Asta Brata: Kartika

Following the water flow

At a restaurant, one of the tables was filled with food and drinks. Two people sat face to face. The guy, wearing a black shirt and black pants. Looks handsome with her hair neatly combed. Looks harmonious with the girl who wears black drees knee-length, looks beautiful with hair that is loose until the back. Both are eating their own food. Every now and then the girl observes the beautiful-looking decorations. Bright light with lilies in the center of the table. A bright light clearly illuminated the face of the man before him.

Kartika smiled slightly and Mark saw her. Mark put down the fork he was using to eat the steak. The guy was fully staring at Kartika makes Kartika wrong behavior because of being caught wet. Kartika takes her fork to eat her spaghetti.

"Lo's really funny, anyway," Mark commented.

Kartika is getting wrong. Making spaghetti sauce shopping everywhere. Mark laughed a little. Grabbing tissue at the dinner table, then cleaning the tip of Kartika's lips. Kartika. Enjoy the sweet treatment Mark. Kartika likes that.

"Eat slowly, yes," said Mark and ate his food again.

Kartika was silent. His hand slowly rose to the tip of his lips. Touch it. Smilingly. Instantly, butterflies flew on his stomach. Kartika continued eating.

All the food was gone with time. Mark drinks his drink. Kartika wiped her lips with tissue. And when his back was on Mark, the guy was staring at him. Looking at Mark's gaze, Kartika's heart raced faster than usual. The girl continued to stare at Mark's movements that began to stand up from the chair. The man walked closer to Kartika. Stop right in front of him. His hand reached for Kartika's right hand. Slowly Mark knelt down. Focus on one leg. With a smile that makes Kartika forget the world. Kartika heard Mark speak.

"Will you be my girlfriend, Kartika ?"

Kartika's free hand shut her mouth. His mind drifted far to Ismaya. The guy who had been with her all along. The guy who helped her. Which always exists. Ismaya always smiled sweetly at him. Ismaya with everything she has, trying to make Kartika happy.

And with a trembling voice, he replied,

"....."

***

Morning sunlight slipped into Aru's room through the ventilation gap. The sound of birds singing. Come wake up the person who is still sound asleep in his bed. But the guy just changed his sleeping position until his eyes weren't glaring anymore.

Someone walked into the room, then clucked in annoyance. Walk slowly towards the mattress, then shake the lazy human body on the bed.

"Thankshaaa.... Wake up! It's six o'clock, woy. Wake up!"

Ismaya's eyes opened again. Sayup-sayup he saw the figure of Aru with a cocoa shirt. It looks like it just had dawn prayers. Ismaya dropped her head back on the pillow.

"Wake, woy! Pray at dawn first. It's late!" Aru slapped hard on Ismaya's cheek. Make that guy wake up. His cheeks were frowning. What a cruel Aru this.

"Shh... Sick," Ismaya touched her cheek.

"I woke up from half-five, too," Aru said.

Ismaya still drammed rubbing her cheeks. Making Aru upset himself. "Snap, dawn prayer! It's too late, this. I'm reporting to grandma lo, let me know!"

"Yeah...." Ismaya stood with and walked with a bell. Still very sleepy. He almost hit Candra who seemed to have just prayed Fajr as well. Ismaya faintly heard Candra nagging. But he doesn't care. Ismaya walks into the first-floor bathroom (must work hard so as not to fall on the stairs). Wudhu, then pray at the Aru family house mushalla on the first floor.

When she finished, Ismaya went to the kitchen. There, there is Maruta who is crashing in the water to make coffee. Ismaya sat on one of the dining table chairs. Still a little sleepy. Until Maruta's voice resuscitated him.

"You want coffee?" Ask the girl.

"Byeah" replied Ismaya.

"Gue too, dong," Candra asked Maruta and sat down at the dinner table. Aru is playing the HP.

"Lo coffee too, Ru?" Ask Maruta.

Aru nodded without looking. Focused on the HP. Candra just looked at Ismaya who looked confused. Then spoke without a sound to Ismaya. More or less what Ismaya could catch like this, 'You go with Sam'. Ismaya nodded in understanding.

"Now, the coffee," Maruta put down a tray containing three cups of coffee. Afterwards, he picked up his own camgkir next to the stove, then took it to the living room.

Ismaya and Candra took their cup. Then take it slowly. Candra politely picked up the freshly fried bakwan of Aunt Risa-mama Aru and Maruta-buy. Candra ate it with khidmad, until Ismaya became cold. As a result, Ismaya also plucked the bakwan.

"Udah on the gathering, this," Om Rastra-Papa Aru and Maruta-follow sat at the table. The man took Aru's cup and drank it. While those who have no protest at all.

"Yes, this, Om. Hehe," said Ismaya. The guy thrusts a fried plate towards Om Rastra who is happy to enjoy a piece of fried bakwan.

