ARSHAKA
Poultices

Like dream.

Time stopped beating for a few seconds.

I suddenly stiffened, my breathing choked as if I lacked oxygen.

Not only that, but my mind was also suddenly empty.

Can't think. Can't digest.

All I could feel right now was a warm touch on my lips.

My darkened gaze now turned bright again and highlighted the figure of Arshaka who began to keep his face away from my face.

The man was endlessly staring at me deeply and closely, as if he was locking me up, supporting me so that I could not go anywhere.

The distance of our faces that are close, only a few inches and blocked by the air only. I could feel her warm breath creeping through the pores of my skin. I also saw the manic that looked dark continue to draw my black bead.

Every now and then, the maniac moved towards my lips. And back to my black bead.

"i assume our kiss was an early sign of our relationship, Bee."

Still riveted, Arshaka kissed my lips again then he unraveled and started to step back.

"night."

Saw him walk up to the car and leave, and I was still standing pecking and my lips were mute. My mind still wasn't running fast until Arshaka's car started to disappear from sight.

Finally my mind went back to work, digesting all the events a few minutes ago. Given where Arshaka came to see me not long ago, he asked me not to get in touch with Erick. Also I should always preach it when I want to go with anyone.

And then it ends with our fenced lips.

My one hand touched my lips, fumbled. I can still explain very well what it feels like: it feels soft and supple on my lips. I can still imagine how Arshaka kissed my lips, with a deep sip. 

It felt warm, considering it was my blood rustling and my heart didn't stop pounding.

But I'm aware. This is wrong, all this is so wrong. His actions. It felt. Yes, this is wrong.

He said our kiss was an early sign of our relationship?

How could he have concluded so without my consent?

I reached into my phone in my backpack. Intend to contact Arshaka and tell her to withdraw her words.

Seeing my phone die I just remembered that the last battery of my phone was only five percent, I was pissed off.

Seeing that the night was getting darker, I decided to go inside the house and head for my room. While cleaning myself up and preparing for bed I thought of all the ways to meet and say everything with Arshaka.

I have to end this.

********************************** 

The blazing day did not hinder my current activities.

My gaze began to circle one by one between hundreds or thousands of tombstone mounds, neatly lined up and there were some stones that could have a striking color to the eye.

Now my gaze stopped towards the figure of the man I was looking for earlier. A position far from my current position.

I began to step slowly on a block of graveyard soil, at every step my lips muttered, excuse me, and recited the prayer until my steps were almost close to his.

There are five more lines to Arshaka's current position. From a distance my bead continued to pay attention to Arshaka who just stood still while watching the tombstone there.

Before I followed Arshaka at the public cemetery, I stopped by his mansion. Then he met the housekeeper and told me that Arshaka was visiting the funeral of his parents not far from Cilandak area.

Rela asked Samuel for half a day's permission and skipped college hours, because Arshaka hasn't responded to all my messages and calls since yesterday. I think he disappeared because he was sick, because Arshaka's last experience was like this and it turned out that he was typhoid.

He also asked Samuel how he was doing. But Samuel himself did not know, the message he sent to Arshaka had not been answered by him. Also I asked Leo, it turns out that Arshaka did not go to school today. So I decided to visit her house. And I ended up here.

I decided to catch up with him because of Leo's message, which he asked me to find out about.

Also I remember the conversation Leo and Arshaka had when we had dinner together earlier. Talk about Arshaka's parents who died by suicide.

That's why I'm willing to come here.

Considering that my body suddenly shakes.

I was still watching Arshaka who was still there, seeing that he was just pecking on his feet with a bouquet of White Roses held by him. But he did not put the Flower on the mound of the tomb, still he held, and his gaze was seen drawing towards the two tombstones written the name of his parents there.

There Arshaka is not alone, there are two tall men who I suspect might be his bodyguards or guards. I was surprised to see two men standing guard over Arshaka. But I immediately diverted my mind, a grandson of the Coal Businessman would definitely think of having a guard, right?

Both my legs continued to slowly move. Approaching Arshaka without her knowing I was standing behind her. Until he turned around when his bodyguard patted him on the shoulder and told him I was here.

