Mahabbah Love Khalisa

94

Rindang's smile expands satisfied to see his own workspace that he has redecorated. Actually not much change, Rindang just throw old items that are not needed and add one mannequin in the corner of the room to display the sewn clothes. The shady reaction is too much for a room that doesn't change much. That's because Rindang never cleaned his apartment. Rindang always uses the services of others to do so. But the last few weeks Rindang filled his free time by cleaning his own apartment. Turns out it was a fun thing.

The clink of the bell distracts Rindang, before coming out he first glanced at the wall clock that shows at 11 pm. Who comes almost midnight like this especially outside is raining. Shady hesitated about to step into the living room. He had a bad experience with the sound of the bell or the knocking of the door.

Given that Rindang rarely received guests in his apartment, he became increasingly parno. His mind drifted everywhere. Since deciding to embrace Islam her friendship network has narrowed. Rindang is no longer friends with people who can not accept the change.

"Khalisa!" Rindang widened to see Khalisa's face appear on the monitor, he hurriedly opened the door because his best friend's face looked tangled and drenched like a cat. "You're saying gini rain." Rindang pulled Khalisa in. "Aren't there umbrellas at home?" Rindang was even more surprised to see Khalisa's feet were only wrapped in sandalless socks.

Rindang pushed Khalisa's shoulder to sit him on the sofa. Rindang took off Khalisa's socks so he could see Khalisa's pair of pale white, wrinkled legs. How long Khalisa has been in the rain. Rindang sure not just one or two hours because the state of Khalisa looks very chaotic.

"Change clothes first." Rindang said softly, he did not know what happened to Khalisa but the first thing he had to do was change Khalisa's clothes.

Khalisa poured into Rindang's arms and sobbed, his tears flowing like rain that night. Khalisa had been crying for too long but his tears did not subside. It has a huge stock of tears.

Rindang patted Khalisa's back to calm him down, he didn't care if his clothes got wet because of it. If Khalisa is crying as well as this, it is not a trivial matter. Rindang knew very well Khalisa was a person who rarely cried.

After more calm Rindang guided Khalisa to take a warm bath so as not to catch a cold and change clothes. Khalisa hasn't said anything. Rindang also did not ask further why Khalisa walked in the rain from home to here. The distance where they live is not too far, about 15 minutes if walking.

"What's wrong?" Rindang looked at Khalisa who was sitting cross-legged in front of him. Khalisa's views are still loyal to Rindang's new white bed cover.

Rindang Apartment is the last place that Khalisa went to in hopes of finding Azfan here even though it was almost impossible. Khalisa had been looking for Azfan to the calligraphy shop, calling his father-in-law in Bantul, Kafa, Huma to Geza, anyone who flashed in his mind. Azfan is not there. Supposedly if Azfan went to Bantul, now he has arrived. But Kirana said Azfan could not go home without Khalisa.

Khalisa desperately doesn't know where to find Azfan. This time the mistake was unusually large, larger than Mount Merapi which every day became the view while on the terrace of the house.

"here." Rindang again pulled Khalisa into his arms after hearing all the stories of Khalisa. Rindang did not want to blame Khalisa or Azfan. Notnot now.

"I asked Azfan to marry Naira." Lirih Khalisa after gathering strength to say so.

Rindang's body stiffened in disbelief at what Khalisa said. Why would Khalisa do such a stupid thing.

"Continue?" Rindang tried to condition his shock.

"Mas Azfan was furious and left."

"Why are you so reckless about it, I know you want to have a child but even if Azfan marries again, it's not your son, I know you want to have a child, that's Azfan's son and another woman then what's the difference between child adoption." Rindang unraveled a hug staring at Khalisa. "Can you share a husband?"

Khalisa shook his head, Mother Aisyah was often jealous of other wives of the Prophet let alone just a Khalisa.

"You can picture any form of clothes you want, unlimited free and you can also sew yourself but not with household life."

"I don't think we're going to get a kid from Naira— at all"

"Naira?" Whether how many times Rindang was surprised by Khalisa's sentences, it turns out that Khalisa has prepared everything so far.