"Aru, how busy you are," Om Rastra rebuked Aru who was still busy on his phone. Reprimanded so, Aru looked up from Hp with a wide grin.

"But I want to say something today" said Candra. Of course, he immediately got a deathly gaze from Aru. Om Rastra laughs.

"Biarin. The important thing is not to mess around," said the middle-aged man.

"Aru never messes around, Pa," bela Aru. He's a good boy. Especially Sam's a good boy too. It's a really good couple, good.

Om Rastra laughed again.

"Yes" the man agreed. Spend the rest of the coffee, then leave.

"Papa lo very warm" commented Candra. Ismaya nodded. While Aru laughed.

Candra and Ismaya often see photos of Aru's father displayed on banners on the street pinghir. With a big smile and a raised thumb of course. It turned out that the guy was really warm.

"Papa is that," he said. Ismaya grabbed the remaining cup in the tray. Drank it. And cringing. As he looked at the contents of the cup, only the solid black coffee grounds remained.

"Udah is the same as Om Rastra" replied Ismaya and Candra in unison.

"Papa...," cried Aru after.

***

Ismaya moved uneasily at her study table at home. His eyes were staring at the window. This moon tonight did not appear. Closed by black clouds. Ismaya breathed. His hand accidentally touched the bruise on his cheek and hissed. The guy remembered the incident at Aru's house this morning.

After drinking coffee, Ismaya and Candra return to Aru's room. Aru met his father. At that time Candra immediately opened her phone. His eyes immediately rounded seeing a notification. The guy opens it, then immediately calls Ismaya. Ismaya who was wearing her jacket turned her head. Looking at Candra's flat expression, Ismaya felt something bad was about to happen. Ismaya approaching. And when Candra showed her screen, Ismaya immediately fell silent on the spot. It felt like he was doused in cold water right then and there.

Kartika's most recent social media posts. In the photo, Kartika is leaning on Mark's shoulder. Wear the same colored clothes. With a background inside a restaurant. They look very close in the photo. Ismaya descends to the caption written Kartika.

'My Alexander this night'

Kartika even tagged Mark's social media accounts.

"I said break up!" Said Candra coldly.

Ismaya stared at Candra.

"Lo's sober, dong. That stupid chick just benefits you doang! Conscious Ismaya! Conscious!" Candra Sentak.

A punch landed on Candra's cheek. The guy staggered. And while looking up, Ismaya stared at Candra coldly. "So, talk to you!"

Candra grimaces. Ismaya's punch wasn't kidding. The guy snorted. Then turning. "Dropped!" The sizzle of Candra that Ismaya can hear. Ismaya reacts to pull Candra's collar and then hits her again. Making Candra plunge to the floor of Aru's room.

Candra immediately stood up and returned Ismaya's blow. Ismaya slammed into the bed and fell to the floor. Grimacing because his elbow hit the foot of the bed.

"Astaghfirullah," Aru was shocked. Just entered the room to see a live boxing match. Aru immediately helped Ismaya stand up. Then stared hard at Candra.

"Lo what is Ismaya?" Ask Aru sharply.

Candra snorts and throws her phone at Aru. Unting Aru can catch him. And when Aru saw the Candra screen, his emotions immediately rose. His eyes were staring at Ismaya. Ismaya turned her eyes. That guy knows what Aru's gaze means. The same look as Candra.

"Thank you!" Call Aru sharp. Ismaya muttered softly. Aru sighed. Return the hp to the candra.

"Putusin, anyway, Is. There is no point in defending him" Aru's advice, which Ismaya rejected, was raw.

"No, Candra is the same!"

Ismaya leaves Aru's room. Get down to the first floor. Out of his jungle. Then go with the bike.

Ismaya breathed. Grab the phone and open the Kartika post again. The disappointment came over him. But he tried to deny it. Alright. Ismaya will ask Kartika directly. Kartika has turned on its social media account. That means his phone has been returned by his father.

Ismaya typed the message. Then when he was about to send her, hesitation doubled. Ismaya immediately removed it. Tomorrow, Ismaya will ask Kartika directly at school. Tomorrow, exam-level announcement day. And Ismaya believes Kartika will definitely say she and Mark are not in any relationship.

Ismaya grabbed a book. Then write the words there.

Following the wind blowing direction.

Until the wind greeted a leaf.

Bringing the leaves flying together.

Until the leaves are deep in the water stream.

Following the flow of water.

Until the water carries the fallen leaves washed away.

Crossing the length of the water flow.

Until the leaf empties in the middle of the ocean.

Oscillating in the vastness of the ocean.

Up and down the waves.

Plagued by nelaya's great ships.

Until the leaf is blurred.

Melting with the rigors of the high tide.

Make leaves a remnant of memories among the rock solid coral.

***