Linger

Next Storm

Karel narrowed his eyes when he found Irina coming out of the cafe alone. Nearly a minute later, no Kalea figures followed. So Karel hurriedly jumped down from the car and rushed after Kalea who was still in the cafe.

There, on the corner bench by the large glass window, Kalea seemed to be silent, contemplating over something on the table (of which Karel himself did not know what).

But when she almost reached Kalea's table and the woman realized her presence, the object on the table was immediately taken and stored into the bag so that Karel did not have time to see it.

"You okay?" he asked, when he realized there was a significant change in expression from Kalea.

However, unlike the usual Kalea, the woman actually showed a smile that Karel knew once that it was just pretend.

Then, Kalea got up from her seat, grabbed her friendly arm and led her out of the cafe without saying anything.

Even until they arrived at the side of the car though, Kalea was still reluctant to open her voice. There, Karel even felt the embrace of Kalea in his arm getting stronger. It was as if the woman was trying to find strength so as not to collapse right then and there.

"Gue knew you again why-why," he said, grabbing Kalea's chin slowly so he could dive into the woman's boba bead.

"But I wouldn't understand if you didn't want to tell me now. It's not a problem for me to wait until you're ready for any story it's a problem you're facing now." With complete sincerity, Karel grabbed Kalea's hand, held her tightly and led her into the car.

For the first time in a long time, Karel had once again treated Kalea like the little sister he had been guarding for so many years. Pairing the seat belt, making sure the woman's sitting position was comfortable, and rubbing the woman's hair slowly before she finally closed the door and ran to the other side of the car.

After sitting himself behind the wheel, and making sure the seat belt was perfectly wrapped around his body, Karel turned his head back towards Kalea. Only to stare at the woman fixedly before she again grabbed her hand and grasped it tightly.

"Lo should know, that until whenever it is, you will always have me on your side. Even when everyone in the world runs away from you, I'll be the only one left." His grip was tightened, then Karel drove the car with only one hand on the wheel.

The car drove at a slow speed, as Karel had to occasionally split his focus between the road ahead and Kalea sitting quietly in the passenger seat.

The woman still did not say anything, but from the slow movements that occurred between the grasp of their hands, Karel knew that right now all Kalea needed was strength to survive whatever was troubling her mind.

Karel was not demanding much. The grip of his hand is left still there, even tighter along with the speed of the car which is slowly getting faster.

...****************...

Arriving home, Kalea rushed up to the room. He only told Karel to go home soon because the sky was getting dark before Ibun dragged him home by force.

All Kalea did in the room was sit still, looking at Irina's test pack that she placed on the nightstand, right next to the photo of his wedding with Gavin who was somehow displayed there by Mama.

Kalea's heart aches. It feels like she is doing a stage play where she is a female protagonist whose life is always hit by misfortune.

But no matter how unfortunate the life of a protagonist is in a story, he always finds that there will always be a white riding prince who comes as a savior. While Kalea himself did not find the white riding prince was present to help him out of all the misfortunes that befall him.

Pulling and breathing many times in fact is no longer able to help him relieve anxiety. There were, more and more mixed feelings in his chest.

Then, he grabbed the test pack, he held it tightly and took it to his studio. He had decided to wait for Gavin there. Because waiting in the room is too risky because the room and the room of both parents are on one floor. She didn't want Mama or Papa to hear when she and Gavin were arguing.

...****************...

Gavin had just walked out of his study when the phone in his suit pocket vibrated. When viewed, there was one incoming message coming from Kalea.

Of course Gavin was happy, because after their relationship had deteriorated in the past few weeks, this was the first time Kalea would contact him first.

Gavin is enthusiastic. He thought Kalea was having a craving and asked her to buy something.

But when the message was opened, Gavin only found a line of sentences that were more similar to an instruction sentence.

After work, meet me at the third-floor studio.

The message that Kalea sent to her.

So without thinking for longer, Gavin sped up his pace and hurriedly gasped as soon as he got into the car.

The road is pretty jammed today. The distance between the office and the real house can be reached in less than an hour, today it takes almost two hours.

Gavin had already lost a lot of energy when he finally got home. With the rest of his strength present, he dragged his steps straight up to the third floor.

From the front door to the living room, Gavin found no one. Maybe other family members are having their own activities, including Bi Imah who does not look at all.

Arriving at the studio door, Gavin made a slow knock three times. Then as Kalea's voice airs from inside, Gavin grabs the knob and turns it so that the brown door opens.

The dark greeted Gavin when the door before him opened wide. And in the dark, he found Kalea sitting alone by a large glass window.

Gavin walked over after closing the door. He did not expect Kalea to suddenly greet him with such a hug before their relationship deteriorated. So, Gavin was still not thinking badly when he saw Kalea get up from the chair and walk towards the nightstand.

Even until the woman walked back to him and held out an object that she knew was a test pack, Gavin was still acting normal.

"Yes, I know. Kan, yesterday we checked together." He said he thought the test pack Kalea showed him belonged to the woman.

"It's Irina's." Tukas Kalea, making Gavin's throat suddenly choked.

"It's Irina's, Gavin." Kalea repeated her words, then stared intently at the tall figure of Gavin looming before her.

"Irina's pregnant, your child."

That night, amidst the darkness, two pairs of beads belonging to Kalea and Gavin were nailing each other. One stared intently, while the other looked at himself for feeling accused.

Seriate