(Tak) Bile Sepahit Bile

Section 31

"Ekhem! Can I talk to you?"

A hoarse and heavy voice stopped the conversation of Cempaka and Lusy. Caesar's wife jumped down from the chair followed by Lusy who swiftly stood up and lowered his head. Now, the two girls look like ordinary servants.

"Master! Excuse me." Cempaka felt no business so decided to leave.

"Wait on! I want to talk to you, not to him," refused, Lord Arya prevented both feet of Cempaka from leaving.

Lusy bowed for a while, and went inside the house leaving a confused Cempaka. The beat of the stick of the lord Arya shook both feet of Cempaka who slowly moved away and shifted.

The old man sat on the chair that Cempaka had just occupied. He looked up, looking at the servant-clothed woman before him who kept his head down.

"What's your name?" ask Mr. Arya. His voice that suddenly jerked Cempaka's body and made him tense.

"Chem-champ, sir." He answered stammeringly, the constant state of the heart makes the tongue difficult to move.

"Your age?" The follow-up question further made Cempaka stiffen.

"Du-two pu-ten-four, sir." Cempaka answered nervously.

"Don't be so uptight, I won't bite you. Sit down!" Mr. Arya patted the empty space beside him, asking Cempaka to sit there.

"Sa-I'm just here, sir." With a quick movement Cempaka sat on the stone Lusy used.

Master Arya smiled, then sighed. His view has not yet shifted from the figure of Cempaka full of mystery.

"Did you cook for Caesar?"

Cempaka looked up, staring at the surprised old figure in front of him who turned out to be smiling kindly. He shook his head refusing to acknowledge.

"Hm ... Yudi told me that you were the one who cooked the mushroom soup this morning. Do you know what? The cuisine you make is exactly like my wife's. Did you use the recipe?" Mr. Arya smiled again as Cempaka lowered his head again.

"I-I'm sorry, sir, if I've been presumptuous. Sa-I won't do it again if you don't like it" said Cempaka. Who's she?

Mr. Arya chuckled, feeling funny with Cempaka's frightened attitude.

"No! It's not like that. You just keep cooking all that, I don't mind at all. Instead I feel happy at the end there is someone who can present the taste of my wife. I ... ah, just miss him and you treat him a little" said Mr. Arya honestly.

Cempaka looked up slowly, his manic that looks sad with a beam of happiness belonging to the lord Arya. The smile warms, reconciles Cempaka's heart.

"Do you like to cook?" asked Mr. Arya slightly leaning forward.

Cempaka nodded, holding back a smile in doubt.

"My wife used to love cooking. She's a good woman, even though there are workers, but she always cooks by herself. He said, I was always satisfied whenever I saw my family enjoying my cooking. Are you like that too?" Mr. Arya got deeper and deeper looking at the two Cempaka beads.

The woman was downcast, the shadow of her two younger siblings who were always impatient waiting for her to cook back flashed. Cempaka nodded his head while rubbing the two corners of the eyes that suddenly water.

Master Arya's forehead frowned, what made the woman cry? Does he have the same story as he does.

"Are you crying? What makes you cry?" asked Mr. Arya to know.

Cempaka shook his head, his hands alternately rubbing the eyes that kept dropping the water.

"It's okay. If you want to tell a story I'll listen, but if not. Maybe next time," said Mr. Arya understand.

"I .. I remember my two sisters, Sir. A month ago they left me and followed my mother. I am .. I am alone in this world. They ... They are just like you who love your wife's cooking. They never ate any gifts from others, but that day ... today ...." Cempaka could not continue.

His cry broke out instantly, a cry he could not make because of that jerk. Mr. Arya was touched, he got up from the chair helping Cempaka to stand up and sit beside him.

"Yes God. Cry if you want to cry. Cry as much as you can." Mr. Arya clasped Cempaka's shoulder, patting him gently.

Outside, in order to resolve his feelings left behind to Cempaka, Caesar returns home after dropping off Eva.

"Master! What brought you back?" asked Yudi who happened to see the master who was about to climb the stairs.

"Is he in his room?" ask Caesar without further ado.

"Sorry, Sir. Miss is behind with the big master" Yudi replied.

"Dad?" Caesar lowered his legs back, frowning in wonder.

"Yes, Sir. The Great Lord is talking to the lady in the backyard." Yudi reaffirmed.

Without asking any more, Caesar hurried off to the back. He stood in the doorway, watching the girl weep in his father's arms. Caesar paused the intention to approach, he wanted to hear what was happening.

For a few moments, Lord Arya let Cempaka cry. After being quite calm, the woman moved up while sweeping her face.

"If you may know, what happens after that?" asked Mr. Arya curious about the follow-up story of Cempaka.

Cempaka sighed, sobs still left stifling the chest.

"That day .. I came home from work bringing their favorite food, but once there ...." Cempaka. "They had eaten, someone gave them food sprinkled with poison. I regret not being able to save both. They died and that second also left me alone."

Cempaka sighed again, unraveling the tightness that spread in the chest. Mr. Arya was filled, glancing pity at the girl beside him. While Caesar was unmoved, listening intently to the dark story of Cempaka's life.

"Ah .. sorry, sir. I'm not supposed to cry in front of you. Excuse me!"

Without waiting for an answer, Cempaka moved on. He turned inside, but then his steps stopped because Caesar stopped him. Both of the woman's shoulders were still lightly shaken, a trace of crying still tracing on her face.

The man approached, pulling Cempaka's body into an embrace. Smiling at the woman's shoulders was full of regret. Tight, as if not wanting to escape again. However, Cempaka hesitated to reply, fearing that Lord Arya would catch him.

"Gentlemen, let me go! There's a big master in the back. What if he sees?" cempaka said softly in Caesar's arms.

"Shut up!" It was as if it didn't matter that master Arya would know about who Cempaka was. Caesar only wanted to hold the body for a long time.

For a while Cempaka let Caesar hold her. In pairs of peeking eyes, there was a sense of haru in their hearts especially Lusy.

The man took off a puff, rubbing both cheeks of Cempaka gently.

"What brings you back, sir?" asked Cempaka while staring at Caesar's bead.

"You." Reply without hesitation.

"Me?"

"Yes, you!"