ARAKAS

CHAPTER 19

Karrel stopped his car right in front of a huge gate towering in front of them. He drove Ara to the same house about a month ago.  It seems he has known the girl for a long time. His gaze moved on Ara who quickly removed her seatbelt, opened the car door and ran into the gate of her house. His face looked so happy, he did not even turn around or say thank you to the man who drove him.

Karrel snorted softly, his eyes continuing to follow Ara's departure which was increasingly disappearing from his sight. Just be right. The man laughed softly, what made the girl so happy to the point of ignoring others. A few minutes later the man drove his car out of the mansion. He was already relieved that the girl did not wander outside again at midnight like this.                

"FATHER!"

exclaim Ara happy. He ran towards his papa who was sitting in the reading room, not far from it sat Ravel who was busy with her reading. Unfortunately, when the girl wanted to hug the old man her hands were even rough on top with her weak physique making the girl fall to the floor.

Ara looked at her papa in shock, the smile on her face faded. His gaze shifted to Ravel but the man seemed unconcerned, preferring to preoccupy himself with something in his hands, perhaps a script for his new drama.

"Where are you from?" the firm voice of his father made him a little frightened. His father used to be very kind and loved to spoil him, but now the old man was like a stranger who could scare him to death at any moment.

"A. I t.tadi from the temen house" he replied slightly faltering. His father looked at him sharply.

"Do you have any friends?" the old man smiled disdainfully.

"A useless child like yourself doesn't deserve to have friends, you deserve to live alone so as not to trouble others."

the rude remark pierced into Ara's eardrum, the girl wanted to cry but was desperately held back. Ravel occasionally glanced at him with an unreadable expression, after which she refocused on the script in her hands.

"I got a report from your school" his father said again.

"Huh!  In school you're not a dick." There was a displeased tone in the old man's voice. 

"I wonder why a useless child like you could be born in my family."

this time Ara was unable to hold back her tears anymore. Although he was as strong as he could hold it, still the clear water fell down on his cheeks without him asking. His father's words hurt his feelings.

"Don't cry in front of me, you don't deserve to cry. Get in your room now!" crush the old man again without the slightest pity.

Though Ara was very happy when she found out her father was at home, but her happiness changed after all the things she did not want to hear came out of the mouth of her own biological father. Is that how his dad hates him? Is that how much punishment he should get from the two people he loves so much? See now, her brother did not even defend her or comfort her in the slightest, helping her stand up not even. Though the power is no longer strong to stand alone, everything has been drained. Heart's hurt. Papa they really hurt him with all those bitter words, many times he tried to stand alone but still could not, he needed help. Her father who saw her condition only gave a rude snort.

"Is he sir?"

"Take this kid to his room!"

Bi Rani nodded and quickly helped Ara up, wiping her all the way to the girl's room.

Actually bi Rani was eager to comfort her employer's son but Ara told her to come out because she wanted to be alone.

After bi Rani came out, the girl quickly took a few grains of her tranquilizer pill in the drawer of the study table and swallowed it. His body began to tremble, only the medicine was able to dispel his anxiety.

When he began to calm down, he again sobbed. He remembered the bitter words his father had said earlier. Was she really a useless girl? If it is true, it means that he is no longer needed by them. Then, why would he live if no one needed him anymore? Suddenly a thought flashed through his mind, taking two bottles of Alprazolam from the table drawer and pouring them all into his hands, slowly putting the pill into his mouth. As the two pill bottles were about to enter his mouth, his hand suddenly came to a halt as if something was resuscitating him.

Nope, no. He shook his head strongly realizing that he was starting to think irresponsibly. She started crying because she no longer knew what to do.

                                  ***

Tomorrow, early in the morning Ara had left for school, she was still heartbroken by her father's speech and her brother's indifference last night. He didn't want to see them this morning. That's why he decided to go to school before they woke up.

The girl's eyes were still swollen from crying all night, she chose to skip and hide in the school rooftop until she came home. None of his classmates knew that he was actually in school, he only gave news that today he did not attend class because he was late to wake up.

Elsewhere, Karrel wondered why the girl wasn't there. In the cafeteria, he only saw her friends. Even until returning home from school Ara did not look at all. Where is the girl? Why isn't he in school? Is he sick? No way, the man remembered once when he drove her last night the girl was still fine even looking very cheerful, there must be another reason, but what? Wake up late?

The break ended and Karrel's class had no teachers. The man chose to go to the rooftop one of the most comfortable places in school that he often visited when he wanted to be alone. Rarely come to that place may not even exist, that's why he always wanted to come there.

After reaching the place he was referring to, Karrel's eyes narrowed. His gaze was straight ahead there, to the corner of the rooftop wall on someone who was curling up while hugging his legs with his head buried between his knees. It was like knowing that girl.

"Pregnant?" he murmured very slowly. Maybe that girl is Ara, maybe not. He slowly approached the girl and stopped right in front of her, wanting to be sure.