Lara's Admirers

Episode 34

Finally we went out and successfully completed the ghost house game. The three people in front of me were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. But my ears were almost deaf because of Renata's shrill scream. He screamed right beside my ear as someone in a pocong costume appeared in front of us. And more firmly, the two men ran away leaving us alone. Irritatedly I dragged the frozen steps of Renata on the spot. I thought it would be fun, exciting and challenging. Just imagine walking through a haunted house with your friends and then looking for a way out together. I thought it would be like that. They just seem to overwhelm me.

"Where?" My toot.

"Can't say anything else, I'll give it up!" Renata.

"Shit up." My reply.

We re-explored the night market that was getting full night, more and more crowded also stopped here. Whether it's just to enjoy the food in the bazaar, or just just walk around.

"Where'd you ride a ringleader?" Bring Arka.

"Whatever it is, I'll go with you." My word.

We rushed to get there, waiting for the game to stop so we could get on board.

Arka pulls my hand to ride with her, while Sis Sendy is with Renata. Again this feeling came up, for some reason with me. Either I'm jealous of my own brother or of that man, maybe with both of them. Whether the two of them had been dating, they looked very familiar. Uh! Besides, why could I think about it, when I already have Arka. But in my heart there is a sense of unwaveringness.

"Hey!" Arka makes me shocked.

"Huh?"

"Why the hell, how dumb." Ask Arka.

"Ah, no way." I'm trying to find a reason to avoid.

"Jaudah of you bengong continue to ntar kesambet even. What about talking about something?" His proposal.

We slowly climbed to the top of this vehicle. My eyes were fixed on the two people in front of us. My eyes locked on the two of them, I could not turn away even if I had tried.

"What talk?" Askaqua.

"Are you sorry Renata?" Ask Arka.

Now the look on his face was getting serious, he looked at me. He was waiting for an answer he had long expected.

"Not completely." I answered with doubt.

"But that means you've forgiven Renata dong. Even though your heart is still heavy to do so."

"Maybe."

"That means you can beat your ego."

"Can that be so?"

"Well, I'm sure one day you'll be able to forgive your sister sincerely."

"It must have taken a long time."

I'm not sure I can do everything Arka's asking. I was too pessimistic about myself.

"We're looking for food now." Arka.

I nodded at his words.

***

After taking the boat, we went back around the area. This time we will go to the culinary bazaar with booths peddling various snacks along the way.

"What do you want to eat? This time I'll treat it." Arka.

"New payday for the story?" Ask Brother Sendy.

"Yes the result of uploading a video yesterday on YouTube quite a lot of people who watch. And the money is good." Arka Clear.

"What video?" My toot.

"Hehe... The video we sang with that." He said as if he were innocent.

"So you recorded it secretly!" I said in a high tone.

"Sorry hehe... Yeah, as an apology, I want to treat you all." His word.

I'm actually still upset with this guy, but when it comes to food I can't resist that. I nodded in agreement to Arka's words just now.

"Yaudah, please choose what snack, want to buy how much, hopefully I can pay." Said again.

"What's that?" My toot.

"Well, if you buy all the merchandise here, then I probably can't pay." Evidently.

"Oh, that's it." Short reply.

We were still going around the bazaar full of food. This is truly heaven for me, every scent that comes my sense of smell makes me even more helpless.

I circulated my gaze throughout the bazaar booth, choosing what food I wanted the most. Stomach hunger is natural, but not with hungry eyes. That would make us more wasteful and something we buy is even wasted. Bingo! I've found her. I come to you soon, wait for me to devour you!

"Arka, want it!" I said while pointing to one of the booths at the other end.

"That?" Ask again to be sure.

I quickly nodded.

"What do you want?" Arka asked the others.

"Same on, how are you sen?" Answer Renata.

"Yes, just like Renata said." Connect Brother Sendy.

We rushed to the corn dog vendor booth that was not too crowded. As you know if I am a K-Pop music lover, and of course so is the drama. I used to see that food in the Korean dramas I watched. Actually it is a roadside snack in Korea, but lately it is quite popular in Indonesia. Inside it will taste mozzarella cheese that melts once bitten due to the heat from the frying pan. Ah, crap! Just imagining it makes the worms in my stomach protest.

