A/N: Hello people of the internet! So, while I was thinking my way through chapter eight (uh ... six?) of The Last Bow, my mood just went patriotic/family-angsty/Maggie Tiojakin and this fic happened. The way this chapter is written based on Maggie Tiojakin's Kristallnacht.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Penguins of Madagascar or Kristallnacht. And I do not own the story which this fic is based on, it is a fate that God has given.
This fic is dedicated to the Seven Revolution Heroes of Indonesia, who died because of the 30th September Movement. You can look it up if you want to know more. #PenguinSalute
The Little Red Light
Part One
The little red light is blinking, the red syrup is pouring from the crystal glass, and a pair of broken heart is looking at the far horizon.
–– Once again, thank you so much for this opportunity, Mr. Adams.
–– Well the story would have to be told in the end, isn't it so, Miss?
The tall figure answered, his voice sounds as intelligent as he seems, though a bit hesitant and shy.
–– Your friend over there ... what's he gonna do?
The other Mr. Adams chimed in, for the first time since their arrivals. He's younger than the first one. His voice is hoarse and his tone is just plain mean. Not a good first impression, indeed. But he's not the one who makes the first impression in this small meeting. The interviewer and the cameraman are the ones with the obligation. He's there to judge them and answer their stupid questions.
–– No, Sir, don't worry. He's just going to shoot our conversation. I promise he won't ask anything.
Said the interviewer lady. Her friend that stood behind her nodded to confirm the statement. Only by that would the other Mr. Adams calm down. He sipped his coffee and lay back on the soft couch, he wants to get these things over with as soon as possible. No need for the exaggerating curtsies and pity.
–– Just start already!
The interviewer lady jumped in her seat, staring at the younger Mr. Adams in disbelief. She tried not to hate him, really. But for now it's best that she just look at the tall one. She signed her friend, and the camera starts rolling.
–– Now first of all let's start with your names. Can you state it in front of the-
–– Please, Miss, you know our names. Don't waste our time.
–– Zip it.
The older one nudges his brother in the ribs, telling him to calm down. He did, in the end, only half-heartedly.
–– Yes, well, my name is Dr. Alexander Kowalski Adams, I am a surgeon and a scientist and I also teach in the Stanford University as my part time job. On my right is my twin brother Rico and on my left is my little brother James, but we call him Private.
–– There're only three of you?
–– No. There were two more brothers; people probably know them as Manfredi and Johnson.
–– We're going to start with easy questions, okay? No pressure here. So, are you married?
–– I'm married. These two are not.
–– Do you three still live together?
–– With Rico's condition, I can't leave him alone. And I don't want Private to feel left out, so why don't I just take them in? My wife doesn't mind, my children doesn't mind. It's good to have them around.
Private snorted at this. But Kowalski ignored him.
–– How about your mother? Is she still alive?
–– Alive? She barely talks, barely eats, she might as well be categorized as dead!
–– Private!
The younger one pretends to look surprised, giving him questioning looks as if saying "I'm sorry was I wrong?"
–– Very mature, Private. Very mature.
–– Oh you mean like you?
–– Well definitely not like you!
On the other side of Kowalski, the autistic man with mohawk they call Rico didn't even flinch. He just stares blankly to the shining little red light on the camera, sometimes considering to wave at it as if it would wave back. And once he does, the cameraman thought he was waving at him so he wave back. But Rico just looked at him, thinking he's weird or something, and then he's back to the little red light again. So while his brothers argue, Rico just smiled to the camera.
–– Gentlemen, please! Can we continue this peacefully?
Begged the interviewer lady, a bit afraid and hesitant. She was afraid that they will think that her act would be counted as disrespectful, but fortunately they're too busy being mad at each other to care about respect anymore.
Kowalski and Private avoid each other's gaze, the younger one even shifted away from his place. The older one, being the grown up man he is and always have been, just cleared his throat and dusted his shirt, soon telling the interviewer lady to proceed with the next question.
–– So, what happened that night?
–– Actually it was early morning, before dawn.
Said Kowalski, showing off already. Private would tell him to put a quarter in the show off jar if they're not in the middle of an interview.