Arshaka was surprised to see my presence, but only for a few seconds, then his expression immediately turned flat and cold.

Not smiling, not what he used to do to me when we met.

Bizarrely.

For a moment we were silent, both Arshaka and I had not yet opened their mouths to speak. Just glancing at each other, I could see there was a flash of hurt, pain and anger in Arshaka's brown bead.

Arshaka must have been lonely from being abandoned. Knowing that her parents died by suicide, my heart felt a deep pain.

I want to cheer him up. But I myself am confused, how should I control it?

Saying that word of patience and steadfastness is not enough. Honestly speaking. I who have lost my Mother since I was 16 years old still like to feel sad when I remember when Mom was called by the Creator. Where Mom was lying stiff on the bed, her body temperature became freezing cold, also seeing Mother who kept her eyes closed and would never open again.

Of course the pain that Arshaka felt was much deeper than me.

"why are you here?" finally, Arshaka opened up a question. His cold-sounding tone made me move clumsily.

"i'm catching up with you" I replied briefly without heeding his gaze.

I suddenly sensed that the current aura of Arshaka was intimidating to me. It makes me dare not look him in the face.

We went back to silence. My gaze turned towards the white Rose Flower that he still held.

"Why aren't the flowers covered?" I sniffed my chin towards the Flower. Then I ventured to look at my face.

At a glance Arshaka saw the flower held by him, then he turned back to me.

"just make you,"

The flower she pointed at me.

"loh why? Didn't you bring papah to your mother?"

"not necessary."

I stared at Arshaka flat. I'm getting confused. He brought the Flower but he did not put the Flower on the grave of his parents.

One hand came back towards me, giving me the bouquet of Roses. With doubt I started to grab it.

Then my gaze again led to two gray black tombstones engraved with the names of Arshaka's parents - Teuku Bowo Prabusudibyo and Nita Amalia.

"may I give this flower to your father and mother?"

For a moment Arshaka was silent, then he elaborated a knotty smile.

"whatever you are."

I began to approach the tomb and sat down crouching, I re-read the gravestone carvings one by one. Then I pulled out a Rose and I placed it on the grave of Arshaka's father. Also another Flower for Arshaka's mother.

"hello Om, Aunt. I'm Bian. Hello yeah,"

I smiled at the two gravestones, imagining that I was looking at the faces of Arshaka's parents who were also smiling at me.

Although I don't know exactly how Arshaka's parents' faces are.

"here Arshaka is fine Om, Auntie. Leo said, Arshaka is very smart in school. But the wayward Arshaka Om Auntie, stubborn, likes to be the same Bian. But Om and Auntie don't worry, Arshaka is pretty tough and independent here. I'm sure Arshaka will be a successful boy in the future."

Then I say goodbye and stand facing Arshaka.

"do you want to stay here or you want to come with me?" ask me.

"where are you going?"

"i want to meet someone." I reply making Arshaka frown.

"who? A boy or a girl?"

"woman." I'll reply again.

Now Arshaka looked at me fixedly, as if looking for blame whether I lied to him or vice versa.

"if you don't believe me, you can come with me. I'll introduce you,"

My journey was far enough, the scorching sun that began to inflame the heat made me sweat baths. But no matter what, as my footsteps entered another burial block, passed through three rows, walked slightly past five tombstones and came to a halt on a dark green tombstone.

I began to sit crouching, smiling knots looking at the name of the tombstone. Astri - she is my mother.

"Mom, Bian's coming."

One hand I cleaned my mother's tombstone from dust and debris. Then move to the edge of a mound of land overgrown with tall grass. I slowly pulled out the grass one by one, cleaning it so that no more grass looks high.

Then my eyes shifted to Arshaka. He was still standing there, alternately staring at me and staring at my mother's tombstone.

In the current state, I like to find another Arshaka figure. He was not as cheerful as usual, his face was stiff and his manic radiating pitch-black.

And right now Arshaka is staring at my mother's grave with a blank look.

