7 Days With Althara

Meet Mama and Papa

“Alhena” Mama rubbed my back gently, like trying to calm me down.

“Then Althara used to tell my mom that she was going to college in Germany, and she was sorry to stay in you”, Mama made me shock.

“Mama know Althara where but never told Alhena?!” Said I didn't believe it.

“Sayang” Mama tried to calm me down.

I stared resentfully at Mama and Althara in turn.

“Why can you guys settle for this same me?” I said and went to my room to leave them.

“Alhena” mom tried to call me but Althara held her back.

“Let me be Ma” and he's after me.

I went to the room that was still upstairs. In this house I still have my own room that never changes shape or content. The sound of Althara's footsteps chasing me.

I got to the top floor and immediately opened my unlocked room.

“Alhena dengerin I used to” said Althara who managed to chase me up into the room.

“Ngga I don't want” I'm trying to let go of his grip.

“Alhena Mama you ain't wrong, I'm asking her to ga any story with you. Mama just doesn't want you to know that and getting sad Al”

“But Mama will know all this time I was sad because I was looking for your whereabouts Althara, she should be honest, not even mgebiarin I was sad during that”

“Iya. But Mama's just trying to keep her promise, she's not wrong, I'm asking mama not to say anything to you. And Mama didn't know about me after that either, so maybe Mama's afraid of explaining the same thing to you. Don't be angry with Mama rich gini dong” said Althara instead back scolded me.

“Now you go down to meet again Mama” pinta her firmly.

“Ngga, I want to be here first” upset me while sitting at the end of my bed. I'm back to being like a kid in this house.

“Alhena” Call Althara in a still very soft tone.

I still don't ignore it, I just keep pouting looking straight at the thought of how hard they work together.

“Alhena!” Call him again by starting the tone up 1 octave.

I glanced at him with eyes still so upset. But Althara's gaze was more sinister than mine, she was already starting to look like a raging tiger.

I clucked irritably at her who already looked emotional. I got out of my room and went back down to meet Mama who was waiting for me to prepare food on the dining table with Bi Inah.

When I came down from the stairs, I smelled the aroma of my favorite food, which is a very good soto madura made by Mama. I round my eyes looking so seductively at his soto who was inside a large bowl on the dining table.

“Waaaww soto mature!” I cried while running towards the dining table. And smelled the hot smoke from that soto

“Hhmm her smell good gini”

“Your favorite” said Mama smiling looking at me who has improved this.

“Thank ya Ma” I hugged her so spoiled.

“Iya dear, Mama readyin this for you” said Mama gently.

I looked at him regretfully.

“Maafin Alhena Ma” says with regret.

My mother smiled sweetly at me.

“Alhena should gain salahin Mama, which is wrong emang Althara” said I still insinuate Althara.

“Yes already, let's eat first you must cape travel far” said Mama trying to divert my conversation that will cause debate again.

Mama was sitting at the end of the table, and Althara and I were sitting on her right.

I put rice on Althara's plate and mine, and I also helped Althara to take the soto madura to a separate bowl.

“Papa when to go home?” Ask me while putting my first soto feed into my mouth.

“Later night kayak nya” replied Mama.

“Althara also took a call with Papa yesterday night?”

I frowned and looked at the confused Althara.

“Iya Ma” reply Althara.

I tilted my head slightly watching Althara sharply.

“Where did you get no Papa?” Ask me.

“Handphone you” her cold.

“What's Papa's phone for?”

“Task news. Why?”

I shook my head in annoyance at the back of the question, as if I don't need to know his business with my own Papa.

“Ga maybe that's just Althara, there's definitely something else you're talking about with Papa”

“Ga ada” he put his food first into the mouth.

I still don't believe it.

“Ga to boong”

“Papa ngajakin open the same business I” connect her.

“Business?”

“Alhena we eat first yes, later continue to chat ya” said Mama as if she would know if this would be a new debate for us.

Then I silently glanced at Althara who looked seriously eating food in her presence. Then with a sigh I also finished my meal.

When I finished I quickly followed Althara to the living room. While Mama helped Bi Inah clean the kitchen used to cook and eat.