–– Right. What happened that morning?
–– We were sleeping in our room, obviously. But around four I woke up and I couldn't sleep again, so I started to read. It was a nice copy of the 'Early Inventions and Discoveries in Middle East', and I remember clearly that I was reading about Avicenna. It was a nice light reading ...
Private and Rico rolled their eyes.
–– Rico was snoring on the bunk above, and Private was snuggling to me since it was raining heavily last night and he's afraid of thunders. Across the room, J – umm I mean Manfredi and Johnson were snoring too. Everything was normal, not a single misplaced strand of hair.
This was when Private's gaze lowered to the floor, and soon his annoyed brows lowered too, not really relaxed but more like ashamed. Rico noticed, and through twin telepathy the discovery was already reaching Kowalski's brain. But he can't stop the story now, even if he wants to. He's sweating now, and his fingers are shaking.
–– Then suddenly Private woke up. He said he needed to go to the bathroom. And then–
–– Let's pause it for a moment, yeah? No pressure, remember?
–– Yes.
–– Since the incident, how many things do you think have changed?
She definitely asked the question to Kowalski, but Private beat him to answer it.
–– Let me get this straight. You asked us 'how many things have changed since the incident', yes, Miss? Haha, well, nothing, I guess. Just the fact that our mother refuses to talk to us since then, leaving us to our Uncle Nigel in Britain to take care of and now she suffers from Alzheimer and doesn't even remember us or even the dead man on our door that night. Yes, the man she claimed to love so much. Oh, also the fact that our brothers Manfredi and Johnson turned crazy and blew up three apartments and five hospitals. They were hanged last year, you know? It was fantastic! We got death threats from people just because we're their brothers. It's as if people forgot what our father did for them all!
–– Shut up, Private.
–– Oh and Kowalski, the obvious grown up and smart one, decided to take charge of us. He started telling us what to do as if he's really our father. Mostly he tells me to shut up; both here in America and when we were in Britain. He even told Rico to shut up, as if he forgot that his own twin can't even talk! Oh look now his hands are clenched into a fist. He definitely wants me to shut up again.
–– Mr. James Adams, I think I would prefer Kowalski to answer the questions.
–– Oh of course, Miss! He is the public's favorite.
Kowalski rolled his eyes cynically, and muttered something inaudible.
When the interviewer looked at him, asking for an answer to her question, he just stares back. The interviewer seems to get what he wants, so she changes the question.
–– Um ... were you two close?
–– What? Private and I? Oh ... Oh, right, me and him. Well, not really.
–– No?
–– No.
–– You're not close? Really? I mean, he was a very respected man. I thought he had a nice relationship with his children. Why, he's a natural protector!
–– See, I think that's the problem. A true patriot, he was. He was too busy protecting the world that he didn't have any time for his children.
–– But you are part of the world.
–– No ...
–– No?
–– Well I am part of the world, but just not his world. Anyway if there's one of us who's close to him then it's this guy.
Kowalski pointed at Private, who then pushed Kowalski's finger away from his direction.
–– Now, hang on! You're just as close to him as he is close to me!
–– Really? Did he take me with him for a trip to England to see Uncle Nigel? Isn't that why he mistook me and Rico as your friends instead of his own nephews? Did he take me to science fair like he took you to that Lunacorn show, huh? Did he come to see me receive my Student of the Year award like when he came to your talent show?
–– But you're not the one who KILLED him!
–– For the last time, Private, you DID NOT KILL him!
–– Yes I did!
–– Oh, you immature Homo sapiens!
It took another say from the interviewer to prevent the two from strangling each other.
–– Gentlemen! Please, you both are civilized people now can you start to act like one? Private, what did you mean?
–– Tell him what happened, Private.
–– I'm not a kid anymore, Kowalski! You can't tell me what to do!
I think somehow Rico felt left out, so he thought that it's the perfect time to state his mind.
–– Knock knock.
Rico suddenly interrupted, smiling ear to ear on the edge of his seat.
–– Rico, please don't–
Rico just grumbled. He shook his head, telling his twin to not interrupt.
–– Uh-uh! KNOCK KNOCK!
