Arga did not answer right away.
Maya's words hung in the air of the nearly empty station.
“Bima isn't your biological father.”
The sound of the train that had just passed seemed to carry every sound in the world away.
Arga stared at Maya.
“Say that again.”
Maya lowered her head.
“Bima isn't your biological father.”
Arga gave a small laugh.
Not because it was funny.
But because his mind refused to accept the words.
“That can't be.”
“I know this is hard.”
“The man in the photograph is my father.”
“Did he raise you?”
“No.”
“Did you ever live with him?”
“No.”
“Did he ever claim to be your father in front of other people?”
Arga fell silent.
Maya sighed.
“Then maybe all you've ever known is the story you were given.”
Arga clenched his fists.
“How do you know?”
“From Sari.”
“Don't bring my mother's name into this if you don't have proof.”
Maya looked at him.
“I do.”
She pulled a white envelope from her bag.
“This belongs to your mother.”
Arga did not take it immediately.
“Why do you have it?”
“Because Sari gave it to me years ago.”
“When?”
“Not long after you were taken away from Kalendra.”
Arga fell silent.
“Taken by whom?”
Maya did not answer.
She simply handed him the envelope.
Arga accepted it.
On the front was handwriting he knew all too well.
For Maya. Don't give this to Arga until the time is right.
Arga's fingers trembled.
“Why only now?”
Maya looked at him.
“Because the time has come.”
Raka appeared in the distance.
He saw Arga's face and immediately knew something had happened.
“Who's she?”
“Maya.”
Raka stood beside Arga.
“Your mom's friend?”
Maya nodded.
“Once.”
Raka studied the envelope in Arga's hand.
“What does it say?”
Maya answered,
“Open it.”
Arga slowly opened the envelope.
Inside was a document.
He read the first section.
Mother's name: Sari Pratama.
Baby's name: Not recorded.
Arga furrowed his brow.
He read the next page.
Date of birth: October 12, 1997.
Then he saw a name.
Biological father: Unknown.
Arga froze.
He stared at the document for a long time.
“This is fake.”
Maya shook her head.
“No.”
“If it's real, why is my father's name blank?”
“Because Sari never recorded it.”
“Why?”
Maya looked at him with deep sadness.
“Because she was afraid someone would find you.”
Arga felt his chest tighten.
“Who is my biological father?”
Maya said nothing.
“Ms. Maya.”
“Don't call me that.”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Just Maya.”
“Okay.”
Arga looked at her.
“Who is my father?”
Maya finally answered.
“I don't know.”
Arga fell silent.
“You don't know?”
“Sari never told me.”
“Bima?”
Maya shook her head.
“Bima knows.”
“So Bima knows who my biological father is?”
“Yes.”
Arga stared at the letter in his hand.
“Why did he keep raising me as his son?”
Maya drew a breath.
“Because he loves you.”
That answer only left Arga even more confused.
They left the station and headed to a coffee stall that was still open.
Arga sat in the corner of the room.
Sari's letter lay on the table.
He still didn't dare read it.
Raka sat across from him.
“We shouldn't jump to conclusions yet.”
Arga nodded.
Maya sat beside them.
“I know you have a lot of questions.”
“More than I can count,” Arga replied.
Maya gave a faint smile.
“Then let's start from the beginning.”
Arga looked at her.
“Twenty-nine years ago, Sari came to Kalendra.”
“Why?”
“Because she was running away.”
“From whom?”
“From her own family.”
Arga fell silent.
“Family?”
Maya nodded.
“Sari had a very strict father. He didn't accept her relationship with Bima.”
“Why not?”
“Because he thought Bima had no future.”
Arga remembered his mother's story.
All this time, Sari had only said that they had different views.
The truth was much bigger than that.
“Then what happened?”
“Sari secretly married Bima.”
Arga raised his head.
“They got married?”
“Yes.”
“Why were there never any documents?”
“Because the marriage was never officially registered.”
Arga fell silent.
Maya continued.
“A few months later, Sari became pregnant.”
Arga stared at the table.
“And that's when the trouble started.”
“What happened?”
“People from Sari's family found out where she was.”
“Then what?”
“They came to Kalendra.”
Arga swallowed.
“For what?”
Maya answered quietly,
“To take the child.”
Arga furrowed his brow.
“Why?”
Maya did not answer right away.
Then she said,
“Because that child wasn't just Sari's child.”
Arga looked at her.
“What does that mean?”
“That child was connected to a very influential family.”
“Who?”
Maya lowered her head.
“Wiratama.”
Arga immediately fell silent.
Adrian.
Damar.
The Wiratama family.
Everything led back to the same point.
“Why does the Wiratama family want me?”
Maya looked at him.
“Because your biological father is part of that family.”
Arga froze.
“Who?”
Maya did not answer.
“Who is my biological father?”
Maya looked him in the eye.
“His name is…”
Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass came from outside.
Crash!
