The Secret Love Story (End)

Accepted or Not?

I want to love you simply

In a word that wood cannot speak to fire that makes it ash

I want to love you simply

With a signal that the cloud could not deliver to the rain that made it go away

~I Want To Love You Simply, Sapardi Djoko Darmono~

Ara still could not stop her laughter because of the statement of the man who was now sitting before her. However, then he stopped his laughter when he saw the man's annoyed face. He still clearly remembered that the face that was revealed by the man at this moment was his face that he had known for a long time.

"Why are you laughing?" erlangga asked with pursed her lips in annoyance.

"Is there a prohibition to laugh?" asked Ara back which made Erlangga again snort annoyed. Ara who then could not bear the man to hold back her regret finally stopped her laughter with a simple smile. "I just can't believe an Erlangga can say that." said Ara.

"Is that why you laugh?" ask Erlangga.

"Yes, of course. Why do you think I'm laughing?"

"Jeez.why are you now so always reverse my question Ra..," snorted Erlangga annoyed.

"Hahaha.really? Did I not do that before?" ask Ara.

"Yes, of course. You used to be known as an innocent and quiet girl...,"

"really? That means they don't know me if they think like that...,"

"Yes, they don't know you. They don't know you well until they know that you're not as quiet as they think you are. You are chatty, bossy sometimes, if you have the desire to always want to participate, and you are also easily sulky and upset. It is not like now that it makes others who feel annoyed with your behavior.", explained Erlangga.

"Wow.I didn't think you knew all my traits. That means you know me pretty well huh?" said Ara.

"Yes, of course. I know you pretty well compared to the others. Why do you think I know that you don't like to eat chicken and can't swim when we meet at the reunion if I don't know you" Erlangga said. Erlangga looked at Ara who was bearded hearing his explanation.

"I also know the others about you," said Erlangga with a simple smile, which of course made Ara then look at him carefully and wait for the man's explanation.

"really? What else do you know about me?" asked Ara curious about what the man before her would explain.

"Em..I know you phobia same snake, fear of the dark, most disliked with horror movies and prefer to watch romantic Korean dramas, in addition to Korean dramas, Korean dramas, you also really like anime as much as I do, continue besides that..," said Erlangga as he flicked the ladder on his lips while remembering.

"You've been afraid of ambulances since your mother died and was taken by a hearse to your house, you also have strange habits such as chatting with inanimate objects whether it's your phone or laptop, you cry easily when it comes to your mother or family, you get anxious every time you face problems, but one thing that becomes your good habit is that you love to write, especially novels and poems, in addition, you prefer to spend your free time in the library with a bunch of books compared to hangouts with your friends. And that's what makes you dubbed as a walking library by your friends because every time they ask any question, you can certainly answer it like google mbah..," explained Erlangga at length. Ara who heard all the detailed explanations Erlangga looked at the man did not believe that the man really knew much about him and even the man still remembered him until now including with his bad habits.

Erlangga who realized that Ara was now looking at him with a face of disbelief only showed her smile in response to the girl's expression.

"Since when?" ask Ara later.

"What?"

"When did you know everything about me? Did you hire a spy to investigate me?" search Ara.

"Hahaha.who are you until I have to waste money to investigate you.", said Erlangga.

"You're right, I'm a nobody... Aren't you always asking about it...?" said ARa without any particular intention and just wanted to invite the man to joke. However, the man sharpened his eyes on her instead of responding to a question that led more to the statement.

"You remember?" asked Erlangga with a face full of curiosity. Ara was surprised to hear Erlangga's question. He did not know that the man could tell the return of his memories from just a small statement he said.

"You remembered. Aye right?" asked Erlangga again who then answered Ara with a small nod.

"Since when? Ask Erlangga again.

"What?"

"Since when did you get your memory back Ara?" erlangga asked a little.

"Since a few months ago...,"

"A few months ago. It...that means when you meet me back at home, you already remember me?" asked Erlangga who was again answered nodding by Ara.

"Is that why you said that? Is that why you said ma'af to me?" asked Erlangga again who of course answered a nod by Ara. "Why?"

"Hmmm...?"

"Why did you ask ma'af Ara...?"

"It..that's.because I feel guilty.I've bothered you quite often first." said Ara who now with a sad face.

"Omong empty, why do you feel guilty, why do you think that you are bothering me? I've never been bothered by you.I never....,"

"Then why did you stay away from Gha? If not for being disturbed by my existence why did you stay away...?"

