THE MENTARY FOR THE ESTUARY

CHAPTER 31, THE LAST GUTS (THE END OF ABHI'S STRUGGLE)

Yup! The competition is over! Now is the time for everyone to indulge in their own version of fun activities. Riana was sitting on a long sofa. Around him, there are fellow teachers who also bring representatives of their students to perform and compete in this activity.

“You, seriously still twenty-one years?” ask Mr. Roni, a high school teacher from Jogja.

“White sir, seriously..” replied Riana politely while bowing her gaze. He was quite clumsy to be in a crowd like this, but he had to wait patiently, because his children were being interviewed by one of the local media Malang.

“And you haven't gone to college? But how can you teach at that school? Isn't that one of the best private High School in your city?” tanya Bu Celine, one of the dance teachers from Surabaya.

“Iya ma'am, don't know why I can hang out there, maybe it is his sustenance,” Riana replied with a smile. Honestly, he actually began to be uncomfortable being asked things that were not related to his work as a teacher. Luckily, suddenly, Muara came and asked him to speak.

“Ri, it's media meetings to meet you, your children are still there, tuh,” said Muara while pointing to a row of sofas to the north of the room.

“A-I? S-Now?” Riana suddenly squeezed the end of her clothes, she started to get anxious.

“Sya, Ri. Relax, everything okay. Yuk,” invite Estuary. Riana finally nodded, despite being broken. And in slow motion, he finally followed the estuary to where his students were.

“Tell me, there you were not so comfortable, right?” tanya Muara half whispered.

“Iya... But meeting reporters is also not a good thing for me now.” replied Riana.

“I know, but trust me, everything will be fine. Yuk,” said Muara reassuringly. Riana nodded, resignedly.

***

Hotel ballroom, again. Now it is a free stage, where anyone can fill in, and showcase his talents, while waiting for the announcement. Riana sat in the middle row, with her children, and Abhi who was the same, was still more silent, just like a few days ago when Riana noticed him.

“Bhi..” Riana's call successfully evoked Abhi from her mind, so she turned to the girl.

“Yes, Ri? Why?”

“You know what is why, some days do not pay attention to just diem, anyway?” ask Riana.

“I am not papa, Ri, most Just tired,” replied Abhi slowly.

“Mas! Mas Abhi!” exclaimed Ganesh while running with Vishnu. Riana surprised. This is a two year old boy why else use all running events?

“You why Nesh? This too, why Vishnu follow-up run?”

“Nyari Mas Abhi, really. Come on, so no?” ask Ganesh.

“Colab equals your band ta? Yes so be it, ayok..” said Abhi.

“Yuk, up, now it's our turn,” says Ganesh. Abhi assented. With Vishnu in tow, they all took to the stage.

“This song I dedicate special to someone who is always special in this heart as well. But either way, he knows or enggak.” Abhi said, shortly after he was in his position. Ganesh felt his sweaty hands on his keyboard keys. Is this day everything going to go straight?

“But no papa, want him to know, or not even, I don't care, because I will continue to sing this song for him.” Said Abhi again. The intro began, and a very upset song was chanted slowly.

“Soul parts

Come near to me

I want you to know

I admire you

You and me

Like a binding prayer

In every step

Your name I called

I fell

I fell back on you

I took off all my dragons

My heart

My heart fell on you

My spirit fell and fell on you

You're my last guts

Hu hu hu

I fell

I fell back on you

I took off all my dragons

My heart

My heart fell on you

My spirit fell and fell on you

You're my last guts ho

You last gutsu” The song titled Last Guts from Glenn Fredly was successfully performed so nicely with ******* that fit by Abhi. But something unexpected happened. After Abhi finished the song, he fell, then was unconscious. Everyone is panicking. Crew on stage, Ganesh's bandmates, even Riana as well. He immediately ran from his seat, to call the medical team to immediately help Abhi.

***

An hour had passed, but Abhi had not yet opened her eyes. The race announcement is about to begin. Riana had heard from the medical team, that the plan, Abhi will be referred to the hospital for further treatment.

Riana fretted. He is unfocused, his mind divided over many things. Riana was still in shock over the sudden collapse of Abhi. He already knew which hospital to go to, but he had to postpone his wish first, because his students here were in need of it, he said, and they were also anxious about the final result obtained after the battle for these few days.

“Dan, the first best achiever on the Student Culture Week's Festifal Band branch is... Number 002, on behalf of Simple Band, the school of origin of Pelita Bangsa High School!” Riana was drowned among the clapping rumbles, and the six teenage children were hugging her from various directions.

