Linger

Distance 2

It had been four days that Karel had not spoken to Kaela. During those four days as well, he could not live his day quietly. He keeps feeling restless. The small body shadow of Kalea that vibrated violently in his arms that night continued to tease him to make him not focus on carrying out his activities. Several times he had to accept swearing from his mabar friends because on several occasions, he had been the cause of their team's loss. Though usually, the comber's mouth is the one that will cuss his other teammate. Not only that, he was also almost involved in an accident this morning when he was going to meet a friend. The reason for that was because he felt sorry for not greeting Kalea when they passed by earlier.

Karel let out a long sigh, got up from his chair, turned off the computer then walked towards the balcony. A cold wind instantly blew against his face. He slapped her to immediately realize from his childish attitude that had made his relationship with Kalea so distant as it is now. 

Karel's gaze was fixed on the balcony of Kalea's room that looked lonely. The girl's room light was still bright, but Karel was not sure if the girl was still awake or not. Because usually, if the mood is bad, Kalea will tend to spend more time to sleep. For a moment, there was a thought of crossing over to the balcony of the girl's room. Just to just peek out from behind the glass door and see how the boy is doing tonight. But that intention was not really his realisation because he did not have enough courage. 

Karel was silent for quite a while on the balcony, letting the cold wind crash into his body many times until he finally caught his guard down. There's no point in just standing still and regretting what happened. If he kept quiet and did not try to improve things, it could be that the distance that stretched between him and Kalea would be even wider. 

So Karel turned around, stepped wide out of the room, down the stairs in a hurry until he almost tripped his own feet.

"Where are you going, Rail?" ibun asked as Karel walked past him just like that. The woman who was focused on watching the news broadcast in the middle room then shifted her focus to the son.

"To Kalea." Karel answered briefly. He walked over to Ibun only to land a light kiss on the woman's cheek and soon passed, no longer touching the cry of Ibun who raised a few more questions.

In the living room, Karel met Mpok Nuriah who came from the front door with two black crackle bags in hand. 

"Where is Karel going?" asked Mpok Nuriah confused. 

"To Kalea."

"How is the field then?" asked Mpok Nuriah while lifting a bag of crackles in front of Karel.

"Put it in the kitchen, and Karel will eat the ashes of Kalea." Karel said then continued his steps. 

His steps swung wide, his heart racing because if I'm honest, he's nervous now. He knew Kalea would always accept it. No matter how much they fought, the girl would always accept her apology. Kalea never rejected Karel, as Karel could never deny the existence of Kalea in her life.

Arriving in front of the gate of Kalea house, Karel was greeted with a bright smile Mr. Dadang. The middle-aged man looked excited by Karel's presence.

"You're going to see Kalea, huh?" asked Mr. Dadang after the gate was opened. 

"Yes." Karel said with a fluffy smile. "There's a number, right?" tanyanya.

"There's dong." 

"Yaudah, I'm going to Kalea first yes, we'll have coffee." 

"Okay, Mas." Mr. Dadang nodded happily.

Karel continued his steps. Whistling in an effort to expel nervousness from within. He paused for a moment in front of the huge door, taking a deep breath before letting out a knock. 

The first and second beats get no response. It was only on the third knock that the big door opened, displaying the figure of Bi Imah with a negligence of her favorite flowers.

"Hello, pretty." Selengean. Breaking in before Bi Imah allows. 

Bi Imah who was used to Karel's behavior could only shake her head with a thin smile on her back. Quietly the middle-aged woman was happy because it had been a few days this boy had not come to see.

"Kalea's there?" karel asked after Bi Imah closed the door.

"There was. T-"

"Where?" cut quick.

"Lack page. Ta-"

"OKAY. Thanks, pretty!" karel said so excitedly. All four of them poked Bi Imah's chin and twitched flirtatiously before continuing their steps. 

Bi Imah could only let out a long sigh as Karel's wide back disappeared from behind the view, swallowed by the turn. 

*******

Karel's carefree steps practically came to a halt. He stood for quite a long time in the doorway as his eyes caught Kalea's existence at the edge of the pond. But that's not what stopped her steps. Except for the existence of another figure beside the girl. From behind, Karel already knew who that person was. Gavin's. 

From where she stood now, Karel could not hear what kind of conversation was going on between Kalea and Gavin. So Karel intends to go one step closer. So that he could immediately take action and pull Gavin's large body away from Kalea should what the man said hurt his girl.

