Linger

Restu From Karel

At about eleven o'clock, Gavin and Kalea finally left the house. The car drove down the seemingly deserted road. Along the way, Kalea was silent, leaning her head against the car window while her eyes were busy looking at the trees that seemed to move as the car drove further away.

Kalea's mind drifted back. Suddenly remembered Karel who had not contacted him at all since Gavin dragged him off the cafe bench last night. To date, the man has not contacted him. And Kalea herself still did not dare to contact Karel first given how vulnerable she was when Gavin dragged her away, but she could have rebelled and stayed longer to listen to Karel until the end. But he didn't, and Karel must have been disappointed.

"Don't daydream, Kalea."

Gavin's voice forced Kalea to stop arguing with herself. He turned to Gavin, only to find the man looking at him for a while before returning to focus on the street.

"I've heard that negative energy can more easily enter us when we are daydreaming. So, try not to dream often like that."

Kalea did not answer. He was busy looking at the side of Gavin that looked so perfect. His high nose became a special attraction when Kalea could not look directly at the man's dark bead.

"Two weeks from now we're getting married, if there's anything you want to know about me, ask me." Said Gavin with a straight look at the delan.

Kalea still hasn't budged. His eyes now moved down the curve of Gavin's exposed neck, continuing down until he reached the man's muscular arm which showed how much he loved the sport, inversely with Kalea who consider sports as something troublesome.

Come to think of it, Kalea felt that she was completely incompatible with Gavin. Both in terms of maturity and lifestyle that the man lived was not at all in a draw with him. Gavin is mature and tends to be more calm, while Kalea is a spoiled girl whose emotions still often overflow even though she is no longer a stable teenager. Gavin likes to wake up early, exercise regularly and always keep his lifestyle to keep running in a regularity. Kalea hated having to open her eyes in the morning, he did not like sports because it was troublesome and too draining and the cheese burger from the burger king front of the complex was still his favorite menu for him to eat whenever he wanted.

Again, the Kaleas did not feel they were a match for each other.

"Gavin," he called slowly.

Gavin only replied with a dullness, his gaze still awake straight ahead.

"You..ngerasa not really if we are very different?"

"Different cannot be together." Gavin said without even turning his head.

"In my opinion, it is precisely because we are different that the Lord outlined us to be together, in order to complement each other's shortcomings."

"We've come this far, Kalea. I can't back down anymore because you've already trapped me in your exciting life."

Just as Gavin turned his head and reviewed a faint smile, Kalea felt her cheeks hot. His heart beat gradually crazed and the colony of butterflies residing in his stomach began to flap wings in unison, making his stomach feel tingled.

"You may have trouble confronting my childishness." Kalea said after desperately trying to calm down.

"It's hard doesn't mean it can't."

And Gavin's answer can always keep Kalea quiet. He had no more arguments to make, so when Gavin's car finally stopped in front of the gate of his house and the man went down first to open the door, Kalea could only keep quiet.

"Come," Gavin reached out. Kalea greeted him with a slightly trembling body. Suddenly he lost most of the strength in his legs until to stand on his feet, he actually relied on Gavin's large hand clasping tightly to his own.

"I returned Kalea safely, Ma. Nothing less." Said Gavin who was responded with a nod of the head by Mama.

"Thank you, Gavin." Mama said cheerfully. His hand moved slowly rubbing the shoulder of Kalea who was now standing beside him.

"I'm so sorry." Gavin.

"Yes, be careful." Say Mama.

"See you next week to try on a wedding dress, Kalea." Gavin said and went straight from before him and Mama before he even answered.

After Gavin's departure, Mama leads him to sit on the living room couch. With her eyes still shining brightly, Mama began to ask about many things. But none of these questions that Kalea managed to digest, because now he began to get busy again with his own mind.

*****

Half eleven nights. After struggling with her phone to check on a few things, Kalea decided to walk to the balcony to breathe a little fresh air. She did not expect to find Karel also standing on the balcony of her room next door, so when she discovered the existence of the man, Kalea really did not know what she should do. So, he just kept walking up to the balcony barrier and then he put both his hands there. He looked up, looking up at the deep sky above which was still unable to block the moon which was still shining brightly even without the stars accompanying him there. The moon was alone and she could still shine brightly. But Kalea is not the moon. He did not know if he could still shine if Karel was no longer by his side like the days they had spent together all this time.

"The moon will not change shape to an elephant just because you see it continue like that."

Kalea turned her head, only to find Karel staring at her from the balcony of her dark room. Whether the man deliberately did not turn on the lights or the small lights that used to illuminate the balcony of Karel's room had been broken off and the man was too lazy to replace them. What is clear, even with minimal lighting, Kalea can still see that now Karel is looking at him with the same gaze as usual. Nothing changed from that gaze, making Kalea realize that just how often they engaged in fights, Karel would still keep looking at her the same way.

"Lo semalem didn't come home." It was not a question, so Kalea did not answer it. He just waited until Karel continued his sentence.

"If it was someone else, I might have cut his throat with Dad's scalpel. But because it's Gavin, and Mama and Papa have given permission, I'm a nobody this so can't do anything." Karel said ending the slickest smile.

Kalea felt a tightness in her chest when she heard Karel call himself a nobody. For Kalea, Karel was one of the most valuable people in her life.

"Gue let you marry Gavin." Karel said suddenly. "But you have to promise me that this marriage will make you happier." Further. Then the man moved from there. At first Kalea thought Karel was about to enter her room, but it turned out that the man had crossed over to the balcony of Kalea's room.

"Here, hug first." Kalea resigned herself as her body was pulled by Karel then carried into a warm embrace. He could feel Karel's hand patting his back.

"Promise me that you'll always be happy." Bisik Karel's.

Kalea wanted to nod her head, but she was too scared and hesitant. What if he can't keep his promise? What if she couldn't be happier after marrying Gavin? What if his life wasn't much better after he let go of Karel's embrace and let his best friend take a considerable distance to no longer clutch his little body while he was falling? What if eventually Kalea would only have herself?

Not wanting the mind to control her, Kalea hugged Karel by the waist. He buried his face in the chest of the man's field, sipping on the masculine scent that in the near future he would no longer be able to absorb as often as before. He wanted to hug Karel as tightly as he could, before the real distance between them would actually be created and a dividing line was stretched between the two of them.

Seriate