Mahabbah Love Khalisa

12

Khalisa drove Daniel and Ica to the front of the apartment lobby. Actually if Khalisa's gonna ask them to stay here longer. But Khalisa knows there is a lot of work they have to do in Banyuwangi. Daniel is in charge of all the running of the company while Ica cannot leave his resort for too long. After all, Khalisa has been determined to learn independently by staying away from his parents.

"Be careful on the road, Ma, Pa." Khalisa kissed Ica and Daniel's hand alternately. Khalisa embraced Ica for a long time unwilling to let them go.

"Take care of yourself." Daniel hugged the eldest daughter.

"Yes." Yeah." Khalisa nodded, waving his hand before Daniel and Ica entered the car leaving the apartment yard. They often go back and forth Banyuwangi-Yogyakarta but every time they want to go home, Khalisa always feel heavy hearted want them to stay longer.

Khalisa decided to get out of the apartment anyway Rindang has not returned to college so no one invited to chat.

That afternoon the weather was not too hot unlike Sleman usually which makes people hot. Today the earth is more hospitable in the midst of a global warming movement.

"Are you going to close?" Khalisa set foot in front of the door of Mangan Gelato, he saw that the room was already quiet. There was only a girl sitting in the middle of the room looking to enjoy gelato inside a medium-sized cup. Khalisa came here without looking at the clock first so he didn't know it was closed.

Azfan looked for a moment at the girl standing at the door, actually without even looking at it he could immediately know that it was Khalisa's voice. He saw the remaining gelato stock, "Khalisa want to order what?" Ask.

"No need, tomorrow you're going to close it." Khalisa did not feel good if he had to make Azfan postpone closing the place just because of him.

"It's okay, your favorite taste is still there."

"Do you know what my favorite taste is?" Khalisa smiled broadly stepping in closer to Azfan. He checked the containers in the display case that stored various flavors of gelato. Most of the containers are empty and some are filled with gelato.

"Vanilla, right?" Allegedly Azfan, no doubt two days ago he also saw Khalisa eating vanilla-flavored ice cream.

"The bolterscotch still exists?"

"Stay very close, inshaa Allah is enough."

"Yes, that's what it is." Khalisa sumringah because he can still eat vanilla gelato combined with his favorite butterscotch.

Azfan stepped to the front door and closed it, he also flipped the paper saying Open to Close. If you keep the door open, Azfan is worried that there will be more buyers coming in while their gelato is up.

The long-haired girl sitting in the middle of the room noticed the interaction between Azfan and Khalisa, she was curious who the female figure who approached Azfan because they looked familiar. He had never seen Azfan talk that familiar with a woman.

"That's who?" Khalisa glanced at the girl wearing the high school uniform.

"That's Ayu's son Mother boarding me." Answer Azfan.

Khalisa smiled at the girl named Ayu but instead of smiling back Ayu immediately turned her face. Khalisa laughed amusedly, he thought Ayu was funny with such expression.

"Khalisa sit down, I'll take you to your desk." Azfan Pinta.

"Well, can I join you at the table?" Khalisa asked in a loud voice made Ayu surprised because they did not know each other but Khalisa called Ayu's name like they had been friends for a long time.

Ayu looked at Azfan as if asking for an answer. Azfan nodded faintly understanding the meaning of Ayu's gaze.

"Can." Ayu nodded slowly, she guessed that the woman was the friend Azfan was talking about.

Khalisa stepped up to join Ayu, he saw the green gelato in the cup that was half-living, it means Ayu has been here long enough.

"You like matcha too?" Ask Khalisa.

"No, I'm curious about how it feels."

"Yes son?"

"No." Ayu shook her head, "sadly if you don't buy it already, do you also like matcha?"

"I like the store." The point is Levin, because Khalisa already considers Levin like his own cocoa.

"Cococo? you're a Chindo?" Ayu saw Khalisa from head to toe wrapped in socks and flip-flops. Appearance ordinary like a student in general, Ayu guess Khalisa immigrants from outside the city or even outside the province.

Khalisa did not answer Ayu's question because Azfan first came to deliver his order.

"Thank you, yeah." Khalisa.

"This is Mas Azfan's friend who painted a wedding dress in Mas's room?" Ayu looked up to see Azfan.

Azfan cleared his throat slowly, he really did not want to talk about it in front of Khalisa.

"Didn't you? which is not Mas Azfan does not have a female friend?"

Khalisa's been seeing Azfan.

"This is the man, don't talk anymore." Tukas Azfan before leaving Khalisa and Ayu.

Khalisa quite understood what they were talking about, it seemed like Azfan put his painting in the room and Ayu accidentally saw it. Khalisa had given the painting to Azfan so he did not mind wherever Azfan would attach it.

"I've known Mas Azfan for a year." Ayu threw a sharp look at Khalisa.

"Oh yeah? continues on?" Khalisa is waiting for Ayu's next sentence, he suspects Ayu will share the story with him.

Ayu scowled, he said like that with the intention that Khalisa self-conscious not to approach Azfan because he was the first to know Azfan. Without answering Khalisa's question, Ayu leaned over to open the bag near the chair she was sitting in.

"Ahh, you brought a cat?!" Khalisa spontaneously took a step back to see the cat jumping from the inside of Ayu's bag.

