The Sanctity of Tarnished Love

Rashya Antonio Son

After quite a long time hugging each other tightly, Madam Ratih raised her face. He sat up straight, wiping his tear-soaked cheeks. Even dusk did the same, he wiped his tears with his lentic fingers.

"How's my son Auntie doing?" ask Dusk while looking at Bu Ratih.

"He is very healthy, his tiny face is so handsome," replied Bu Ratih with a smile that expands on his lips.

"Alhamdulillah," said Dusk.

"Thank you God, you have granted my prayers. My son was born a boy, hopefully he will become a strong, strong figure," said Dusk in his heart.

"Alvin, and Ken's out, they're eating in the front cafeteria, maybe they'll be back in a little while" said Mrs Ratih.

"Yes Aunty is okay, mmm Aunty can I see my son?" ask Dusk.

"Of course, sit down, I'll carry him here later" replied Mrs Ratih while helping out Dusk.

Despite the pain, and the pain still lurking all over her body, Dusk tried hard to sit down, and leaned her back on the pillow. For the sake of carrying the baby, he will ignore the amount of pain that hurts him.

"Wait a minute!" said Bu Ratih as he stepped away leaving Dusk.

"Yes Aunt."

"Ken, and his family were very kind to me. They treat me like their own son. But this heart still hesitates to accept Ken's presence, my heart is still attached to my husband, Brother Fajar," said Dusk quietly.

Shortly after, Mrs Ratih came while holding a tiny body in her cradle. Dusk smiled as he looked at the baby's face.

"Slow down," said Bu Ratih while helping Dusk to carry his son.

"You were born son" said Dusk, rubbing his son's cheek, which was still very soft.

Dusk stared at his baby without blinking, his nose pointed, his lips reddish, his hair straight and thick. His face was exactly the same as his father. Dusk's smile grew even more, as the tiny body began to open its eyes. His black, clear eyeballs stared fixedly at Dusk, as if he was recording clearly how his mother's face was.

"This is Mommy son, Mother who will always accompany you, take care of you, and make you happy" said Dusk as he looked at his son.

"Alley!"

"Yes Aunt."

"Ken is already outside the room, let him in yes," said Mrs Ratih as she stared at her phone screen.

"Yes Aunty," replied Dusk while nodding.

Then Mrs Ratih got up from her seat, and stepped out of the room. Dusk stared at his departure with an erratic heart.

Shortly after, a man came to the Dusk. His body was tall, and sturdy with slightly elongated hair. His face looked resolute, yet quite eye-catching. He approached Dusk, and sat down next to him.

"I'm sorry I wasn't next to you when you came to your senses. Me and Alvin were having lunch" Ken said.

"Now what do you feel, is there still pain? Tell me, what can I do for you?" ask Ken quickly.

Dusk looked at Ken with a smile. The pain was all over his body, but what could Ken do? Nurturing him, it would also not make him heal.

"Ken quiet! I'm okay, you don't want to see it?" said Dusk while staring at the baby in his carrier.

"Of course I want to see it, but I'm also worried about your situation Aya." replied Ken.

"He's so handsome, I see your aura in Aya's face" Ken said as he rubbed his son's cheek gently. Her soft, soft skin made her very careful when touching it. He was afraid that his touch would hurt him.

"I think he looks a lot like you, Ken." said Dusk, looking at Ken.

The heart of Dusk began to beat rapidly, when Ken's face was right in front of his face.

Within such a close distance, he could clearly see the shadow of himself that was within Ken's eyeball. Slowly his nose began to smell the menthol, perhaps it was the scent of the shampoo that Ken was using right now.

"Yes, what's wrong with you?" ask Ken.

"I. I. I'm fine," replied Dusk nervously, turning his face away. Her cheeks are warming up, maybe now they're flushed.

"What happened to me, why am I so nervous," said the twilight as he lowered his head.

"Looking at you like this, my hope of having you grew even greater. Aya please don't ditch my hope huh," Ken's mind with a smile.

"Rashha Antonio Putra" said Ken slowly.

Dusk turned his head, and looked at Ken. But again he threw away his gaze, when he saw Ken's face right in front of him.

"Of course, you also agree with his last name?" Ken asked back.

"Yes" replied Dusk without lifting his face.

"His lips are very ranum, very similar to yours Aya" said Ken right near the ear of Dusk.

The twilight slightly inched, the warmth of Ken's breath sweeping his cheeks, making him feel restless, and uncomfortable. Slowly but surely, the shadow of that night just passed by without being asked. Dusk closed his eyes while shaking his head, he tried to brush off all the dark shadows that had now penetrated his head.

"Yes, are you okay?" asked Ken while holding his arm.

Twilight did not answer, Ken's touch of hand made him even more unable to control himself. The shadow of Ken in the past messes up his heart and mind. Long enough he leaned his heart on the lekaki, then their love ran aground due to misunderstanding. Now the man was back by her side, yet somehow she felt. Even Dusk itself was unable to decipher it.

"Yes!" call Ken because Dusk never gives an answer.

"I, I'm fine Ken," replied Dusk, turning his head, and looking at Ken.

"He's still the same as he used to be, absolutely nothing has changed from him. This face, I used to miss his presence so much, I was very comfortable looking at him for a long time," said Dusk in his heart.

"Yes! You why? Is there something wrong with me?" asked Ken while staring fixedly at Dusk.

"No! Not Ken!" say Dusk while smiling.

"You're weird Aya, you just shut up, and now you're looking at me like that. You're..."

"I'm thinking of you" said Dusk quickly.

"Thinking of me?" asked Ken while frowning. He was surprised to hear the response of Dusk.

"Yes." Yeah."

"Thinking..."

"Find it out!" the word twilight cuts off Ken's conversation.

"Sure I want to know what you mean" said Ken.

"Look at him smile!" the word twilight shifted the conversation, at that time Rashha was smiling.

"His smile is similar to yours, Aya" Ken said softly.

"I'm happy you're starting to think of me, hopefully in the future you'll truly accept my presence" said Ken in his heart.

"I think it looks like you're Ken," replied Dusk as he rubbed his son's cheek gently.

"He looks like us, because he's our son" Ken said.

Once again Dusk fell silent, Ken's remark again made him in a state of unease.

"Thank you Aya" said Ken after a moment of silence.

"For what?" ask Dusk while looking at Ken.

"You took care of my son, and let him grow in your womb. Even now you've been struggling, to help him stare at the light of the world. I owe you my life, Aya" said Ken, slipping his twilight hair behind his ear.

"No need to thank you, he's also my son Ken. I should have taken care of him" replied Dusk.

"Yes!"

"Hmm."

"May I repay your kindness, you have been hurt enough because of me. Give me a chance to make you happy Aya" said Ken.

Dusk takes a deep breath, and then exhales it slowly.

"Ken, can I talk?" ask Dusk.

"Speak, just tell me what you want to say!" ken replied with a smile.

But actually his heart was a little anxious, what did Dusk want to say?

Seriate....