Assalamu'Alaikum Love

Dia

Gibran

My Outlander sport had just entered the front yard of the house when my eyes fell on a girl who looked so relaxed sitting on the wooden chair of the porch of the house. Makes me squint to make sure I'm not looking wrong or imagining. But in fact the girl was her, Renata Wibisana my younger sister who was somehow already on the porch of my house this afternoon. The girl even only displayed her signature wide grin as soon as I got out of the car and approached her.

“Good afternoon, mr. lecturer.” It was a strange greeting that made me laugh before hugging the girl.

I haven't seen Renata in a month, but apparently I miss my little sister.

“Mas thinks you are not brave enough to take the train from Jakarta to Surabaya by yourself.” Ledekku while taking Renata into my house and let the boy start commenting on everything he could comment on. Duplicate mom. It was a very clever Renata Wibisana commenting on the furniture of the house chosen by a bachelor like me.

“Who said I took the train? I got on a plane.” He replied after dropping down on the black sofa in my living room. “Mas Gibran never listened to me? If the sofa is black yes the curtains are not black mas, gloomy will be your home.” see right? Just now that she had stopped raving about the color of the paint that she thought was too pale, now the girl was even back commenting on the sofa in my living room.

“Who bought the plane ticket? It is impossible that you will use your pocket money to buy a plane ticket?” and if I respond to Renata's comments about sofas and curtains that he thinks are too dark and can make my house gloomy, then until dawn our debate will not be finished. That's why I chose to walk into the kitchen and let Renata follow me.

“Your questions make me hurt, mas.” And besides being good at commenting on what she can comment on, my sister is also good at putting on such a face as if she is the most miserable sister in the world.

“But it's true, papa bought me a ticket. Besides my money has run out for the purposes of thesis for one semester.” continued that makes me frown and put a glass filled with water on the table. No wonder because Renata's money runs out for the purpose of the script, but I wonder why you want to buy Renata a plane ticket to then visit her brother in Surabaya.

“Papa? You mean to whine to papa to buy a plane ticket?” my question that makes Renata tick does not like it.

“No, papa who gladly bought me a plane ticket.”

“Masa?”

“Reach number one business class flight for round trip.” he added with an annoying face as if I would envy half dead just because my sister bought a business class plane ticket for a trip Jakarta-Surabaya while last month I had to be willing to drive from Jakarta to Surabayan.

“In what order did you buy you a plane ticket?” I'm starting to lose my patience with Renata. Sometimes my little sister is really annoying with her childish behavior that crossed the line even though she is now 22 years old. But not infrequently also Renata can be a mature woman with tactical thoughts when it has talked about my life which he thought was too sad.

“Gift for your graduation?” this time it was Renata who rolled her eyeballs as if my question was something that really sucks for her.

I just guessed it, because I can even remember how enthusiastic Renata was when she repeatedly called me two weeks ago when I was in class. Just to tell me that he just finished his scripture trial and was declared a graduate in biological sciences.

“If papa gave me a graduation gift in the form of a plane ticket, obviously I will ask for a plane ticket to Thailand, mas. Not to Surabaya.”

“Then?”

“Let Gibran's most beautiful and cute sister take a shower first, tired mas.”

“Renata.” I know that my sister's been looking for an alibi like this, which means there's something important she wants to tell me. Sure enough, not taking a bath two days and two nights nor would Renata care.

“Let me explain. Now I want to take a shower first.”

Until Renata entered the guest room right next to my private room, I was still thinking about speculation about the reason Hendri Wibisana sent Renata to Surabaya to see me. Obviously papa will not want to waste millions of dollars to buy his youngest child a business class plane ticket from the number one airline just because Renata whines. After all, my sister and I were not that close so Renata would be so lost because I moved to Surabaya. Alright, we are indeed close because we are only two brothers and the successor to the throne of the Wibisana extended family from the papa line. So, there's no reason for me or Renata not to get along with each other.

Only, this time it was like there was luck that Renata was about to suck from me along with his arrival to Surabaya.

__________

“Your graduation celebration party?” I almost spouted the fried rice in my mouth when I heard Renata explain why she came here and papa so easily bought the boy a business class plane ticket. Hearing Renata's explanation about him that papa asked me to persuade me to return to Jakarta next month because papa thought I wouldn't want to go home if only persuaded by phone.

“Party for a graduation instead of overdoing it, Nat?” I asked carefully and hoped that Renata would not be offended even if the one asking was her own older brother.

I'm not jealous because when I graduated S2 even though my dad just congratulated me for letting me do what I wanted, while my dad even wanted to throw a party for Renata's graduation. But really, a party for a kid who just graduated S1 is really something to overdo in my opinion.

“Yap, I also think so.” And Renata, why does this kid look so relaxed even though I clearly disagree with the event you made for him?

“Sorry?”

“You are completely insensitive, mas.” Renata growled before drinking water from his glass until only half was left. “Mas think for what papa would buy me a business class flight ticket to return to Jakarta-Surabaya if no one wants?”

This time I began to see the red thread about why Renata could suddenly be on the porch of my house this afternoon. Papa asked Renata to meet me in Surabaya. And again it feels like my luck is back down now.

