clay court--- she would be really sad to just know the fact that his star would no longer shine...

under the atmosphere of this young Nadal.

So W had a plan. She would try to strike Nadal's arm at just the right moment... from far. She would make it as though it was Nadal's error of lacking warm-up. Automatically her hands were shaping such a move she would use to cast a spell at Nadal.

M held her hands.

M: You can not do this. I won't let you...

W's face turned pink as M read her tendency.

W: I'm sorry... Nadal has been dominating so much I can see Federer is sinking...

She had some point right. Amidst his loud yell, Nadal's shot had been really dangerous towards Fed's court. Not only he forced Fed to run here and there at his whole area, even from such a distance one can see how strong his strikes were compared to Fed's. W saw a calm flowing water emerging from the flow of Fed's racket.

But from Nadal's... she saw fire and thunder.

Nadal suddenly turned into a combination of horse and dragon.

And he would just savour the poise swan.

W: My bad, my Lord...

M held his arm around W's shoulder.

W: It seems that Nadal has really put his techniques into perfection... if you were Nadal, would you know how to produce such a strike?

M: Look at those strikes... the ball from Nadal's racket would hit the floor but it won't bounce so smoothly. It becomes even faster afterwards. Now if you play ping pong...

W listened carefully.

M: You'll know how to...

W remembered that M has told her once that if he played tennis, he would produce such as Nadal's strike. He was born with Nadal's type of strike in every games with rackets and balls.

The weather was humid in Roland Garros and it rained once.

Why do we watch sport?

Because I can witness such that Athos, Aramis, and Porthos come to life

TYHERL has never heard anybody with such an opinion before.

It was her father. She was really proud of her father.

In fact, the whole family ticket to watch today's match, that Mommy had to book a year before, was due to her birthday wish. She wanted to witness what her father felt, too. She stood before Fed.

***

About 4 hours later, The Marcha Real was played.

Another fascinated face, but this time, Indonesian-shaped--- went asilenced to see The Spanish Champion of this year's Roland Garros.

What does it feel to stand on his shoes?

Up until now, in his 22 years of age, he wondered as what his nationality meant to him.

The clay of Roland Garros was shining.

The crowds were all cheering.

The Conversation (2)

The snowy night did enaffect the fragile heart. As the cold wind breeze outside the circle of the warmth, the wrath of a broken soul whispered the desperate ears; to what extent could the woods burn a warming flame, or did the flame itself revolt, transform what had been joy into tears?

Signore Fortissimo gazed towards Alaleh emerging from the dining room into the lounge. Her auburn-haired head was slightly moist, her cheek blanched of the cold weather entered the room from the slightly-opened front door. Vito shut the door, and he didn't let Alaleh lighted the fireplace more; he did it instead, asking her to take her seat. He seated himself across the sulky-expressioned girl.

The night might somehow tamed, the fairy lady could finally perch herself above the hill. She questioned the timidly appearing stars, to what extent shall she admire the human being? As what shall felt as love turned so fast into hatred, what remained then was merely a glass of sorrow to be drunk beneath the fountain of nigritude

If there was a fairy he must have known, then it would be Adriana. His little sister. He could still remember her childish move, her gay laugh... she was called the angel of the family.

Alaleh reminded him of her for a split second. As she combed her wavy hair aside one of her shoulders, revealing her fair, poise neck.

Why did you become a slave? Vito asked. Alaleh looked calm and she answered casually while continuing combing her hair,

My mother sold me to Roses' Lair, that tone was flat and airy.I was six, and The Madame thought I was pretty good. I was decided to become one of the Twelve Virgins to be picked by the highest offer at present... when I turn 18.

Vito did not speak anything.Again, another story that merely concluded his more obligation to thank The Creator to had let him born to be a man, and the only thing he should worry about his life was when exactly the right time he shall stop this... madness. To earn living by killing people in the battle field was not exactly a thing he would like to do for the rest of his life.

