Short Story (Cerpen)

Red Umbrella (Part 1)

Category: Fiction Fantasy Short stories

Title: Red Umbrella (part 1)

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Thursday afternoon was met with a fairly heavy rain. Dark clouds rolled around with lightning that once struck weakly. Millions of water spots flushed the district area, including my school. Spots of water splashed on the asphalt. There are also splashed after hitting the thin and pointed ends of the grass.

I stood dumbstruck at the security guard post waiting for the rain that never passed. I just got home from the White Pigeon training routine. Actually, rain is not a problem for me. It's Thursday. It doesn't matter to me to run in the rain because tomorrow I can change uniforms. I also used to rain during training. The problem is my spare shoe is being borrowed by a neighbor. Oh, that's not the point. The point is I forgot to bring a bag of crackles to wrap the books in my bag. My bag is a little broken. Because only half dipper raindrops, books in my bag can not because of its shape.

30 Minutes passed. The rain was not as hard as it had been 30 minutes before. Relatively safe conditions. I can get out of the security guard post now. I calmly set foot one step away from the post and walked towards the gate. Then, just get ready to cross the road to the front stop of the school.

Unfortunately, not so long ago that calmness was present, my eyes caught the shadow of the rain speck that was again solidifying. I'm looking. Justright. In less than half a second my face was soaked. I immediately took off my jacket and wrapped my bag with it. I protected my bag with my body so that it would not be exposed to rain. Meanwhile, the raindrops violently invaded my body. The cold temperature plus my wet body made me shiver. Damn, the highway is not empty. I was trapped in the rain.

Suddenly, in the midst of my worries I chose between returning to the security guard post or not 'because the distance of the security guard post I had to go by running if I wanted my bag to be guaranteed dry, my body is miraculously free from the rain. In fact, when I look straight ahead, it is still clearly visible points of water that fall tightly. I'm looking. My forehead creased as soon as I found a red umbrella over my head. My gaze went down following the handle of an umbrella made of aluminum. And I found the hand of the owner of the umbrella holding the end of the handle made of red plastic as well. His hand was raised as high as my shoulder. I smiled at that man.

'Kiki,' said. 'New home?'

The owner of the umbrella looked over, then smiled broadly. Yeah, her name is Kiki. He's my classmate. His height only reached my shoulders. His uniform was a long gray with a black veil stretched out beyond his chest. His skin was burnt brown because he often found me walking back and forth while carrying a net pole, net roll, or basket ball under the hot sun every Thursday. And yes, he took up volleyball on the same day as my White Pigeon training routine. We often go home together. But, for an incident where we were under one umbrella we have never been. Honestly, I'm a little awkward. I'm a guy, and it's weird to share an umbrella with a girl.

Kiki just looked to the left right of the highway as if to cross. He didn't answer my question.

'Cross now, yuk!' bring Kiki. 'I'm safe, nih!'

I looked at the road. It's true, the road is safe. I nodded, then held onto the handle of my umbrella and Kiki crossed over together, then sat at the front stop of the school next to each other. My card bag was wrapped in a jacket, then leaned on the back of the chair casually.

'You are strange, ' Kiki said suddenly.

I'm turning. I found Kiki looking at my bags with a deep frown. 'Why? What is weird?'

Kiki smiled a little. 'That's it, jacket time make 'buntel' bag so? You should make the body cover so that it does not get cold!'

I grin. 'I forgot to bring crackles to wrap my book. So, let's not get wet, yes don't pack a jacket. Hehe…'

Kiki. He handed me his red umbrella which he had blown away. 'Take it!'

I stared at the umbrella. 'Lho? How did you get?'

'Quiet, ' Kiki replied with a smile. 'My house is off the highway, really! I also packed my books. You're more worried.'

I looked at Kiki and her red umbrella in doubt. I'm not sure Kiki's house is close to the highway. Kiki village is one way with my village. And I often saw him jump off the bus and run to his house that I didn't know was located. Kiki's house could be further from the highway than mine.

'Udah, Do! Don't be confused, ' said Kiki suddenly. 'Take it, nih!'

I paused for a moment to look at Kiki and her red umbrella. Then, with great consideration, I received the umbrella.

'Still, Ki, ' I said softly.

