Dusk In Moorea

HR#25

Sunsets replace the night with flickering lights along the road that make the atmosphere more romantic. Leon's fingers tightly clasped Arumi's fingers still gave the girl the same warmth. Warmth that Arumi almost never get from people who claim family but actually hurt.

They stopped on a bench and sat there. Leon who also just found the source of happiness for 25 years of his life, never a little dampen a smile when with the Asian girl.

As of right now, her chocolate bead was only centered on Arumi's soothing shady face. Something in his heart churned, as if wanting to overflow from within like a flying butterfly.

"What ?" Arumi broke the silence. The girl began to misbehave because ever since, Leon just stared fixedly at him. I don't know what's so exciting about him that Leon can look at him that way.

"Nothing." Leon replied with a hand that now supported his chin. Still looking at Arumi fixed with lips smiling indistinctly.

Arumi clenched both her lips in laughter. In the lyrics left right the people who passed by with a little shame. The other hand that was free was not in Leon's hand, moving to pinch the brunette man's arm.

"Stop, Leon ! Do you want to laugh at people ?" Arumi half whispered. It seemed that the girl was trying to hold back a smile.

"Why ? What am I doing that I should be ashamed of ? Say !" The man was indifferent. Absolutely not flinching from his position even though it has been rewarded with pinch from Arumi.

"Don't look at me like that, Leon ! I'm ashamed." Arumi covered her face.

"Why should you be ashamed ?" Ask Leon. He took off Arumi's hand which covered the girl's face and held her tightly.

"Of course, there's something funny on my face that you look at me like this ?"

"Nothing." Leon sniffed his shoulders.

" Then, what do you see ?" Arumi changed her seat to face Leon.

"What's wrong with a man who admires the beauty of his own lover, hmm ?" Leon exclaimed with a relaxed expression. Typical Leon as usual.

It seems, Arumi needs a heart doctor right now. It seemed, the little heart inside his chest started acting up again. The cracks are even firmer than they were yesterday. This one is too fast and makes it difficult for Arumi to control it even longer.

"I'm not your girlfriend, Leon." Arumi threw her face the other way. However, it was obvious that a happy smile was imprinted perfectly on that beautiful face.

"You still don't want to accept me ?" Leon sighed, releasing both Arumi's hands from his grasp and letting the girl explain what she wanted to say.

"I think we're too fast to get into that phase, Leon. We don't even know each other right. How can we be together if we're not open to each other ?" Lirih Arumi softly while biting her lower lip. A pair of taut fingers that Leon had released were clinging to each other to hold back nervously.

Arumi looked at her with a face that suddenly turned grim. Of course, the reason is because Leon asked him to tell his story. That means Arumi has to reveal the bitter past story she's been struggling to forget.

The black bead looked teary. In his breath of the night air as much as he could then throw his gaze again in the other direction. Slowly but surely, tears fell back on her beautiful face.

"If you're feeling heavy, you better not. I'm not gonna force you if you don't feel ready to do it." Lirih Leon is worried. The man slowly stroked Arumi's shoulder for the girl to feel a little comforted.

In Leon's heart, he felt that Arumi's life might indeed be so heavy. What other reason does the girl have that must be stranded on the French mainland and just hitchhiking on a friend with no close relatives except the sad story behind it all ?

"It's okay, Leon. If you want to know, I'll tell you. This will also be an opportunity for you to consider everything once again. Do you still want to be in a relationship with me or not." Arumi exclaimed with a miry laugh at the end of the sentence.

"Nothing will change my decision, Aru ! I love you, I want to be with you. Whatever your past is, I'll accept." Leon's reply was convincing.

"All right." Arumi let out a faint sigh. Staring at the silent night sky with no stars up there, with clear crystals still welling up in the eyes.

"My mother is my father's mistress." Arumi started the story.

"But don't judge my mother badly just yet, Leon." The girl chuckled little holding the pain in the heart. "Although my mother was a second wife, my mother was, but my mother at that time really did not know that it turns out my father was married first with another woman.He just found out that it turns out that my father was married when I was 3 years old. At that time, out of anger, my mother left me. But...." Arumi's speech was interrupted. His crying voice began to sound stammered as he had to tell the heartbreaking old story.

"Not to continue. I don't want to make you sad like this. I'm sorry." Leon said regretfully. Lovingly, both arms tightly embraced Arumi's body. Bringing the Asian girl into his arms that felt so soothing. He even occasionally kissed the top of Arumi's head leaning against his chest.

"I'll continue." The girl wiped her tears and took off Leon's embrace.

"You sure ?" Leon asked with a worried look.

Arumi just nodded then took a deep breath to gather strength back.

"My mom took me to Korea at the time, but when I was 5, I was diagnosed with stage 2 cancer. And as the illness got worse, my mother finally contacted my father and begged him to take care of me. And, right on my 7th birthday, mom died." The girl's cry exploded again. Every detail in that dark night still looms in Arumi's mind.

He still vividly remembers how his mother helped him blow out the candle for the last time. And after that, he breathed his last and left his beloved daughter alone in the world. A very loving daughter with all her heart. At the last second, Nancy still apologizes to Arumi for no longer being able to accompany Arumi to get through days that might be heavy in the future.

Nancy felt guilty for all of that. He felt guilty about having to miss his daughter's growth because he knew it was not long. He felt guilty about having to miss the first time his daughter entered school in the past. She feels guilty that she will not be there when her daughter begins to experience first love and heartbreak for the first time. And she feels guilty, because there will be no one to hand over her daughter to a good man on Arumi's wedding day.

There were too many things Nancy regretted at the last moment. However, what calmed her down at the time of her death was the prayer of a 7-year-old little girl who asked God to let her mother go peacefully without pain like the days she had gone through. Yes, that night, when Nancy finished helping Aru blow out the candles, Arumi already knew that her mother was preparing to leave. The girl just smiled in her tears to let go of the mother facing the creator.