Beginning to Put Both of Them Apart

Before their two identical sons got into the dining room, Mr. Apollo and Mrs. Columba had been ready inside. The maids were walking here and there, serving the breakfast of chicken porridge for the husband and the wife. For the identical sons, the white oat served with strawberries, blueberries, some pears and apples were being cooked and would be ready in a couple of minutes.

The footsteps were heard on the stairs outside the dining room and were heard nearer and nearer towards the dining room. From the glassy window of the dining room, the husband and the wife could see one of their identical sons walking towards the dining room.

“Who’s that? Erito or Eriwan?” Mr. Apollo frowned his forehead because until now he could hardly tell his two sons apart.

“Flat, rather icy, cold and freezing facial expression… It’s Erito…” whispered Mrs. Columba.

“Geez… You can’t even differentiate who is who. You can solely differentiate them from their eyesight as well as facial expressions…” whispered Mr. Apollo to his wife a bit cynically.

“They look very alike, Apollo. Look who’s talking! You yourself can’t also differentiate between two of them, can you!” said Mrs. Columba also a bit cynically to her husband.

Erito got inside the dining room and was a bit stunned looking at his parents.

“Dad… Mom… Why don’t you tell us you are coming?” asked Erito a bit shocked. To neutralize his shock, he took out a chair and sat down on the chair, in front of his parents.

“Do we have to tell you whenever we want to pay you a visit here?” hissed Mr. Apollo a bit coldly.

“So that we can prepare more food and drinks for both of you… Just the same when both of you come to my mansion. We seldom eat at home so the food and drinks are quite a few. We’re afraid you’ll get nothing here to eat and drink if you suddenly come like this without any notice to us.”

“Were you staying overnight at your brother’s mansion, Erito?” asked Mrs. Columba gently and softly.

Erito grinned widely, “Yes, Mom… There was something I’d like to discuss with him…”

“What’s that?” continued his father more suspiciously – squinting his eyes.

“There’s another customer who would like to open a franchise jewelries shop using our Frias brand name in Medan there. So, I’d like to discuss the cooperation contract between us and that customer with Eriwan,” said Erito a bit stuttering. Luckily he could find a perfect reason shortly.

Erito began to activate his telepathy. Eriwan… Eriwan… Eriwan… Are you ready yet?

Eriwan also activated his telepathy while he was getting himself dressed with his sky blue shirt, coat, tie and his dark blue trousers. I’m getting dressed. What’s happening, Erito?

Dad and Mom are here right now. They’re sitting in front of me right now – in the dining room.

What? They didn’t give me any notice before. Why are they coming so suddenly? Eriwan frowned his forehead. He was getting dressed completely. He was now combing his hair and spraying some cologne onto his body.

No idea… Perhaps that wicked Delwyn Anderson has told them about our relationship.

So, what should we do? Eriwan began to feel a bit anxious.

That’s not the point. They asked why I was staying overnight in this mansion of yours. I said I was discussing some matters with you about a customer who would like to open a franchise jewelries shop using our brand name in Medan. I said I wanted to discuss about the cooperation contract with you overnight.

Eriwan was a bit shocked. You’ve lied to them. There’s nobody who would want to open a franchise jewelries shop over there in Medan by using our Frias brand name.

Erito giggled in his telepathic world. That’s why I’m telling you now. You must tell them the same story later on.

Okay then… I’m going down… Eriwan sighed his long breath.

“What are you doing, Erito?” asked his father frowning his forehead even deeper. He looked at his wife for a while. Mrs. Columba also stared at her husband for a while.

“Nothing, Dad… I was thinking a bit how much we should offer that customer for using our Frias & Co. brand name,” said Erito. Erito was much smarter compared with his elder brother in creating such good stories and reasons in a really short range of time.

Mr. Apollo got silent. Mr. Apollo and Mrs. Columba looked at each other once again.

Other footsteps were heard again. Once Eriwan stepped into the dining room, the white oats were immediately served by the maids onto the dining table, in front of their young masters.

“Dad… Mom… You come here without any notice. There are solely a few stocks in the refrigerator. You can merely eat chicken porridge this morning,” said Eriwan in his polite fashion.

“That’s okay… Never mind…” replied Mr. Apollo briefly.

“That’s okay, Eriwan… We indeed come here without any notice. I miss both of you a lot. I want to see you from a close-up distance.” Mrs. Columba said gently and softly.

Erito grinned widely. Meanwhile, Eriwan solely smiled relaxingly and gently.

“Besides, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you, Erito…” said Mr. Apollo.

“What’s that, Dad?” Erito began to slurp his white oat that morning.

“I’d like you to follow me to Singapore for a while. The GM over there has resigned for a couple of days. Meanwhile I haven’t found the new GM, you can help me to take over his responsibilities and take charge of the factory as well as the branch office there,” said Mr. Apollo without any facial expressions.

Erito and Eriwan looked at each other for a while.

“For how many days?” asked Erito carefully.

“Perhaps a week. You have to hold a grand interview to find a perfect GM before you can come back here, Erito,” continued Mr. Apollo – still without any facial expressions. He just stared straightly to his younger son’s blue eyes.

Just go then… We can still contact via telepathy or via cellphones… Eriwan and Erito communicated again via their telepathic world.

Do you think so? I’ll miss you a lot when I’m staying there in Singapore, Eriwan… Erito could merely reply within his slight gloom as well as disappointment.

“Dad… Can I follow Erito to Singapore there?” asked Eriwan suddenly to his father.

“I’m afraid not, Eriwan… You must handle the factories here in Jakarta, also in Semarang and Medan… I’ve been rather old already. I can’t travel among the three cities in a couple of days or in a week. You must do it to handle those factories of ours,” said his father with his low tone of voice. Whenever they heard that low tone of voice, the brothers knew that his father wasn’t under the mood of any kinds of negotiation.

Eriwan nodded his head slightly sadly.

Okay then, Erito… I think you still have to go to Singapore alone. You must find a new GM really quickly. I’ll be missing you a lot here, but Daddy seems not to be under his mood for any kinds of negotiation. Eriwan told his younger brother inside their telepathic world again.  

Erito was also in his bits and pieces of grief. Yeah, I’m afraid he’s not… Only for a week then… After I’ve found a new GM over there, I’ll return here really quickly and we can be together again.

Yeah… I’ll be missing you a lot here… Contact me once you’ve arrived there and don’t forget to contact me every day while you’re there, okay?

Erito and Eriwan smiled to each other inside their telepathic world.

“Okay then, Dad… Will I buy my plane tickets?” said Erito to his father.

Mr. Apollo’s edge of lips rose up a little bit. “No need… I’ll buy your ticket for you.”

Mr. Apollo emphasized word per word. Erito with his high intelligence began to suspect his father’s words and behavior. Yet, at that moment he tried not to suspect too much and put his suspicion aside.

Mrs. Columba Rajadi ate her chicken porridge gently while her sharp and careful eyes were paying direct and sharp attention towards her identical sons.

Are they really involved in their homosexual, incest and forbidden feelings to each other? Eriwan seems very sad because he isn’t allowed to follow his younger brother to Singapore. Erito seems really uncomfortable because he’s going to Singapore alone. Oh, gosh… These two identical boys really and really make me frustrated. There came out Mrs. Columba’s words of heart under her silent murmuring.