"Daughter. Just what are you doing?"
Bunga turned her head towards her mother. A veritable giant compared to her very small form. A petite human being with purple hair standing right next to someone much bigger than her, and the giant's smile warms Bunga's heart so much. Despite her size, despite her intimidating posture, she treats her daughter like how a mother should treat daughters.
Bunga remembered that question after she went back home crying. She was a bit of a brat during her schooldays, always getting into trouble with the other kids from school, and always highly insecure of herself. She doesn’t yet know what she wanted to do, and her mother most likely just finished a conversation with the school superintendent about today’s incident.
“I… I”“Really Bunga, why did you hit that man? He was just asking a question about where you are living. You have no reason to hit him.”
“But, but. He’s always pestering me mom! He makes fun of my hair! He makes fun of my skin too! He says my skin looks like poop!”Her mother sighs, putting her hands on her forehead. “That is still no reason to hit a man Bunga. You should tell your teacher that the boy was bullying you. Do you remember what I told you on the first day of school?”
Her mother went and grabbed some tissues, putting it on her cheeks, cleaning off her tears. The blackened eye from the little fight she had with the boy became even more visible. She had given the boy a good beating, but the boy also didn’t leave Bunga unscathed.
“That violence is the last resort mom.”“Yes Bunga. Now, I’m going to meet with Rangga’s mom tomorrow, and I want you to come with me okay? I also want you to say sorry and promise not to fight again, understood?”
“Yes mom.”Bunga went to her room afterwards, wanting to spend her time playing with toys and reading books for the rest of the day.
She never had a problem with the boy again after that. The glare her mom gave to the boy, and the presumed scolding the boy’s mom gave to him also seemed to shut him up. Perhaps not everything is solved with fighting after all.
“So this is why we united father?”“Yes Bunga. We united in response to the threats the Occidents posed to the archipelago, and have been united ever since.”
Her father was taking her to a local museum in Palembang. Bunga’s eyes seemed to sparkle at the various exhibitions the museum had set up, a collection of tapestries, artifacts, and objects all before Bunga’s time. The theme of the day being ‘Unification.’
As she was highly interested in almost everything, and being the curious woman she was. Bunga turned towards the figure beside her. Unlike her mother, her father carries an air of dignity and grace, much more formal clothes, and much more bespoke mannerisms fit for a wealthy spice merchant.
“Daddy. I wanna ask, how did Palembang unify with the rest of the islands? Why did the Sultan of Palembang give power to the people of Majapahit? Wasn’t the Majapahit empire in decline daddy?”Her father smiled, crouching down to her, ever the shrewd businessman, he sensed an opportunity for her. “Well Bunga. I can explain it to you, but perhaps you can search for the answers yourself? The exhibit showcases how the unification process was done. Perhaps you can learn how we unify in the museum better than I can.”
Bunga simply nodded and started exploring the exhibitions herself. Returning to her father not long after, smiling widely.
“It’s because the populace of the sultanate pressured the Sultan to unite with the Majapahitans, in exchange for local autonomy and elections right?”Her father nodded. “Correct dear child. And what is the message we should take from this exhibit?”
“That United we are strong, and divided we’re weak!”Her father beamed, clearly happy at Bunga’s answer. “Good girl. Now, do you want some Kapau Rice? It’s almost lunchtime right?”
“What?!? We’re going for Kapau Rice Daddy?”“Of course sweetheart. Take it as… a reward for learning something about our Unification.”
Bunga can’t wait to taste the rice dish after that.
“Bunga?”
Her mother and her father could only react with shocked faces as they saw her daughter arrive. Her servants reacted with shock as well.
Bunga had been working late at night in the lab. Busy studying and calculating the Formulae of nature (as usual), and she had been so busy that she didn’t realize the time. By the time she did go home. It was incredibly late at night, so she just took a quick shower and went to bed.
“What's wrong mom? dad?” Bunga responded, stretching her arms upwards. She looked at the dishes at the table and turned her head back towards her parents.
“Are we having breakfast laksa as usual again?”“Bunga… look at the mirror.” Her father suggested. “Hurry, look.”
Not really taking their surprise seriously. Bunga walked, drowsily, into the mirror.
And the house visibly shook as Bunga screamed.
It took a whole day of familial effort to make sure Bunga calmed down. But she has still not settled with her newfound appendages in her head, and particularly on her butt.
The woman still couldn’t believe that those experiments she did all those years ago were a success, the certain fluffy appendage on her butt does feel nice to the touch though, silver linings… silver linings.
Bunga hugged her mother, both hers and her mothers’ eyes tearful as Bunga is preparing for her journey towards the city of Bermuda. It all happened so suddenly too, after her discovery of temporary replication of animal formulae, Bunga had been recruited into the ranks of the Ministry, and then her secret assignment with the BPN as well.
Her parents didn’t expect their child would be such a major figure within the Polymath community, and they certainly didn’t expect that their child would be going to Bermuda out of all places.
“Mom, Dad. I love you okay?” She said, interrupting her sentence with the occasional tear.
“I promise I’m going to buy you all the stuff you want from the Occident okay!”“Oh, don’t do that Bunga. Just focus on your studies and do well okay.” Her mother responded, shedding many tears as well. “We’re going to keep your room in our house here prim and proper you hear? Should you need a place to go back to, just give us a telegram and we’ll make sure you’ll be taken care of, okay?”
Her father could simply nod along with her mother. “Good luck Bunga. I hope that your contributions to the fields of formulas will be renowned to the world. Go get 'em!!”
She didn’t remember much, but she felt the sadness of leaving her family, the transfer to the bigger ship, and then arrival in Bermuda.
Bunga shuffled in her bed, her eyes still closed as she smiled yet again, her hair was frazzled, and her fox ears twitched occasionally.
“Aaahhhh no. I don’t want the big lolipop daddy. Nooooooo…” She mumbled.
“Ah. No, not my ears. Aaahhhhh."Her sleep is long and comfortable.
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