Linger

The Day After The Sad Night

Kalea was still half conscious when the door of her room was knocked several times. Trouble he pulled away from the mattress, staggering with a heavy head instead of playing. The night after Karel drove him to his room and the man left, Kalea cried again. He spent the night with tears constantly dripping, as if his eyes were a leaking faucet and the water inside was gushing out endlessly. I don't know when exactly when he was tired of crying and falling asleep, which obviously was already early in the morning. Kalea cried for a lot of things. About Gavin who left just like that and until now still has not given news, about the bad events that happened to him and almost brought him into more serious problems, he said, also about Karel being forced to stay away for a while.

As the door in front of him opened, Kalea found Bi Imah standing with her hands clutched together, her face looking anxious.

"Why, Bi?" ask Kalea. His forehead was wrinkled faintly because this was the first time he had seen Bi Imah coming with this kind of facial expression.

"Anu, Neng..." Bi Imah looked to squeeze her hand. Clearly hesitating to say something that disturbs his mind.

"Say, Bi, it's okay." Kalea tried to convince.

Bi Imah was silent for a while and Kalea was still patiently waiting. The dizziness in the head was increasingly felt, but Kalea tried to hold it. One hand he piles into the wall to help him hold the weight of his own body, his eyes closed for a moment.

"That's. there's Mas Gavin downstairs."

Kalea's eyes are practically open. His body felt spinning as the name was called. The shadow of bad events that happened to him last night came back to haunt him to make his head noisier and his stomach suddenly nauseous.

"Overnight Mas Karel said to Bibi not to enter if Mas Gavin came, but Mas Gavin maksa, Neng. Said there was something to talk about with Neng Kalea." Bi Imah's voice shook. Kalea understands Bi Imah's feelings. This woman must have felt wrong. On the one hand did not want to accept Karel's tantrums, but on the other hand could not refuse Gavin's request.

"Auntie tell you to go home, Neng, Mas Gavin?" tanya Bi Imah who began to panic saw the look on Kalea's face that changed drastically.

Kalea was about to open her mouth when there was a loud noise from downstairs. He suddenly straightened up, broke out of the room and ran down the stairs despite having to hold a dizzy in his head that was becoming more and more. The cry of Bi Imah was not heard, which warned him to walk carefully. Kalea continued to tread with difficulty until she finally arrived at the living room. There, Gavin was already slumped on the floor with Karel standing looming before Gavin. Both of Karel's hands clenched beside the body, his shoulders rising and falling.

"Lo don't know if Kalea almost wretched because you live alone?!" Karel yelled.

"People I love almost wretched because humans are not responsible like lo and you still have a face to come here with capital words of apology? If I were lo, I wouldn't even dare to show my face in front of Kalea again!"

"Rul!!!" Kalea shouted hysterically as Karel leaned over, grabbed Gavin's collar and was about to throw another fist at the man's face.

Dizziness in the head was no longer ignored, Kalea ran over to Karel who was now turning her head with angry lightning that filled her eyes.

"Stop!" Kalea pulled Karel's body, hugging her arms tightly so that the man would not continue his intention of beating Gavin.

"Stop, Rail. Please." Sluggishly. His eyes glanced at Gavin who was trying to get up.

"Lo don't fuck him, Kale." Karel's voice sounded resolute, making Kalea's body tremble violently. He was not used to seeing this side of Karel. This man was too scary while being overpowered by emotions.

"I don't think about him, Rel." The hug on Karel's arm was tightened.

"I just don't want you to waste your energy"

"We need to talk, Kalea." Gavin. The man walked over, but Karel hurriedly pulled Kalea's body and hid the small body behind her.

"A further step forward, I'm kicking you down!" Karel warned in an emphatic voice in every word spoken.

"I need to talk to Kalea."

From behind Karel's body, Kalea could see Gavin's figure staring straight at him. The man did not look at Karel at all when he spoke. Really focus only on Kalea.

"No need." Karel said firmly.

"It's my business the same Kalea, please don't interfere."

This time, Kalea saw Gavin staring fiercely at Karel. A gaze that Kalea had just seen for the first time from that dark bead.

