Dreams Upon A Silver Pine Branch

Chapter 25: Parental Fight

"You better wipe your shoes on the grass before we come in!" she scolded him once she fully realized what he did. "How is playing in a puddle fun, anyway? Puddles are gross."

Tony just grinned mischievously and ran toward Building D with Bethany chasing after him. The inside of the building, or at least the lobby, was nicer than its dull and lifeless grey brick exterior. The interior wall was painted light green, the color of unripe bananas, and the floor was carpeted with black rug, on which patterns of many different white flowers were sewn. The elevator that brought Tony and Bethany to the fourth floor was colorful—a mix of yellow, blue, and magenta.

"We're here," Bethany said once they stepped out of the elevator and immediately saw a door labelled D4414 just across from it. "I don't see any bell to ring or an intercom, though."

"We can just knock!" Tony laughed and did exactly that.

When nobody opened the door, he knocked again, louder. This time, a thinly-mustached man dressed in khaki pant and wrinkled red shirt came out to greet them, smiling a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Bethany smiled back out of politeness while Tony hid behind her.

"Johan did tell me that a girl from school is coming, but he didn't tell me the girl is this beautiful!" Mr. Sitohang offered a handshake, which Bethany accepted shyly. "And who is the cute kid? It's okay, I don't bite, I have another son your age, kiddo."

"Johan has a sibling?" Bethany asked with a raised eyebrow, surprised. "That's news to me."

"Two siblings," Mr. Sitohang corrected, "and you'll meet them soon. Come in!"

Bethany and Tony followed him into the brightly lit living room, where Johan crouched beside a large TV, seemingly tinkering with its audio and graphic settings. In the kitchen, his mother was preparing popcorns while Nardho and Nardhia sat on the dinner table with a big coloring book.

"Hey, Beth!" the teenage boy stood up, still clutching the remote control, and nodded toward the auburn-haired girl before noticing her younger brother. "Oh, you've brought someone with you. Hey there, what's your name? Do you want anything to drink? Maybe strawberry soda?"

"Tony Mhoirbheinn. And thanks, but I'm good."

"You sure?" Johan chuckled. "I thought kids like soda. Nardhia definitely can't live without it."

"He's just shy," Bethany said with her eyes rolled, "he definitely wants soda, I promise."

"There's enough soda for everyone!" Nardhia, who had been watching silently from the kitchen, suddenly appeared with two cans of the beverage and handed one to Tony, who hesitantly but gratefully accepted it. "And Johan is right, it's impossible to live without soda."

"Oh, dear," Mrs. Sitohang, who overheard the conversation, shook her head. "There she goes again with her sweet tooth. Fine, Nardhia, but remember that's your third soda can of the day. Why can't you be more like your twin? He knows too much sweet stuff is bad for your teeth."

"Mom, for the last time, I'm not Nardho, okay?" Nardhia sighed. "I hate this comparison."

"So do I, sis," Nardho looked up from his coloring book, "because I'm me and you're you."

"Alright, point taken," Mrs. Sitohang sighed. "But really, Nardhia, no more soda after this one."

"I hear you, Mom!" the little girl frowned and then turned to Tony. "Wanna see my bedroom? I have a lot of comic books and I'll let you borrow one. Or maybe you'd rather play video games."

"Nardhia, stop right there," Mr. Sitohang interrupted, "you can't bring a boy into your bedroom."

"Why not, Dad? I'll leave the door open, nothing bad will happen."