In The Rain
CHAPTER 45
Gemintang sitting in front of the mirror, massaging the head, trying to eliminate the dizziness that attacks it. But his efforts were unsuccessful, his body as if he had been beaten, his quarrel with Raden made his heart ache.
Heny, the housekeeper, piled the sheets on the floor and unfurled the new sheets, he then tucked them under the mattress. “Did Raden say nothing last night? Or leave a message, that he will be out of the house night-night like a thief?”
“No, We just chatted for a while, then a few minutes later I went to bed. I didn't know he was gone until you woke me up this morning" replied the Star.
“Me and her mother have taught the boy tatakrama, maybe he packed things and left without saying goodbye. He took his pickup‐ to the airfield, flew straight on his plane. Really, I don't know what the problem is with that kid.”
Gemintang hopes Heny does not babble too much. The only person he wanted to talk to was Raden, his heart wound still not gone. Every time Raden heard his name, his wounds opened and his heart bled. “Kurasa, he just felt too long abandon his business in Jakarta.”
Heny looked cynically. I know what's going on, Inner Heny to the Star. What he wanted to know, what happened between them, caused Raden to suddenly leave the house. They spent weeks together, flirting with each other, and making out. There must be something that causes Raden to go in a hurry, of course, things related to Gemintang.
Heny bent down and picked up the dirty laundry. “I don't know what to tell Laura. Surely he was very sad because Raden went without saying goodbye to him.”
“You said he left a letter to Laura.”
“That's not the same, Laura wants Raden to tell her directly.”
The patience of the Gemintang is shrinking. He walks into the closet, picks up clothes for a bath, and subtly hints at wanting to be alone in the room. “Laura won't be too sad Raden left, because there is Adit guarding him.”
“Then who will take care of you?”
The Starry Steps came to a halt before reaching the bathroom door, he turned his back to look at Heny. Heny raised an eyebrow, then sauntered out, with hands full of dirty sheets.
Bathing and dressing. He doesn't care about his appearance. He won't meet Raden at home. He will work as usual, to the factory, checking the progress of its construction. It is possible that some employees took advantage of Raden's absence as an opportunity to work lazily.
When he arrived at the factory, Andi was waiting for him at the office.
The employee stood up when the star came in. "Raden, Mr. Buana. Called me from Jakarta this morning.”
The star was trying to be mediocre when he heard the news, but his hands trembled as he opened the desk drawer to store his bag. “Oh?”
Andi gulped. “She said I should help you as much as I can to get things going smoothly. He also told me to call him right away if there was a problem."
“Thank you, Andi,” sahut Gemintang quiet. Raden didn't really leave him. He still cares, and makes sure he is not left in a factory that has not been run. But maybe he did just that, just to protect Laura's legacy.
The foreman twirled the hat in his hand. “You know me and some other employees.hmmm, we used to be with Mr. Raden. Indeed, he was young when he left this place twelve years ago, but we still love him. He's always watching us, you know what I mean? Very different from his vile father, I mean, never appreciating anyone else. Raden always cared for us, even though we were only workers.”
“Yes, I understand what you mean, Andi.”
“Alright, just like that,” Andi said as she stepped to the door. “If you need anything, you just call me.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Me and her are indeed not a match,” Inner Starling on herself. Is it true that the saying soul mate was determined long before people were born? Is it true that fate determines the calamity that befalls a person? Or was all this because he had to atone for their father's sins, as the Bible says?
The end of the story can no longer be changed. Raden was sure the Gemintang would not let go of the house, so rather than begging by staying in the house, Raden chose not to meet with the Gemintang as long as the Gemintang was still the owner of the house.
Gemintang straightens head. His heart is beating fast.
As long as he was the owner of the house.
Would the stars be willing to let go of the house? What does that house mean without Raden in that house? The house that used to be Raden's residence. When the Gemintang lived with Thunder in the house, Gemintang walked down the hallways while imagining Raden who lived there. Without Raden, the house feels like a collection of beautiful rooms surrounded by thick walls.
The house will never belong to him, it always belongs to Raden.
But can the Gemintang let go?
...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...
The sound of a knock on the door made Gemintang take his eyes off the ledger “Masuk."
Randy stepped into his study. “Heny said you were here. I hope my arrival doesn't bother you.”
The young man smiled at the lawyer. “Come, Randy. I don't feel bothered.”
“Are you overtime?”
Yeah, gotta be overtime. Because if he does not concern himself with work, he will remember Raden. Although busy working he still remembered Raden, but at the very least, the busyness reduced his pain.
A month after Raden left, the pain was still felt because there was no cure. “Bookkeeping tasks must be completed. If done at the temple, always disturbed by reports of employees and guests who came, so I do it at home after work hours. Has Heny offered you a drink? Coffee?”
“Not need, thank you.” Randy sat in front of the stars, in an upright armchair. “How are things in the factory?”
“Busy, but everything went well. Didn't you already know? You went there yesterday. Is there a problem, Randy?” randy's face changed. “Why did you see me at home?”
As soon as the face of the Gemintang became pale, he thought something had happened to Raden so Randy came to his house, even though they had met yesterday in the factory.
Randy catches the panic that ambushes the Gemintang. “No, no. I don't bring bad news, no big deal" Randy said. “You only have an invitation from the mayor."
“What invitation?”
“Invitation, the highlight of the city's birthday celebration. Guntur was elected as the most tax-abiding citizen of the city and the mayor wanted to give him an award."
