Chapter 3

"My Tree House" 

[2009] 

We had a big tree in our backyard. I have no idea what kind of tree it was, I never bothered to ask. All I knew was that it had a massive, thick trunk with huge, sturdy branches that spread out like giant arms.

Once I saw a treehouse in one of the storybooks I was reading, and from that moment on, I wanted one so badly. It must be so much fun to play up there, high above the ground, I thought to myself.

So a year ago, I begged my Dad to build me a treehouse on that tree behind our house.

Mom said I was a kid with a crazy, wild imagination. Maybe it was because my hobby was reading so many books and comics that made me so imaginative?

Dad initially rejected my wish flat out. "What kind of ridiculous request is that, Tamara. You should just play in your room, it's much more comfortable," he grumbled.

But after a full package of whining, begging, crying, and finally threatening to go on a hunger strike and a school strike, I finally got that treehouse. Hooraaay!

Even though its shape was very simple, like a large cardboard box that could fit several adult bodies, I was incredibly happy with that gift. And... yeah, you can guess it, that place became my escape room whenever I felt lonely, sad, or just wanted to be alone. [Just for info, Jano wasn't always there for me and couldn't always accompany me, he also had his own friends and activities, especially when he started to have a girlfriend. Ugh, so annoying].

That afternoon, I fell asleep in my treehouse on my seventh birthday. Right after school, I rushed to my treehouse. I ignored Mom's calls for lunch. Goldie, my retriever dog who wanted to play, I successfully ignored. My appetite and my desire to play were completely gone because my heart was boiling with anger due to the actions of some delinquent kids at the end of our street who mocked me when I was coming home from school and passed by them.

"Tammy dark and frizzy, hair so crappy, look so messy." They sang that sentence over and over again, making my ears, my heart, and my eyes burn with heat.

You damn brats! Do you think I ever asked to be born in this condition in the middle of my good-looking siblings? I wanted so badly to retaliate against their taunts. My hands were itching, I wanted so much to slap their mean mouths one by one. But all I could do was walk fast, half-running with my eyes starting to get wet with tears.

Any comment about my physical appearance made me easily upset. That taunt was like lighting a whole gallon of gasoline. My emotions exploded. Without even changing my school uniform, I just threw my bag and shoes on the floor of my room. After grabbing a pile of my comic books, I immediately climbed up to the treehouse. The gentle breeze blowing through the lush leaves made me drowsy. Not long after, I fell into a deep sleep.

"Shhh, Tammy... Tammy."

I don't know how long I slept, but the sound of someone calling my name made my eyes open instantly. My ears are very sensitive. No matter how soft a sound is, it can wake me up. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw a plate of food near the end of the treehouse ladder, and then Jano's face appeared.

"Your lunch is here. You haven't had lunch, have you?" he said.

As Jano crawled into the treehouse, my eyes saw another thing he was carrying in his hand. Instantly, I woke up and sat up straight. It wasn't the food that made me excited, but the container that Jano took out of the bag he was carrying.

"Eat first, then ice cream." Jano tapped the ice cream container. He's grinning.

Without being told twice, I ate at full speed.

"Hey, slow down. Chew your food first, Tam, so your stomach doesn't hurt," Jano said, watching me.

"The ice cream will melt," I argued, defending my actions.

I finished the side dishes and left some of the rice and vegetables, not only because I don't really like vegetables, but because I wanted to taste the ice cream Jano brought immediately!

After I finished eating, we both sat side by side on the edge of the treehouse, with our legs dangling down. Our spoons took turns going into the ice cream container.

"Is it good?" Jano asked in the middle of me devouring his ice cream. Jano knew I loved ice cream so much, but he always asked. And I always answered him. It was always like that. It was as if Jano forgot that it was from him that I first learned about ice cream.

"Mmm. So yummy." I licked my spoon. My head nodded. "This is the most delicious ice cream I've ever eaten."

Jano smiled hearing my words.

"Happy birthday, Tammy," Jano said while hugging me from the side for a few moments.

"Thank you, Jano. This is my best birthday gift ever," I said while rubbing my full, bloated belly. Jano laughed.

The day was heading towards late afternoon. The sunlight was no longer as hot as when I climbed up earlier. A gentle breeze occasionally brushed our faces and hair. No wonder I was so hungry.

"Your lunch is from your Mom, by the way. I just brought it. Your Mom said, since you came home from school you just disappeared here," Jano said, glancing at my wrinkled uniform.

"Thanks for the ice cream, then," I said while lifting the empty container.

