The Wedding With Converse

Episode 4

You have become all the vital things in my life. If you lose just one, you have the potential to kill me.

Raskal Joana, 10 years ago

Mother Teacher! Raskal naughty! Raskal hit me!” bino screams with his sobs getting bigger. While pointing at Raskal who was looking at him sharply, the fat boy continued to whine at Bu Masri, his homeroom teacher, to punish Raskal for hitting him just because he said Raskal had no parents.

“Raskal, what are you doing Bino?” mam Masri asked Raskal.

“Bino says I have no parents, Mom!” exclaiming fiery Raskal.

“Emang you don't have parents, right! The proof is mom and dad you never know how to pick you up at school!” Bino.

“I have!”

“No! You don't have any!”

Bugs!

Unable to hear Bino's ravings, Raskal's reflex immediately lunged at the child's face with a single punch. Bino's body then drifted backwards until his head hit the hard wall of the school. Seeing that situation, automatically Bu Masri screamed in shock and reflexes immediately carried Bino's body which was now crying firmer.

“Raskal don't do that! Bino is your friend!” snarled Bu Masri at Raskal before finally the teacher went birit by carrying Bino to the UKS.

When Bu Masri and Bino had lost sight, Raskal did not move from where he stood. The boy just kept silent as he continued to stare at the corridor of his school blankly. So empty, the boy did not even realize that at this time he had become the center of attention of all his friends. The boy did not realize that he had become the whisper of the students.

“He's a bad boy! Don't be cemented!”

“Pantes aja from the first no one wants to meet him. He's evil so!”

“Poor Yes, Bino. Must have hurt his head. Basic brat!”

“Just don't temenin Raskal!”

Until finally the whispers ended and the students who noticed Raskal had disbanded, Raskal still stood still. Still hang in there. With his disappointed feelings and his wounded heart.

***

“Joana! Did you know that Raskal mukulin Bino?” tasya asked Joana who was busy bouncing her basketball to the ground. “Tuh view. He's a really wayward kid, yeah!” tasya shouted again while pointing at Raskal who was standing in the middle of the school corridor.

Joana glanced in the direction Tasya pointed at. “If it's a boy, not a wayward one, huh?”

“Iya. But, Raskal is really stubborn, really. Masa Bino was hit to the head by the wall!”

“Bino's a naughty time first. He really likes to cheat people,” kilah Joana with eyes that continue to observe Raskal who is still standing sculpting. For some reason, instead of hating like Tasya or other friends, Joana even sympathy for the boy. It's nothing, it just so happens that the boy is a neighbor of Joana's house. It makes him know a little about why Raskal has a cold attitude, naughty, and tend to close himself. Raskal's parents rarely went home. Even when he came home, Raskal's parents always had a big fight. All of that certainly makes Raskal gradually become antisocial person, including Joana, a neighbor who also doubles as a school friend. Aside from the toy robot, the telescope, and Budhe Yun his assistant, the boy seemed to be shutting himself away from anyone and anything. If his world is disturbed just a little, Raskal will be furious and turn into super fierce.

“Iya. Bino likes to be fun. But, still Raskal should not hit Bino,” Tasya babble disperse the reverie Joana.

Joana let out a long breath when she heard it. He clenched his hand. It seems like it is enough for Joana to keep quiet and refrain from harassing Raskal again after the incident two years ago. The incident where he always took Raskal to play and ended with Raskal snapping at him, telling him to leave with an angry shouting voice.

This cannot be allowed. If this continues, he will not have one friend, Joana said.

After a long breath, with a determined heart Joana suddenly floated her basketball towards Raskal until it hit the back of the boy's hand. Sontak Raskal awoke from his daydream and immediately turned his head, looking for the suspected basketball pitcher at him just now.

“Eh, crybaby! Why is it so bad there? Maen basketball here!” joana shouted out loudly as soon as she saw Raskal staring at her sharply.

“Joana! What are you not afraid of?!” lirih Tasya when he saw Raskal began to walk toward the two of them while carrying a basketball.

Unlike Joana who thought Raskal would get angry, the boy just returned the basketball and left. Raskal's attitude makes Tasya gawk and Joana bite her lips.

“Actually he why the hell?” joana's inner self again while continuing to stare at Raskal's distant back.

***

The day started late afternoon. My mom and dad haven't come to pick me up yet. Raskal was still trying to wait while watching his friends one by one being picked up by his parents. Raskal exhaled a short breath. My mom and dad forgot that today was their birthday.

With a lethargic face, Raskal walked outside the school corridor. He decided to go home. However, just a few meters away he stepped up, the rain had suddenly fallen. Instead of going back into the corridor that was quite far away, Raskal preferred to run to the public telephone box across from the school to take shelter.

Raskal smiled wryly. Today would probably be the worst birthday for her. Fighting with Bino, sentenced to run ten rounds of the court by Bu Masri, thrown basketball by Joana the badass neighbor, the parents who again did not pick him up home, and now her uniform is soaking wet from the rain.

Fifteen minutes passed, but the rain did not stop. Raskal clucked long. If only his house was close to school, maybe he would have chosen to break through the rain by now. The distance between home and school is quite far. He had to wait for the rain to stop.

While waiting for the rain, Raskal picked up the phone handle beside him. After inserting the five hundred coins, the boy pressed his father's mobile number.

“Halo. Daddy's? Raskal's raining at school. Can you pick me up?”

