Denisa Rosaline

Don't Let Your Ship Sink

Aline walked out of Rendi's room with a heart she couldn't describe what she felt like. All day long, he couldn't focus on his work. Daydream after daydream alternately was present in his mind. There are questions that need answers. There was anger that he could not vent. There was a haughty thing he had to endure. It completely drained the emotions of his soul and body. All fused in unchannelled annoyance.

"Lin, you wash your face first, gih!" Shayna advised him, pity to see the usually fresh girl fit ended tangled when not half a day he was here. "Touch up little, run out of it 'cece' treaty copier. How's it? Want huh?" Shayna has changed the call for herself, from 'mbak' to 'cece' because she is more comfortable being called with the term meaning 'sister' it is in families of Chinese descent.

Aline nodded, walking towards the toilet with her powder and lipstick. "The mind is still confused when asked to distinguish anyway? Ce Shayna was indeed magical," she thought of walking towards the toilet even though there was a reluctance to get up from her current throne.

After washing her face, Aline applied powder and lipstick, making her look refreshed.

When he returned to his desk, two cups of coffee and one glass of cold matcha green latte with the brand of North coffee shop, a cafe that is famous in the office complex, has been neatly arranged on their tables. Shayna had already dispelled the papers around there, making it an impromptu cafe table, complete with tela and crispy mushrooms, their favorite snacks.

"Yuk, coffee first. This is Cece Messain. Don't have the heart of Cece look at Cece's partner I don't take care of it!" he said with his mouth still chewing his favorite crispy mushroom.

"Thank you, Ce". Aline plucked his favorite tela that OB kang must have bought in the back of his office building.

"You calm down, Lin. That was a problem, right? Don't get into the heart! Think of the wind then! Rich cocky mothers Ivanka's mother was not only in soap operas, but many in the real world! So, we must be mentally prepared if at any time meet one or two models like that!" Shayna counsels Aline exactly a sister to her sister.

"Yes, Ce. Thanks yeah. Maybe I was in shock the first time" he replied honestly.

"Now, just keep the incident here" he said pointing to his head, "not here" he continued pointing right at his heart. "Do you know what Cece means?"

"Goodbye, Ce."

"Yeah, yuk yuk yuk yuk drink coffee! It's cold!"

"Yes, Ce Shayna, thank you."

"Yup. Habisin yes. After this Cece wants to review the location of the same event, Mr. Rendi. Duuuh, be nervous. Two weeks left."

"Please, Ce! Cece Shayna, Mr. Rendi, and the whole team are doing their best. No results betray your efforts, Ce. I'm sure it is!"

"Thanks yes, Lin. Cece was nervous."

Shayna gave Aline matcha green latte, "To be left alone," she told the girl before she left Aline to review the location of the event with her boss.

Aline was justifying her job which had collapsed due to the problem this morning. After the coffee, his mind got better. Sometimes our body needs caffeine when it fails to focus like this, hehehehe....

While Aline was amused with her own slur, her HP rang. There was a chat notification coming in from Arya.

Aryan. : Assalamu'alaikum.

(send)

Aline. : Wa'alaikumsalam. Yes, Sis?

(send)

Arya.: Busy again?

(send)

Aline. : Good. Again re-checking my work.

(send)

Arya: Sorry for my mother's attitude this morning. 🙏

(send)

Aline.: Uda, lupain aja, Brother. Just misunderstanding.

(send)

Arya. : Can I meet you later after office hours? I'm taking you home?

(send)

Aline.: I can go home by myself, Brother.

(send)

Arya.: There is something I need to explain to you. The please?

(send)

Aline.: I'm sorry, Brother.

(send)

Arya.: But I owe you the same explanation.

(send)

Aline wondered whether she would accept Arya's invitation or not. But he knows very well the nature of Arya who will not stop before he fulfills his wishes. Finally Aline relented than he had to continue dealing with Arya.

Aline.: Later ba'da Isya at Resto and Cafe Abah yes, Brother. Not far from my contract.

(send)

Aryan.: OK. See you's.

(send)

Aline turned back to face her computer screen. Apparently, a lot of his work was wrong. And all this because of his spicy breakfast this morning.

"Huuuffft ...."

After the afternoon break, almost all of Aline's work was completed. It turns out that the phrase "May your coffee be strong and your Monday be short" applies also to himself who is just a regular coffee connoisseur, not a fanatic let alone a coffee addict.

Aline went back to checking the reports and the incoming data. After everything was done, Aline brought her matcha latte to the rooftop. His favorite place to spend time.

Back, Aline was cross-legged on the park bench that had been peeled off the paint. He sipped his drink, slowly.

"Ekhem". A person with a baritone voice thumped behind him, from the door of the rooftop.

Aline nodded.

"A very quiet place to calm the mind" the man said but could still be heard from the distance of the two of them.

"Yes." Yeah."

The man walked towards the barrier on Aline's right. "I heard about the incident this morning" he said in a concerned tone.

