The River House

53. Zainul

Hendra lifted Mella's body on the floor. Now Mella again sat up straight facing Hendra who looked at her hatefully. Mella's lips looked bloody. His body is weak and limp.

"Are you still pretending to forget what you did to Zainul?" Hendra asked while patting Mella's cheek.

"My jaw! Goddamnit!" Bentak Hendra's.

Plakkkk

A slap in Hendra hit as hard as he could. Mella's cheeks on the right look flushed.

"I don't understand the meaning of your words and all your accusations" said Mella Lirih.

"Ha ha ha ha basic petty!" Hendra laughed loudly.

"July, the second performance of the drama club at the school farewell event was carefully prepared by Zainul. At that time the drama was written by Zainul himself, the story of a child who was forbidden by his parents to become a singer. I read the draft screenplay, it should be the drama if run properly will make the audience cry. I, who had just entered into the drama, was given the role of a maid as the arrogant father. In one scene I had to splash water as if it were hot water on the main character's body. And that's where the catastrophe happened" Hendra looked dreamy. His emotions felt very unstable. He could arrive calm, but a moment later exploded uncontrollably.

"Three days before the performance, I asked Zainul to help me explore the role, as well as memorize my incoherent dialogue. Since I'm a new kid, Ms. Ami did tell me to study harder than the others" Hendra sighed.

"I practiced a few scenes, until I finally came to the watering scene. Zainul helped me, he played the role of the child. I poured water from the prepared bottle. Zainul groans in pain. At first I thought he was just acting, but it turned out that the skin on his face, as well as some of his arms and hands were blistered!" Hendra hit the wall next to him with all his might. Hendra's hand was hurt, but he didn't care. Anger and emotion had removed the pain from Hendra's brain.

"Zainul was ushered home by Ms. Ami. I was really in shock at that time. I did not expect, the water prepared by the property section was dangerous water. Since that day, Zainul has never been seen coming to school. The performance was canceled, and the drama club was disbanded."

"For years I lived a life of remorse and sin that gnawed at my heart. Until I finally found out, because of you Zainul got a burn. The property water you prepare turns out to be a hydrogen peroxide solution that you mix with other chemical compounds. Zainul suffered a permanent injury from you, he dropped out of school, abandoned his dreams because of what you did!" Hendra growled eerily.

"Where do you know it's all Hendra?" Mella looked at Hendra questioningly.

"Zainul told me," replied Hendra briefly.

"As long as you know, I regret my outrageous prankery, Hendra. Back then, I was indeed the most outstanding student in chemistry. I wonder, my curiosity is great. I tried, and in the end I made Zainul wretched. But really, I didn't conspire with another friend to make Zainul like that Hen," Mella cried, sobbing.

"Repent you said? Have you and your friend ever tried to apologize to Zainul?" Hendra glares.

"I'm trying to find Hendra. But Zainul disappeared after that incident. I don't know where she is, really," said Mella Lirih.

"Bullsh*t! A liar! Wrap**!" Hendra.

Bra!kkkk!!

"You and your friend never regret it. The day after the incident, I was devastated and feeling guilty, hearing with my ears you were laughing happily in the school cafeteria," Hendra hit Mella's body on the floor.

Mella's body was already very weak. He realized he couldn't survive this time. He could only give in to his fate and destiny.

"I went to Ms. Ami at the office. But what do I get? The dandy teacher placed more importance on the reputation of the school, closed the exkul drama, and let your crimes on Zainul. You guys are as bad as humans! Take Zainul's dream to become a film writer! Wrenching the minds of village teenagers who do not have a father and mother," Hendra gripped the collar of Mella's clothes while crying. Grief, regret and guilt spilled this time.

"Hasn't Zainul's dream come true? Success, this house? Everything?" Mella interjected with her soft voice.

"He never enjoyed it. Even with everything you did to her, Zainul was still a pearl even though you were immersed in mud" Hendra threw Mella's body away.

"But you don't have the right to do all this Hendra! You have no right to judge my mistakes by others. Just take care of your own business," Mella raised her voice with the rest of her strength.

"I was the one Zainul chose to run the scenario he had created. This River House is the stage for the play that I dedicate to Zainul. Drama with characters and characters played directly by friends first. She must be happy to see it," Hendra grinned in satisfaction.

Hendra walked out of the room, picking up a large pot of Manchineel plants lying at the door. Then put the big pot next to Mella who was lying helpless.

"You will feel a burning sensation and pain similar to what Zainul had experienced first," Hendra again moved out of the room. 

Hendra picked up some jerry cans in the kitchen. Then pour the liquid in it to all corners of the house. The smell of kerosene mixed with the smell of a corpse that began to rot made Hendra's head slightly dizzy.

After the entire area of the house was wet with oil, Hendra stood in the front yard. He was holding a book covered in maroon. Hendra lit a match, and threw it on the oil-filled floor. 

Bwoosshhh

The flames instantly lit up licking the lick and winding their way inside, giving rise to a small explosion. Continues to spread and creep towards the guest room, burning Yodi's body which is not intact in the closet. Then ignited the body of Old Mardoyo on the bed of his room. The fire also went upstairs. Destroyed the Creator and Tia who had become corpses.

While Mella still curled up to kiss the marble floor that smelled of kerosene. He saw how black smoke surrounded his helpless body. The red hotshot also began to creep closer to the body there the hospital nurse.

Mella was still crying sobbing. He is aware of his mistake, but he still asks in his heart, can not humans get a second chance to correct the mistake?

Now, Mella's thin body is wrapped in smoke and fire. He did not complain nor scream. On the verge of her consciousness Mella was like seeing a helping hand from someone. Mella watched the person, and it turned out that the figure was Zainul with a happy looking smile.

"I'm sorry" Mella said softly at the end of her life.

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