Arka went to buy food, while the three of us waited while sitting on the park bench. Oh, yes I forgot to say if the market tonight is held in a park near Arka's house.

Renata broke the silence between the three of us "sha!"

I looked towards him, raising my eyebrows next door.

"I'm sorry yes, please let us forget about our problems that have happened in the past." Say it with a slightly clear tone.

I just cleared my throat slowly "hmmmm."

"You want to excuse me?"

"It's not completely possible for now." My answer.

"But that doesn't rule out the possibility that later you will forgive me, right?"

That hopeful smile began to be clearly drawn on his face.

"I don't know." My leg.

"Do you not know?"

"Because I don't know what will happen in the future. Including you and everyone. I can forgive you in the future, or vice versa. For now, I can't promise anything. Maybe the answer I just gave you was enough." I clearly.

"It's okay if you can't open your heart to me yet." Reply Renata.

"Sha, my advice. What if from now on you call Renata with the name brother. Just be more polite as it looks. He's older than you." Limpal Kak Sendy who from earlier only listened to our chat.

"Well, here comes the food. Please take it."

Arka suddenly came while carrying a corn dog that looks still warm. I tried to dodge and not pester at all said Brother Sendy earlier. I took one of my corn dogs and then ate it.

Arka took a seat right next to me. The four of us enjoyed this meal so solemnly, don't ask me again how about me. I couldn't say anything about this food, it was completely beyond my expectations.

"Guabe!"

***

"Eh, what about my house? We'll have dinner there." Bring Arka.

"Free yet?" Ask Brother Sendy.

"One plate twenty thousand ya." Answer Arka.

"Mending meals at kosan dah." The reply.

"Not a joke." Connect Arka.

I played my feet while listening to the two men's chat.

"Where? You guys are coming, right?"

The question was directed at me and Renata who had not opened her voice at all.

I just nodded saying his words, as did Renata.

Because it happened to be a market tonight near Arka's house, so we did not have to wait long on the trip let alone to have to jam.

Arka took us into her palace, then met her mother who was watching television alone in the living room.

"Hhh, you're home?" Ask Mama Arka and then get up.

"Udah, ma." Arka peeped at the back of the woman's hand.

Me and the others also crucified his mother's hand.

"Eh, go straight to the dining room!" Take Mama Arka.

My eyes are perfectly rounded when I see everything is neatly arranged on the dining table. Nothing less, absolutely perfect.

"Who's doing this?" Whisper me to Arka.

"So I was with my mom, before I went to pick you up." Clearly in a slow tone so as not to be heard by others.

"It's a nicotine." My word.

The four of us immediately sat down with Mama Arka.

"So Arka said that he wanted to eat malem with his friends here after returning from the night market." Obviously Mama Arka while scooping rice into our plates each.

"Aunty's a ngerepotin." Renata.

"Yes, it's not. Auntie's glad you guys could stop by here. Usually this house is quiet, there are only Aunty and Arka. But if I'm aunty, be happy. Many, many people." Clearly Mama Arka once again.

"Where's Arka's dad, aunt?" Ask Renata.

"More!" I said it quickly.

"Oh, Arka's father died a long time ago." Reply Mama Arka with a heavy heart.

Renata immediately apologized "Oh, sorry aunt. I don't know."

"It's nothing."

That smile of happiness instantly faded away after hearing Renata's question. Uh! He really is! His gaze immediately turned into a sissy. I can clearly catch the mood swings of that woman.

"Oh yeah, auntie doesn't know the names of you two yet."

What Mama Arka means is Renata and Kak Sendy.

"Oh, I'm aunty Renata. Eresha's sister." Renata.

Actually I still have not admitted it as my own brother.

"Oh, Eresha's sister. Worth just as pretty as her sister." Reply Mama Arka.

I could only smile with a forced smile and then lower my face.

"Keep now in college?" His mother Arka.

"Yes aunty."

"What degree."

"Indonesian literature department aunt."

"Well, would-be writers if from the smell."

"Hehe... Aunty can do it."

"When this is what's his name?"

This time the question was addressed to Sendy.

"Oh, I'm Sendy Aunt." He said introducing himself.

