BEREAVEMENTS

Episode 13; Is this School?

“I heard his father committed suicide..”

“That's right?”

“What? Gatung selves?”

“You didn't read the newspaper yesterday?”

“What is his father broke?”

“Ah could have, then why is she still in school here?”

“Shameless, why don't you all just die anyway.”.

Lena thickened her ears, she clearly heard what her schoolmates were talking about about her father's death. A death he had not really expected. What they say is true, his father did commit suicide because his company went bankrupt. What can Lena do? There aren't.

Lena circulates her gaze throughout the class which is suddenly silent.His friends look at her with a gaze that Lena cannot understand. Either surprised, disbelieving, and also pity. They all peeked, his eyes could not be separated from the figure of Lena.

“Kok lo have left anyway Len?” Chery approached Lena and pulled her to sit at her desk.

“Gue is confused about what to do at home..” replied Lena slowly.

“Elo how can I enter anyway, this is only the third day Len?” one of his friends approached, Sarah rubbed Lena's arm, “elo is it okay?”

“There may be Lena okay stupid!” Chery glared at her friend and pulled Lena beside him, “What happened? Is it okay to come to school today?”

“What's wrong, the test is near. Well anything can happen, but my life is still long right?” Lena laughed, not a made-up laugh but her friends did not laugh, looking at her with pity.

“Lo mending home. You're getting crazy..” Chery shook her head slowly, Lena could have joked.

“Gue bosen at home, Cher..”.

“Can-can you say home, if I, I already ogah live there..” chirps one of Lena's classmates. Lena just smiled in response.

“If it's elo, I'm not sure if you dare to live this time!” Chery did not accept it. He was about to stand up to her, but Lena pulled him back down.

“Why the hell lo, Yen?” reprimand Sarah, “not see lo Lena who is lying?”

“Shirts? He's obviously fine, don't be more. Are you not suspicious? His father's dead but he could be like that. Don't-don't you even hope your dad dies huh, Len?” Yena is still fishing for noise in her class. This makes classmates ikt rise in blood as well.

“Feel mouth lo!” this time Chery could not hold back her anger, her white face turned red.

“Cher, already..” Lena stood up and hugged her best friend.

“What is this?” class teacher Lena's in. No one dared to answer the question, the morning classes started immediately and of course, no one could concentrate on the morning lessons.

***

When Lena decided to come to school today, she had already reminded her heart repeatedly. His life will no longer be the same as it was before his father killed himself. He read various publications whose connotations are not wearing. Bad news though. He knew full well that Lena was no longer a student who became a pride and role model in his school, he would also threaten the good name of his school.

It was very natural for such an elite school, a great many rivals and people who wanted to take down each other. Although all these events were not Lena's fault, she knew she had to endure the consequences.

Lena did not want to be pitied, she did not want to beg her friends to understand her situation. No one could understand her feelings because they were not experiencing what Lena was experiencing at the moment. So the thing he can do to survive in his current school is accept everything.

Lena just kept quiet in her class during the lesson break. He will be home the most recently. Honestly Lena was tired of all this, wanting her to avoid her school friends. Not once or twice, but repeatedly there are friends or upperclassmen who come to his class to find out or ask about his father's death. Unnatural death, of course. But Lena realized, if she did not face this now, she would also experience it later. It was the same, so the sooner he dealt with it, the sooner all of this was done.

“Lena, someone is waiting for you outside.” one of Lena's friends called her. He then left in a hurry. This was the umpteenth time that someone was looking for her, Lena came out of the classroom with after breathing out resignation.

“Mas Renov!” Lena was shocked when she saw Renov standing in front of her class. Her looks were not like the last time they met. That gently smiling face was completely hidden behind his sharp and resolute expression. His sharp eyes made anyone dare not look at him directly. After getting used to Renov's gentle demeanor, Lena forgets and becomes unfamiliar with Renov's original figure on this one.

“Why?” renov asked inexplicably to Lena's surprise.

“If you do not want to attract attention, is not it more striking if you hold my hand like this?”Renov reminded as he also felt a strange look leading to the two of them.

“True too..” Lena let go of Renov's hand and walked ahead of him to the back of the school. Far from the reach of his school friends.