Jano shrugged. "It's just ice cream."

"But this is the most delicious ice cream. I've never bought it before. What is it called? Haaaggghhhh... how do you read this?" I asked Jano.

"Häagen-Dazs." Jano gave me an example. I imitated him. Several times.

We didn't climb down immediately even though the ice cream was already gone. For a while, we enjoyed the evening breeze and the late afternoon atmosphere.

"Jano, am I an adopted child? Or was I swapped when my parents took me?" I suddenly asked.

Jano stared at me in shock. "Huh? Don't be silly. Why do you think like that?"

My lips pouted, remembering the taunts from earlier.

"I'm the only one who is different, not like my siblings," I said with my head down. "People always look at me weird. The kids at the end of the street mocked me so cruelly today. Tammy dark and frizzy, hair so crappy, look so messy!"

Jano shook his head. "Don't listen to their taunts. Besides, what for would your parents adopt another girl, they already have Rachel and Alena, right?"

Jano's words made sense. Instantly, I fell silent.

Jano turned to me. He examined my face for a moment before saying again, "You look like your Dad."

My lips pouted even more. "Rachel and Alena are beautiful, white, like Mom. Bari too. Why do I have to look like Dad? My skin is dark!"

My heart was always gloomy remembering my physical difference from my three older siblings.

Jano put his arm around my shoulder and said, "Your skin isn't dark, it's tan. Even if it were dark, it wouldn't be a problem."

"I'm dark compared to Bari, Rachel and Alena. Look, your skin is even whiter than mine!" I pointed at his arm's skin and compared it with my arm's skin.

"Native Africans are dark!" Jano said to me while sticking out his tongue playfully.

I was still sulking.

"Do you know, a lot of white Westerners want to have skin like yours, Tammy. They even sunbathe in the hot sun to make their skin darker. You should be proud of your skin without having to work hard for it."

"Is that true?" I stared at Jano with wide eyes. He was only in second grade of junior high school but his knowledge was so vast. My Jano is indeed a genius! And he was always good at cheering me up.

Jano looked at me while nodding firmly. "Of course it's true. Indonesian skin is so cool, all colors exist here."

I breathed a sigh of relief. For the time being. Jano could always brighten my day. He never ran out of answers to lift my spirits. He was able to make my mood, which was as dark as a moonless night, become bright as day!

"Was it Mama who told you to bring the food?" I asked while picking at the bottom of the ice cream container again, trying to find a lump of ice cream that might still be stuck.

Jano shook his head. "No. I just met Bari earlier, and I brought ice cream for you. Your Mom saw me, and said that you hadn't eaten since you came home from school. So, after meeting Bari, I brought your lunch up here as well."

"Why are you so nice to me, Jano? My own siblings don't care about me. Birthday or not," I said while looking down. My hands were playing with the spoon in the ice cream container.

"Hey, do you know?" Jano held my shoulder so I looked up at him. "I always wanted to have a little sister because I'm bored with Karel and Josh. Do you want to be my little sister?"

Instantly my eyes widened. "Aren't you embarrassed to have a little sister like me?" I stared at Jano in wonder.

Jano shook his head quickly. "Why should I be embarrassed? I'm so happy to have a little sister like you."

"Lena said I'm a crybaby, ugly, fussy, naughty."

"It doesn't matter." Jano looked at me with an amused smile. "We've been able to play together all this time, right? You and I are a team. Okay?"

I looked at Jano with a happy feeling. "Okay. I want you to be my big brother, Jano." I hugged him tightly.

"So we are brother and sister now?" he said while holding out his pinky finger to me. And I immediately linked my pinky with his.

Goldie's barking from under the tree hit our ears. Under the sunlight that was leaning more and more to the West, the vow that was spoken over our linked pinkies seemed to be validated by Goldie's barking.

"See, Goldie agrees too," Jano said while pointing at Goldie who was looking at us while wagging his tail and smiling broadly. His pink tongue was sticking out. I laughed hearing Jano's words and seeing my beloved dog.

At that time, at my young age, of course I didn't know what love was in a romantic sense. Of course, Jano's outstretched hand of friendship — his pinky finger, to be exact — I welcomed with a blooming and warm heart. Who wouldn't want to have a brother as good as Jano? He was always attentive, understood the mood of my heart, cared for me. And most importantly, I was happy near him. One thing that I rarely experienced and got when I was with my two older sisters, or with Bari. Even my own parents weren't like Jano when dealing with my naughtiness or my bad moods.

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