The Other Me

Guarded Ronald

Ar felt short of breath, he opened his eyes fumbling in the dark, looking for where his medicine bag was. He was about to get off the bed with a quick breath because it was difficult to scoop up a lot of air.

Ronald returns with a freshly cooked porridge gun, just in case Ar wakes up because the porridge Harna brought was too cold.

He was surprised to see Ar sitting on the edge of the bed... "Your grandfather is awake, eat first..." Ronald said he approached Ar.

" Dek, what's wrong with you? Shit yeah, you keep where your inhaler is?" ronald asked when he saw Ar having trouble breathing. Ar pointed at the bag on his study table, Ronald saw 2 bags in the same shape but the other one was smaller than the other.

Ronald picks up a larger bag, he gives his bag to Ar, quickly and slightly shakes Ar opens the bag and takes what he wants.

" Aren't you crowded anymore?" ronald asked, he was driving Ar to the bathroom to gargle after using the inhaler.

" Yes." answered Ar briefly.

" Come, said Brother Harna you have not eaten, you ate first just slept ya..."

...****************...

Ar sat at the dinner table, dressed in school clothes with a sweater plus a hoodie, he was still a little feverish, this morning Ronald forbade him to go to school because he was still very pale, with a hoarse voice but for exam reasons Ronald agreed on the condition that Ronald also come to school.

" Sister, I went to school with you." said Ronald on the sidelines of breakfast.

" Ar, what if you don't go to school, let's not take Ronald?" ask Harna

" But now the exam, brother..."

" We can call Indah to ngijinin Ronald to go to school for a while, ask Indah to reason just say Ronald from the headquarters who came to be the supervisor of the exam..." Herman's Proposal.

And now Ronald with his four nephews and Ar with Harna, they go to school separately.

" Are you really okay? how can you be sick during the gini exam..." Harna asked.

" Yesterday maybe unknowingly Ar ate too much ice cream..."

Harna escorts Ar until he goes inside, he lowers Ar right in the front lobby, he also goes down along with the intention of greeting Indah, his best friend and sister-in-law.

Ar gets a strange look from the school residents, of course, no car could enter the school complex except for the teachers' cars but not through the front gate but through the east gate and the west gate, while the back gate is usually for cleaning cars or school buses. The main gate is one that has special access such as the principal or high clerks in the central private office.

Ar walks into the school building along with Harna, Harna escorts Ar to the front of his class, he was confronted by several second-graders.

" What are you doing here, don't you know if you're not allowed to walk in the hallways of the classroom." said a student with his accomplices who used to bully Ar.

" Come, you still have a strong way, right? your class is on the 4th floor, right?" harna asked Ar and ignored them.

" Hey, you didn't listen to me?" ask the boy.

" Freya Sanjaya, why are you asking my name?" ask Fay.

" What are you, Wibowo?" ask Harna.

" What? Wibowo, you think you're calling my father's name without a word of respect..."

" I feel sorry for him who has a son like you." said Harna then left. " Tell your father who Arharna Violeta is, I think it will make him educate you well..." Harna is really gone.

" Deck, those who bullied you?" asked Harna who only answered a nod. " Are they still bothering you?" ask Harna again but answered by Ar. They arrived in front of the Ar class.

" Sister Harna? Good morning.." greet the three people that Harna knew very well.

" Are you twins, your tone even sounds the same hihihi." Answer Harna.

" Eh but if at school instead of calling Harna's mom?" Benny asked Betty and Cris. Ar was already sitting in his chair ignoring his three friends who were chatting with his brother and the curious gazes of his classmates. Today he was a little late, marked by the presence of ketigga this person who usually always comes 5 minutes or even less than 5 minutes before class starts.

" Ian, who is he?" bian asked, Bian is a child who likes adult women and that is only known to Ar.

" He's my brother, has a family and has 4 boys, there is no chance for you.." explained Ar with a whisper voice made Bian who seemed to like Harna, Bian heard and immediately flushed while Jeisis looked at the two with a questioning look.

" Sister deck go first huh, you three please take care of Aye ya..." Harna said goodbye to Ar and the others.

There is a crowd at Ar's table, they all question Harna's presence. The men want to know the status of her beautiful sister Ar, while the women want to know the secret of her youth.

" Ian, is your body warm, are you sick?" betty asked worriedly, Betty who accidentally tangled with Ar when preparing the stationery because less than 5 minutes of the exam supervisor would come.

" It's okay, let's focus on the exam today." said Ar encouraging Betty who most often complained about the exam. Ar actually felt like sleeping alone, his head seemed unable to cooperate with the situation, but what could be done, he planned to finish the exam as soon as possible so that he could lie down for a while.

Shortly after that the exam supervisors came, who were Ronald and one other supervisor. Of course Betty, Benny, and Cris were surprised, they knew that ronald was a doctor but why he was at school...

Is it because Ian was sick so Ronald came and watched him? It could be because Ian said, he was closest to Ronald's brother from among all his other brothers... That's what Betty thought.

The exam began, Betty, Benny, and Cris have since continued to look towards Ronald who when surrounding the class, Ronald had stolen a glance towards Ian aka Ar.

As yesterday Ar finished the earliest, he took his bag at the counter behind the class and got out. He went down to the bottom floor which was the health room floor. She had chatted Betty that she was in the infirmary.

Ar lay on a medical bed, refusing the fever-lowering medication given by the school doctor as he entered and was briefly examined, soon Ronald came because the first exam was over and was to be continued for another 30 minutes.

" Dek, how? is anyone sick?" ronald asked, he came to the mattress where Ar lay, he pulled tightly the curtain that was only covered in half, he did not want his sister to be watched while sleeping. He sat down on a chair next to the mattress after pulling the curtains, and checked Ar's body temperature with the back of his hand.

" Sister is noisy, I want to keep a close eye for a while." said Ar without opening his eyes.

" Alright, don't mind brother, sleep, brother will take care of you...