Heart Shackles

Still About you

Manhattan, New York City.

September, 2021

A strong wind blew strands by strands of leaves from its twigs. So unfortunate to be hovering in the air indefinitely. Like the big maple tree, he had to give up strands by leaves to go with the wind. Greet each of you with a happy smile.

Once the island a sheet of reddish orange maple leaves it. He greeted a girl sitting on the balcony with a warm cup of coffee. A leaf fell right next to Pak Cup which contains brownish liquid—coffee blend with milk. But in vain, the girl paid no heed to his presence. The girl just looked blankly ahead without bothering to glance at him. Should the leaf show its gloomy face?

Shortly heard******* quite loud breath. It was as if trying to let go of the burden that was holding him back. Finally, the girl glanced at the leaf, making the leaf unwillingly singleness his smile. The leaf fell and then the girl smiled. Said the maple leaf person who flew over to someone it brought blessing. It is also believed to be a good sign. Is that a sign that the girl will get good news?

"Hi leaves, did you come to me bringing good luck? Right now I really need someone to share my story with. Will you accompany me?" said the girl.

"Well, from now on you are my friend. Introduce me Dew, Dew Mentari, and you I'll give you a stetic name that means good luck."

Whether this is natural or not for New Yorkers when approached by maple leaves. However, talking to the leaves doesn't it look strange?

"Daun, I'm missing someone. Someone who taught me what it means to be grateful, to love, to love, to be sincere. But until now I have not kept my promise. The ridiculous promise that somehow feels heavy to me now. I haven't been able to shake his departure. Am I guilty of breaking a promise?" he asked on the leaves in his hand.

The eyes of the Dew began to spoon. "Want I protest before God for the destiny He has laid out for me. But it is impossible, what I am that only a servant wants to match Him."

"Don't you understand that I really miss him? I miss how she smiles. Longing for a change of heart that is ridiculous for anything. Misses her hoarse voice that turns melodious when singing. I miss. Time cannot go back to the past. I want to be with her even longer before this painful breakup."

"Daun, do you want to hear a little story about him?"

***

Bandung, Indonesia

July 2016

Entering the dry season, the sun smiled brightly this morning. That warm smile seemed contagious to a girl in two pigtails with ribbon decorations. Wrapped in a blue white uniform and a bag on Dew's back walked cheerfully to school.

Today is the first day of the new school year. A few more days may Dew will switch status to white gray instead of white blue again. He can't wait for the moments leading up to his adulthood. Must be so much fun.

Along the way the Dew hummed ria. He also helped a grandmother cross the street, helping pick up vegetables belonging to a mother who fell from a crackle. Much of the kindness he spread this morning was an activity he had once balked at. Is this a sign that he is starting to have adult thoughts?

Descending from the angkot, Dew tidied his attributes. The signboard he had prepared from two days ago was now neatly attached to his neck. With mixed feelings— between happy, nervous, proud, afraid—ia entered the gate with a large gate that read 'SMA NEGERI BANDUNG'.

His smile had been expanding. The wind rolled his eyes in all directions. There are a lot of students enrolled in this school. Dewan impatiently wanted to be friends with them. He hoped that someone would be friends with him, even if only one person.

However, it seemed like he had to go back to swallowing his hope round. Not a few Yanga sneered at him when she found out that he was someone accused of being the murderer. Hope drifted far away. Is this what it feels like to be excommunicated? Never mind having a friend hoping he doesn't dare. Because he no longer wants to hang on to the hope that eventually kill him himself.

The opening ceremony of MOS has begun, a student teacher calls all participants to the field. An hour standing under the hot sun makes not a few students/i who complain even some faint. One of them was Dew, this morning he was too excited to forget his breakfast. As a result, now standing lethargic in the back corner of the line. In his heart Dew thought to himself that everything would be fine. Even though his face had now turned deathly pale with a streak of cold sweat. However, he had no intention of moving from there.

The exhausting struggle was over. The ceremony was over and now the line was dissolved. Many of the prospective students choose to go to the canteen to replenish their energy.

Dews that had been too weak sat in the shade of a large mango tree east of the field. Sweat then fanned his face with his hands. Grabbing a bottle of water he brought from home and then straightening it up to the toilet. Thankfully, the water he drank slightly made his body fresh.