“Mother, we did it, we succeeded!” saras exclaimed with excitement while still hugging Riana. Riana wiped away her dripping tears. Unexpectedly, he had done all his best in training his children, and everything did not end in vain, as evidenced by his achievements now, as the first champion in this year's Student Culture Week Festival. And not only is he proud of the achievements achieved by his school, but also Mr. Chess as a coach of the group theater and monologue, because both branches also get the best results, as well, although not the first champion.

“I said also what, muasuuuk Mbak Riana, must josss iki yanse!” said Mr. Chess while patting proudly Riana's shoulder.

“Alhamdulillah, thank you sir. This victory happened also for the cooperation of all.” said Riana.

“But without our best coach, we wouldn't be able to move anywhere, would we? We love you, Ms Rianaaa!” saras said again, while still hugging Riana, not loose. Indeed, Saras is expressive of his son, and because of his attitude in this way; expressive and tend to be ceplos, he can be easily loved and shunned at the same time, because it is so expressive, he can be easily loved and shunned at the same time, he could tell what was on his mind right at the same second, without remembering that he needed to filter it first.

“Iya-iya, Saras, but released first this dong, mother so kayak has a turtle kayak shell if you stick it like this.” Riana laughed, while scrambling Saras's hair.

“Oiyaaa, forgot mom, sorry,” Saras grimaced, then broke away from Riana's embrace. After they took the photos to capture their moment of victory, Muara came and pulled Riana's hand, leading her to a rather quiet corner of the room.

“Why, Ra?”

“You go to the hospital, now, Abhi find you because. Let me anter,” said Muara.

“Must now?” Riana's confused.

“Iya, anyways, I have to tell you something too, and this is important.” Muara said again.

“Hah? What the hell is it? Is this serious, like? Why the hell Ra? What's up?” riana began to panic.

“Later I will tell you, now let's come first..” said Muara. Riana nodded. He was very curious about what Muara was trying to say.

***

Riana stared at the gurney with a figure on it in silence. The figure is the one who has filled his days in the last few months, the figure is his best friend, along with Ganesh, Vishnu, and Muara. It felt unbelievable, yesterday they were still walking together, laughing, and having fun. But why now? Ah... Riana sighed. This news is so sudden. All so suddenly. With a broken expression and feeling, Muara told her something she never really wanted to hear, either now or maybe later.

“Abhi leukaemia, Ri, already stage three..” Riana rubbed the hand that was firmly attached beside the body of the owner. He looked at that face, and his eyes were closed. His heart ached once, he had thought of many possibilities, including, the possibility of losing. One of the many bad life fates he never wanted.

“Riana...” the owner of the body is now talking. His eyes opened, but there was nothing to him, except one; he felt that his hand was now being held by someone.

“Why Bhi? Why should there be this story between us? And this secret..”.

“That's not important, Riana. More important is my heart beating for you. Sorry, Ri, I have tarnished our friendship, I love you.” Abhi said slowly. Riana let her tears just drop. He understands now, about everything ; including what he said at the airport before their departure to Malang City.

“Entah ya Ri. And back this year, I fell in love with a woman again. But I guess once again fate hasn't been on my side. Only problem... Why do I always have to be reunited with him, yes?”

“So... The woman you were referring to in your story at the airport that day... Me?” lirih Riana's. And Abhi's slow nod made the girl's tears flow even more profusely.

“Now it's all up to you. The important thing is that I have said everything, even indirectly, even using songs. Hahaha, it's like a really big ABG huh?” Abhi tries to smile, this is his biggest effort, revealing that he is really tough, though, it just feels the opposite.

“Abhi... Excuse me... Our feelings are not the same.” Riana could no longer. His tears are flowing more and more. He loves Abhi, that's for sure, everyone knows he loves, he cares. But just as a friend, that's all. For the rest, he did not dare, because his trauma had not yet disappeared for the incident of betrayal that befell him yesterday.

“I know... And I don't care, the important thing is that I talked. And thou... You're my last guts, Riana. But I guess you don't need to be with me, because there, outside, somewhere closest to your life, there's someone far more worthy of your company, and he will take care of you too, protecting you from things. Clearly, she's more perfect than me.”.

“Stop talking about perfection, Abhi, no one is really perfect in this world. There is only who remains a good and strong person, even though the world always deceives him, even though fate always jokes in a bad way to him.” Riana said.

“But, about the figure of someone who will continue my struggle to keep you, that's serious, that's real, Ri..”

“What is he?” ask Riana. He was not curious, only, he wanted Abhi to continue talking to him anything, he was not willing that he would lose this man, sooner or later, because of his illness.

“Vote..”.

(BBC).