“Sorry, Kal. Dad's in a meeting. You wait for Budhe Yun to come, yes.”

“But Budhe Yun is again dizzy he—”

“Udah first yes, Kal. I can't pick up my phone. You wait at school first anyway.”

Tut .. tut....

The phone connection was cut off by Raskal's father. When he heard the sound of a breaking tone, Raskal could only swallow his hard-earned saliva, trying to hold back from crying.

Raskal re-inserted the five-hundred coin and dialed his mother's mobile number. As Raskal knew, his mother was not as busy as his father. So, there is still a possibility that his mother can pick him up.

“Halo, Mom! Mama can't pick up Raskal? Raskal toujan—”

“Raskal, Mama is not feeling well anymore. Still sleeping in the office. You wait for Budhe Yun, yeah. Sorry yes, Nak.”

Raskal bit his lips hard. His small hand held the phone firmly. She wanted to cry, but she didn't want her mom to hear.

“Ya. Mama rested at the office. Mama uses eucalyptus oil on her body.”

“Iya, Son. Thanks, yeah. Mama hang up the phone first.” “For a while, Ma!” exclaim Raskal later.

“Ma .. Mama inget not today Raskal birthday?” raskal asked with a trembling voice.

“Yeah! Mama new inget. Yes already, later home from the office, Mama buyin Raskal Raskal Raskal's favorite Ultraman robot, yes.”

“Iya .. yes, Ma,” said Raskal with tears that have now flowed.

“Ya. Mama hang up first, phone. Mama dizzy.”

“Iya .. Yes, Ma.”

As soon as the phone closed, Raskal immediately shed all the crying that had been detained. Maybe an event like this is not a natural Raskal once or twice. Not once twice ignored by parents. And not once his birthday is forgotten. However, all of that still makes Raskal hit.

Raskal wiped his tears. After putting the phone handle into place, the boy turned his body, about to go home by himself because Budhe Yun would not be able to pick him up. However, he had not yet stepped out, Raskal was surprised by the presence of Joana who was holding an umbrella in front of him.

“Eh, crybaby! Go home with me, yuk!” joana said with a wide grin, making Raskal immediately scowl.

“Ngak!” push Raskal ketus. “Awas! I want to go through!”

Joana shook her head strongly. “No! You should go home with me. Later you will rain and continue to hurt. Next week we will repeat.”

Raskal rolled his eyeballs. “Soaring!”

“No!” joana is back.

Raskal. Lazy to argue with his neighbor, Raskal was forced to push Joana's shoulder, forcing him to give way. Because Raskal's thrust was hard enough, Joana fell onto the asphalt. The umbrella he was holding fell down. The girl's uniform got wet from the water.

“Heh! How did you push me anyway?!” joana shouted with glaring eyes.

“You yourself asked to be pushed,” said Raskal lightly before he finally left Joana who is now grumbling up.

Patience, Joana, inner Joana while regulating her breath that goes up and down.

With a determined heart, after taking the umbrella that had fallen, Joana chased after Raskal. Then, he covered the boy's head with his Power Ranger umbrella. Raskal who realized that immediately turned his head. He sneered as he looked at Joana who was grinning wide beside him.

“You're having another birthday. Can't be angry anymore,” said Joana while continuing to look at Raskal who is now looking at him fixedly.

“Don't tell me you're eavesdropping on my conversation with my mama?”

Joana. “Sorry. I accidentally heard.”

Raskal exhaled loudly, making Joana who saw him instantly feel guilty.

“As my apologies, I will take you home. How?”

“Not bother. Go there!”

Joana shook her head strongly. “No! Anyway I'll take you home!” joana exclaimed fiery, making Raskal inevitably let the girl continue to paddle him.

“This is your birthday gift,” said Joana suddenly, making Raskal look at her in wonder.

“Anniversary gift? Where?”

Joana nodded again. He pointed at himself. “I. I got your birthday.”

“Hah?”

“Iya, me, Joana Artivia is Raskal Galivan's birthday gift Anandio.”

Raskal rolled his eyeballs. “I'm serious,” Joana said again.

“How can you be a gift for me?”

Joana widens her smile at Raskal. “I'll be your friend. For today, tomorrow, tomorrow again, continue so.”

Raskal. When he sees Joana who prefers to get soaked in order to paddle him, Raskal knows that what his neighbor says is really serious. But he remains unsure. It's nothing, he just doesn't understand how to make friends. From childhood, his friends were just robots, cars, and star binoculars.

“Why do you want to be my friend? Said temen-temen I was fierce,” asked Raskal with a downcast face.

Joana sneers. “You're fierce? I was a lot more fierce. You don't know anyway, I once made five boys cry!”

Raskal smiled amusedly. He glanced at Joana again. “Lying!

Where possible.”

“Totally! I'm not lying! Ah, already. Anyway, from now on, I'm your friend. After all, we've been neighbors for a long time.”

Raskal smiled once more. “As of you deh.”

“Well, so dong!”

“By the way, you're wet,” said Raskal when he saw Joana's uniform that was completely soaked.

“Nothing. Your uniform is wet too. We are the same as deh.” Joana is grinning wide.

Raskal twists his eyeballs. “Ya. If so, we just rain all over.”

“Good idea! Okay deh!” joana exclaimed excitedly while closing the umbrella.

Raskal and Joana return home soaked. However, even though their bodies were cold, both of them knew that something felt warm deep within their hearts.

A friendship. That's where the warm feeling is created. A friendship that has just begun.