"Today I met Naira—"

Khalisa raised his face to look at Rindang, he started his meeting with Naira yesterday. Not only discussing the calligraphy that Naira wants, their discussion is much deeper than Khalisa thinks.

*******

"Why did you buy this calligraphy, it's so big." Khalisa saw Idris who was lowering the calligraphy verse of a chair measuring 1 meter.

Naira only smiled faintly to answer Khalisa's question, she did want this calligraphy to be displayed in the living room of her house. Naira hopes that people at home like the beautiful calligraphy especially the maker is Azfan. At least Naira can bring home Azfan's work because he can't bring the maker.

"You look like you're lacking a break, the college schedule is really tight." Khalisa steps up to the cashier's desk while Idris inserts the calligraphy into Naira's car.

"I'm sick." Naira gave her phone a QR code scan to pay for the two calligraphy she had chosen.

"It can't be just vitamins." Naira put the phone back in her cardigan pocket.

Khalisa surrounds the cashier table taking one seat for Naira, they sit opposite. At first glance he saw Huma who had been busy reading a novel in the corner of the room, coming out while talking to someone over the phone. Khalisa wanted to ask where Huma was going but seeing Naira's serious face, he preferred to pay attention to the girl his age.

"What pain did you have, Nai?" Khalisa asked carefully if there was anything worse than the type one diabetes that Rindang suffered from. Khalisa was horrified to imagine it.

"I haven't told this story to anyone including Abah and Umi," Naira upheld her seat. "Have you ever heard of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome?"

Khalisa stiffened hearing the name of the disease that Naira said, he shifted his seat closer to Naira. He nodded in disbelief.

"You can't be sick." Khalisa spontaneously touched the back of Naira's hand. Chilly.

"It's actually so." Naira laughed out the sadness that had been lingering in her heart. He laughed as if he could face this disease when not at all. Naira wanted to give up but she had not fought. Especially what he can do. Dark world. "After this I will move to Yemen."

"Change and Umi agree?" Cut Khalisa.

Naira nodded, "even though they don't know the real reason but they support me."

"You want to live alone away from your family and your homeland?"

"I'm not alone, I'll have a lot of friends there."

"You sound desperate."

"I must not despair, God is fair, He gives health to some and gives strength to others."

Khalisa grasped Naira's trembling hand, he knew how hard it was to accept reality but God gave the trials together with far greater strength.

"Khalisa because after this we might not meet, I can say something?" Naira placed her other hand on top of Khalisa's.

"Of course, whatever it is."

"Sorry Khalisa, actually I had fantasized about marrying Azfan." Naira laughed at the end of her sentence covering up the growing nervousness.

Naira put a sense towards Azfan since they were still in High School. Especially after knowing Azfan also likes it. Naira was always waiting for Azfan to express his feelings to her. Their age is very young but Naira thinks it is not impossible for them to get married at the age. Naira's two older brothers were also married before the age of 20. But it turns out that to get out of the cabin Azfan did not also express his feelings. After that Naira never heard from Azfan, she also began to learn to forget his feelings.

"When the reunion first, I really wanted to come because Azfan will be present but I just found out that he was married."

"Mas Azfan said you were his first love." Sela Khalisa's.

"I'm a disgrace to be good friends with Azfan's wife, you're an amazingly good woman." Naira's eyes glazed between moved and sad because the situation is now no longer what it used to be. Naira felt herself reborn as another human being.

"You want to marry Mas Azfan?" The question suddenly came from Khalisa's mouth. A second later Khalisa was surprised by his own question.

"Azfan can't possibly."

"Want to?"

Naira nodded and shook her head quickly, releasing her hand from Khalisa's grasp. They are good friends but Naira can't do it. No matter how much Naira loved Azfan, he could not have been a thorn in the Khalisa and Azfan households.

******

"If Naira's the only one who's sick is the reason you married her to Azfan, I'm sick too!" Rindang grumbled at Khalisa's decision. If that happens Rindang will stand at the front to thwart him again he wears a veil. People won't recognize him.