Kowalski grabbed hold of Rico's shoulder, whispering calming words and such, but it doesn't seem to be working. Rico struggled to get loose from his twin while keep yelling "Knock knock" as if it could save his life.
The interviewer looked at him as if he's some kind of possessed by evil spirits. She prayed in her silence, while her partner stares at Rico in amazement.
–– Hm ... Who's there?
Said the cameraman so simply and naively. He earned a 'look' from Kowalski, Private, and the interviewer for that.
However Rico seems to brighten right after that. He waved crazily at the cameraman, giving him thumbs up and clapping like a wind-up monkey with cymbals.
–– Who's there?
Repeated the cameraman, now more confident.
–– GUNS!
–– Sorry?
Asked the interviewer. But Rico doesn't seem to be listening.
–– BIG GUNS! BANG! BANG! Pew pew pew! Red syrup fo' ev'rone!
The interviewer and the cameraman, being the ones who're not used to Rico's language, are confused. But the interviewer lady seems to be catching up a bit.
–– Red syrup?
–– Was it delicious?
The last question, of course, came from the cameraman. Rico nodded enthusiastically at him.
–– Nyum!
–– Rico, please, STOP IT. You're embarrassing me!
–– Oh it's always about you, isn't it, Kowalski?
–– Like it was never always about you, Private!
–– Jealous ...
–– No, you're the one who's jealous because Daddy's favorite can't be his replacement in this family.
–– No, you're the one who's jealous of me so you take charge just to take control of me and Rico!
–– I took charge when Dad died because Mom has turned crazy, Rico couldn't be any saner, the two turned into freaking terrorist, and you're too busy moping and doping! Do you think I have a choice? Hm? Should I just let this family rot? NO! And what did I do? I got a job, I chase some maniacally-made scholarships so we can use the rest of the money for you two, and now I took you both in, I paid for your education, Rico's medicine, and Mom's treatment in the hospital. For twenty one years, Private, can't you do what I say JUST ONCE?! And back then, oh Daddy's boy, what did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO?!
–– Oh for God's sake Kowalski, I WAS FIVE!
–– And how old did you think I was? I am only four years older than you.
–– That's a huge gap.
–– No, you're just looking for excuses 'cause you know I'm right.
–– You're still not my father.
–– Oh, dear Private ... Who said I WANTED TO BE?
–– Well you shouldn't tell me what to do, then. Isn't that right Dr. Adams?
–– Okay that's it. I'm tired of this. I'm tired of this interview, I'm tired of my twin brother being crazy cukoo-nutso and most of all I'm tired of you blaming me for everything that has happened to us! I sacrificed everything for you two–to take care of two big babies and one old sick woman while I don't even have time for my own children anymore. You want to blame me for what else, Private? WHAT ELSE?!
Everyone's eyes are on him now, including Rico. But no one dared to speak, not even Rico dares to mutter a single gibberish. They all just sat there for about five minutes in silence, staring, the ticking clock in the room being the only sound audible.
Then, the first movement in five minutes. Private stood up, looking at Kowalski with pure hatred. Next to the doctor their autistic brother's eyes are watery and the two stranger in the room just know that he's holding back sniffles. Heck, he didn't even seem to be breathing at all.
–– Leave.
–– Mr. Adams, please-
–– I. Said. Leave. Get out of my house, all of you!
Private is the first one to do so. He slam the door shut as hard as he can, and fled to no one knows where. Rico soon follows, but he went to the opposite direction. The last one the leave are the interviewer and the cameraman. The interviewer tried to be polite, but Kowalski threatened to call the police if they don't leave right away. So they did, not even bothering to take their camera with them.
Now it's just him and the camera. The blinking red light stared at him in that crystal silence. But it didn't say anything. It's just innocently blinking.
–– Oh you're blaming me too, aren't you?
Tick tock tick tock tick ...
And the little red light keeps blinking.
And the surgeon is still alone.
And no one is coming back.
And it's his fault.
And for some reason, Kowalski felt like he was being watched by a certain photo on the wall.
"Dad ... I'm sorry."
And the little red light is still blinking.