ETHEREUM

CHAPTER 6

•••

The stem of the chili that was being plucked by Alia looked unattractive in the sight of the girl. Just look! It is not serious to separate the chili with the stem. Alia just twisted the stem while daydreaming.

Mita who had just entered the kitchen at the Orphanage Melati, where they lived was not realized by Alia. Even as Mita called out to him and looked at Alia at a very close distance, Alia remained unconscious.

“HAAALIA SWASTIKA PUTRIII!”

“Eh, *****. Bad breath lo *******!” alia snapped as Mita called out to her with a loud voice accompanied by a loud breath. As a result, the smell of the mouth that came out of Mita's mouth was inhaled by Alia.

“Mantau not tuh, the aroma of garlic mixed with kencur that I ate just now. It's good to be cool! So don't be dumb!”

“Eat what do you use garlic equal kencur?” ask Alia. Now the woman is one hundred percent conscious. He had already started plucking the chili stems and separating them. It turns out that the tornado from Mita's mouth was effective to resuscitate her.

“Eat seblak.” Mita answered as she was while helping Alia pluck out the chili stem.

“Oh.”

Silent. Both are busy. When they had finished plucking the chili stem, Alia took it to the sink and cleaned it. While Mita is wearing an apron, to prepare for lunch.

“Eh Al, btw you yesterday not here all day, nih. Where do you keep going? In that hospital? Keep you sleeping there, huh?” ask Mita.

“Hmmm, really. I slept in the hospital two days ago. Last night I slept in ... elsewhere.” Alia's voice sounded lower as she said the last two words.

“Where? Do you want to go somewhere? The hotel? Wisma?”

“Bu-not! Money from where to try,” denied Alia while putting a plastic bowl filled with chili peppers near Mita.

“Lah, keep you sleeping where? Don't-don't you sleep on the street emperor huh?” mita said that it sounded like she was accusing Alia.

“Ish, no! I slept at his doctor Raffa's house kok.”

“HA? ... Who, huh? You're not a doctor, are you, Al?”

Alia throws the rotten chili towards Mita in annoyance. “Ngak! I'm destitute like this there's still her pride times. Doctor Raffa's part is still single, tau!”

“Boiled, nice tuh, Al. He's single, lo single. What are you guys in the room? Don't-Don't feel good, huh?” accuse Mita while poking Alia's cheeks.

Talk about ‘enak-enakan' Mita meant. Alia did not understand what her first kiss with Raffa last night was arguably in that category.

Uh, what the hell lo, Al. Why even imagine the semalem, Inner Alia. The woman patted her cheeks which began to turn red.

“Aih, tuh, right! Red cheeks are red! Fix this mah lo there is nothing the same doctor it.”

“Nothing, Mit. I fainted yesterday. The doctor kept me. Keep bringing it to his house. Hitherto. No more doing.” There was a little lie from Alia's words just now.

“Oke this time I believe same lo.”

Alia breathed a sigh of relief. It could be a long affair with Mita if she's honest about her kiss with Raffa last night.

•••

“Don't ask to be bribed mulu, ah! I also want to eat tau,” dumel Mita in a five-year-old orphanage boy, named Ciko.

“Iya, yes. I asked for another brother's bribe. More beautiful than Ka Mita,” reply Ciko while melengos leave Mita.

The little boy was now approaching Alia who had just sat on the dining chair along with the other residents of the parlour.

Ciko tugged at the tip of Alia's black shirt, making the woman with long hair in the ponytail turn to him.

“What's up, Ms?” asked Alia softly.

Ciko thrust a plate containing rice and vegetable cap cay in front of Alia. “Suapin me!”

Alia slightly tilted her head towards Ciko. “Lho, have you not been able to eat by yourself? Shame to know the other brothers. Ew! They can eat alone,” Alia said.

Ciko shook her head in anxiety. “No want! If I eat alone, I will not end. I want to be bribed. Booth!”

Alia wants to refuse. But when he saw the adorable face of the boy before him, Alia did not have the heart. Alia finally relented and pulled the seat next to her for Ciko to occupy.

“I bribe, but later add ya!”

“OK!” answer Ciko spirit.

Alia looked at Ciko's very happy face while enjoying the food that Alia had fed into her mouth.

Seeing the color of Ciko's eyes made Alia remember Raffa. This boy had the same eye color as Raffa. I don't know why Alia misses that guy. 

“Kak Alia there is a handsome guy nyariin Sister, tuh!” shouted Dey, a ten-year-old orphanage boy, who had just walked into the dining room.

“Tell in Dey! At best also Dio,” reply Mita while sitting in the dining chair in front of Opan.