"Lecture too?"

"Yes Aunt."

"He's an architecture major loh ma." Typal Arka just like that.

"Well, great dong." Her mother Arka was amazed.

"You've learned a lot from Sendy from now on if you want to be an architect." Connect Mama.

Arka just nodded, she was too busy eating her dinner.

"Emang Arka wants to be an architect?" Ask anyone who is there.

"Yes, his ideals have never changed." Answer Mama Arka.

No wonder he chose to be an architect. He was pretty good at counting and drawing maybe. He also has talent in the arts. Although actually architecture including art also in my opinion. But... Uh! Nevermind!

"I want to build my dream home someday for my mom. And the other one's for where I live with the people I love." Arka.

"Sama Eresha means that?" Temptation Mom Arka.

"Not knowing me either."

"Well, don't you know?"

"Because it could be that Eresha is not destined for me in the future." Said Arka then looked at Brother Sendy.

The two of them looked at each other for a moment. It was as if there was a secret communication between them that was done indirectly.

"Yes, true Aunt. We will not know what will happen to us in the future. We can't change everything that's been laid out for us in the future." Connect me.

Besides, I'm still not sure if I'll always be with Arka forever. I feel like if one day the mysterious man comes back to me and maybe I'll go back in his arms too. And maybe it'll hurt Arka.

"It's exactly the same thing you said just now." Reply Mama Arka.

"But why are you talking like that? Are you not sure that someday, in the future you will be immortal in the bonds of true love?" Ask Mama Arka.

Honestly, that question makes me nervous.

"No ma."

"No Aunt."

We answered it unintentionally.

Arka and I looked at each other after we realized that the core of our answer just now had exactly the same meaning.

"You don't be pessimistic about dong." Said his mother Arka.

My head is still drowning. We are both not sure if we will continue to be together as lovers in the future.

The more I grow up the more the universe never acts fair to me. If in the past I was separated by a destiny that shackled my soul to meet that mysterious man, would in the future I also forget about Arka. It will also slowly disappear from my memory and will not return. Will I also return alone in my future, enjoying the silence with no one by my side. Whether my life in the future is so empty, or maybe I don't have a future. Never mind, basically one day everyone will also return alone. They needed no one at the time, except their God.

I resumed my dinner with the family. Arka's expression still hasn't changed, I know something's stuck in her heart and she's trying to hide it from everyone. He thought he could fool me so easily. But a face reader with strong intuition like me, it's not that easy to be lied to.

***

"We'll say goodbye to Auntie."

"Eresha is home, Aunt." I then kissed the back of his hand.

"She be careful on the road." Reply Mama Arka.

I just returned with a small smile.

As usual I was escorted by Arka tonight. I just stepped a few steps from the teak door, all of a sudden....

"Bron!!!"

My body just collapsed onto the floor, it felt like my strength had suddenly disappeared so it could not support my own body weight.

***

Everyone who was there at the time immediately panicked instead of playing. It's not usual for Eresha to pass out like this all of a sudden. Arka directly supports the body of the girl who had touched the floor. Mama Arka also participated in panic because of this incident.

"Arka, take her to the hospital, son." Said his mother Arka.

"Wear mom's car." Connect Mama.

Arka nodded quickly then immediately took the keys to her mother's car. Arka opens the car then Sendy holds the weak body of the girl inside.

"Mending me is the one who brought the car." Fresh Brother Sendy.

"You're panicking and you're afraid you're not focused. You keep Eresha behind." Reciprocity.

Arka went straight to the bench in the back to sit with the girl, while Renata sat in the front seat with Sendy. Arka placed the girl's head on her lap while continuing to hope for Eresha's consciousness to return again. They were all completely clueless as to what had happened just now. He passed out without any early signs.

While waiting for Eresha to be handled, the three of them waited behind the curtain that became the boundary of the room. Before long the doctor came out with a sad face. Of course, it made the three of them panic even more.

"Eresha why doc?"

Arka immediately asked a question that represented them all today. They should know how Eresha is now and what caused her to faint. Considering the three of them are among the people closest to this one girl.

The doctor takes a deep breath before starting to speak.

"It looks like there's an abnormality in his head." Doctor says.