He stretched his arm and yawned. I'm going to sleep, he sleepily told Alaleh.

The maiden flinched and yelled,

You ignorant brat! I skip my bath just for this---TALK? What do you want?

Hey,I might go anytime soon, now... I need to sleep as much as I can, Vito Fortissimo raised to his feet towards his bedroom.

Anyway, Alaleh... he said, making Alaleh turned her angry face towards him.

Do you actually like it to live this way?

I always want to be an abacist, not this, Alaleh replied and she went passed Fortissimo by, more sulkily, towards her bedroom.

To what extent can the heart trust? The vase of sorrow had a blossomed crimson rose, where each of the fallen petals marked the amount of time wasted by a soul. The heart merely wasting its time to learn nothing from the past but to mourn over it. The soul of the broken-hearted fairy was lost, lost within the realm of despair and uncertainty. Waiting for a light, a light to call a light that guide

Alaleh was never dreaming about her father before. She never knew him, let alone maybe, love--him. Well, indeed where she was now suddenly reminded her of her mother. The black-haired beautiful, jovial young woman she always dreamt of to reencounter, anytime during this remaining life, was now beaming at her.

But the only words that could come out of her mouth was merely,

Why, Mother?

The Conversation

Vito Fortissimo was left alone in the lounge at the cottage. Alaleh, he heard, was busily cleaning all the plates and chinas after dinner.

He decided to wait for the Colonel outside. It was actually a pleasant night, snow started falling from the sky. But he felt warm at heart. He suddenly felt inspired, and thinking of serving that eccentric Colonel once this war was over. Finally he found a way to explore the mighty land of Russia itself, another adventure never did it occur in his wildest dream he could finally reach---for he would probably experience one of the rarest opportunity in the whole world, mathematics combined with the pleasure and luxury of an aristocratic life. He would be really pleased could he learn directly to Lyapunov himself. Not to mention that he then would be fluent in Russian either.

Now that he started to think it over and over again, the more he admired the way the Colonel enjoying his life. No matter how royal his blood could be, he was able to enjoy mathematics, the art of brain so graceful he even learnt of Diophantine and Fermat. He imagined that the Colonel might use his sparetime on wars like he did now, with all the romanticism included within it; women and chess and mead and wine. What a poise gentleman! Signore Fortissimo would give all his heart to learn from a man like that.

Hey, Alaleh was so surprised when Vito Fortissimo greeted, entering the bathroom where she was having her bath in the tub.

What are you doing here?! she barked panickly,

(all conversation were in German now)

You impudent brat! How dare you!I'm taking a bath now!

Why? You're a slave after all, he said casually, and sat on the side of the tub, near Alaleh's head. Isn't the slave's body property of the master and his guest'?

Alaleh went asilenced. She then buried her neck deeper within the soap bubble.

You're not a guest with the same level as Master Grigorovitz, she replied harshly. You can not afford to pay me even for a single night, a private like you, therefore we're equal now. I'm not a slave before you.

Fortissimo laughed. Why do you become a slave? he asked. Come on now, I'm bored to wait for Viktor all alone, I need someone to chat with.

Alaleh wondered to see Signore Fortissimo's casualty. Really---she never met someone so weird, to not call it freak, that he to be a man undisturbed by such an occasion. First, she was in a tub now with barely any clothes but her towel across her, and yet he was there a few inches near her head. She fairly trusted her inner instinct as a human and experience as one of the highest paid beauties in Roses' Lair; men don't act like this...normally their eyes were starving.

So she carefully observed Fortissimo's eyes and his gesture. Really, he was completely undisturbed and sane. Oh well...

Are you going to kill me? she stuttered, suddenly death felt so close and no matter how everyday that she wished it to come over her, she did not in any slightest chance, hope it would be this awkward. To be killed, if so it be, by such a flat-feeling man, with all his casualty, and oh, during bath time, her favourite time among the other time exist in her world.