“So papa asked you to come to Surabaya to pick up mas?”

“Not really. Papa wants me to talk to Gibran.”

“Yes yes, don't stare at your sister like that, mas.” And up until now I didn't understand why Renata had to wait for me to threaten her just so she could talk. “The party was just an alibi for the matchmaking event mas Gibran with aunt Resa Adelia.” Connect Renata lightly which makes me gawk.

“What?”

“Om Rudi came to Jakarta last week, and om Rudi told papa that mas Gibran did not want to be betrothed by him. That's why papa decided to throw a mas and aunt Resa matchmaking party using my graduation alibi. That's kind of.”

Again I did not understand how Renata explained such a thing to me so calmly while biting off the cucumber pieces that he stabbed with his fork.

“Actually my father forbade me from telling the truth to Gibran mas, but because I do not like Aunt Resa, I have been honest with you mas.” Renata continued while I was still trying to find words that somehow seemed to just fly around inside my head.

Om Rudi's.

Ah, I forgot that the second ‘father’ku it has become a trusted informant for papa. And of course papa will be happy to make a silly match with a girl named Resa Adelia who is none other than his own partner's son when om Rudi said I refused to be betrothed by him.

Resa Adelia, there's really nothing wrong with the girl. Just because Renata calls her ‘tante’ doesn't mean Resa is a middle-aged lung woman who's crazy about young men like me. No, Resa was my age and we met a few times while I was still living in Jakarta. It's just that, Renata is too dislike with Resa makeup which he thinks is too ‘beyond the age’ to make Resa look like a 40-year-old woman instead of a 28-year-old young woman.

“Jawab mas honestly, Nat.” mulaiku after a moment of silence and rubbed my face several times and put my glasses next to my glass that was empty. “What mas looks so desperate that papa and om Rudi so ambitious to match mas?” I knew my question was really funny and weird, so I couldn't blame Renata who laughed until the end of her eyes watered before watching me for a long time.

“Dan, why do I have to Resa anyway?”

“What if papa and om Rudi match mas with other women, then mas will receive it?” this time there was no laughter or a careless smile on Renata's face.

“Yes not so, Nat.”

“I know you must be tired of hearing me say this. But I'll keep saying it.” Not only did Renata look at me closely, she even grabbed my right hand and placed it on my own. “Open your heart is not wrong. I don't know what it's like to lose someone I love. But as hard as Gibran was to keep Aida in his heart, still Aida would not return.”

Instead of responding to Renata's words, I pulled my right hand and turned my face away from Renata. Take a deep breath and exhale it back with a huff. “Don't take too long locking hearts and torturing your own feelings, mas.”

Locking heart. I don't know, I don't know what I'm supposed to call the attitude that I've been maintaining for six years after Aida's death. Either I lock the heart, or I'm the one who is still reluctant to be in a relationship with the opposite sex.

“Mas didn't torture himself, Nat.” belaku that made Renata cluck annoyed. Just because I've never had a relationship with the opposite sex, it doesn't mean that I'm tormented and languish on my own every Sunday night. Really, isn't that a childish thing?

“If indeed mas did not torture himself, then why until now mas Gibran has not also had a candidate?” I couldn't help but cluck annoyed to hear Renata's question. Is the Wibisana family really looking forward to having a wedding?

“Not met the fitting.” okay, I myself feel that my sentence sounds doubtful.

Haven't met the right person? I don't know, it feels like I've found that guy, but I can't admit it to Renata yet. I have to admit that opening my heart after I closed it after all these years is not easy. Because I unconsciously compared every girl I met with the late Aida.

“Is there not yet someone who can attract the attention of Gibran? Show at the college mas, maybe?” Renata even felt the need to turn her body to face me. “At least Gibran can introduce a girl to papa and om Rudi, and should not be betrothed to aunt Resa.”

“Yes, there is actually one person who attracted the attention mas.” I said a little doubtful. And no, that girl has not only caught my attention but has also teased me. It's just that I'm not sure about it myself, and it's too early if I should name that feeling a sense of liking.

“Who? Young lecturers too? Or an employee at the faculty office?” asked Renata excitedly which actually made me scratch the nape which actually did not itch at all. How do I tell Renata? It feels strange that I told this boy that his older brother was interested in a young girl who was a student herself.

“Ehm, not heck, Nat.”

“Then?”

“Actually she's one of the students who taught.”

“What?” and I had expected that Renata would react that way when she heard that her older brother was interested in a girl who was far below me.

“Yes Allah, since when did you become a pedophile man like this, mas?” I never minded giving Renata a prank in the head as a gift for her savage sentence. Really an outrageous sister for treating her older brother as a pedophile.

“Mas does not necessarily become a pedophile just because it likes a 20-year-old girl right?” my belaku was inspired by Haris words the other day.

“Oh, I thought Gibran liked the sophomore.” Again the girl only grimaced as I clicked her head once more.

But it is also true, if in fact Faza Aulia was still an 18-year-old sophomore would I also be interested in her like this? Ah, I even started to dare confess to Renata that I like Faza Aulia who is my own student.

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