The Pearl of the Heart of Alvino

22

It had been more than five minutes the atmosphere between Alvino and Rania was so quiet. Neither Alvino nor Rania had any intention of opening their voices, only that Alvino's hand was still holding onto Rania's arm tightly without any intention of letting go. Alvino looked at Rania who was still unmoved in her position.

"Can you let go of your hand, Sir? I have to go" said Rania breaking the silence created between them.

"I will never let go of my hand before you answer my question" Alvino said firmly.

"Nothing to answer, sir. We have nothing to do with you, so I beg you to take your hand off my arm before anything goes wrong to us." Rania tries to get rid of Alvino's hand, but Alvino actually tightens his hand on Rania's arm.

"Ran, I just want you ...."

"Let go of your hands, sir!" peekik Rania's. The unbearable Alvino immediately let go of his hand. After the hand was released, Rania stepped out her legs quickly about to leave Alvino. However, Rania stopped her new three-step footsteps and stayed in her place when she heard Alvino's words.

"It's hard to tell the truth that you're the little girl who helped me, Rania." Rania's body stiffened instantly, even her mouth was instantly silent.

"Pardon me, sir. You're wrong, I'm not the little girl who used to help you," Rania argued, she was about to step foot again, but Alvino quickly hugged Rania's body from behind. Rania's body stiffened again, she didn't expect that Alvino would hug her like this.

"I beg you, tell me honestly. Although I already know, but I want to hear it directly from your own mouth." Alvino's voice managed to restore Rania's consciousness, she thrashed and tried to release her body from Alvino's embrace.

"Take me off, sir. I don't want anyone to misunderstand us," Rania's pinta, she was really begging but Alvino didn't press Rania's request at all.

"Tell me the truth then I'll let go of this hug" Alvino said firmly. He put his chin in the niche of Rania's neck, making Rania's heart beat many times faster. Rania sighed deeply and exhaled slowly.

"Yes, I was the little girl who helped you first. So, I beg you to release me now" said Rania Lirih, Alvino broke her embrace from Rania's body. She flips Rania's body to face her when she hears a sobbing coming out of Rania's lips, while Rania tries to turn her eyes to the side to avoid Alvino's gaze. However, Rania's heart was pounding even more as the gazes of the eyes of the two of them met, even Alvino's hand cupped both of Rania's cheeks and gently rubbed his thumb there, even though he was still there, making Rania's body stiffen as she felt that hand stroke. Alvino stared fixedly at the two beads of Rania's eyes that were able to make her drift away, now she was very sure that Rania was the little girl who helped her first, she said, because Rania's eyes are exactly the same as the eyes that have been bothering her every day for ten years.

"What's that necklace from Febian?" ask Alvino. Rania's hand held a necklace pendulum that adorned her neckline.

"Yes, Febian said this necklace is a sign of our friendship," replied Rania, her voice still rattled because after crying earlier.

"Do you have no feelings for Febian at all other than the feeling of being a friend?" asked Alvino again, Rania shook her head slowly as the answer.

"May I tell you the truth that Febian has really liked you since childhood." Rania looked into Alvino's eyes fixedly, she couldn't believe what this man in front of her said, alvino immediately turned his eyes to the side because he was afraid of being swept back into the eyes that always haunted his days.

"Don't joke, sir!" rebutting Rania with a slightly raised voice.

"I never lie to you with my words. You have to convince your heart who you're going to choose, Febian or Kenan, because they both love you. You have to be firm with your feelings, do not let you hurt my sister and best friend at once," said Alvino firmly.She immediately walked away from Rania without talking again, while Rania could only stare at Alvino's back which slowly moved away from her.

"Don't force me to choose between them because I can't choose between them. If you had known that my heart had chosen you long ago, and in my heart only your name would fill the depths of my soul until there was no place for another heart, Al. I have admired you since childhood, even though you never know who I am, but I have always secretly admired you and kept your name in my heart" Rania murmured. His tears now flowed down his cheeks. Why is his love destiny so complicated? He could not have chosen another heart while his heart was already filled with one name. Rania sat her body in the garden chair and cried again there.

Rania did not know if it was not far from where she was sitting, there was someone who saw and heard the conversation the two of them had just. That person wiped away the tears that were also pouring down his cheeks, before his existence was discovered, he immediately left his hiding place.

Meanwhile, Alvino stared at the reflection of his own face on the glass above the sink. Alvino held the rim of the sink, he closed both his eyes, trying to relieve the pain that seemed to come hitting the recesses of his heart.

"I can't be selfish. I can't hurt Febian or Kenan. It was enough for one of them to be injured. I'm sorry, Ran. I'm just a loser who's been relenting even before the war. Let me get hurt, I don't want to hurt my brother or my best friend." Alvino ruffled his hair violently, but after that he washed his face. After Alvino felt that his face had returned to look fresh, Alvino immediately rejoined the venue earlier, he acted as if nothing had happened.