Friend Bed

Signs From the Universe

"Yourhift... Hufttts.. Huft!"

Darren who suddenly woke up from his sleep then tried to neutralize his breath while wiping the sweat that soaked his face.

"Shakila!" said Darren accompanied by a breath that was so stingy. After being able to neutralize his breath, Darren then rubbed his face violently.

"That dream again, that dream again" Darren grumbled. He then took the phone next to him and opened the gallery on the phone.

"Shakila" Darren said as he stared at some of the photos of the young woman on his phone.

He then opened a messaging app and saw thousands of messages and hundreds of calls from Shakila that he never opened or picked up at all.

"I'm sorry, Shakila. Sorry if I had to do all this to you, sorry if I was too cowardly and never opened this message. Do you know that longing in my heart feels like a time bomb that could explode if I couldn't control it, Shakila I'm sorry" Darren said, peeping a picture of Shakila on his phone.

"It's been two years, I thought I'd easily forget you, and bury everything about you. But it turns out I was wrong, it turns out this feeling never changed, it turns out this heart still wants you. I thought leaving was the best way, but it turned out I was wrong, running away from reality turned out to be the dumbest joke I've ever done. I had hoped that someday if I met you, I could say out loud that I could forget you, even though the words I said were a pretense to cover up the longing in my heart. A longing that never docked, because I realized you're not mine."

Darren then closed his eyes again imagining the accident two years ago. When he opened his eyes, it appeared that Aini and Roy were already beside him while looking at him with eyes so bitter. Back then, his body was covered in wounds, even his right leg was fractured and he also had a mild concussion.

However, it was not the accident that hurt so much for Darren, but the words of his parents that made his heart feel so broken and undo his intention to return home.

"How's Shakila doing, Ma? I heard she's sick too?" darren asked as he recalled the incident two years ago, when Aini and Roy were waiting for him in the hospital.

"His condition has improved. Just when you had that accident, Shakila suddenly woke up. Back then, we had actually given up when the doctor said that Shakila was like there was no hope for life. But when Mama heard the news that you had an accident, she somehow woke up. It feels like a miracle."

"really? So Shakila's awake?"

"Yes Darren, Shakila is conscious."

"Then, right now who's waiting for Shakila if Papa and Mama are here?"

"Oma Fitri, Son. Oma Fitri who was waiting for Shakila," replied Aini.

"Oma Fitri? Who's Oma Fitri?" asked Darren while frowning.

"Yes, Oma Fitri. She's one of Mama's relatives in Jogja."

"Oh, but why haven't I heard his name in our family, Ma?"

"Emh... E.., look. Actually Oma Fitri is not our family, but she will be part of the Shakila family, so Shakila must be familiar with the presence of Oma Fitri."

"Just be part of the Shakila family? What exactly does Mama mean?"

Hearing the word matchmaking spoken by his parents, Darren's heart was immediately broken.

"Stupid?" ask Darren.

"Yes, in two years Shakila will be married to one of the relatives of Oma Fitri, so she should get used to Oma Fitri from now on."

"Ta.., but why Pa? Why should Shakila be betrothed?"

"Sorry Darren, for now we can't answer your question" replied Roy, who further shattered Darren's feelings.

'At first, I wanted to go home. At first, I did not care anymore about the blood relationship between me and Shakila, even I wanted to tell the world if she was the only woman I loved so much. But it seems like the universe is not on our side. Shakila, maybe the accident I'm having right now is a sign that the universe is against this relationship. An inappropriate relationship is lived by two brothers who have a blood relationship. Shakila, it's true that the initial decision I made if forgetting was the best answer to our relationship. You are the past. The most beautiful past, we are the past who ever hoped for more but always opposed by the situation, ' Darren's mind.

Darren opened his eyes again, the pain again stifled his chest when he remembered that now was exactly two years after the incident, and in this year Shakila will have her wedding.

TOK TOK TOK

Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard. Darren then got up from his bed and opened the door and saw Olivia standing in front of him.

"Darren, are you asleep?"

"Oh yeah, I was a little exhausted so I slept by accident. What's up, Auntie?"

"Next week, Aunty will return to Jakarta. Do you want to come back to Jakarta?"

DEG

Darren's heart stopped beating. "I'll think about it" Darren replied.

"Yes Darren, call Auntie as soon as possible" replied Olivia.

Darren then closed the door and walked towards the balcony of the room. "Shakila, I know you always look up at the night sky. Maybe you're staring at the dark night sky right now. Isn't the night sky very dark Shakila? That is my heart, my heart is very dark and has no hope of having you. Then, if I go home, how can I manage my heart? While long ago, I couldn't arrange this piece of heart that had been broken apart? Is this part of my destiny to see you with another man?"

Seriate..

NOTES:

Also stop by the bestie othor, Kak Santi Suki's novel, guaranteed a really cool story.