My Love Journey's
Family Call

"She's so sweet." I said to Paul. "She said you were her idol and wanted to be a footballer like you when you grew up."

Paul smiled, sitting in the chair opposite to me in my kitchen. I held the wine glass I had just refilled while Paul had just finished his. I also prepared whipped cream and strawberries from the fridge for both of us.

"You said his name was Daniel? Why is he in a wheelchair?" paul asked as he watched me closely as I bit the strawberry.

"Say by car accident" I recalled Daniel's cheerful face, somewhat sad that he had to experience the incident. "He also told me that the doctor said he would never be able to play ball again. That's really sad."

"You seem very hooked on him" said Paul.

"Indeed. I hope you can meet him, he'll be very happy." I spoke while putting a pinch of hair behind my ear.

"I'll see him one day." He looked at me and I laughed.

"I plan to see her tomorrow as soon as my work hours are over." I muttered, biting the strawberries again.

"Send my regards to her."

I smile. "He must be happy to hear that."

Before one of us could say anything, my phone rang on the table in front of me. Paul and I looked at the names that appeared on the screen together.

"Who's Louis?" ask her with a frown.

"Oh.. She's, uhm." Suddenly I felt very upset. He never contacted me, it felt like it had been centuries since we last spoke.

My family is really messed up, and I rarely get in touch with them. My mother was a chronic alcoholic, she left us since I was a child. My sister fell into a bad life a few years after my mother left, and I haven't spoken to her since I went to college. I only kept in touch with my father, but our conversations always made me remember how messy our lives were.

"I'm sorry, I have to pick it up." I muttered then grabbed my phone and stepped into the other room as soon as Paul nodded.

"Louis?" I said a little trembling. I'm afraid he's making trouble again, or doing something like before.

"Hey, B. long time no hear from you." For the first time in months, I heard a voice I had almost forgotten.

"Yes. Why call me? Are you all right?" I sat on the couch, leaned my elbows against my knees and massaged the base of my nose.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just wanted to say that it's gonna be a couple of weeks and a few more birthdays, and maybe we can celebrate together?"

Waw. It's not what I imagined would come out of Louis' mouth. He never showed any concern for our family in the least, the last time he called me was just asking for money, and it happened while I was still in Indonesia. So, it's not wrong for me to be surprised this time.

"Oh, huh?"

"Yes." Yeah." He sounds happy. "Listen, I've been in rehab for the last six months and it's been clean. I also work in a coffee shop."

"What?"

I don't know if I should be happy or worried about what he said. After everything that happened, I can't trust him anymore. Most of me was convinced that he was going to do something bad again.

"Lou. I don't know what to say," I murmured softly, I felt my tears begin to pool. "I'm proud of you. And yes, I think we can celebrate Dad's birthday together."

He was silent for a while before replying to me. "alright. I'm gonna call her and tell her that we're gonna visit her on her birthday, how's it going?"

"Yes, okay." I said quietly, almost whispering.

"Hey, B? Miss you. I know we need to talk more, but I want to say now that I'm sorry for everything." He sounds really sorry.

Unknowingly my tears dripped and I quickly wiped them away. "Okay." That's all that comes out of my mouth.

Some of the things he had done to me needed to be resolved further before I forgave him. Maybe spending time at my dad's house will help us out a lot in this.

I disconnected the phone after we talked for about two minutes. I was still sitting on the sofa, looking at my phone while continuing to remember everything. Is this real? Why does it feel like I'm dreaming?

I looked at him who was standing in front of me and nodded his head. "Yes,"

Paul sat down, watching me. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm just a little confused and surprised, and happy. Yeah, I'm happy." I put the phone on the table and turned my body to face it. "On the kitchen, thanks for cleaning it up."

Paul still doesn't believe what I'm saying. He kept looking at me with a probing look. As if she could read my face so easily, she asked again. "Did something happen to your sister?" he said carefully, putting his hands on the back of the sofa.

"No." I don't want Paul to be bothered by my family's messed up life, and no one among my friends knows this.

"Tell me, love." I looked at him while shaking my head. "You can trust me, you know that?" continued.

"Yes, I know, I just. I don't know." I took a deep breath, trying to hold my tears from coming down. "Uhm, my mom left us when Louis and I were kids. He's addicted to alcohol, and I don't know where he is right now. It might be dead or it might be alive somewhere, I don't know." I muttered honestly, a little quiet as I felt Paul rubbing my shoulder. "I've been living with my father and sister ever since she left us."

I took another breath. "Louis, he. as a teenager he was plunged into an unhealthy environment. He started taking drugs and stuff. When I decided to go to college in Indonesia, he repeatedly forced me to give him money. You know, I went to college there because I thought it was a lot cheaper than here, and I was lucky to have an Indonesian passport. So I don't have to work hard living there."

I was silent for a moment before continuing. "Then one day, I went back to Germany to visit them. I should have been happy to meet my family, but it didn't last long. Louis came into my room with a knife and threatened to kill me if I didn't give him the money. To buy drugs, of course. Believe me, I always give him money, I guarantee he doesn't lack if he uses it well. But he used the money for something else, and whatever I gave him would never be enough."

I nodded in disbelief at the irony I was experiencing. "I haven't been in contact with him since then and returned to Indonesia. But a month there, my father called and said Louis was arrested by the police, who asked me to move here."

"Then, why is he calling you now?" ask Paul then.

"She said that she was in rehab and was clean. My dad's gonna have a birthday any minute, I think Louis wants our family back to what it used to be, or at least keep what's left of us."

We were silent for a few minutes, Paul still rubbed my shoulders while I was busy thinking about the possibility that would happen if I were to meet Louis again. I haven't told Paul everything, but by opening the outline, I feel like my burden is lifted a little.

"You don't look happy with the idea." murmured Paul after a while.

"What idea?"

"Meet your sister. You're scared, aren't you?"

I looked at Paul, he really knew what was in my head. I can catch the worry popping up at a glance in his eyes. "Yes. Well, I don't want anything bad to happen again, not in front of my dad. I tried to trust him, but it was hard." I explained, then forced myself to smile.

"I can't imagine how difficult my life was when my mother left you and your sister and fell into a terrible mess" He put a pinch of my hair behind my ear. "But I believe that's what makes you an amazing woman. You're kind, independent, and care about other people.You're the perfect woman, love".

"You're sweet, Paul." I smiled, feeling comfortable as she rubbed my cheek with her thumb. "Thank you."

"You know, I can accompany you if you want." He offered himself up, and I frowned in confusion. Paul quickly realized that. "Meeting your sister, I can at least take care of you if she tries to do something to hurt you."

I'm shaking. "I'll be there for a few days while you have to prepare for the World Cup. But, thanks for the offer."

He raised his shoulders, then raised the corners of his lips high up. "Yes, you're right. Speaking of the World Cup, our first game is scheduled here, but most of us are in Russia. I want you to come over there and see me play, there's a few days between games and I think it'll be nice if you're there at the time."

I cringe. "You're asking me to visit you in Russia?"

"Yes, if you want. We can also enjoy free holidays in other countries that are the location of our matches, how?"

"It seems interesting, I'll think about it." I said. "You know, I work at the hospital and they set my schedule."

"Okay. It's hard, to manage time with you."

"Indeed. I have trouble managing my own life." I replied with a chuckle, then cupped his jaw and kissed his lips at a glance.

"For your sake, Rapunzel, I hope you don't have a schedule tomorrow morning" she said, then gently pushed me to the couch.

I giggle. "You're lucky, Mister."