"The news spread so quickly huh?" Aline smiled wryly.

"Yes, that's it, plus a little spice here and there," he chuckled. Aline turned her head to stare at the figure standing on the edge of the guardrail. "Tante Ivanka does, especially when it comes to Arya, his only son," he added.

"Do you know Ivanka's mother?"

The man nodded back. "of course. Our family is very close. My mother and aunt Ivanka have been best friends since childhood."

"You .. isn't papa?" he asked after waiting for a while, but there was no response from the girl who was cross-legged enjoying the drink.

"It's been a little disturbed, but Alhamdulillah can be overcome."

"Thank God" he said, turning back, leaning against the waist-high barrier facing the cloudy sky. Not hot at all, but also not cloudy.

"Lin .." called him, but hesitated to continue as the person he called turned his head. The man was silent. Not continue.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?" guess Aline after the safe was created between them.

"Have you heard the news about me?" tanyanya to the point.

"Unfortunately, I don't like gossiping," Aline flicked her shoulders and smiled knotfully.

"You're running away from me" either the question or the statement she said. I don't know an accusation.

"I was just acting as I should," the girl said in the end after weighing for quite a while.

"From your answer, it looks like you already know," he shot.

"From your answer, it seems that you intend to hide it," Aline replied.

The man chuckled. "No. I didn't mean that. If you were in my position, you would understand."

"Unfortunately, I'm not in your position, so I don't understand." The girl chose the word without a stale base.

"I'm tired. I just want to be happy," he cried, "and felt it was with me knowing you." The handsome man looked towards where Aline was sipping his drink.

The girl was silent. Not giving any response.

Then the man continued. "A year ago, both my parents set us up," he started telling stories. "I accepted, but not with him. He already has a lover, but what is his power. He had to marry me." He was silent, waiting for the girl to respond.

"Not to tell your family disgrace! I don't want to hear." The words coming out of her pink lips.

"Just listen. I'm not gonna ask you for advice. But if you give it to me, I'll listen to you" he asked.

Aline felt she had no choice. I felt sorry for the desperate tone that was clearly heard in the baritone's voice. He then straightened his legs, berserk.

"At first he blamed me for not rejecting our match. And he hates me even more because a few months ago his girlfriend married another woman. I've been trying to keep her, because for me marrying her could make our parents happy. And I wish I could be happy with her, my parents' choice. Marriage is not a toy for me. I respect our marriage." Pause for a moment. He took a breath before continuing. "But if only the skipper who works alone, then the ship will lose control, sooner or later will be shipwrecked as well. Didn't we?" He ended his story.

Aline turned her head, looking at the handsome man who was now staring at her. He turned his face towards the front.

"Is not the mighty captain capable of conquering the ocean by himself with the help of his Lord?" ask Aline.

The man stared in amazement at the sentence that came out from the mouth of the girl who was still fluttering not far from him. Really, the girl did not judge him at all. He did not seek out a woman who became his wife. Not like someone else who chose one.

"I've done it, but ... still .." he said again.

"A lot of people out there are willing to wait patiently for news. You can even make your own news. Why can't you wait and stop fighting? If you are tired, then you must confess to Him. If you are upset, then confide in Him. If it is dead, ask Him for guidance. You may have forgotten to include Him in each of your steps." Aline said it in a soft tone as cotton. He didn't mean to patronize.

The deg! What the girl said had a point. He needs to clear his intentions. But her attitude towards this girl was much stronger from the first time they met than the desire to maintain her household. It feels like he's taking the girl to KUA right now. His heart said that this girl in front of him was his 'person'. While Aline was feeling careless being stared at so intensely by the man who was still loyal standing on the barrier wall that was only that waist height.

"Don't look at me like that! You make me careless" he said bluntly.

The man smiled and looked in any direction.

"I wasn't a person who understood religion at all, at first. Until something happened to me. And someone said if I was a Muslim, then I had Allah SWT as a place to ask for everything," Aline recalled the father of the taxi driver who drove him to the port at that time.

"Enough Allah SWT is everything to you. With Him, you will find more happiness." Gentle Aline said.

"You're different, Lin," he said.

"I don't think that's a compliment." Aline looked at the end of her shoes.

"No, it's not a compliment, but reality. The truth is I want to get to know you more closely" he said frankly.

"Sorry, Brother. I can't, especially you're the husband of someone." It was clearly Aline's refusal.

"Yes. You're correct. I'm still the man's husband," his eyes were open. "Still," repeated.

Aline turned. He looked at the man who was now staring at him.

"Hold on! You're a great skipper. I will pray for you and your ship." The girl moved from her seat. Preparing to leave the rooftop and a handsome man who was looking for direction.

"Don't let your ship sink!" he passed away leaving the man who was now only staring at the door where the slender back disappeared.

----- 

It's easy for you to say

You don't know what I think

Really, it's very torturous

But what is power when this is the will of the Powerful?