Still in his seat, Dew thought drifted to the words of the student teacher earlier. After this will be a group game. Dew is worried if later no group receives it. Even thinking about it made his face sluggish again.

"Hi, pretty! Alone, is it? Not afraid of being surrounded by ants?" 

The languidly sitting dew suddenly scrunched his forehead. Out of nowhere comes a boy who wears the MOS attribute like himself come and greet him. Moreover, the phrased sentences that are seen from anywhere do not fall into the category of polite greetings. Freak, that's the man's image for Dewun.

Not getting an answer from the girl in front of him, the boy then said again, "yes, covered in ants, because you are sweet."

What the hell is this boy making a ticklish Dew. But indeed human nature is always the opposite, even so the Dew cheeks remain flushed red just because of the latest class of waves.

"Ciee .. salting with Aa" said the boy. "Known, the name Aa Langit Gemintang, especially for you to call aja darling. The son of the Central Java crossbreedEast JavaJava," he continued by restoring his black hair back.

'Once handsome, ' Inner Dew.

"A–aku E–Embun, Dew Mentari," replied Dew. Somehow he got nervous talking, maybe just because he was exhausted, his mind.

"Cock, nervous, anyway? Fascinated by Aa's fondness, huh?" sky said by raising up and down next to his eyebrows.

"E–engga, tuh, ordinary, aja." The cloud shifted his eyes. The gap was stared intensely by the boy who was sitting next to him.

"Emang, Aa ain't no good-looking?" The sky continues to search for it.

"Can't you, anyway, don't use the word Aa? Exhausted, you know," said the amused Dew when Heaven called himself Aa.

"If Aa can't, then can't, dong, called darling?" The sky raised next to his eyebrows.

Dew stew. "Y–ya, engga git—"

"Yes, I know, really. Dah, I'm going first, don't miss, yeah!" The sky stood up, before stepping he took the time to damage the hair of the Dew that makes the owner peck with the heart beating noisily. A second later, he woke up from his surprise. His gaze turned to the Sky which was now walking away from him to approach his friends. Unknowingly a thin smile was engraved on the lips of the beautiful girl.

***

"A little story from me to you. That was the first moment we met. Tomorrow I'll tell you back, Stetis. A similar story, but it will continue to spin unsaturated in my brain."

Dew closed his conversation with his new friend. Moving on from his seat he entered the room with both hands tote his new friend Stetis—, and a cup filled with liquid coffee that had cooled down.

After storing the Stetis in a clear jar, he descended towards the kitchen. Put the cup on the pantry table and then he walked to the fridge and picked up some fresh apples.

"Good afternoon, Princess!"

Dew looked back then smiled sweetly. "Good afternoon, Prince!"

"What meda?"

The dew sits itself on the pantry table followed by the figure. "Speeling an apple, you want to?" bargained for.

"Actually I want to, but I can't eat it" he replied.

"Hahaha, then I'll just take it." The dew eating the apple cut was made as if it was very delicious. He glanced to the side then giggled softly looking at the figure beside him that was displaying a face of bleakness.

"Is that really good?" the question is still with a focused look at the apple in Dewun's hand.

"Very good, this is really good. Very sweet and fresh."  The dew is increasingly ambitious to lure.

"Arghhhhh .. It's a pity that I can't eat it" he said in frustration.

Dew chuckled then his face became serious. "Why can I still see you here?" Oh, no, his face started to spoon.

"I've been away from you, but why can I still see you here? You don't intend to follow me anywhere and anytime, do you?" Dew began to ask questions to the figure beside him who was silent.

"It's not my fault why you can still see me. It was your own fault, Dew. You are not willing to throw my name out of your heart and try to make me go away" he replied.

Dew lowered his head, his tears just escaped. "Yes, this is all my fault. It's my fault that I love you too much. Don't you understand how I feel?!" his yell.

"I'm like this because I love you too much, Sky. I'm still not willing for you to leave me alone here. I'm tired of all this too, can't you take me away with you?!" Dew looked at the figure of the Sky with a pleading gaze.

"No, Dew. Now is not the time for you to leave," she refused and disappeared in an instant.

"Sky!"

"Sky!"

Free, want as hard as any scream, the intended person will never answer his call.