Lara's Admirers

Episode 69

Hesitatingly, I gripped this picture tube firmly. Although I do not know for sure what the contents inside are, obviously I will open it immediately when I get home later.

“Thank you Brother Rayhan, make this.” I told the man.

“Lo should thank Sendy for all this.” replied in a flat tone.

“But I think you're too late to admit to all that.” Further.

“Means?” my many.

“All the answers to that lo question, are inside this.” replied the man while pointing towards the object.

I just nodded in affirmation, choosing not to prolong the matter. Anyway, free. Every time I asked him the same question, he always answered me with the same answer. Everything is in this picture tube, somehow it feels like every inch of this thing is very important and meaningful.

“Ya already, if so I say go home yes.” he said.

“Not want to eat or what was gitiu kak?” prevent me immediately.

“No need, thank you very much. I'm only here to nganterin it.” he explained.

“After the invitation is only for Sendy, right?” tanyakanya.

“No, if you want to come too. No one ngelarang.” reply me who directly denied the question just now.

“Then I send greetings to Brother Sendy, as well as greetings of thanks from me.” I said with a bowed face.

“Iya.” reply is short.

Shortly thereafter, the man immediately turned his body and moved away from the scene. I don't know what happened, obviously his eyes were so swollen like people who kept crying for days. I was also suspicious of him, when the man said the word”Iya” with a bitter smile that looked a bit forced. But I chose not to bother about it, even though the gurgle at the time looked so strange. Rayhan's brother seems to be hiding something from the universe, and I obviously don't know what it is.

“Birthday gift from Brother Sendy huh?” asked Arka with an unpleasant facial expression.

I nodded, confirming the question just now. Right now I prefer to keep quiet and not talk too much about the things I just received today. I don't want to make Arka feel that all the effort she's done has been in vain. I know the guy's been trying so hard for this, so I don't want to let him down. I promised myself I'd start forgetting Brother Sendy.

“Happy dong, get a gift from him.” ujarnnya.

“No idea, I don't even know how to react now.” replied me with a flat face that didn't show any expression.

“There is an invisible sense of happiness, because of the grace between the disappointed.” said the man with all his abilities.

Lately I feel that every word that comes out of his mouth will sound so beautiful and meaningful to me. Either I'm the only one who feels it, or maybe someone else feels it too. Arka is no longer someone I used to know, now it changes a lot more. This man before me was no longer the stiff boy I used to know. Now a little touch of art makes it more interesting, its life much more colorful than ever before. Now his world is mmonoton and boring again, now he is much more clever in expressing his mood.

***

Now it's twelve o'clock at night right, soon the day will change. The guests were barely seen in this place. The atmosphere that was originally boisterous and crowded, now in magic like nothing life at all by the time. Some staff sent from an event organizer company they rented, have also seemed to clean up this mess.

While I sat in one of the chairs that had not been cleaned by them, with eyes that were heavy and could not last for much longer. Stefani himself, still awake and currently struggling with his posel. Now we are at the end of the day as a sign of the end of this event.

“Tuk?” ask Arka who is still awake and sitting next to me.

I just nodded weakly, saying what he said just now. I cannot deny if this time my drowsiness really cannot be invited to work together again. I myself do not know what makes them able to survive until this late, like nocturnal animals in general.

But who would have thought, if again this man treated me so sweetly. All of a sudden, he grabbed the top of my head, then carried it over his shoulder. An offer that I won't just refuse this time. Then without needing to be ordered, this man stroked my head gently with his rough fingers. Actually, the thing he did was make me even more sleepy. Looks like Arka knows exactly how to put this little fairy to sleep.

Without needing to take a long time, I immediately fell asleep and…….

“Good sleep everyone.”

***

‘Kring!!’

This morning as usual, the loud noise of the round thing always kept me awake in the morning. With the feeling of laziness added with my eyes still sleepy, made me reluctant to leave my bed. If I could bargain at the time, I would love it to feel like I could be here a little longer. But unfortunately, all of that is impossible to do. If I keep delaying waking up, then the biggest risk I have to face is being late. And I don't want it until it breaks my morning today.

