THE MENTARY FOR THE ESTUARY
CHAPTER 33, GOODBYE, ABHI
Monday is a busy day, for anyone, students, students, and workers, like Riana. Just imagine, this morning he was greeted with administrative duties that piled up, as soon as he entered the teacher's room to put his bag.
“Pantes during my trip earlier, my feeling was not good. Apparently, this tho who has been waiting for me in the room?” Riana laughed, staring at the pile of files on her desk.
“Monday, heavy working day mbak, spirit wes,” said Mr. Chess while sipping his coffee.
“White, sir, the spirit is also for you then,” said Riana while starting to turn on her laptop. Just now he opened a word worksheet to start his activity, suddenly there was a chat in his WhatsApp application. Quickly, Riana opened the chat message.
[Assalamu’alaikum ma'am, this is my Mayang from class XII-Ipa3. Today I have a schedule for our class, in the first hour. Thank you, ma'am.] Oh. Okay, before he battles with a head-dizzying administrative task, he should be ready to go to the 3rd floor immediately, because he will teach in the first hour of the day.
“Where are you, mbak?” ask Mr. Chess.
“Through, sir, I'm looking for the first hour of third class today. I first sir, excuse me..” said Riana politely. Chess sir just nodded. And Riana's slow steps echoed in the room, she came out, towards the class she had to teach this morning.
***
“So, kids, art appreciation it is..” Riana was so engrossed in explaining the material in the book while writing something on the board. Today thank God, classes can be conditioned, no use no drama storms typical of teenagers who make headaches. All the children were so obediently taking down the material presented on the board. Occasionally, Riana also held small discussions with her students. So engrossed in the discussion related to their material, it did not feel half an hour had passed from their lesson hours. In the midst of an exciting discussion, suddenly the HP of one of the students rang, attracting the attention of the class, including Riana.
“Who forgot to turn off the phone ringtone while in class?” asked Riana firmly. His eyes also scanned the entire class.
“I Mayang, ma'am, but sorry, it's a call from the hospital ma'am. Can I lift it?” mayang asked while standing up and showing her phone to Riana.
“Please, Mayang. But, you know, there is no dispensation for the same mistakes that are made over and over again.” Riana said coldly. The student named Mayang nodded, then hurriedly left the class and answered the phone call. Riana did not take a headache, so immediately she continued the material.
***
“Aaaaa, nooooo! This can't be kaaaan? Mas Abhiiiii!” the hysterical scream of Mayang continued to pause the activity from the surrounding classrooms. Riana surprised. His heart was forced out. What happened to Abhi? Why can't she scream so loud?
“Kids, let's go out now, let's calm down first Mayang,” said Riana while hurriedly closing the package book. The children nodded without a sound. Then with a slightly noisy voice, they one class went out, meeting the extraordinarily chaotic Mayang by the balcony, and, which turned out to have also been calmed by friends and teachers from other classes.
“Bu Hana, Ms Sinta, what is it?” riana asked as she approached Mayang who was leaning on the balcony fence while crying.
“His brother died, ma'am, Narendra, who taught at Harapan High School..” JG! The news seemed to tear down half of Riana's consciousness. He wanted to hear once again everything; to make sure that the news might be false, that what was said must not be true.
“Bu... Ma'am... Ms. Riri..” a student shakes Riana's arm. Riana who immediately regained consciousness immediately took quick action.
“Ya already, one of you announced this sad news yes, I will immediately deliver Mayang. I'll tell you where you need to worship. Excuse me first, everyone. Come, May..” said Riana slowly while holding Mayang's hand. Mayang nodded without a sound. Even he also remained silent when Riana took him to the motorbike parking lot, continuing to leave school to go to the hospital.
***
“Mbak... You're not kidding, are you? Seriously go mbak!” ganesh almost cried across the phone.
“Mbak seriously Ganesh, this may be at the funeral home now..”
“Yes ALLAH, Mas Abhi!” finally Ganesh cried, adding to Riana's sad heart. Mayang is still with him. The girl fainted many times, so Riana needed to accompany her and look after her.
“May, this is eat first..” said Riana softly while bringing fried rice to Mayang's room. Mayang was still lying down, staring lazily at Riana and the tray of food she was carrying.
“May no laper, mbak,” he said.
“Dayang, do not be this dear, do not understand what you are feeling, but eat a little yes, from noon, you do not eat anything you know..” persuaded Riana, while holding her food tray. Although heavy, Mayang finally nodded as well. After all, she felt sorry and bad too, because Riana was still in her house, even when time had gone up into the night.
“Mbak, he said Saras CS is still at school, meeting. He'll be here later. Want May to tell you to take a bag no? In the teacher's room, right?” mayang asked while eating fried rice slowly.
“That child of four is still in school? Why?” Riana wonder.
“Training to make a cover video, like they want to be a school representative again for an online band competition held the same... Oh what? Forgot me, but he said that,” explained Mayang.
“Lho no need to mbak, is there a bibik?” prevent Mayang.
“Bibik again did not ask to eat, kasian from earlier he worked continuously. Bentar yes, May..” said Riana. Without waiting for the girl's answer, Riana returned to the kitchen and immediately executed the one that had to be tidied up. While continuing to eat, Mayang rubbed a photo of Abhi in his cellphone gallery. He rubbed the screen of the phone, while his eyes were back in tears.