"Because I was confused by the situation back then. I was confused as to how I would face you. Since there is another feeling that arises from me for you, I. I do not understand how I can hide it whenever I am near you." Erlangga explained.

"Gha.you.....,"

"I'm sorry Ra, I should have said that..," Erlangga said as she gulped her saliva down with difficulty before finally speaking again. "I'm sorry that I avoided you, I'm sorry that I suddenly disappeared and was no longer by your side when you needed to, I'm sorry that I was so rude to you, I'm sorry...I. was being selfish at that time..," said Erlangga with the same sad face as Ara. The tightness in his chest slowly dissipated after he said that one word to Ara. One word where he often heard Ara say that to him, while he was only the first time to say that word to Ara, but his mistake was more and more bigger than Ara.

The tension between them finally subsided when one word was said from Erlangga's lips. That one word seemed to be able to remove all the wounds that were in Ara's heart, as well as Erlangga who felt relief after the word slid smoothly from her lips.

"It's true, people say. That man is very difficult to say two words in his life, one is ma'af and the second is thank you" said Erlangga.

"Yes, you're right. But,,, can't you say it? You're great means...,"

"Huh..why?"

"Because you say those two words to me more often...,"

"Hah...astaga.since when did you learn to praise the people of Gha..," said Ara who of course got the oddness of Erlangga. "Already had lunch, it was time to eat..," said Ara.

"You cook?"

"Yes, I cooked. Stay hot with the soup," he said. And then they both had lunch together.

*****

It was late afternoon, but Erlangga still did not want to go home. Though Ara had used all means to drive away the man, but still the man did not move from his seat in Ara's house.

"God...Gha..You really don't want to go home?" asked Ara and answered the headband by Erlangga. "Home home, it is not good to know a man has been visiting for too long at a girl's house, later the fall will arise slander...,"

"There may not be a slander Ra, anyway the door of your house is wide open anyway.everything even knows that me and you no longer do not mind..," said Erlangga.

"Ish..kuh ya, just go back there now, later your parents nyariin...,"

"Where it is, the guy I came here also got permission from mama so he wouldn't be worried about me...,"

"Haahhh.so Aunt Rahayu.....,"

"That's right as you're guessing mama already knows all about us, even Ares as well....,"

"God...!!! Embarrassing..," said Ara while covering both her faces with her hands.

"Haahhh..What is shameful?"

"Yes shameful, Gha.shameful is shameful..," said Ara. How could it not be embarrassing if Ara ever told me about someone she liked first to Rahayu who turned out to be the man's mother. And after hearing the story of Erlangga who might not be much different from the story must be the middle-aged woman knows now who the man Ara told her first. However, seeing from Erlangga's confused face, Ara knew that Rahayu had not told her about the story that Ara had told her.

"Ish..kamu why the hell, so strange that," said Erlangga who immediately got a sharp gaze from Ara.

Silence was re-created between the two until Erlangga solved it with a question.

"So.how?"

"What's how?"

"About my request...?"

"Request which is Erlangga...,"

"That's my request that you don't leave. You want to grant it, don't you...?"

"Ish.where there is, I still have to go...,"

"Where else? Where else would you go..," grumbled Erlangga.

"You know where to find me if I go Erlangga.

"really?"

"of course. Follow your heart, and you will find where I am..,"

"Ra, actually you understand not my words earlier...,"

"I understand Erlangga,"

"Trus, what's the answer? Yes or no?"

"Ohhhhh...,"

"This is about that old Ra, about my last statement. What response?"

"You will find the answer when you find me again. So, now you better go home, because I want to take a break for my trip tomorrow" explained Ara.

"God...!!! How cruel you are to throw me out. Why do you have to leave all of a sudden. Didn't you say goodbye to mom?"

"I've been saying good to Aunt Rahayu all day long,"

"Haahh.so mama knows...,"

"Yes, of course....,"

"That means mama also knows where you're going?" erlangga asked who was answered by Ara's head.

"Your mom I didn't tell you on purpose....,"

"How do I keep looking for you when you leave...,"

"Erlangga Satya Pradipta, didn't I just say that you can follow your heart to find me again...,"

"How could you tell me to put my trust in my heart Ra, while you yourself know that hearts are easy to change,"

"No, the heart will not be easily changed if you ask for the decree of the owner of the heart Egha...," ara said one last time before she closed the door forcefully and looked at the back of the man who was away from her yard through a glass window.

*****