Kiki nodded with a wide smile, her signature style. 'Same-sama.'

Shortly after, our bus arrived. We immediately got on the bus, then sat down near the door of the bus which then sped up in the rain.

—

I carefully took a step on the hollow asphalt here and there and muddied towards my house. The red umbrella protected me from the heavy and tight rain. My red jacket was put back on, while my carry-on bag was safely draped behind my back.

After five minutes of struggling on the road, I finally got home. My mother was waiting for me at the door. Immediately I approached my mother, put an umbrella on the porch, and kissed her hand while greeting.

'Oh my goodness, Yudo.' sighed mama after finding me soaking wet in a dry jacket. 'You flirting? Is your book wet? Then, your jacket can dry like that?'

I grin. 'Well, I thought to myself!' I answered while sitting on the porch chair to take off my shoes.

'Whose umbrella is that?' mama asked as soon as she saw the red umbrella I had put down.

'Have temen, ma, ' I replied.

'Oh,' reply mom. 'But yeah, don't let it run, dong! Put it inside! Got temen, you know!'

I didn't answer. After I finished taking off my shoes, I grabbed the umbrella, flicked it for a while, closed it, and then took it into the house. I put the umbrella behind the door, while I went to take a shower.

Ten minutes later, I returned to move the red umbrella to my room. Adzan maghrib immediately reverberated. I jerked. I looked at the wall clock. Six o'clock over twenty minutes. I looked through the window. The sky is dark. The rain just stopped. I looked back at the red umbrella in my hand and smiled.

'Try that Kiki is not a minjemin, ' I said to the umbrella. 'I'm definitely home at this hour!'

—

The next day, I walked to chemistry class with a red umbrella in my right hand. This time I put my red jacket on my shoulder. Last night with the red umbrella I dried it in the warehouse behind the house. Today I will return the red umbrella to the owner, Kiki.

I looked at the red umbrella in my right hand. The color is bright glittering in the morning sunlight. What a beautiful color. I don't wonder why Kiki made this umbrella her favorite umbrella 'Kiki always carry this umbrella every day since the rainy season comes. The color of this umbrella is clearly visible among the rain curtains under the rolling clouds of the titan. Maybe Kiki wants people who need a place to shelter from the rain to see her umbrella.

I smiled as I remembered how often I had seen Kiki under this red umbrella with a stranger on the asphalt road to the school gate. What makes it funny is that Kiki does not offer help with words first, but just directly 'perch' near the person in need with an umbrella that knows already developed above the head. The person he helped. Teachers, underclassmen, upperclassmen, classmates, employees, school guests, even school guards.

A few minutes later, I arrived at chemistry class. After putting the bag on my stool, I approached Kiki with a red umbrella in hand. Kiki was busy listening to music on her phone 'without earphones' while sitting in the teacher's chair.

Kiki's head which was originally mangosteen to the rhythm of music suddenly silent. He looked over, looked at his red umbrella and smiled slightly.

'Your book is safe?' ask Kiki.

I'm nodding. 'Alhamdulillah. Thanks for the umbrella! If you don't come, yesterday I don't know what I will be at home.'

Kiki laughed lightly. 'Same-sama. Put it under the table, ' he answered while pointing at the bench where he put his purple backpack.

I'm nodding. I took Kiki's red umbrella to the bench that Kiki was referring to, and I placed the red umbrella under the table in a cross-sectional position with the table. Then, I went back to my stool and busied myself with practicing chemistry in my package book.

—

Time does not feel passing. The bell came home ringing loudly. I did not go home immediately because I intended to pray Friday at the school mosque. My house is too far away. There will be no Friday prayers if I choose to go home.

The weather is still not supportive. The rain was quite heavy again. I, along with other friends, was stuck in the hallway at the end of the biology classroom while staring at the rain. The rain was too heavy for us to get through. There is no shortcut to the mosque other than crossing a muddy volleyball court. And it's not funny that we have to pray in the wet.

I'm sighing. I stared around. The other friends seemed busy in front of me, grumbling with the rain at the wrong time. While I was alone in the back row.

In the midst of my confusion, Kiki suddenly stood beside me. I was shocked to find his presence. Kiki smiled broadly.

'You want to pray Friday?' ask Kiki.

