A Handful of Love for You
30. The Sense of Presence

Atep POV

I pulled Ms. Alena's hand towards a place that wasn't too crowded.

“What the hell? off! If you don't take your hand off my hand, I'll scream!” threaten Ms. Alena.

“Please scream. If you shout, people will even be suspicious of what we do here.”, I replied casually.

“Don't be brash!”

“Who is insolent? I just want the two of us to chat without any suspicious gazes from the people.”

“With you acting like this, people will be suspicious,” snapped with a stifled voice.

“Wouldn't, if you were submissive and didn't rebel.” I keep pulling his hand.

Once we were in a room, I immediately let go of Ms. Alena's hand.

“You want what the hell?” tanyanya.

“A reason,” I replied firmly.

“What's the reason for? you don't make up.”

“Reason why you don't want to come.”

“Do I have to give a reason?”

“Ya!” firmly answer.

“I do not have to give a reason why I do not want to fulfill your invitation. We have never been close. Our relationship is limited to lecturers and students. There is no special relationship between us. I reserve the right to decline your invitation.”

Silent

I tried to digest every word that Ms. Alena said.

“Why are you forcing? Just think about it. Do you want to attend someone's invitation by force? If I am, I do not want to do something with forced.”

The sentence blew away my dream that had already flown in the clouds.

“I just want to thank you. I want to introduce you to my sister and mother,” I replied weakly.

“I've told you that we don't have any relationship.”

“There. Something to do,” lirihku.

“What do you mean?” snapped it.

“Lecturer and student relations. Isn't that also a relationship.” I stayed put with the desire to invite Ms. Alena. I also do not understand why I really want Ms. Alena to be present at the thanksgiving event held by Teh Iyah.

“Alright, I'll give you a reason. Hopefully the reasons I give can make you understand and not keep forcing.”

“Do not try to make up excuses!” I stared intently at Ms. Alena's eyes.

“Why are you threatening me?”

“I don't threaten you.”

“You threatened me with your sharp gaze.”

“Do you feel intimidated by my gaze?”

“No. Why should I feel intimidated?”

“Then why did you say that I threatened you with my gaze?”

“Arrrgh... Stop!. Talking to you will have no end. You ngenyel.” Miss Alena turned around to leave me.

“You are too complicated. If only you had agreed to my invitation, then this debate need not have happened.”

“I don't like the same nature of you like this," said Bu Alena makes my ego a little flushed.

“You don't need to like my nature. No one asked you to like my nature" I replied

“It's hard to talk to someone as annoying as you.”

“You hate me?” my many.

“If I say yes, what do you want?” challenge Ms. Alena.

“Don't hate it too much. Later that hate will turn into love.” I saw Bu Alena's surprised reaction after I said about hate being love.

“Why should I love you. Give me a reason why I should love you. You are not the type of man my dream.” this sentence hit me and made my confidence nosedive sharply.

“Rarely once we get a soul mate as we want,” said I cirih.

I wanted Teh Iyah to be my soul mate but that didn't happen. The love story of Teh Iyah and her husband is arguably beautiful and may include true love. Kagendra, her husband Teh Iyah is not the type of man with a good nature.

I don't think Kagendra is the right guy for Teh Iyah. He does not deserve a wife as good and tender as Iyah Tea. But now my assumption is wrong. Kagendra was the best husband God sent for Teh Iyah. Even in the deepest corner of my heart, I still can't accept if they finally unite again.

A Kagendra with all his bad qualities can turn 180 degrees when dealing with Teh Iyah. The man who has a very bad nature like Kagendra was finally brought to his knees in a woman and became a family man. He loved Teh Iyah and their children.

“What do you mean?” I heard Ms. Alena speaking in an increasingly fierce tone.

“No meaning whatsoever. I'm just talking the truth that man can't always get the soul mate he wants. Same with you and me. You can't choose who you are fighting with. Now you hate me, who knows that later you will love me.”

“Do not fantasize!”

“I did not fantasize. I just remind you to take care of your lips, brain and heart. It could be that everything is out of sync. Your lips do not speak but do not match your brain and heart. Your brain told you to hate me but your heart might not, right?"

I don't understand why I can talk with this confidence. I don't know what creature possessed me. Ms. Alena was able to make my confidence drop sharply but at the same time was able to make my confidence so increase.

“Cih, don't be too confident. What you think could be wrong. My lips, brain and heart are fine and they work as they should.”

“You sure?” ask me with a smile.

“Very sure!” ma'am Alena replied with a sharp and piercing look.

I brought my face closer to tease her. Both of my hands locked him up until he hit the wall behind him.

“How about now I'm men...”

Before I finished my sentence, he pushed and hit my chest.

“Surge! don't get near.”

Ms. Alena tried to get away from my confinement but I quickly grabbed her hand.

“Where are you?”

“Not your business.” He shook his hand until it slipped out of my hand.

Ms. Alena ran away leaving me with a big smile. It was nice to see him angry and annoyed.

Feelings in the heart are unpredictable. I think I'm in love with Miss Alena. I don't know since when this feeling began to linger in my heart. But I'm sure that I'm starting to fall in love with my fierce professor. My heart keeps pounding and pounding every time I meet and stare at his face.

The figure of Teh Iyah who had long resided within my heart slowly began to fade away and left its place. To be honest, the figure of Teh Iyah would never leave my heart. It's just that from now on her role changed no longer to become a woman I love but again to be the older sister I love.

Drr...

I felt my phone vibrate at the sign of an incoming call.

"Assalamu'alaikum, Tea."

*******

to be continue...