Home For My Soul

22|Thinking About Him

Amarilis is a cowardly girl. He never dared to look into the eyes of someone better than him, whether it was richer, prettier, or clever. But the woman no longer showed that look after Katelia died. He did not answer the challenges of his three friends, but his eyes were not afraid to look at them.

He also speaks confidently and is often sarcastic, though he tries to refrain from pointing that out. The choice of each word is also smart, not as good as the Amarilis I know. That girl was always nervous when she talked to me.

This amaryllis is very different. The same is just his appetite. Katelya likes to eat big too. The difference is, his body does not become fat. The thing Amarylis always complained about was her body. He drank water, his mother said, adding one kilo. Either that's true or sarcastic.

Wanting to prove the truth, I invited him to lunch during our vacation. But he refused. I, Altheo Gunawan Husada, was rejected by a girl who was far below my level? If Matt knew this, he'd laugh at me even more.

“Pa, I've been with you for two weeks? I'm still in college. Just finished semester three. One time, I want a vacation, Pa,” I said, trying to persuade him that I could be home during the end of the semester.

“Son, there will be a time when you take a vacation as long as you want. This is a very important meeting. I want you to come along and learn a lot during these two weeks,” Papa said.

Fortunately Amarilis refused my invitation or I would be embarrassed to have to cancel our plans for an occasional lunch together. This is what makes me want to be Matt, just one day. Just don't be like Katelia who became a girl below her standards and can't go back to her original body.

Those two boring weeks I spent in a hotel room whenever there was no meeting or dinner appointment with Papa's colleagues. I immediately understood the meaning of his invitation when I saw one by one his business colleagues coming while carrying their daughters.

Katelia, daughter of Om Wibowo, was my future wife. We've been betrothed since we were kids, but only I know about him. That girl knows nothing about me. I don't know why his family decided that.

That girl is dead, it seems like Papa wants me to meet with a cadet to replace her. I won't be able to choose which girl is my wife. The decision is in the hands of Papa and Mama who determine the right choice for the survival of our family company.

“Theo, what are you doing? Why aren't you ready yet?” exclaimed Mama who entered the room after I let her. “You can't get there too late!”

“Iya, Mother. I rode a motorcycle, so it only took me a while to get to the hotel. Mama take it easy.” I put a tie around and wrapped it myself.

“Ya, already. Me and your dad left, yeah. Matt just left. Let us know if you have reached your destination,” Mama said seriously. I'm nodding.

Mom and Dad sometimes get more than one important invitation on weekends. They don't want to disappoint their colleagues, relatives, or friends, so we always share the task of attending each invitation.

Matt and I attended an event from the invitee whose relationship was not very close, while my parents attended an event from our immediate family. Usually people are just happy that whoever is present between us, let alone the envelopes from Papa and Mama are never thin.

My guess is correct. I arrived at the hotel before the show started. After all, why do I have to be present on time? The person who invited was also not at the event location. I dodged the reporter's camera and entered the hotel lobby smoothly.

“Hey, look! The Altheo Husada, ‘kan?” a girl's scream is not far from me.

“Mana?” ask friend.

“That's on the reception desk,” replied the first girl. “You've never seen him in person? That's right he.”

“He always hid, how could I know his face?” his friend said, defending himself. “If it's him, the gossip turns out not to be a lie. He's handsome once.”

“Not only handsome, his body is also tall, his brain is brilliant, absolutely a complete package.” Did they not knowingly speak out loud or intentionally so that I could hear?

“You will not call it a complete package if not rich,” seductive friend.

I rushed into the hall following the receptionist who led me to my seat. The family of the invitee had not been seen, so I sat down and postponed to greet them. Just at the appointed time, the family came.

After they occupied their respective seats and the main event was over, I approached to congratulate the men and women celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. I sat back down and could eat quietly.

The timid, shy, inferior, and unskilled girl was playing the violin very well. I was swept away with every swipe that produced a pleasant tone to hear. Songs of carefree, seducing, seducing, until sad can be distinguished perfectly.

“She played it well, yes,” said the woman who was at the table with me.

“Better than our daughter?” seductive man beside her.

“I have to admit, yes. You should ask Norman for his phone number. Let our daughter be taught that girl. Her violin teacher is not talented. Our daughter's time has no development at all.” The woman sneered.

“Iya, yes. I'll ask Norman.” The man patted his wife's hand.

Not wrong anymore. He's not Amaryllis. I know the way Katelya plays. Want him to cover anyhow, the characteristics of the game I can recognize. Even the song he chose was a song he had mastered out of his head. Could Katelia and Amaryllis have exchanged souls?

Oh, dearGod. Thank goodness I'm not crazy. He is not the real Amaryllis. How did he survive, even break into my college? My parents were poor and didn't support him in college. What did he do for a year idle?

The poor enter into the body of the rich will not find any significant difficulties, because all their needs will be fulfilled. Unlike the rich people who live in a jungle of treasure moved to the body of the poor. He won't survive in squalor.

Is this how you raise money? Is that why he put off college for a year? Was it because her parents were unwilling to finance her education, so she worked to pay her tuition? Why do they teach and play music? He could have worked in shops, stalls, anything so his identity wouldn't be discovered. Did he not realize this was very risky?

“Hai, Theo. How was the event?” ask the mother who walked out of the family room.

I who stepped towards the stairs stopped for a moment. “Currently, Ma.”

“What's wrong with you?” He walked up to me, then touched my forehead. “Not hot. Why is your face so pale? You don't see ghosts, ‘kan?”

“Take it that way,” I replied accordingly.

Ja. Just think of it that way. I knew a few movies about two people exchanging souls, but never expected it would happen for real to the people I knew. Katelia is in Amaryllis' body. Anyone know this?

Oh, dearGod. I saw him scolded several times by Aunt Wibowo. The poor girl. Until his own mother did not know that the deceased was only the body of his daughter, while his soul is still in this world. He must have been hurt because he could no longer be close to his family.

Bizarrely. What's wrong with me? Why do I care so much about Amaryllis? Usually I just feel sorry for him for being the object of bullying my future wife. I helped as much as I could, but I had never been interested in his life before.

Katelya wasn't the woman I was thinking of either. But he hasn't stopped filling my head since we met again. I hate him because he's so mean, just like Om Wibowo and Nolan. That was. Now, she's a good Katelia, doesn't like to bother people anymore.

“What's up, anyway, with lo, Theo? From earlier just bengong.” Matt nudged my arm.

“Maybe she is thinking of one of the girls she met lately,” seductive Mama.

“Means Mama, Brother Amarylis?” tease Matt. I choked on the water I was about to swallow. My sister is talented as a shaman. “Wohoo …. Yes, my guess is right! Theo has a crush on Kak Amarilis!”

“Not. Don't you like your teacher.” Mama shook her head slowly. “Your father introduced him to many girls who would become his future wife. He must have thought of one of them. Right, Son? Which one?” Mama looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“Gue must go to campus. Until later,” pamitku, avoid that topic.

As if the world didn't want me to stop thinking about the girl, I saw her being bullied by Chika and her friends. But before I could help the confused girl, Jericho came and grabbed her shoulder. My blood is boiling seeing her hands on my girl's body.