“What's up, Mas? How come nyariin Renatta?” Renov smiles at Lena calling herself Renatta, “Mas!” call Lena, wake Renov who is smiling while looking at her like that.

“Ah, sorry... earlier I went home and was surprised when your house was empty. Even more shocked when I found out you left for school today. Already eaten?” the questioner simply shook his head slowly, "we go to the cafeteria if so..”.

“No...” replied Lena slowly.

“Why? Is something bothering you at school?” Renov asked her firmly.

“Of course there is, who is not curious about the sudden death of Father?” Lena understood why Renov was asking for it. The man was worried about her.

Today Lena woke up earlier than usual. He can't sleep well. Lena felt the loneliness she felt so hurt her heart. The silence of his house makes his hair bristling. But staying home was not a pleasant solution, so Lena decided to leave today and face the reality as soon as possible.

“We go to the canteen now..” this time it was Renov who pulled Lena's hand.

“Mas!” Lena knew she couldn't stop Renov like that. They made the entire canteen shocked but no one dared to make a sound when they saw Renov's face. Lena finally ordered the fried rice and chose the seat that was farthest from the reach of her friends.

“We are rich show off is not Mas?” whispered Lena.

“Indeed Yes..” Renov ignored Lena's anxiety. He stared at this figure in front of him fixedly, “ objection?” Lena shook her head. Then he drank his hot tea.

“Re...” call Renov slowly.

“What?”

“Are you okay living alone at home? Not scared?” Lena actually smiled because again the man in front of her became the person she knew.

“Renatta is fine Mas, see for yourself right? If the problem of living alone is common, it's just that Renatta can not lie the problem of fear at home alone. Hehehe, sometimes Renatta still remember about Father.” Lena's memory returns in the moments when she opens the door of the house and finds the shadow of her father hanging in her family room. Without realizing it, his face changed.

“Do you not move house?” advice Renov.

“Where to move? Renatta did not have a brother in Jakarta.” Renov regretted his words. It was as if he had just remembered that Lena was alone. Both of them fell silent again, “dimed Re...” persuaded Renov when he saw Lena not too tasteful with his food.

“Iya, Mas. It felt like a long time ago when someone nemenin Renatta ate. It turned out that eating together made the taste of the food more delicious”, without Lena noticing, she complained to Renov. This is not his first time being like that. Sometimes behind all his words full of maturity and acceptance, lies a complaint that Lena never realized she shared with Renov.

“If you so often call me, I can accompany you to dinner. I can also take you home.”.

“Mas can't lie. This renattamu never rejects fortune. So do not let Mas regret later.” Lena smiled and then returned to eating more greedy.

Your renattas? Renov is stunned.He realizes that his heart is pounding when Lena says it. His body trembled receiving a sensation he had never felt . Renov stared fixedly at Lena, watching the girl who now looked more eager to finish her meal. His hair was messy because he too often wiped the sweat on his forehead. Renov realized that he liked Lena because she was Lena, not because he felt sorry for her.

Lena was also surprised by what she said herself. He did not expect that the call sounded so special to him. Lena knew that since Renov had accompanied her on the eve of her father's death, Renov had a place of his own in his heart. Lena then fried rice in a hurry. No matter if it was hot or spicy, Lena finished her meal. He didn't realize he was in a mess until Renov reached out and tidied his hair. Little things like this were what Lena was most afraid of. At first it was very small, but the accumulation of everything became very large and made his heart not stop shaking.

Both Lena and Renov's eyes met, for a moment they both fell silent and realized what they were doing. The whispers are getting louder and louder. The crowd that watched the two of them at the same table also grew more and more. An unusual combination between Renov and Lena.

Renov stood up from his seat, making Lena pull up his sleeve, “mau where?”

“To the cashier, are you done eating it? We better get out of here. You don't have extracurriculars, do you?” Lena shook her head then followed Renov to the cashier, “you are fine here, tar me pick her up..”.

“Mas Renov really mutusin anything one-sided that, it used to be the same Renatta dong!”

“You are not suitable if the snack is like that..” Renov then push Lena's body from the back towards his class, “see you..” Renov waved his hand without looking at Lena. Lena breathed a sigh of resignation staring at Renov's distant back.

***