"What do the doc mean?" Ask Arka.

"To find out more clearly we will do a blood sample test or ronsen."

The three people immediately bowed limp.

"Does the patient have a history of headaches or anything else?"

"It just so happens that my sister does have a history of vertigo doc." Renata.

"That could be an indication of early symptoms for his illness this time." Doctor's talk.

"Is the disease severe, doctor?" Ask Brother Sendy.

"For that we need to do a test in order to get accurate and clear results. Tomorrow you can come back to take the test."

"Can Eresha go home? Or hospitalization?" Arka re-opens the voice.

"He may return after waking up. But for now he has not yet awakened. Maybe in a minute, you can accompany him there." The doctor then said goodbye out of the room.

***

"Come on!"

The mysterious man I still don't know seems to be taking me somewhere, somewhere.

"Where?" My toot.

He pulled my hand to go with him. He took me up the hill, somewhere.

"What am I bringing here?" I'm not understanding yet.

"The sun is setting soon. If you look from here the orange rays are more stunning." Obviously then sit next to me.

"Whose name are you? I see you often but I always forget to ask you what your name is." My word.

"I can't answer it now. Someday that answer will come from you." Evidently.

Just like before, I can't see his face. He wore a black hoodie that covered his head. I carefully tried to pull over the black hoodie, but he swiftly prevented me.

"Don't." He said so softly.

"Why? I want to see your face."

"Sometimes you'll get all the answers."

"Why can't it be now?"

"Because all of this depends on yourself as well as fate."

I hugged the body of the man beside me. The smell of this hoodie is no stranger to my sense of smell.

"Don't go again, I want you to come back. Don't stay me." I said while continuing to tighten my arms.

His hand grabbed the top of my head and stroked my silky hair.

"I'll only come back if you will." The answer.

"Have we met in the past?" My toot.

"We've been one in the past."

"One?"

"But now we're only half a line that may never be whole again."

"His heart has set, beautiful isn't it?" He reconnects his sentence that had paused.

I nodded weakly.

"I have to go home." Her speech.

He then moved from that place when the sun was beautiful at the west end.

"A little while after this sun has sunk perfectly, it will be a complete greeting." My speech.

His steps stopped immediately.

"Did you leave me here alone? in the dark of the night?" I continued my sentence.

"There will be a beam of light accompanying you here. You won't be alone." He answered my question without turning his face towards me.

Then he rushed away from there. He ran down the hill, somewhere to go.

"Will he come back?" I ask myself.

Slowly but surely, the sun left me here alone. Now that I don't know where to go, I can't get out of this place. I lay myself down on grass and weeds. I sighed heavily, my eyes fixed on one beautiful object hanging above. It's sparkling, it's beautiful. He was shining alone in the pitch black sky. Alone, without the other sparkles that usually accompany him. The moon is now shining alone, just like I am today.

"The moon, where are the stars that always accompany you?"

"Why are you shining alone this time? Actually, I just lost my star. Last afternoon he just left me on this hill."

"But he said that later there would be a beam of light accompanying me. Is that you moon?"

I continued to invite the celestial body to speak as if it were understanding my heart now.

I'm sleepy, my eyes are heavy. I slept among the weeds and was only friends with the moon, which he probably wouldn't last all night.

I slowly opened my eyelids and found myself lying in a room accompanied by the three people who had always been with me.

"Summan too." Said Brother Sendy.

They all look so bright.

"I why?" I ask them all.

"So suddenly I was coming back from Arka's house, you passed out all of a sudden." Renata.

"So now I'm in the hospital?"

"Yes." Yeah." Answer Arka.

"I hate the same smell." I said, shaking my hand right in front of my nose.

If I had fainted and my body was silent in this place, then was it just a dream. I'm not sure if it's really a dream. It felt so real, I guess I did actually meet that guy. He said all the answers depended on me, what he meant.

"I just met that mysterious guy." My word.

Their eyes immediately widened after hearing my sentence just now. The three people in front of me, they looked at each other.

"Where?" Ask Brother Sendy.

Why did their expressions instantly change drastically, what happened? Am I wrong to say that.

"On the hill." My answer.

