Dollar Girl

Chapter 26 The Test of Friendship

At first Amus intended to tell Jimy and Ardi what had happened, but Ratna forbade him on the grounds that there was no point in doing so if their hearts were closed.

As much as possible he was ordinary without taking anyone's side, he still gathered with Ardi and Jimy but also chatted with Ratna.

That day they were gathering as usual in Amus' room while listening to the radio and chatting idly until Ratna came to visit, the bustling atmosphere was suddenly silent as Ratna's eyes clashed with Ardi and Jimy.

"Mus you got sewing needles?" ask Ratna who ignored them again.

"What for, what?"

"I'm going to sew my father's torn jacket, tomorrow he goes a long way to work and not come home. I'm afraid he'll get cold if he doesn't wear a jacket so I'll fix it first before he's taken away"

"Oh, wait a minute!" amus tried to find his sewing needles in each drawer.

"It!" amus said, handing over the object after finding it.

"Thank you"

"Eh wait!" sergeant Amus stopped Ratna from leaving.

"If your father doesn't come home, then you're home alone, can you?"

"Um... Yeah, why? you're worried about me?" ratna asked with a smile.

"No! who's gonna worry about you? I just thought you'd trouble me if you stayed alone" Amus said, dismissing Ratna's remarks.

"Ish.. I'm not that bad! just look at it later! I don't need your help in any case, I can take care of myself" replied Ratna who then left in annoyance.

Amus stared at Ratna's departure while cursing indistinctly, he sat back down but suddenly felt uneasy as Ardi and Jimy's eyes looked at him with an unusual look.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" tanyakanya.

"It's okay, I'm just confused about how you can act like normal as if nothing happened" Jimy replied.

"What happened?"

"Oi! don't tell me you've forgotten that, it's only been a few days" Ardi said.

"Then why? what does that have to do with me? Yuni your boyfriend is not my girlfriend, so why should I be mad at Ratna just because of a stranger? after all, fights between women are ordinary" replied Amus who made Jimy contemplate.

Only this time his logical mind was defeated by the maturity of Amus in addressing Ratna's problem, if in thinking again he was just shocked to see the negative nature of Ratna that he had just seen. And maybe his heart does not accept the opposite nature later with the character of Ratna who is plain and cheerful.

Guilt begins to cloud Jimy's mind which makes him uncomfortable, he becomes more quiet than usual. Not even focused on the lesson because it often steals the view of Ratna who is now back to what it used to be, Ratna who is innocent and the dollar girl.

Until nightfall, he will usually spend time playing PS but not this time. He tried to recall the event where Ratna hurt Yuni, at that time he was too excited and shocked to see a new figure in Ratna's body so he could not think clearly.

"Ah... dress it!" his murmur recalled Ratna's dirty and wet school uniform was now clearly visible due to her standing upright position while strangling Yuni.

"Why is Ratna's uniform dirty?" said wondering.

He recalled Yuni's explanation when questioned, which Yuni said only he offended the heartless Ratna and Ratna proved to admit it.

"There can be no fire if there is no smoke, Ratna did attack Yuni and confessed to the act of being offended. But is it true just because he said it was heartless and Ratna acted that far? if di thought again it was impossible for Ratna to attack because of trivial matters, could it be.... Yuni said something else that hurt her more or did something that crossed the line" Jimy found a bright spot.

He could not stay silent, even though the night was late but he still went to try to meet Ratna intending to ask the event in more detail. But as soon as he got to Ratna's doorstep his guts suddenly shrank, he was afraid Ratna's response was not good.

"It's already night, maybe he's asleep" he murmured.

Jimy was about to set foot to get out of there, but then.

"Ah.. but I can't sleep quietly if there's something stuck in my heart" he murmured in frustration.

"Well, I'll just knock on the door."

His hand was raised ready to knock but stopped in the air and pecked, it felt quite heavy to do so in the late night with a disturbing fear. In the end Jimy can only go back and forth in front of the door of Ratna's house while occasionally trying to peek through the window.

* * *

Hooaaammmmm

This was the third time he had yawned, with his eyes half-open at the sight of a wall clock showing the time at eleven p.m.

"It was late apparently, I had to quickly brush my teeth and sleep" he murmured.

Ratna got up from her study table and went out of the room.

Ky...

His screech quickly shut his mouth when he saw the shadow of someone outside his house, Ratna fell sitting down while staring at the shadow that went back and forth and occasionally tried to peek. He quickly turned to the back of the chair to hide.

"Who is wandering outside my house?" he whispered while stroking his chest to calm his racing heart.

"Ah, not a thief! how'this? the phone was brought by my father I couldn't contact anyone" he murmured in fear.

Slowly Ratna crawled to the front door of her father's room, when she saw the baton cross an idea to protect herself using it.

"I have to find out who the thief is, if I make sure I can scream for help" he decided.

Taking a deep breath he ventured to walk near the window holding tightly to the cane, each step raising the stick directly above his head.

His heart was pounding again when he was close enough to the window, slowly one hand stuck out ready to move the curtains to see the thief.

Sraaakkp....

Wa......

Kyaaa.......

Ratna reflexes backwards and falls as her eyes look at Jimy's face clinging to the glass, as well as Jimy who falls in shock when the curtains are suddenly opened.

"Why don't you just knock on the door? sneaking around like a thief you almost made me die from a hanger" Ratna scolded after they calmed down.

"If you don't want to wake me, why are you still standing outside?"

"I have something I want to ask" Jimy said gathering his courage.

"What?"

"Why were your clothes dirty that day? and did Yuni just say that? there's nothing else?" asked Jimy to let out his curiosity.

Ratna was stunned for a moment, remembering the day when the negative side appeared in order to avenge Yuni's actions.

