MY LOVELY AUTHOR'S

BEFORE REGRET COMES PART 5

Arata’POV

            At ten in the morning, four ambulances drove four coffins containing the four bodies of the Author family lying inside. From Wiyarta's residence, three cars accompanied the four ambulances to the burial site where the Author family will be buried. At the burial site, some of Author's friends and co-workers, and then there are some of the Author's family's colleagues and friends who come to pay their last respects to the Author's family. They were all grieved by the unfortunate incident that befell the Author family and among all those who came, Miss Warda's cry was the most dramatic cry even more dramatic than the Author's.

            After the funeral, Non Warda explains a little secret to the Author - a secret that no one ever expected.

            Miss Warda knows Author's mother well.  Miss Warda is the son of a good acquaintance of Author's Mother. Due to frequent visits to the Author's Mother's house, Miss Warda recognized Author's face as the son of her mother's acquaintance. Whether it was a coincidence or not, Miss Warda could not explain it. But ... Miss Warda was really surprised when she found the author of the novel she was fighting for was the son of a good acquaintance of her mother.

            Recognizing the Author, Ms. Warda later recounted her meeting with Author to Ms. Author. And who would have thought if he heard the story from Miss Warda, Ibu Author would feel very happy because he missed his first daughter who refused to go home after being sent to his grandmother's house. Since then ... The Author's mother and the Author's family are aware of the Author's life development through Miss Warda.

            After waiting for some time, Ibu Author had the desire to visit Author. But the wish is finally undone because suddenly the Author still has not cured his trauma. The desire was continuously undo until finally the courage in the heart of Mother Author finally shrunk. Seeing the life of the now happy Author along with someone who loves him and is able to take better care of him than the family who once threw him away, Author's mother and Author's family finally decided to never appear before the Author because they did not want to ruin the happiness of the Author after a long life of suffering in confinement.

            “So all this time the food you brought me was the cooking of my mother?” The Author directly asked Miss Warda the question when Miss Warda completed her confession for her little secret from the Author all along.

            “I'm sorry, Asha. I know, I should have told you this a long time ago, but .. I promised your mother to keep this from you. Your mother asked me to promise because in the future she wants to show herself in front of you and tell her herself.” Miss Warda wept with a guilty face looking at Author who was now crying in front of the four graves of her family. “Repeatedly Your mother, your father and your two brothers wanted to see you, but your condition has not improved at all. So they wait until your condition improves, to show up in front of you. The opportunity arose when you were close to Arata, but .. because of Bora's actions, your family abandoned its intentions.”

            I know the reason why Miss Warda who had been hiding her relationship with the Author family now opened her mouth and broke her promise. The reason is none other than wanting to tell Author if the family that used to dump Author has realized their mistake on Author.

            After hearing Miss Warda's confession for an hour, Author continued to cry in front of the four graves of her family. I know what Author is feeling right now: Author now really regrets the choice he made a few days ago.

            “I promise you guys ..” While waiting for Author to cry in front of the four graves of his family, I who stood behind Author made an appointment to the Author family in my mind. “I promise ... will make the person who has made you lie there and not have time to improve your relationship with Author, get the right reply for his actions. I promise I'll find the guy and get him in jail!”

“This??”

“It looks like someone is stalking Asha, Arata!”

I showed a black envelope containing a threat to Brother Kendra to hear her opinion. “See this, Brother! What do you think this black envelope sending brother is the same person as the person who appeared on this tape?”

Kendra shook her head. “I'm not sure. But after making sure someone was stalking Asha, I deliberately asked Pak Raya to take CCTV footage of the apartment building Asha lived in. Pak Raya will give you news if you find someone who is the same as in this recording.”

“How do you know if someone is stalking Author?”

Kendra explained her encounter with Author, Author's conversation with my mother and Kendra's sister who happened to accidentally see Author's stalker.

“Then ... how did you find these envelopes, Arata?? You didn't find the culprit when you found these envelopes?”

“Until now, Author lied to me about this black envelope and told me if this black envelope came from his fans. If it wasn't for the teacher who saw it, I probably wouldn't know. For not finding suspicious and excessive action, the, I just kept Author from a distance by asking the apartment building guards to let Kak Rama know if Author went from his apartment and told him who the guests the Author received every day. But today ... I found this envelope already inside Author's apartment. Then I asked Kak Warda and Sena who came that day to Author's apartment. Sena said she accidentally saw Author's apartment mailbox full of black envelopes and brought it in.”

“I wish my guess was wrong, Brother. But ... It looks like the person who burned down the Author family home is the same person as the sender of this black envelope, Kak.”

While recalling my secret conversation last night with Brother Kendra, I made an appointment in front of the four tombs of the Author family.

*

The next night when I confirmed that Author had gone to sleep, I saw my mother sitting on the balcony on the second floor enjoying her usual chamomile tea. This time ... learning from what happened to Author, I who had always refused to go near and come to my mother, now walked up to her.

“Arata, you haven't slept?” My mother immediately turned her head when she heard my footsteps walking up to her and looked at me with a smile on her face. I don't know since when .. I had time together like this with my mom, I don't remember anymore.

“A minute, Bu.”

“How about Asha? Is he asleep?”

“Already, Bu.”

“That's a shame your lover, Arata. She is a nice girl who is polite and considerate. But overnight he lost his family. I heard .. if Asha and her family had a problem until Asha long time did not go home because of the problem.”

Just like Mom, I was sitting leaning against a lounge chair on the balcony on the second floor. We both stared at the night sky without stars and without the moon. There was no sight we could see, but we both sat together and looked at the sky together.

“Yes, Mom. You could say the Author family used to throw it because it was considered to tarnish the family's good name because of problems in the past. Their death will not be a great blow to Author as the Author thinks that the Author family is living happily without him. But after learning of his family's little secret, their death dealt a great blow to Author.”

My mother put down the cup she was holding, approached me and suddenly hugged me. Something warm suddenly dripped down my back clothes and I knew what it was.

“From Asha and the tragedy that befell her family, Mom learns that regret always comes too late. I know .. I'm guilty of you, Arata. I blame you for the bad deeds I received from my mother-in-law. But ... One thing you should know, Mother, Father and your two brothers, always love you. We've been tough on you for a reason.  Before it's too late, I want to apologize to you, Arata. Sorry for saying you are a failure for everyone, sorry for making you suffer and sorry for everything ..”

Hearing my mother's raspy words due to her crying, I returned my mother's embrace to my body. Learning from the sad story of Author and his family, I realized all this time I've been very stubborn. I know my Father, Mother, and two Sisters actually love me, but because of the pain I felt it was really painful, I wanted to avenge the pain by rejecting their affection especially when Grandpa and Grandma died.

Before regrets come, I have to make peace with myself and my past.

Before regrets come, I have to make peace with my family.

That's what I learned from the tragedy that Author is going through that is now regretting the little choice he missed.