“Althara”

“What?” He asked as if he had forgotten the conversation hanging on the dining table earlier.

“What business do you have with Papa?” Ask me to remind you of my question.

“Ya business aja”

“Ya what business? It's strange, you're the first time again communication suddenly you make business”

“Emang nya ga can?” Ask her like I'm stupid.

“Please Al, no more covered from me, you promised”

Althara looked at me silently. It was as if he was considering his answer.

“Hah make Cafe?” Surprised me.

This must be Papa's wits so that I will stay in Bandung and no longer work.

“Who will manage?”

“Yes you who else” his word that I can guess.

I already know, Papa must have used Althara for Papa's plan all along. Papa always asked me to have my own business in Bandung, so that I could be more easily monitored by them.

“You agree?” Ask me grimly.

“Ya of course, this will also make you”

I sighed and leaned my body on the sofa and crossed my arms so irritated.

“Why ?” Ask Althara.

“I ga mau”

“What's the reason?”

“I already feel at home in Jakarta” My speech is still the same as the answer that Papa always asks me.

“What makes you feel at home?”

I was confused to answer him, because I moved to Jakarta it was all because of Althara, I wanted to forget Althara, Jakarta like a new birthplace for me. Then I can be immediately made to feel at home in Jakarta because the atmosphere that I can be so pleasant and soothing. I can work in a good place, with good people, then with a new environment that makes me feel reborn without Althara's memories there. But that's all the reason I used to forget Althara, and now that Althara is back, I shouldn't worry about going back to Bandung.

Althara tilted her sitting position, she propped her head up with one hand on the sofa and one hand gently stroked my cheek.

“I'm sorry if Bandung has made you sad because inget I” said as if I could read my mind.

I bow my head.

“But now there is no other reason for you to come back, I'm here Alhena, I'm back too, and I promise never to go again”

I stared at him with sadness.

“But you in Jakarta Al” answered me considering he lives in Jakarta while I was asked to in Bandung, not so we will be long distance.

Althara smiled, with her hands still gently rubbing my cheeks.

“I'll go wherever you are now, I can stay in Bandung”

I frowned when I heard it.

“Your work?”

Althara laughing.

“My work is flexible, ga rich you. I can take my work wherever I want” ledeknya.

I twisted my eyeballs while smiling at her so arrogant she was.

“Where?” Ask her again.

“I should think about this” first

“Why?”

“Ya I can not release my work so aja”

“Why can't you?”

Althara was always dissatisfied with the answer that seemed long-winded, he wanted her straight to the point.

“Yes because of my current position as General Manager there, I can't suddenly come out without anyone changing me kan”

“You can tell Daniel that to quickly find a replacement for you”

Althara wouldn't understand how Daniel believed in me so much. I felt so responsible for the restaurant's operations, and I enjoyed my position as a superior there.

“Ga as simple as that Althara”

“You want me to talk to him?” Threaten her.

I glanced at him coldly.

“Let me time to finish my work there”

“How long ?”

I thought first, and remembered what kind of work I had to finish when I was about to release the Restaurant.

“1 year”

Althara shook her head while still staring at me coldly.

“10 months?”

He still shook his head.

I thought again how long I could work there for as short as possible.

“Oke 8 months” bargain last time, because I think 8 months is too soon also for me to finish my work there.

“1 months” timpal Althara makes me shock.

“1 months ?”

Althara raised her bow signifying she was not messing around.

“Al 1 month was too short, I can suddenly tell Daniel if I want to resign next month”

“Can” answered her so easily as if she knew how my job was there.

“You're just the General Manager right, not the partner of your Boss?” Althara asked sharply.

It seems like he is still jealous of Daniel for contacting me with reasoned work, but that is not the reason, Daniel did always contact me but discussed about the work of nothing else. But it all makes Althara so jealous.

“Al, I'm with Daniel nothing”

“But he likes you”

I sighed hearing Althara's words.

“Yes it's his business not mine”

“That's my business too Al” replied Althara so firmly.

“You never received Daniel, but your presence there will make Daniel continue to have a reason to contact you, and will still make him keep the same feeling you”