Oh God, now that you think I am such a psychopath, Fortissimo sighed. He stood to his feet, stroking his head. Fine--- I'll give you fifteen more minutes, then you're done, then meet me at the living room-okay? I can't stand this, I need to talk to somebody!

Or else, he pointed at her, I shall just savour...

He turned around and walked towards the living room, smiling amusedly. What a funny maiden! Now that he heard a lot of water noises from the bathroom, he was sure Alaleh eagerly finished her bath, afraid of being raped or then killed by the private who had nothing to pay her even for a single night.

Diophantine Above The Mountain of Caucassus (3)

It was not the picture of any site near Abkhazia, where the town they temporary stayed settled. It probably was the picture of... well, Tiflis is more likely, thought Signore Fortissimo, frowning. Since Tkvarcelli, no matter how famous Roses' Lair had been, was merely a site less important than a city found in the fifth century and had always been the central of trade. There must be many painters reside there and immortalize their impression within their works.

Vito Fortissimo, in his late thirty first age, had served , although as mercenary, two of the wars in Europe. The first one, of which he remembered as mere luck and far from admirable he thought, was the Battle of Wissembourg. He managed to escape with quite a severe wound and survived. What carved more impression and maybe, a little bit of pride about his achievement so far within his still rare experience of war to call him such a senior of war, was his second battle in the Russo-Turkish War; the Battle of Svistov. He was one of the more than 24000 soldiers who won the fight against the Ottomans, and vaguely he could still remember Ivanovich Dragomirov himself poked him on his shoulders while beaming.

Up until present he wondered as what reason kept him alive so far. Yet what kept him alive to work as he did now. As a matter of fact, here he was now, got acquaintanced by chance to whom was probable to be one of his company leader of the next siege. He was welcomed quite so warmly to the Colonel's resting cottage for at least a week here in Tkvarcelli, where it was just the three of them stayed there: he, Fortissimo, the Colonel himself, and his mistress, Alaleh, the sea-blue-eyed Persian who learned to become an abacist.

Of all the things there might exist, it was mathematics which brought the three of them in common. Alaleh loved to learn abacus, Fortissimo had been quite fluent in it, and in fact, he was the descendant of his family whom paternally learned abacus and how to become an abacist. But among them, it seemed that the Colonel had the most profound experience in the science. Not only he knew how to count quickly, he seemed to come from the root of algebraic branch... or worst, the number theory.

Vito glanced for a moment to the dark night outside where there was only a vast land of Caucassian forest and a surrounding of little village. This was his second night here, since his first acquaintance to the Colonel the night before, a night full of wines and mead. Alaleh was busy cooking dinner in the kitchen, he could smell roasted deer from the hickory-stove. Grigorovitz entered the room where Vito was. He had warned Vito not to speak a single thing about the current war in front of the Persian maiden; in case she was another Ottoman spy.

But what made you think it is safe for you as a Colonel to take a trip around here all by yourself? Vito asked him.

This town is already sieged by Lorei's army, Grigorovitz answered casually, biting an apple. I was of course, told to better off stay at the camp with the rest of the troops, but there is no way I would skip the leisure of Roses' Lair, he chuckled. So I told the general to take a trip here, just the two of us would know it. It could hardly predicted by the enemy that such a Colonel of the alert Russia strolls all along by himself. We are in such a truce after all...

Vito knew that the Colonel was actually gambling. But he just shrugged, at least he could catch the sense partially... the nearest Ottoman's post around Abkhazia nowadays does indeed could be reached on three days tank journey. Given that the town is already surrounded by Lorei Mikhailov's army, any escape attempts by those Turks soldiers back then in Roses' Lair would only grant themselves a direct death penalty.

Which also meant that seven days would not be their true length of time of staying here. He had better not unpacked his bag, for they could depart any moment now.

You seem to know General Mikhailov quite well,Colonel, said Vito, seated himself.