"But you were here sha." Reply Ark.

"Yes I know. It all happens in a different dimension." I clearly.

"He took me to a hill to squirm the sunset. But when the sunset came, he left me so alone."

I continued my unfinished story.

"He won't leave you." Said Brother Sendy.

"Do you know where?"

"Because he's always been around you."

"Is that included now?"

Brother Sendy nodded assuring my question.

"Where is he now?"

To be honest, I became more curious about the mysterious man.

"Very close to you."

"That means he's in this place too? Do you know him?"

"Yes, don't know anymore. He's like half of you."

"Let's know where he is."

I begged Brother Sendy to grant my request to meet the mysterious man. It seems like only Brother Sendy knows him quite well.

"He is in your heart."

"My heart?"

Sendy nodded back.

"Is he just a figure in my imagination?"

"No, he's right."

"When can I see him?"

"It certainly isn't now."

***

Arka and Sendy just drove the two girls back to their house. They were still sitting on his car parked in front of the girls' house.

"Sister, I think this is the mysterious guy who was in Eresha's dream was a big brother." Arka.

"It's impossible, he just doesn't remember anything else about me."

"But sister, it could be that Eresha's memory will return again."

"Have we come home, it's night too. Tomorrow you want to go to school and I want to go to college tomorrow, right."

Sendy doesn't want to talk about this for now. He tried to avoid this conversation.

After that they rushed back to their homes.

***

Arka put her mother's car back in the garage. Then he approached the mother who had been waiting for him with anxious feelings at the door.

"Waiting for Arka from earlier?" Ask Arka who feels guilty for making her mother anxious.

His mother Arka even asked back to the child just wayangnya "Eresha how is the situation?"

"The doctor says there's an abnormality in her head and the doctor says it's possible that Eresha has a certain disease." Arka with a heavy heart.

"What disease are you?"

"Arka doesn't know ma. The doctor said tomorrow Eresha wants to be tested for what kind of disease she's got."

"Totally Eresha, I hope she gets well soon and her test results are good."

Arka just nodded weakly.

"Yaudah Arka to the room first yes ma. It's so sleepy." Pamit Arka on her mom.

Mama Arka just nodded while patting her son's shoulder. As a mother who had a very strong bond with her child, this woman knew clearly that Arka was being hit. Everyone kept hoping that Eresha would be fine.

Arka knocked herself down on her bed. He suddenly remembered Eresha's words at dinner last night. Everyone agrees that they don't know what will happen in their future. Everyone knows very well that they cannot change their destiny at all. But is it wrong for humans to try. Although it is likely that one day Eresha will return to Sendy, Arka is wrong if she tries to maintain this relationship.

Arka hopes that tomorrow her test results do not mean anything to Eresha. At least he could calm down a bit if his little elf was okay.

***

"Tomorrow I'll pick you up." Renata.

"Well?"

"We're in the hospital."

"For what else?" He has not answered the core of my question.

"Doctor told you to do the test tomorrow."

"What test?"

"Tomorrow you will also know that the test results have come out." He answered and then rushed out of my room.

Is there anything wrong with me, until I have to do all the tests. Even if I didn't know what the test was for, Renata refused to tell me about it.

"Why everyone always says, someday you will know, tomorrow you will know, not now, blah. blah.. blah..." Grumpy pissed.

"They said that as if time could answer all my questions."

"Then what if I can't get to that time, will I not find the answer?"

"Again, no one knows. Uh, what the hell am I talking about. Astagfirullah!"

I kept on babbling to myself, giving away all the turmoil of my heart.

I play acoustic music from my phone at full volume. I lay myself down on the bed that was beginning to cool the surface. Both of my neutrals were deliberately closed, I enjoyed the song even without lyrics. The groove of the melody, the tempo, successfully brought my soul to another dimension. To a place that neither I nor anyone has ever visited. Just me and my imagination. Deep in my subconscious.

I imagined myself back on that hill. With the full moon alone there. My imagination was able to create some of the sounds of the night animals that further complemented the sound of this music.

I opened my eyes slowly, then took a deep breath and threw it away. I wish that one day I would still be in that place alone, the mysterious man would come back to me. Then we went around to other places, somewhere far away.