Ayu was surprised to see Khalisa's terrified expression.

"Well, why is the cat out?" Azfan immediately catches Ayu's white cat. "Let's go in again."

"No, why the hell?" Ayu snatched her cat back and stroked her soft fur.

"Khalisa's afraid of cats, let's get in his bag."

Khalisa turned his back towards the door.

"Well, that person's fear is different, please don't say that." Azfan's sharp gaze made Ayu stunned because she had never seen Azfan's face like that before.

Ayu swallowed her saliva put her cat back, why Azfan had to be angry like that when he just wanted to take out his cat who looked bored in the bag.

"Khalisa, the cat's in." Azfan approached Khalisa.

Khalisa clutched the doorknob shakily, he saw how Ayu's cat jumped on the table to frighten him.

"Khalisa, calm down the cat has been entered." Azfan's hand moved about to touch Khalisa's vibrating shoulder but the movement stopped in the air after realizing that it should not be done. Azfan could not see the tiny body that usually looks cheerful and strong is now fragile. Azfan wanted to embrace it and said that everything was fine now.

"I want to go home." Lirih Khalisa is a bit stuck.

"Yes, I opened the door."

Khalisa retreated to let Azfan open the door, he was too scared to turn the doorknob himself.

"Sorry Khalisa."

Khalisa wanted to say that Azfan did not need to apologize but he was not doing well so that no sound could come out of his mouth.

"You can go home by yourself?"

Khalisa nodded, he rubbed his cheeks wet with tears.

Azfan saw a shiny red car stop in front of the Mangan Gelato building. A moment later Rindang seemed to step down towards Khalisa.

"Khalisa, what's wrong with you?" Rindang held onto Khalisa's arm, he accidentally saw Khalisa when passing by just now. From a distance he could tell that Khalisa was not doing well.

"Barusan Khalisa see the cat inside so he—"

"Cat!" Repeat the leaflet before Azfan finishes his sentence. "Khalisa, let's get in the car." Rindang pulled Khalisa's hand and took him into the car.

He came back to Azfan.

"Sindang, I'm sorry I didn't know the cat jumped on the table."

"Azfan, I have to tell you something, Khalisa is an ailurophobia sufferer." Tukas Rindang before leaving Azfan.

The Leafy car slowly moved away from the not-so-wide Mangan Gelato yard, just enough for one car and a few motorcycles. Azfan was still glued to the door even when Rindang's car was no longer visible. Azfan thought Khalisa's fear in cats was just a common fear like everyone else in general. Khalisa has ailurophobia.

"Father, finish your gelato and go home soon." Azfan said coldly to Ayu.

"Where is Temen Mas?" Ayu looks at Khalisa's untouched gelato.

"home."

"Well, did you go straight home?"

"You should apologize, not say that." Azfan proceeded to clear the storefront quickly because he wanted to go home soon.

Ayu was speechless at Azfan's cold voice, so she took her cat bag and walked out of the room without saying anything more.

******

Rindang glanced at Khalisa who was closing his eyes leaning on the car seat. Apparently Khalisa already knows how to calm himself as the doctor has taught. In recent years, Khalisa had to visit a psychiatrist regularly when he showed a more severe fear of cats. Only after Khalisa started college did he no longer do therapy because his phobia of cats began to be overcome.

"Tante and Om are home?" Rindang tried to divert Khalisa's mind.

"Udah." Khalisa replied in a very slow voice almost inaudible.

"Tonight I slept in your apartment huh." Rindang worried about Khalisa's situation if he left it alone.

Khalisa.

Rindang was reluctant to ask how it could happen. Rindang's question will only make Khalisa more frightened and can not forget the event. During this time Khalisa is fine because in the campus area there are no cats wandering. In the apartment, none of the residents who keep cats.

"Would you eat what let me masakin or we just deliver order?" Tanya Rindang arrived at Khalisa apartment unit. He put his college bag on the sofa and stepped towards the dispenser to fetch some drinking water.

"I want to pray magrib first, Adzan already." Khalisa entered his room leaving Rindang who was sipping water.

"You really love your God." Rindang muttered then threw his body onto the soft sofa in the living room. Rindang guess Khalisa will not move from his alphabet until later tonight. That's how Khalisa calms his mind. Rindang had no idea what Khalisa was saying to his God at a time like this.

Leafy to hear the sound of the bathroom door being opened, he will shower first and change clothes because his body feels sticky.

"I took a shower, too, a shirt."

"What clothes?" Khalisa wiped his face wet with ablution water.

"Sleeping clothes, do you have any clothes other than a nightgown and a robe?" Rindang tilted his head to look at Khalisa who did not laugh at all even though he had tried to joke.

"Pick what you like." Khalisa held a prayer mat and wore a white face made of silk that makes it look more beautiful.

As a woman, Rindang did not deny that the faith made the Muslim women look more charming.

"okay!" Rindang opened Khalisa's wardrobe which was mostly filled with gamis. Other clothes are long-sleeved nightgowns, alma mater suits and some organization suits.

Before entering the bathroom, Rindang glanced at Khalisa who was praying. He is not willing if his cheerful friend returned moody because of the phobia.