The Bond of Our Love

CHAPTER 6 - Zahra's Rage

He has habits. Every time he made a cake, he would leave a little to share with the people who were Zahra patients. He hopes that by doing so, he can strengthen the good relationship between Zahra and her patients.

Ms. Sakinah is very proud of the profession pursued by her only child. For him, being part of the medical staff is a noble job.

"Yes, Mom, I'll tell you later. Yes already, Zahra left first huh. Assalamualaikum" Zahra received the boxes from Sakinah's hands and put them in her bag. Then he nodded and kissed his mother's hand.

"Greetings waalaikum, be careful on the road" Sakinah kissed Zahra's forehead fondly.

"Yes Ma'am" Zahra left his residence to carry out his duties as a hospital worker in his village.

But before he went to the hospital, he would stop by the nearest stalls to leave his mother's cakes.

This is his routine every day. Ms. Sakinah is very adept at making a wide variety of food and uses her skills to make a living. Not infrequently the neighbors and residents around use his services to make a menu of food (catering) in their celebration events.

Zahra had asked her mother many times to quit her job. Given his often sickly condition. But his mother always argued that he was bored and needed busy to fill his free time.

Though Zahra knew that his mother did it all because she could not bear to burden him too much in their financial problems.

*******

Zahra walked smoothly down the corridor of the hospital where she worked. And he kept throwing it at everyone who passed him along the corridor. Be it doctors, patients or nurses. They all greeted him kindly.

After changing his clothes with a nurse uniform, Zahra immediately did his job between guarding and accompanying patients in accordance with the orders of his superiors.

His mother left four boxes of cake. In accordance with his mandate, he distributed one by one the box of mica containing the cake to patients who were in the period of treatment.

Three boxes of ludes have been divided into three different patients. There is only one box left. Then he remembered the handsome blind patient who had clashed with him yesterday.

He gave the cake to the man. Yesterday he had gone too far to offend the man. Now he wants to give this cake and apologize back to her. Hopefully after this, there will be no more feud between them. And they can have a good relationship as nurses and patients.

"Good morning handsome" Zahra exclaimed cheerfully as she opened the door and entered the room. But he was a little surprised when he found the man in front of him. Walking towards the door without wearing the patient's uniform again. But ordinary clothes (the clothes he wore when the residents first took him to the hospital).

"Hey, where are you going? Why aren't you wearing a patient uniform anymore?" Zahra immediately approached and held the man's arm with a questionable look.

Rahul felt familiar with the voice of the girl who reprimanded and held his hand. "Aren't you the lady nurse from yesterday?"

"Yes right. Wow..it turns out you still remember my voice yes...."Zahra smiled broadly.

Rahul refuses to serve the strange woman. "Where is the administration?" tukas Rahul flat.

"Why are you asking the administration?" ask Zahra again in wonder.

"I asked where is the administration?!" Rahul slightly raised the volume of his voice. Anxiety began to return to her because of the woman's actions.

"I also asked why are you asking the administration? Can you not, just answer my question once? I answer every time you ask...." Zahra won't lose either.

"Whatever I want to do, it's none of your business" Rahul said coldly.

"Yes, you're right, it's none of my business. Why am I tired of answering it? It has nothing to do with me" said Zahra calmly, then turned her body and was about to step up.

He is used to dealing with patients who are careless, and already knows how to handle it. Rahul clenched his teeth holding back anger.

"I want to pay all the bills while I'm here. So that I can immediately leave this hospital" he replied immediately furious. Zahra turned her back to face Rahul.

"Why ask my family? What's your business with them?"

"Of course because they're your family. So they have to take responsibility for it?"

"Listen well Miss nurse, it's none of your business at all. I'm not a kid who can't take care of myself. That nothing should involve my family just because I'm blind" Rahul said.

"It's not like that I mean, please don't misunderstand me just yet. Do you have the money to pay for this hospital if you don't have your family? As far as I know, when the villagers brought you here, you didn't have a penny"

Rahul tried to understand Zahra's words. Come to think of it, what that strange sister said had a point. He doesn't have a penny. What does he have to pay for the hospital?