I had to get up and leave my bed. I feel so heavy, I still force to walk to the bathroom. A little sacrifice and a little resistance will make me feel better today. I walked to the bathroom in a limp step, occasionally I also felt things around me as a road persuader. It is only natural that it happens to me, because my life has not been fully accumulated.

‘BRAKK!!’

I slammed the bathroom door so hard, that it made things around him vibrate slowly. It was also what surprised me instead of playing, and both my eyelids opened up perfectly again.

“Aishh...” gruntuku slowly, while ruffling my hair that is already messy.

All of a sudden I just realized that one thing that makes me no less surprised is not playing. How can I still wear this dress from yesterday. Didn't I take it off all night? Or maybe yesterday something happened, but damn it I can't remember that. My memory is really bad, even to remember what happened last night I can't.

Not bothering about it, I immediately took a shower and prepared to go to school. Although today it feels like my body is all sick because of Renata's wedding yesterday, inevitably I have to go to that place. After I finished preparing, I immediately went downstairs to have breakfast with the others. Looks like Stefani got there first, besides her school bag is not in my room anymore.

“Morning everything!” I said to everyone after I got to the dinner table.

“Morning is also sha!” answer the other.

I immediately took my place on one of the empty benches at the other end. Without lingering any longer, I immediately took the breakfast prepared this morning. Usually I don't touch the food your aunt cooks for breakfast, and always have breakfast with bread or cereal. But this time somehow it feels like I want to taste the fried rice just a little. Although usually I do not like breakfast with food that is too heavy, but this time I am not like that. Maybe because yesterday I was too exhausted, today my appetite has increased drastically.

“Still with sha?” ask Stefani.

“Little, most later also lost.” I replied while eating goring rice made by aunty.

“It looks like you were very tired yesterday, to the point that you fell asleep there.” said Stefani.

“Maybe.” reply me briefly.

“Luckily there is an Ark that brings you to the car after sleeping. You see lo kebo really, because we have woken up but lo her even asik molor.” explained the girl.

“Means?” I asked who did not understand the meaning of his words just now.

“Yes yesterday that kid that was carrying you made it into the car. Even he was also the one who brought you to the room. If I where strong lift lo alone.”clearnya once again.

Oh, so it turns out I fell asleep yesterday at the party site. I should have worn that dress until morning. But I didn't think Arka would do such a good thing to me. Why can't I know about that. Stupidhead! Where there are people who are sleeping, can know the conditions around them.

“Iya, to have your friend it.” said mama.

“Boyfriend aunty!” timpal Stefani's.

That surprised me, not playing. How could he have leaked it in front of my own family, and embarrassed me in front of them. I've never told this family anything about my beauty before. Because back to mom and dad who never gave me permission to do that. But now that it was too late, the secret I had been hiding in close quarters from them all ended up in vain like this. My history is over.

“Eh, seriously?!” said mama.

“Dead me!” my mind in my heart.

I've been really made to die of fear for this woman. Just look at it later at school, I'll give you a proper reply for him.

“Good dong, right pa?” said mama again.

“Iya ma, that means our son already has someone to take care of ma. So we don't have to worry anymore about Eresha.” reply papa who agrees with mama.

I raised my head while gawking in disbelief. What kind of answer was that, were they really in a conscious state when that sentence was thrown out of their mouths. Didn't my parents' tongues tell me anything about it. I do not think with the way their minds are always changing at all times and difficult to guess. Usually they always think I am not worthy of it, because I am too young. But now both of them had completely changed to eighty degrees.

“It looks like the child is also good.” papa said.

“He can papa trust.” he continued.

“Mama also agrees with papa kamu.” added the middle-aged waita.

I nodded my head for no reason. It feels weird to see them like this, it just doesn't make sense to me. Without lingering any longer, considering that it was getting noon I immediately finished my breakfast that stayed a little longer.

“I left school first yes.” my goodbye to everyone, while wiping my mouth with a tissue.

“Iya be careful on the road yes nak.” reply mom and dad simultaneously.

Meanwhile, grandma was busy chewing the food in her mouth with great difficulty. So the old woman just nodded her head.