“Pantes, mas, you are so in love with Sister Riana, because she deserves to be loved, even very worthy. Honey yes you are not a soul mate..” whispered. But he can't drag on. As per Riana's orders, he had to finish his meal.
***
[We're just getting to Jakarta, tomorrow we'll end it, yeah.] Riana read the message that came from Muara. He left for Jakarta with Vishnu and Ganesh. Riana only had time to reply with the word “oke”, before she finally laid her body on the bed. He didn't come home tonight, he slept at Mayang's house, looking after the girl, whose parents are also coming tomorrow from Australia. While Mayang here also only lives with one ART person and his grandmother named Oma Rosa. Oma Rosa is good, she was so good when welcoming Riana, even she also advised Riana to stay there. The slow footsteps in front of the door slightly disturbed the calmness of the night. Riana sat back, and listened.
This house is big – is too big if only lived by three people. Moreover, the building is still so classic, the typical style of Dutch-era houses. Riana was still focused on listening. The footsteps were so slow and orderly, and her voice, believe it or not, was getting closer to the room where Riana was at the moment. The vow... Riana did’a seriously in her heart; whoever this is later who comes, whatever kind of ghost she is, hopefully she does not disturb him.
“Not sleeping, Nak Riana?” Riana was surprised, barely jumping from the top of the bed. But his fear was gone, as soon as he saw Oma Rosa standing before him holding a tray in his hand.
“Be... Not yet, oma,” Riana replied as she tried to normalize her heartbeat.
“Not to be afraid, this house is big, but not haunted,” said the aristocratic noble woman while smiling. Riana nodded her head. His condolences towards the esteemed woman made him listen more, and speak less.
“This, there is chocolate milk. I made two, one for Mayang. His habit since childhood with Abhi, if you can not sleep, like to ask to make chocolate milk. Now, Abhi doesn't exist. And this chocolate milk, oma make for the woman he loves so much,” said Oma Rosa slowly. The clear crystal fell back, fell and touched the wrinkled cheeks, then disappeared with the sullen smile that had adorned the old face. Riana also felt that her eyes were dewy again. Unknowingly, he also cried, and also said the name Abhi.
“Oma know, oma don't need to regret anything. This is the destiny that must happen. Although you are not a match, but oma is so happy to see Abhi happy when spending time with you, coming home from somewhere, and telling everything that happened in detail, he said, whatever happened while he was there. He remembers perfectly well when you smile, laugh, even grieve, even though he never sees it all directly with his eyes. And you know, Abhi was not wrong. He told oma and Mayang about how beautiful you are. And right, you're beautiful, Riana. You are very beautiful..”
“Ma-I'm sorry, oma..” that stuck isak finally escaped as well. Riana had no idea what her mistake was, but Abhi's departure would have hurt many people, including herself.
“There is nothing wrong with you, my grandson. You've been so kind as to keep Abhi company after she expresses her feelings for you. You guys are not fools. Abhi's departure was not your fault. Now, come on, drink the milk. It's already night, and you have to sleep.” Oma Rosa orders while putting the tray on a small bedside table. Riana nodded softly, then wiped her tears that just kept spilling over her face.
“After all this, keep playing here yes, and be a good sister to Mayang. He loves you so much,” said Oma Rosa again.
“Insya ALLAH, oma..” says Riana. Oma Rosa smiled, then stroked Riana's shoulder.
“Oma said goodbye first, good night, Riana..”.
“Night, oma...” and those slow steps are heard again, along with the beautifully carved teak door that comes slowly closed. Riana took the glass filled with chocolate milk, and sipped it slowly. He enjoyed the bitter and sweet taste that blended into the chocolate drink. His feelings were not much different from his life. There is sweet, there is bitter, there is happy, there is sad, there is coming, and there is going. Four years ago his mother, now Abhi, was his best friend. Those losses should have taught Riana to become stronger and tougher. But why does he feel the opposite? He lost, then he was weak.
Riana picked up her phone that was already fully charged. While still enjoying the chocolate milk made by Oma Rosa, he opened the gallery, and saw hundreds of photos and videos there. Now he knows why everyone is so diligent in capturing any portrait with a camera, the reason is only one, so that when all that looks like the eye has been lost, we can still remember. Fun scrolling HP, suddenly his eyes were fixed on a video. There was Ganesh, Vishnu, and Abhi. That was the last video of their time in Malang.
“Ku fell
I fell back on you
Only with 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,” that song again. Last Guts, Glenn Fredly. The song also brings Riana to a complicated situation, where she finally knows that Abhi harbors more feelings for her. Riana was crying again. ALLAHS... Which path is right for me? Which destiny do you really define for me? Why are there tears in every story? Athaghfirullah! Riana patted her own forehead. What kind of thought just passed through his head? Ish, never mind, the night it gets, the more messed up his mind gets. He should just sleep, because tomorrow there will still be many mourners who will come to the funeral home, and he must help, because there are no relatives who live near this house. And as for Abhi, farewell, calm down in that long rest. And thank you for teaching us all about the true meaning of love. That good love is love that does not hurt anyone, the most sincere form of love is when we say his name in crucial times in the third of the night, and the surest and most irreplaceable form of love is our love for the omnipresent, the all-rounder. Goodbye, Abhi, and thank you.
(BBC).