Did he have to call his family and tell them he was in the hospital being gnawed? Would his family be happy to know he was alive and survived a plane crash the other day? Or just the opposite? They would even feel happy if he was declared dead and just disappeared? What's he supposed to do now?

Despite not knowing what the man was thinking, Zahra seemed sensitive enough to understand that her patient was agitated.

"Yes, I don't think it's the right time to talk about that. Now think about your health. You just regained consciousness, your condition is still not fully improved. You still need an examination, treatment. So you better rest now. Don't even think about leaving this place first. Oh yeah, I got something for you"

Zahra took Rahul's hand and grabbed the box with her mother's cake in her hand.

"I don't need anything from you. So just bring it back, or give it to someone else" Rahul held Zahra's hand and clasped the mica box back into his hand.

"In the meantime" assuming Rahul's rejection was just the wind, Zahra immediately opened the box and took one of the cakes inside.

"it's a brown banana, my mom made it. You knew? My mother is very good at making various types of dishes including cakes. Even in our village, he was called a chef. And she always leaves her homemade cookies for my patients. Some boxes I gave to others. Here I leave a box for you. Come eat" she handed the cake Rahul's mouth.

"I told you I don't want to give it to others" Rahul refused, turning his face away. Trying to keep his mouth away from the cake.

"You said that because you haven't tasted it yet. I'm sure you'll be hooked. Let's try first" Zahra continued to insist even though the man continued to reject her. Until finally Rahul's patience runs out.

With a huff he brushed off the girl's hand. As a result, the box with the cakes in his hand fell scattered on the floor. Zahra jumped with the man's rude attitude.

"Listen well Miss, what was your name yesterday? Oh yes, Miss Azzahra Alfathunnisa! You have absolutely no relationship with me! you are not my family, brother or friend! So stop acting so familiar with me! Because I don't need mercy from you or anyone else! And one more thing, didn't I just refuse your gift?! why do you keep forcing? do you not understand Indonesian?! Did your mother never teach you not to interfere or interfere in other people's affairs?! Was your mother too busy with her nickname as a chef that there was no time to educate her daughter....?" the words of mockery immediately sprung from Rahul's mouth.

PLAACQUES

Zahra slapped the man in the face. Rahul is shocked by the woman's actions towards him. Zahra looked at Rahul with a wrathful look.

"Please insult me as you please. But never once did you dare insult my mother! Because you're nothing about him! And what did you say? Pity you? You're right, I feel sorry for you. Not on your blindness, but on your loser soul!" Zahra said fieryly, her voice trembling slightly. His eyes looked red and teary.

While Rahul, his jaw appears hardened with a murderous look. Her emotions that had not been completely dimmed came back soaring hearing the phrase 'loser' that the girl pinned on her after she gave him a slap.

"There is no perfect person in this world. Everyone must have their own shortcomings and advantages. It all depends on the way they react. Will they make their shortcomings a weapon for themselves to prove to the world that they too can be precious as jewels. Even though they have shortcomings, they are able to cover them with the advantages they have. Or vice versa, making their shortcomings as weapons and opportunities for the world, to degrade them like useless pebbles, which deserve to be trampled. And unfortunately, you chose the second one. You choose to be seen as a pebble that has no meaning for anyone. Compared to a precious jewel for everyone. And that's what makes me feel sorry for you..."

"Have the lecture finished? can you get out of here and let me rest?" crush Rahul with a low tone of voice and vibrate. His breathing went up and down, trying to dampen his anger so as not to overflow again. His face looked fed up.

"of course. Because I'm not interested in lingering here either. With a loser guy like you" continued Zahra with a cynical look.

"The one who poses as the most suffering and persecuted before the whole world. Just like your eyes are blind, your heart is just as blind. So you can't see that there are still many people out there who are far more miserable and imperfect than you. But they use their common sense to make their shortcomings an example and an inspiration to others. Not as a chain that would shackle his happiness. Huh..but why would I say this to you? just free. Because your heart has been enslaved by hatred and vengeance against your own destiny"

And he passed. Leaving Rahul with an erratic feeling.