Keanu stood in front of the old house, still thinking about what the woman had said earlier.
“You’re Arman’s son.”
The sentence kept circling in his mind.
Impossible.
At least, that was what he wanted to believe.
For all twenty years of his life, Keanu had always known that his father was the man who had raised him. He had never imagined there was another story about his family.
Dimas, standing beside him, noticed Keanu’s changing expression.
“Are you okay?”
Keanu didn’t answer right away.
“I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
Dimas gently patted his shoulder.
“Let’s find out what happened first. Don’t jump to conclusions.”
Keanu gave a small nod.
They then entered the house.
The inside of the house was much neater than the outside. A lot of old photographs were displayed on the walls. Some of the furniture looked antique, but it was still well maintained.
The old woman walked toward the living room.
“Have a seat.”
Keanu and Dimas sat on the old sofa.
The woman took a small box from a cabinet.
“My name is Ratna.”
“You knew Arman?” Keanu asked.
Ratna gave a faint smile.
“I didn’t just know him.”
She paused for a moment.
“Arman is my son.”
Keanu fell silent.
Dimas also looked shocked.
“So... Arman is your son?” Keanu asked to make sure.
“Yes.”
Ratna opened the small box she had brought with her. Inside were several photographs.
She took out one photograph and handed it to Keanu.
“This is Arman when he was young.”
Keanu looked at the photograph.
The man’s face was indeed the same as the one in the photograph from the attic.
“Why is there a picture of Arman with me when I was little?”
Ratna looked at Keanu.
“Because Arman loved you very much.”
Keanu grew even more confused.
“But I never knew him.”
Ratna drew a long breath.
“That’s because there’s a reason you don’t remember him.”
“What do you mean?”
Ratna remained silent for quite some time before finally speaking.
“When you were little, something happened that made your family make a major decision.”
“What happened?”
“Arman left.”
Keanu furrowed his brow.
“Where did he go?”
Ratna looked at the photograph in her hand.
“He left your lives.”
The room fell silent.
Keanu felt like there were more questions than answers.
“Why did he leave?”
Ratna didn’t answer right away.
“Because he felt it was the only way to protect you.”
“Protect me from what?”
Ratna looked toward Keanu.
“From the people who want to take something Arman possessed.”
“What did Arman possess?”
Ratna shook her head.
“It’s not time for you to know everything yet.”
Keanu almost let out a small, irritated laugh.
“That line again.”
Ratna seemed to understand how he felt.
“I know you must be angry.”
“Everyone’s hiding something from me. My father, my mother, and now you, too.”
Ratna fell silent.
“Your father and mother never wanted you to live with hatred.”
Keanu stared at her.
“What does that mean?”
“Arman didn’t leave because he didn’t care about you.”
Those words left Keanu silent.
Until then, he had only thought about how someone had been hidden from him. He had never considered the reason behind it all.
Ratna stood and walked over to a small cabinet.
She took out a notebook.
“Take this.”
Keanu accepted it.
“What is it?”
“Arman’s notes.”
Keanu immediately looked at the notebook.
“Why are you giving it to me?”
“Because you’ve started looking for answers now.”
Ratna looked at Keanu seriously.
“But I have to warn you.”
“About what?”
“Don’t trust everyone who comes to you with a story about Arman.”
Keanu fell silent.
“What do you mean?”
“There are people who want that past to remain buried.”
Dimas immediately paid attention.
“Ma’am, is that person dangerous?”
Ratna didn’t answer.
The look in her eyes was answer enough.
On the way home, Keanu was mostly silent.
Arman’s notebook was in his hands.
He wanted to open it right away, but he felt an inexplicable fear.
“Keanu.”
Dimas broke the silence.
“Are you sure you want to keep going?”
Keanu looked out the car window.
“I’ve already come this far.”
“But what if the answer isn’t what you’re hoping for?”
Keanu gave a small smile.
“I’m more afraid of living with questions than accepting the truth.”
Dimas nodded.
When they arrived home, Keanu went straight to his room.
He closed the door and placed the notebook on the table.
Its cover was simple.
There was no name.
No writing.
Only a small symbol, the same as the carving on the wooden box.
Keanu opened the first page.
Handwriting covered the paper.
“If Keanu is reading this someday, it means I can no longer explain everything to him in person.”
Keanu stopped breathing for a moment.
He knew the handwriting belonged to Arman.
He continued reading.
“I don’t know whether the decision I made back then was right or wrong. But there’s one thing you need to know, Keanu. I never left you because I didn’t love you.”
Keanu’s eyes fixed on every word.
The next page contained a sentence that left him speechless.
“Your father isn’t who you think he is.”
Keanu froze.
His hand stopped turning the page.
“What does that mean?”
He read the sentence again.
Beneath it was another message.
“There’s a story about your family that was deliberately changed. And the person closest to you may be the one keeping the most secrets.”
Keanu slowly closed the notebook.
For the first time, he began to feel that his search wasn’t only about finding out who Arman was.
It was about finding out who he really was.