I breathe a lot. In my heart I could already guess what Kiki was going to do. Especially if you don't lend me the red umbrella?

'That', ' I replied weakly.

And, as I expected, Kiki easily thrust her red umbrella at me. 'Get it!'

This time, without consideration I took the red umbrella. In addition to the increasingly tight prayer time, the number of students who were stunned at the end of the hall made me gladly accept Kiki's red umbrella.

'Okah, ' I said as I received the umbrella.

'Sip!' kiki Sahut. 'But remember, don't walk under that umbrella alone, or I won't lend you that umbrella again!'

I nodded in response. 'You wait for me, yeah! Jum'atan I returned this umbrella.'

Kiki smiled as she nodded. Then, without a word he passed back to biology class. In the meantime I advanced to the front row and developed a red umbrella. Sure enough, the friends who were about to cross immediately mengurutiku want to join the shelter. But, the number of students and umbrellas that were limited in width made the atmosphere chaotic. I thought hard to break up the mess.

'Wait temen-tenuations!' I cried out while looking at the red umbrella. Soon I was wondering how many people could come together to cross the field.

'Look, ' I'm starting to make a sound. 'Later, 4 people crossed together. I will go back and forth while bringing 3 people between you. How's it?'

There was a moment of noise, and then a voice heard that they approved my proposal. I smiled with relief. Then, I started driving the first 3 people across.

—

Friday prayers are over. The rain wasn't as hard as an hour ago. Maybe yes, in the middle of the prayer was raining had come down with a rush. With the red umbrella still developing because it was wet, I walked towards the biology class about to approach Kiki. He must have waited a long time.

However, as soon as I arrived, the classroom door was already locked. Large padlock installed. No one's around 'except me, of course. I cringed as I remembered Kiki. I have no idea why the door was locked this early. Plus the whereabouts of Kiki I don't know about.

The rain suddenly returned. I'm termangu. Maybe Kiki was at the stop. I understand the nature of the boy. After school, other than Thursday, Kiki must have been at the stop. Immediately I pierced through the rain with a red umbrella overshadowing me.

With a quick step I walked out of the inner field then down the asphalt road towards the outer gate with a red umbrella over my head. Just as I reached halfway to the gate, I saw the figure of a schoolgirl in scout uniform standing at the gate. His body was tall and thin, standing limply on the highway. The bag is purple, just like I saw this morning. Athaghfirullah!

'Kiki!' screams instantly. The owner of the umbrella even rained alone while I calmly hung under his umbrella. Immediately I ran up to Kiki and thrust a red umbrella halfway up her head so that she would no longer be rained. Kiki looked stunned for a moment, then slowly turned to look at me. I flinched as soon as I found her blue lips and her pale white face.

'Astaghfirullah.' I was shocked to get mixed up because Kiki left the biology room and rained. 'Why aren't you waiting for me?!'

Kiki didn't answer my question. He also holds the handle of the umbrella and looks left-right, ensuring the condition of the road. 'We're crossing now, yuk!'

I swallowed spit. Again he did not answer my question. Then, the two of us crossed the road together under the shade of a red umbrella. We both sat on the bus bench waiting for the bus to arrive.

I sat down at my place in a fret. It feels strange because it has let Kiki, the owner of a red umbrella that used to shade people with her umbrella, rain alone without an umbrella that can shade her. I secretly checked on Kiki. He sat curled up while shivering with coldness. Can't stand me seeing it. I immediately took my red jacket in the bag, then slipped it into Kiki's body.

Kiki momentarily fell silent, then slowly looked at me. I returned his gaze. And I don't know how long we've been staring at each other, without a word.

'Still, ' said Kiki at last with a faint smile as she put the jacket over her body.

I started to smile with relief. 'Same-sama. My jacket is taken home!'

Kiki just nodded slowly.

'Oh yes, thanks again for the umbrella, ' I added.

Kiki nodded slowly. 'If I can't bring that umbrella anymore, you bring it, will you?'

This time I was silent, confused. I don't understand what Kiki said. Don't-don't…

'Ah! No way!' I immediately dismissed my bad guess. But, for some reason, how many times I tried to brush it off, the bad guess just kept coming up. I could only look at Kiki anxiously.