***

Stefani and I went to school on the city bus, as usual. Nothing special today, everything looks as ordinary as usual. This is what I love when I leave early like this. The air is still clean, because the vehicle is not too dense. In addition, the public vehicle I was riding on at this time was still fairly quiet so I could get a seat.

When we arrived at school, we headed straight to the classroom. So far my day has been fine, without any problems and hopefully always like this until the end of the day. Although sometimes some problems will create a challenging sensation in our lives, but I actually assume that a problem will actually be a parasite for me. I prefer my life without problems.

“Hai!” stefani to everyone.

“Eh, have you guys come?” ask Clara.

“Hmmm....” my word while clearing a slow throat.

We are always the ones who come at the end of each morning, among them all. Adit is like that sometimes. Not a bad thing for me, but maybe a bad thing for Stefani. The child always does not want to miss the information with the latest topics that they are discussing every morning.

“Today don't forget to bring a hat, right?” ask Arka to me.

“Nggak.” Answer me briefly.

This guy reminds me of that every Monday. That's because I almost always leave that thing in my house. And not infrequently also I have to wear his hat that he deliberately left in the school locker, just in case in this situation. Arcs always have two hats, or even more. If you are found not wearing a hat during the ceremony, then you will be immediately pulled out of line by the children of OSIS who are guarding behind. Then after the ceremony is over, those who violate the rule will be punished right in front of the other students. And that was the most embarrassing thing I've ever seen before. Lucky I never experienced that at all.

“Eh, he said at the end of this month our school will not stage the art loh.” said Titan while confirming his sitting position.

“Oh, yes?!” reply with enthusiasm.

The man nodded, agreeing with my words.

“Means soon dong.” timpal Adit.

“Iya, if you are not wrong the date is thirty later anyway.” explained Titan while trying to remember the information.

“Lo know about this from where?” ask Arka who is starting to look serious.

“So there is a kok in the paste on the poster mading.” replied Titan so confidently.

Arka then nodded in understanding with the answer given by her best friend just now. The man seemed to think for a moment, stroking his own chin.

“Twelfth graders can participate no?” ask Arka again.

“Yes, like a new student lo.” explained Titan with a little satirizing his best friend.

“Only you want to join ngisi event for the art stage later?” asked Adit with his innocent face.

“Not me.” replied the man briefly.

“Terus?” ask the others simultaneously.

“Eresha.” Reply Arka with brief.

Suddenly it makes me surprised bbukakn play, what does it mean to talk like that just now. Then at once, all eyes were fixed on me with eyes that held millions of questions.

“Gue ever heard the story of one of the nearby friends Eresha pas still living in Pematangsiantar first. He said Eresha is a good dance and has participated in several championships. And what impressed me the most, he was once joined in his school dance team to represent his school in the annual race.” explained Arka at length.

How could he know about it, let alone to such a detail. Arka even knows about it to the small parts that are almost not important at all. Once again I could only stare at what had just happened.

“Iya, I have also been horrified from temen lo whose name is Rahma. Said you guys used to be also a dance.” team continued Stefani who added to Arka's speech just now.

“Sama said your position in the team as the main dancer with temen lo si Anya-Anya is not wrong. Uh, but really not if her name is Anya?” continued.

“Hmmm... bener.” reply to me while thumping upset.

“You know just keep everything, keep it open! Just unload everything! Continue, continuein, good!” my mind in my heart.

I don't even know how they got that kind of information. I suspect that they secretly stalked all my WhatsApp messages with my three best friends.

“Ikutan aja gih!” added Adit who chimed in.

The others also nodded in agreement with the man's proposal just now. Though I'm pretty sure if he wasn't really serious about what he said just now. Given if Adit was never serious with all his words and only the origin of the ceplas-ceplos.

“Ogah!” reply to me quickly.

Of course I don't want to go back to that world. It looks like the accident left me traumatized in some part of my muscles. What made my confidence disappear the most was the trauma to my knee. They can come back whenever they want, even at times I don't want to. And I can't possibly tell them all about this. Enough they know about my illness, not this one.