"It's my business because you're sick with Kalea."

"I can explain. This needs to be straightened out so as not to cause misunderstanding."

"Gue doesn't care about all the nonsense and trite excuses. All I know is that you've lost Kalea and that was a fatal mistake."

"Gue take care of this hard-earned kid from a dozen years ago, so I won't let you hurt him for a moment!" Karel pointed right in front of Gavin's face.

"Kalea, please.." this time, Gavin's gaze returned to Kalea who was peering over Karel's shoulder.

"Herard my explanation first. Yea?"

"Rul..." Kalea whispered to Karel.

"No." Karel said firmly. The man turned his head over his shoulder, only to find Kalea looking at him softly.

"Just a minute. I'll talk to him for a minute." Kalea said again in a very slow voice.

"Make what, anyway?"

"Just for a second. Please?"

Karel took a breath. After closing her eyes for a moment to dampen the rising emotions, Karel finally shifted her body. He let the small body of Kalea face Gavin. But Karel didn't really distance himself. He stood beside Kalea, clasped Kalea's hand tightly and the girl did not refuse.

"I want to be alone first, Gavin."

"Calaea,"

"I want to hear your explanation, but not now." Kalea squeezed out the hand of Karel that was within her grasp. For a while, he lowered his head, unable to look directly at Gavin.

"I need time to cool my head, so you better go home. We'll talk later when I'm much better."

"Kalea," said Gavin. The tightness slowly swayed his chest cavity as he watched how Kalea's small body trembled slightly. There was a clear mist enveloping the two brown eyeballs belonging to the girl.

"Okay, I'm going home now." Finally Gavin gave up. It was free for him to force himself because Kalea would obviously not want to listen to his current words. Maybe he should give Kalea more time. And Gavin doesn't mind waiting because it's his fault. He shouldn't have left Kalea alone and got the girl into trouble.

"Let me know you're feeling better, okay?" gavin said one last time before stepping out of Kalea's house.

Kalea's tears trickled down after Gavin's figure completely disappeared from sight. Shortness of creeping up until it feels suffocating. Kalea slid into Karel's arms, crying for her part in the chest of the man's field.

Karel doesn't talk much. He let Kalea cry as she wished. His hand moved rubbing Kalea's back slowly and occasionally also rubbed the girl's head. Bi Imah who stands near the stairs can only be silent to see the commotion that he did not understand at all because of his disaster. In the mind of the woman had wandered many things, but none of them had managed to get a bright spot.

"Please make warm tea for Kalea, Bi." Saying Karel slowly.

Bi Imah nodded and immediately darted away towards the kitchen. Then soon the woman returned with a cup of warm tea in hand. Placing the tea on the living room table then hinted at Karel to take Kalea to the sofa before the middle-aged woman resigned.

After Bi Imah left, Karel did not necessarily bring Kalea's body up from where they stood. He let the girl shed her tears and wet the shirt she was wearing. It was only when Kalea's crying slightly subsided that Karel pushed Kalea's body slowly just to create a distance that was not too meaningful. Just being able to make him stare at the face of the girl he loved clearly.

"Udah used to cry, your eyes are already swollen." Karel. He cupped Kalea's cheek, rubbing the trace of the girl's tears using her thumb.

"Lo's really ugly when it's crying." Karel tried to make a joke, but of course the stale joke was not up to Kalea who was not doing well.

"Is it worth it? It's not worth crying all the way out just because of a male bastard like him?"

"Rel,"

"It's only been a week you know and Gavin has made you cry until now. I can't imagine what he can do to you if this matchmaking plan continues."

"I'm not nangisin Gavin, Rel." Kalea said with her hoarse voice.

Karel's eyebrows raised next to. He didn't catch the meaning of Kalea's words just now.

"I'm not crying because Gavin left me. I'm just still in shock because of last night, and seeing Gavin's face makes me want to happen again. I just need some time to catch myself."

"So, Rel, please don't hate Gavin.."