But Karel's steps were held back as Gavin clasped Kalea's small body into an embrace.

Karel felt his chest tight, his breathing choked and his body frozen in place as he realized there was no rejection from Kalea. The girl was silent as Gavin's hand moved up and down rubbing her back. All this time, only Karel could do it. The only man Kalea had ever allowed to hug her that tightly besides Papa was her. So when she found out that the girl did not reject Gavin's embrace, Karel felt that her position was completely replaced.

Not wanting to linger at the sight, Karel turned around. Stepping quickly away from the backyard. Unwillingness calls Bi Imah who is in the kitchen, busy moving dishes that have been washed into the shelves. 

Karel kept moving. Ignoring the increasingly felt tightness and increasingly heavy breathing. Both of his hands clenched beside the body. He was angry, no matter who. 

"Udahan Mas met with Mbak Kalea? How about just a second?" ask Mr. Dadang.

Karel was forced to stop his steps briefly to respond to the speech of Mr. Dadang.

"Malem is copying himself first yes, sir. I'm in a hurry, there's business." Instead of answering Mr. Dadang's question, Karel instead handed a piece of money fractional one hundred thousand that he took from his pants pocket to Mr. Dadang.

"No, no need to." Mr. Dadang shook his head.

"Can't turn down the wind." Karel.

Finally, with a bad feeling, Mr. Dadang grabbed the money from Karel's hands. "Thank you, Mom." 

"Jude, I'm back." Karel. Waving hands to Mr. Dadang then passed.

But Karel did not return to his home and instead walked down the street of the compound towards the front gate. He stood quite a long time by the side of the road, until finally an online taxi he ordered arrived. 

After the driver confirmed the order, Karel hurriedly went inside and sat in the passenger seat. The taxi drove over, carrying Karel who was sitting still with a floating mind.

******

Karel's goal is Algara, a nightclub he hasn't been to since Kalea dragged him out of there one night. That night he came to this club to celebrate the bachelor party of one of his friends who was getting married, but the event ended violently when the people involved in it began to lose control because the levels of alcohol drunk had exceeded the tolerance limit and managed to snatch their consciousness. Karel was included in one that was already heavily drunk. Somehow at first, Karel ended up in a jotos fight with one of his friends. 

And before the fight turned more serious, Kalea came. I don't know who contacted the girl, but it was the right move. Because thanks to the presence of Kalea, Karel who initially lost control immediately managed to be made aware and the chaos that occurred could be prevented from turning worse.

The smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke instantly greeted the sense of smell as soon as Karel stepped in. On the dance floor, people were busy dancing, winding their bodies following the music played by the disc jockey. At some tables located in the corner of the room, with more minimal illumination than other spots, Karel saw several pairs of adam and busy making out. Mutually taste the sweetness of each other's lips without caring about the circumstances around. There were also those who acted more than just kissing, and Karel was the laziest to witness such things. So he immediately drew a glance and continued on.

Instead of taking her place at the empty table, Karel walked to the bar table. Where there were only two male Caucasians sitting there and seemed to be talking.

"Tequila." Karel said after sitting at the stool bar. 

The young-looking bartender nodded in understanding. His hand moved agilely concocting drinks then thrusting them in front of Karel. Without further ado Karel downed his drink, basking it in an instant.

Then he ordered another message. Chugged hurriedly, ignoring the poignant in the throat as he wanted to immediately lose consciousness. At least, for tonight alone, he wanted to forget the pain in his chest that was increasingly agonizing. For tonight alone, Karel wants to forget the fact that his position in Kalea's life is no longer the same.

Either after finishing the second glass, Karel began to feel his head heavy. His surroundings seemed to be spinning and he had lost the power to straighten up. His head drooped weakly on the bar table. The sound of the bartender trying to resuscitate him by gently shaking his body sounded like the buzzing of a bee that made his head feel dizzy. Karel nausea not playing, his heart racing and sweat began to drip down his temples.

Then before his consciousness was completely taken away, Karel heard the faint-hearted voice of someone who had been filling his heart and mind.

"Enough, Karel. You've gone too far. Let's go home."

Damnit. Even after getting drunk and having her consciousness almost taken away, the girl still haunts her.

Then dark. Karel completely lost consciousness with a smile adorning his tired face after a name slurred from the side of his lips.

"Calea."

Seriate