Everyone in the coffee stall turned toward the sound.
Maya immediately stood.
“Get out.”
“What?”
“Now!”
Raka stood.
“What is it?”
Maya grabbed Arga.
“Damar found us.”
Arga looked out the window.
A black car had stopped across the street.
The door opened.
Someone got out.
Arga recognized him.
Damar.
“Run!”
They rushed out through the back door.
Footsteps sounded outside.
They ran down a narrow alley.
Raka was in the back.
“Faster!”
Arga kept running.
Maya gripped his hand.
“Don't look back!”
But Arga still turned around.
Damar stood at the end of the alley.
He wasn't chasing them.
He simply stood there.
Then he smiled.
Arga felt afraid.
Not because Damar was chasing them.
But because his expression seemed to say that all of this had been planned.
They finally hid in an empty house.
Maya shut the door.
Raka checked the windows.
“He didn't follow us.”
Arga looked at Maya.
“Now answer me.”
Maya sighed.
“I will.”
“Who is my biological father?”
Maya looked at Arga for a long time.
Then she said,
“His name is Adrian Wiratama.”
Arga froze.
Raka didn't move either.
“Adrian?”
Maya nodded.
“Adrian is your biological father.”
Arga took a step back.
No.
All the information suddenly collided in his head.
Adrian.
The man who had helped Bima.
The man who knew about his birth.
The man who had said Sari took him away.
And now…
Adrian was his biological father?
“That can't be.”
Maya looked at him.
“Why not?”
“Because Bima…”
Arga couldn't finish the sentence.
Maya spoke softly.
“Bima knows.”
Arga stared at her.
“He knows?”
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
“Since before you were born.”
Arga covered his face.
Tears fell.
Bima wasn't his biological father.
But Bima was the man he had been searching for all this time.
The man who might have chosen to leave for Arga's safety.
While his biological father was Adrian.
The man he had always thought was only a small part of the mystery.
“Then why was Bima called my father?”
Maya answered,
“Because Bima chose to be your father.”
Arga looked at her.
“And Adrian?”
“Adrian chose to leave you.”
Silence.
For several seconds, there wasn't a sound.
Then Arga asked,
“Why?”
Maya shook her head.
“Because Adrian was afraid.”
“Afraid of whom?”
Maya looked at him.
“Damar.”
Arga furrowed his brow.
“His own brother?”
Maya nodded.
“Damar found out that Adrian had a child.”
“Then what?”
“He threatened to take you.”
Arga felt his entire body grow cold.
“Why?”
Maya looked at him with tears in her eyes.
“Because you're the last heir of the Wiratama family.”
Arga couldn't answer.
For twenty-nine years, he had lived as an ordinary village boy.
He had never known that there was a powerful family he might not even have known existed.
And now he was being called an heir.
But one thing mattered far more.
Arga looked at Maya.
“If Adrian is my father…”
He stopped.
“Then who is my biological mother?”
Maya lowered her head.
“Sari.”
Arga froze.
“So…”
“Yes.”
Maya nodded.
“Biologically, Sari is your mother.”
Arga let out a breath of relief.
At least one thing hadn't changed.
But Maya wasn't finished.
“But there's something you still don't know.”
“What?”
“Bima isn't your biological father.”
Arga looked at her.
“But he's the only person who truly considered you his son.”
Maya opened the letter she had given Arga earlier.
“And there's a reason he chose to leave.”
Arga took the letter.
“What reason?”
Maya looked at him.
“Because Bima knew that if he stayed with you…”
She stopped.
“…Damar would find you.”
Arga gripped the letter.
“Then why is Damar still looking for me now?”
Maya looked at him seriously.
“Because there's one thing Damar never knew.”
“What?”
Maya answered quietly,
“He thinks Bima took that secret to his grave.”
Arga furrowed his brow.
“What secret?”
Maya pointed to the letter in Arga's hand.
“That letter.”
Arga opened the last page.
There was different handwriting there.
Only one sentence.
“Arga, if Damar ever finds you, never tell him that Adrian is still alive.”
Arga stopped breathing.
Adrian was still alive.
The man he had just met a few hours ago.
The man he had been searching for all this time.
The man who turned out to be his biological father.
And now…
Damar must not know that he was still alive.
Arga looked at Maya.
“If Damar finds out Adrian is still alive…”
Maya nodded.
“He'll kill him.”
The room fell silent again.
Outside, the sound of a vehicle slowly faded away.
Arga stared at the letter.
For the first time, he realized that his search for his father had turned into something much bigger.
He was no longer just looking for a father.
He was searching for the truth about his family.
And perhaps, before this journey ended…
Arga would have to choose between two men who both called him their son.
Bima, the man who chose to leave to save him.
Or Adrian, the man who had given him his blood but never given him a life.
Pearl of Wisdom
“A father isn't always about the blood running through your veins. Sometimes, a father is someone who chooses to love us when he isn't obligated to.”