Karel took a long breath. For a long time, he was silent. To be honest Karel did not understand why Kalea still continued to defend the man named Gavin after what happened to him last night. The Kalea that Karel knew was not like this. Where did the stubborn girl who had grown up with him for years go? Why did his Kalea go to such great lengths in just a matter of days after his encounter with Gavin? What did Gavin do to Kalea that made this girl lose herself?

Finally tired of fighting with her own emotions, Karel pulled her hand from Kalea's face. Maybe he is too over-anxious in terms of worrying about Kalea and that could make Kalea uncomfortable. Karel may have to realize that they were no longer teenage boys a dozen years ago. Perhaps, Karel did have to start limiting himself and learn to control his emotions even better.

"OK," said Karel. "Gua will not interfere again with your matchmaking business. Maybe it's time I realized I didn't cross the line." Continue before leaving from the face of Kalea with a heart that grieves not to play. The tightness slowly gained control as his long legs stepped out of the house of Kalea, leaving a creeping silence amidst the noise of the head.

Conscious, Rail. Forever, you'll just be friends. Friends who do not have a portion to interfere with the same life that Kalea wants.

******

The drizzle came again. The rain only stopped less than half an hour ago. In the room, Kalea sat down in the corner, hugging her own knees while her head leaned against the wall. His gaze drifted far through the glass door in front of him, glaring at the dense cloud clumps that were marching along to where destiny was taking him away. From the gap of the door that was slightly open, the wind blew in on Kalea's face which was now as pale as a corpse. There were dark circles under her eyelids that swelled as a result of being worn crying all night.

Kalea breathed a long breath. After Karel left his home, Kalea had spent three hours locked up in the studio. Busy contemplating every sentence that came out of his lips and trying to find out which part was wrong. What is his request not to hate Gavin? Or another sentence that had unwittingly hurt Karel? But Kalea was unable to find an answer to the question she was addressing herself.

Of course Kalea understood that the attitude shown by Karel was a form of affection and care for the man towards him. Only, Kalea felt that the man had poured out too much of her feelings to make things not much better. Kalea knew Karel was upset, but hitting Gavin blindly like the man did this morning was not something Kalea could accept. What if Gavin was offended and reported Karel to the police on suspicion of mistreatment? What if Karel had to get into serious trouble just because he wanted to protect himself? Kalea just didn't want Karel to be in trouble, but why did it feel so hard to tell the man about his intentions?

"Neng, eat first."

Kalea turned her head towards the door, only to find Bi Imah walking towards her with a tray filled with lunch and a glass of water. To be honest Kalea was hungry, but it was completely heartless to put anything in her mouth since last night's events kept coming to her, making her body tremble in fear every time the worst scene was twisted in her head.

"Neng Kalea wants Auntie to call you Mom?" asked Bi Imah after putting the tray on the nightstand and then walked over to Kalea. The middle-aged woman crouched down before Kalea, her hands stretched out to slip the strands of Kalea's hair out of her original impressed bond.

"Don't." Kalea shook her head slowly. Of course he didn't want Mama and Papa to know about this. He did not want to make his parents worry.

"Kalea's okay, really." Kalea forced a smile even though she knew that fake smile would not make Bi Imah believe that she was indeed fine.

Because the truth is Kalea is not okay.

"Auntie can tell what happened last night? You see Mas Karel will not get that angry if the problem is just trivial." Bi Imah.

For a moment, Kalea fell silent. He wasn't sure he could tell what happened last night. But if stored alone, the memory of the event will only accumulate in the head and make it more tormented. So after gathering courage and confidence from within her, Kalea began to open her mouth. He told me everything without a single detail being missed. And Bi Imah could only tighten her hands as Kalea's body trembled again and tears began to trickle down her pale marble cheeks.

Bi Imah pulled Kalea into a hug, patting the narrow back of the girl she already thought was like her own child slowly in order to incline her increasingly broken cries. Bi Imah knows very well how scared Kalea is now, because long ago, he almost experienced the same thing. Presumably, in this world, women will never be able to live quietly without being overshadowed by the fear of being the victims of male bastards who always look down on women. With Kalea in the arms, Bi Imah also shed tears.