Grigorovitz smiled. You see this jacket of mine? He pointed at the coat of arm he showed the Guards of Roses' Lair the other night. This coat of arm could be your passport anywhere in Russia and its diplomatic-related countries. Lorei as well, comes from an equal family just like I do.

What about if someone fake it? asked Vito.

Grigorovitz laughed. You don't underestimate the network of Roses' Lair... they know more how to handle relation with royal families of Europe.

Alaleh emerged from the kitchen. She talked to Grigorovitz in German. Grigorovitz followed her to the dining table, gesturing Vito to also come with him. The dining table had been set gracefully, and Vito felt like it was very much Transylvanianish. Indeed---they were Transylvanian dinner! Vito felt, once more, really grateful for the fate he had tonight... he had no idea when else the time during the upcoming battles would he be served something so delicious yet stuffing. He had never been to any Transylvanian restaurant before, but he recognized some of the dish... the Persian mistress turned out to be really good in cooking. He could see shimmering goulash, besides what he was sure to be grilled potatoes and mititeis he smelled on the hickory stove. For the carbs one can choose oily-glazed polenta or herbs-scented pilaf, and she didn't even forget to make Romanian-style chocolate truffles for dessert.

Grigorovitz turned out to be not really care about manner. He simply said, just tuck in, Vito, and grabbed him everything he could reach to fulfill his plate,then start eating. Vito seated himself and took a truffle while Alaleh busily pouring in warm milk to each of their glasses. He was surprised to know that the truffle, indeed, tasted good.

You bought it, didn't you? he casually asked Alaleh in German. Alaleh flinched and scolded. First, she was surprised to learn that not only this paid private was quite intelligent in abacus, he also spoke German as well. She felt a little intimidated now to see someone who barely had enough money to be her roommate turned to have so much skills and abilities. Yet she could not understand one single English he spoke to Master Grigorovitz! She felt a little defeated...And now, he thought she bought the delicious truffles instead of making it herself!

Surprise me that you can not do it yet you are think I can not do it either, she replied furiously in stuttered English. Grigorovitz smiled and Vito felt amused. He started to like this girl as a new toy he could tease every time he had the time now.

Ah, great attempt, Miss! he replied naughtily. But I think what you did was merely Englishening your German, now! Grigorovitz and he laughed heartily.

Milady, don't sweat it, Grigorovitz stroked Alaleh's cheek and pulled her to her seat beside him. You have cooked a great deal and this gentleman here is no other than falling for you.

I heard the other night Sir, that you were talking about Diophantine's equation, Vito changed the subject to the thing made him so obsessed to know the Colonel.

Ah, that old story, the Colonel chuckled, chewing his potato.

When exactly did you learn Math formally, Sir? Vito asked eagerly.

Grigorovitz laughed. It is nice to hear such a condescension, Young Man. If you happen to not get it right, I shall foretell you right now... that Russians, I mean the noble blooded as I am, tend to learn mathematics in advance by our private tutors. I had been taught since I was six under the great Ostrogradsky himself.

He happened to have one of the copy of Galois' manuscripts, he continued while savouring his mititei. The one lost within the hand of Cauchy himself.

What about it? asked Vito.

Lyapunov once told me he felt something about the manuscript regarding the preceeding Diophantine equation, said Grigorovitz. When I asked him what, he simply copy it for me and I saw something so peculiar... Galois said something so essential yet so beautiful, about the theory of representation.

Vito was getting more excited, his ears he felt were shaping such a conic. He never heard about it before... this he felt, will lead him to the esoteric part as he wished someday he would be listening to such stories.

Well, I have not fully understood it, but I have such an intuition that Fermat and Galois somehow have a connection to Diophantine equation, Grigorovitz continued. It has been so long since I touched my pen and paper to do some ideas linking.

The rest of the dinner ran far too quickly for Vito Fortissimo.

He followed the footsteps of the Colonel walked away to the darkness of the forest outside, guarded by five military-dressed young men, right after the dine.

Suddenly he felt the time to go was eagerly due.