He then turned to Kezia.
"And you are not allowed to use violence. No matter how painful someone's words are, hitting is not the solution."
Opa finally spoke again, gentle but firm.
"Maya, you need to apologize to Kezia. Don't do it again. And Kezia, you also need to apologize for hurting your friend. This isn't about who started it, but about ending it the right way. As for Maya's injury, we will cover the medical costs."
Slowly, Maya stood, tears brimming in her eyes. She looked at Kezia hesitantly and said,
"I'm sorry, Kezia. I shouldn't have said that."
Kezia still looked stern, jaw tight, but she eventually stood as well. She shook Maya's hand, then whispered softly but coldly,
"Don't let it happen again."
The teacher watched them and nodded slightly. At least, that day's conflict was brought to a close. But it was clear that the wounds in their hearts would still need time to heal.
The teacher nodded. "Go ahead, Reverend. I've recorded everything in the report. Hopefully, this won't happen again."
Kezia stood without saying much, picking up her bag from the floor. Her face was still sour, but the fire in her eyes was fading. Oma gently patted her back, while Nathan just watched his sister, confused, there were so many things he still didn't know, but one thing was clear: Kezia was hurt far deeper than just from retaliatory blows.
Before leaving the room, Opa glanced back. "We'll talk this through properly at home. Thank you for your understanding, Teacher… and you as well, Ma'am."
Maya's mother only gave a small nod, still looking down, seemingly unable to lift her gaze since the incident.
Once outside the room, the atmosphere shifted. The air felt hotter, but at least they were no longer in the spotlight.
In the schoolyard, Nathan approached Kezia. "Are you okay?"
Kezia didn't answer immediately. She only gave a small nod, then stared straight ahead, her eyes conveying one thing:
Not over yet.
—
At home, Kristin had just parked her motorcycle in the side garage. Her helmet was still on when she noticed the house seemed unusually quiet. No sound of Kezia laughing, no aroma of food from the kitchen, and even the front gate had been locked from the outside. She briefly wondered if they had gone out shopping.
Just as she reached for the front door with her duplicate key, a car pulled up in the yard. Kristin turned, frowning in surprise, because stepping out were not only Opa and Oma, but also Nathan… and Kezia.
"Hey, you all came home together?" she asked as they approached. "Why so early? Kezia's school day isn't over yet."
No one answered immediately. Kezia kept her head down, her face scrunched up, lips pressed together as if holding back tears. Oma went straight into the house without saying much. Nathan helped open the door.
Opa looked at Kristin for a long moment before speaking, his tone heavy and serious, "Kezia came home early because she was called to the counseling room."
Kristin instinctively turned to her daughter. "Why, Kez?"
"Go to your room!" Opa cut in firmly. "Don't come out until mealtime!"
Kezia bit her lip, offering no resistance. She trudged into the house, holding back tears that threatened to spill. Kristin looked at Opa, both confused and worried.
Opa gestured toward the living room. "You come with me for a moment. We need to talk."
---
"Go to your room!" Opa's voice broke the silence of the living room. His eyes locked on Kezia. "Don't come out until mealtime!"
Kezia snorted softly, pouting, but didn't argue. She knew it was useless to resist when Opa was like this. She trudged upstairs, her steps heavy, the bedroom door clicking softly shut behind her.
Oma went straight to the kitchen, hands busy preparing lunch though her face still showed worry.
Opa exhaled, then turned to Kristin. "Come with me for a moment," he said, heading toward the living room.
Kristin followed, sitting on the sofa, still bewildered. Just as she was about to speak, Opa started first.
"The delinquent side of your child came out today," he said, soft but piercing.
Kristin gasped. "What do you mean, Dad?"
Opa looked her squarely in the eyes. "She hit a student at school. Not a classmate, but she went to that student's room. And it wasn't just pushing, Kristin. The child got hurt."
Kristin straightened slightly in her seat. "What?! Who did Kezia hit?! Why?!"
"That's what we asked as well," Opa replied. "Apparently, Kezia was insulted. Called an illegitimate child. But still, the way she responded cannot be justified."
Kristin closed her eyes for a moment, her heart aching, torn between anger, sadness, and confusion. "Oh my God, Kezia…" she whispered.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Nathan stood in front of Kezia's room. He knocked gently on the tightly closed door.
"Kez," he called. "Can I come in?"
A few seconds passed with no answer. Then the sound of a key turning, and the door cracked open slightly. Kezia appeared, her face still creased, eyes slightly red.
"What?" she said flatly.
"I just want to say," Nathan looked at his sister gently, "you are not an illegitimate child."
Kezia exhaled, her eyes glistening, partly relieved, partly still annoyed.
Nathan stepped into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "I remember when Mama Kristin and Papa got married. I was at the blessing ceremony. I know when you were conceived. Nothing was wrong. Everything was legitimate. Clear as day."
Kezia remained silent, but her eyes started moving restlessly.
"Later, get a copy of Mama and Papa's marriage certificate. Also, get a copy of your birth certificate. Keep them safe."
Nathan looked at her, a sly little smile tugging at his lips. "Next time someone snipes at you like Maya did, don't use your hands. Just throw the papers at her face. Let her know who's really embarrassing."
Kezia suppressed a smile. Her lips curled slightly, but her eyes began to calm. "If I throw documents at her, that's still violence, right?"
"Yeah," Nathan grinned. "But it's more legal… and more elegant."
---
Kezia finally smiled a little, her eyes starting to shine again. "Turns out, Big Brother's a delinquent too," she teased softly.
Nathan raised an eyebrow, leaning back casually against the headboard. "An elegant delinquent," he replied proudly.
Kezia chuckled, then sat on the floor leaning against the bed. "I hated it when Maya said that. Like everyone could stomp on my dignity just because of a rumor."
Nathan nodded slowly. "That's why you have to be stronger than what people say. Facts remain facts. You're legitimate. You have an amazing Mama, a loving family. That's what matters."
Kezia hugged her knees. "Thanks, Big Brother."
Nathan smiled. "Always."
In his quiet room, Nathan sat on the edge of the bed, clutching his phone with both hands. He opened the screen and saw a new message notification from the number he had contacted earlier.
Rachel:
"Good afternoon. I'm Rachel, Mikael Sebastian's sister. We have already buried the empty coffin. We've come to terms with it."
The message was only a few sentences, but it hit him like a cold slap to the face. Reading the words empty coffin made his stomach churn and his chest ache as if pressed by a blunt object. His hands trembled. He didn't truly know who Mikael Sebastian had been in his life, but clearly, that person had meant a great deal to his late mother.
A strange mix of emotions spread through him, sadness, anger, and loss that defied logic. He felt as if he had lost someone he had never known.
Frustrated, Nathan tossed his phone to the edge of the bed, letting it fall among the pillows. He lay back, staring blankly at the white ceiling. Silence. Emptiness. Yet his mind was anything but quiet.
After a while, he slowly got up and retrieved his phone. He opened Rachel's message again and read it carefully, taking his time.
Then he began to type.
Nathan:
"Aunt Rachel, if it's allowed… may I meet you in person? I just want to know more about Uncle Mikael. If it's not convenient, I will understand."
He hit send. One tick. Then two. But they remained gray.
It didn't matter. Nathan knew some wounds simply required time to trust again. But he wouldn't stop until he found closure.
—