Before Dey came out to call the guests. Alia had heard the girl mutter with a confused look on her face. “It's not like bang Dio, deh! His face is more handsome anyway.” That's what Alia heard from the girl's mouth.

Alia curious. Who's better looking than Dio? Jefri? No way! Jefri is handsome. But not more handsome than Dio.

Until finally Alia's curiosity disappeared. When a man appeared from behind the door, while being held in his hand by Dey.

“Assalamu'alaikum.”

Alia turned her back as Raffa stood in the doorway with a friendly smile on her lips. And Raffa looks really handsome. As usual.

“More handsome than Dio this mah,” muttered Mita with sparkling eyes.

I don't know since when Mita has risen from her seat and started approaching Raffa. “Hi you are sitting here! Next to me is empty. Right here! Here!”

“Eh?” Raffa can't resist Mita's hand. The man was just silent, even tend to obey Mita.

“Lho, is there a guest? Wh who? You're Mita?” Melati's mother, the orphanage's caretaker, sat in the dining chair in the middle position.

“Not, Mom! Not a guest of Mom, huh?”

Melati. “Not also. Who are you, son? Is there anything I can help you with?” asked Melati kindly.

“My name is Raffa. And I am here because there is a need with Mom,” replied Raffa. “To clarify my relationship with Mom's foster child. Alia.”

Alia looked at Raffa in shock. His heart started pounding when Raffa's conversation was about relationships.

Everyone who sat at the table, now seemed to be curious about Raffa and Alia. They even forgot their lunch and chose to listen to the conversation.

Raffa who initially only looked at Alia. Now start looking around. Everyone looked at Raffa with different faces. Someone looked at him flat. Some looked at him full of question marks. And some looked at him in amazement. Especially if you are not amazed by the man's good looks.

“Alia you know him?” whispered Opan who was sitting next to Ciko.

Alia nodded in response.

“Mas? Whose name?” ask Raffa for an opinion.

“My name is Raffa Ardiantara.”

“Work or college?”

“I've worked.”

“Where works?” ask Opan again.

“At the hospital.”

“As what? Satpam?” Alia almost wants to hit Opan if there is no Raffa in front of her.

“I doctor. It just so happens that we met once. I saw you that night.”

“Oh yes? Night when?” ask Opan curious.

“When you were at the crash site on the sidewalk near this place. It was midnight. Remember?”

Opan nodded his head. He just remembered now. The man who came by car at that time, and helped the victims of their luggage, as percis with Raffa.Opan not so ngeh with the look of Raffa. Because it was night and the street lights were less bright. Now he remembered it, and Opan began to be somewhat frightened. Afraid that Raffa finds out about their crime and intends to report it to Melati.

“So? What does this doctor want, yes, here?” tanya Opan was a little scared.

“As I said earlier. I want to clarify my relationship with Alia.”

“Alia?” muttered Mita while looking at Alia.

“I am here because I need the blessing of Mother and friends all to agree to my goodwill on Alia.”

Alia's heart disease has recurred. Alia can't control her heartbeat because of Raffa. The spoon held him very tightly so nervous Alia heard Raffa's words.

Alia was not ready to see the reaction of Melati, Opan, Mita and the other siblings of the orphanage.

“Restu what, Nak Raffa?” ask Melati.

Raffa took a deep breath while looking at the girl named Alia, who was sitting opposite him.

If Alia is nervous, then Raffa is more nervous. What Raffa would say right now was a statement that he had only spoken once in his lifetime. And Raffa doesn't want to fail.

Again a long breath was inhaled strongly by Raffa. With strong intentions, Raffa finally said the sentence that had stuck in his throat earlier.

“Alia.”

“Y-ya?”

“I've said this before to you. But I will say this once again,” said Raffa.

Alia was silent with a tense facial expression.

“Marry me, Alia!”

Everything seemed silent for a while.

“HA? MARRIED?” Mita and Opan spontaneously shouted at the same time. Ciko who was beside Opan even jumped in shock.

“I-this is serious, Al?” ask Mita to Alia. Alia just bowed her head in confusion.

Alia is confused as to how to deal with the questions that Melati and her friends might ask. However what Raffa did seemed very sudden. They just got to know Raffa.

“Nak Raffa is serious about his application with Alia?” ask Melati's mother.

“I'm serious!”

“You yourself how is Alia? Are you ready to get married or not? You all decide. You can't force, forbid or just say it. You will live it later. How's Alia?”

Alia straightened her head and looked at Melati. He was confused as to what decision to make. This seems rushed, however.

If Raffa likes it. What about Alia? He does not understand the love that Mita often talks to him.

Until finally Alia just put her shoulder and back down, in response.

•••