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Because I feel that you will not attack Yuni just because of a trivial matter, I feel that there is something that I do not know. It's not you, no matter how hard people bully you you'll just be quiet crying because of it. I think Yuni must be doing something that makes you angry"

"If you think that's why are you avoiding me?" yelled Ratna suddenly.

Jimy stared in shock at Ratna's eyes that turned out to be covered in tears.

"You feel something is wrong but you just shut up, you.. You're even mad at me and don't want to talk to me just because I agree with Yuni when you know something is wrong, why? you're just asking now... "

Jimy was just silent, admitting his hesitant mistakes to his own best friend. Shame at his outrageous attitude, leaving his precious treasure alone in the desolate darkness.

"I'm sorry" is all he can say.

"He was jealous because of my closeness to Ardi, that feeling made him act rudely towards me. At first he threatened me and I could still hold him back, but then he went further. He pushed me, knocked me down so I couldn't get up. He laughed at me, he scorned me, he bullied me" Ratna told me what had really happened.

"I'm just retaliating, it's enough! i... won't let anyone bully me anymore, neither Yuni, Ardi nor you. I don't care if we're friends since childhood or even family, if you don't believe me what's the point of the relationship? I can live my own life!"

"No!" scream Jimy.

Brucks

Unexpectedly Jimy dropped himself right in front of Ratna, crying before her.

"My law, curse me as you please. Take out all your anger because I deserve it, but I ask for one thing.don't tell me to walk out of your life, let me stay by your side and take care of you. I promise this won't happen again, I won't hesitate anymore and leave you alone "pinta Jimy in regret.

There was another warmth in his heart upon hearing that sincerity, as if he had found his way home. Slowly Ratna sat down to lift Jimy's chin and wipe away his tears.

"Zinc! you're a man why is it so easy to cry?" ask Ratna gently.

"Because my heart is wounded, by the shame and regret of my own stupidity" Jimy replied in his sobs.

"Ckckck then let's buy some food to cure it"

"Heh, you dollar girl! food only cures your hunger, not my heartache" Jimy said with a smile.

In the end a misunderstanding can be straightened back to the origin of one dare to start, sometimes in every relationship there will be doubts but that is only a feeling of fear due to excessive affection.

Jimy told Ardi what had happened, at first of course Ardi remained angry but with the help of Amus finally opened his eyes as well.

"I thought I could think of you as my brother, but it turns out you're just a friend who can go missing at any time"

Ratna's words at that time again gaped in his head, and the look of Ratna's face that showed disappointment. Just like Jimy he was embarrassed to hate Ratna without finding out the truth.

To make amends he meets Yuni and breaks off their relationship unilaterally.

"You can't do this to me! why would you prefer him over me? you said he was just a friend then why are you more concerned about friends than your own girlfriend? or. lest you have a relationship" cried Yuni who did not accept.

"The only relationship between us is a friend, but he means more than you. I'm even embarrassed to believe more of your words than he did when it's obvious you turned the facts around"

"Oh, am I doing this wrong? as a girlfriend is it wrong of me to be afraid of losing you? everyone will act the same if they see their loved ones close to others! it's you who's weird to side with your friend from a boyfriend unless you don't love me but he's the one you love!"

"I love him!" yelled Ardi silenced Yuni's mouth.

"I want to date you because I don't want to hurt your heart! even so, I still try to be a boyfriend that you can be proud of and make you happy. Just so you know I never refused any woman who expressed her feelings for me, because for me it's okay to have a dating status even without love"

"Ardi.. you're ruthless! you're dickhead! you are a playboy! I've given you everything I've got and this is your reward? I swear this pain of my heart you will feel too, you will never get her heart! your love will not be avenged as my love."

The curse was still heard in Ardi's ears as he walked away from Yuni alone, his heart was saddened to have parted in such a bad way but this was the only way to make amends.

One more thing he did to atone for all his sins, which was to buy all of Ratna's favorite foods. Jimy, who was in charge of picking up Ratna, immediately returned to Amus' house with Ratna wearing an eye patch.

"Ah... What do you really want to show me? why do I have to wear all the blindfolds?" omel Ratna's trouble is running.

"That's it, you don't have to ask a lot of questions we've had until you can open your eyes now" Jimy replied.

Ratna took off the cloth that closed her eyes and blinked a few times to adjust her vision, when she could see clearly she was quite shocked to see the many foods available there.

"I think my birthday is still a long time" he said.

"It's not anyone's birthday celebration, but an apology from me" Ardi said.

"I've made a very big mistake, it's not enough to make up for my mistake but I hope you'll at least talk to me again" he continued.

Ratna's smile disappeared instantly, after her mother's departure only the three of them gave her happiness. Therefore, when they believe in others, there is no reason for them to smile or trust anyone.

Suddenly Ratna opened her collar and showed a long line on her shoulder.

"This is the first gift that Sari gave me, I didn't expect my step-sister to present our first meeting with a knife cut here. I told my mother but she scolded me because I repaid her by beating her, from that moment on I understood that my life was only to obey my mother's orders no matter how much my body was wounded by it."

Ardi, Amus and Jimy could only silently stare in horror at the scar.

"The wound has healed but the marks will never go away. It is this wound that reminds me of my mother's will, it is time I raised my head and avenged every cruelty of the person who tried to oppress me" he continued.

"Now my hands are stained with ambition that does not want to lose, this hand ever silences the mouth that tries to tie a chain to me. If you hate me for this hand then it doesn't matter" Ratna said as she looked at her palms.

He slowly raised his face, looked at every eye that looked at him and said with a smile.

"Every relationship is a test, in the end I'll get used to it."