"Arshaka, this is my mother." I said introducing my mother's grave to her.

Seeing him for a while just being silent, I got scared.

I'm afraid he's possessed.

"Arshaka, you're okay, right?" I started asking because Arshaka didn't answer my question.

Anxious, I stood near him. Slightly shook his shoulders and called out his name again until our gaze met.

Then he smiled.

But I'm goosebumps.

"Ar, you're okay, right?" I re-assured it. Then he nodded with his mischievous smile.

I think this is another child who has me.

I pinched his arm until he complained of pain.

"hurt dear," his sister stroked his arm while putting her face in the glass. But it doesn't affect me.

"ill? Sukurin!" my sizzle while glancing towards Arshaka's bodyguard who was looking at us from a distance. So uncomfortable.

I went back to my mother's grave, sat down and stroked my mother's name there. Before long Arshaka caught up with me, she sat down crouching next to me and started greeting my mother.

"Tante, I'm Arshaka. Bianca's boyfriend."

I turned my bead eyes to hear his introduction.

"aunty's son is hard to say. Obstinately. Grumpy. But Bianca is good Aunt. She's an independent girl, love Leo and Dad."

Unable to hear Arshaka's words, I smiled. My son can also touch my heart.

"i promise you, Auntie, no one can hurt Bianca. I'll make Bianca happy, as well as Leo and Om. I promise."

I looked at Arshaka who was also looking at me now. Intending to ask the purpose of the promise he made in front of my mother's grave, Arshaka first said:

"i've fallen in love with Bianca, Auntie."

**********************************

I threw the ice cream stick into the trash in Arshaka's car, then wiped the ice cream stain on my hand with a wet tissue.

My intention was to clean my mouth with the same tissue, Arshaka held my hand.

"wear a new tissue. Slutty."

As soon as it sounded cynical it made my lips move sneering at him.

"that's lips for a kiss."

"what the hell, don't act weird." I'm pissed.

"i'm not weird, baby." It's easy.

After visiting Mom's grave, Arshaka and I were in the car because the blazing sun had made me feel dizzy.

Arshaka told his bodyguards to go home first in a different car and our car was parked in front of the Minimarket to buy cold drinks and ice cream.

"why did you come to my funeral?" arshaka asked after she finished the ice cream and cleaned her mouth with a tissue.

"then I went to your house, said your housekeeper to the tomb. So I sucked you out." I'm honest.

"why don't you come to my house?"

"because you didn't reply to my Whatsapp messages and my phone didn't pick up either. I thought you were sick like that."

Arshaka mustered understood.

"sorry. I didn't mean to think so." he said guiltily.

"then why didn't you tell me? There's a serious problem until you have to disappear?"

"i don't intend to disappear Bee,"

"then why don't you answer the message and pick up my phone?"

"i.." for a moment Arshaka was silent, seemingly thinking.

I looked at the side of his lethargic face that was looking blankly at the steering wheel.

Then he sighed and turned to look at me seriously. 

"all my promises in front of your mother's grave aren't bogus Bee. I'm serious."

Suddenly I moved to remember all the words he said at Mom's grave.

"why, why do you say that anyway? I'm-i'm"

"i'm serious, Bianca" said again in a stern tone.

"all my words when we last met, asking you to keep your distance from Erick, whatever your agility and wherever you were I should know, and my promise today."

"i say it with full awareness, and without any coercion."

I blinked my eyes quickly, "you again why the hell?"

Arshaka grunts a smile.

"i thought all this time I'd been trapped by a false shadow. The sadness, the anger, the fear, all of it managed to force me not to expect a blemish of peace. Until I met you."

"i thought you were just a Cameo in my life, a distraction of characters who pass by a moment and then you will disappear by yourself. But in fact you're still here, accompanying me.

"honestly, I'm not a good person. I'm not a figure of grace as most people say. I have a dark side that maybe you will stay away from me after knowing it. But can I be selfish? Once you know all about me can I hope that you will give me a chance to improve myself?"

"i want to be with you, Bianca."

I looked at all the words that Arshaka spoke. While observing his face that turned serious while looking at me.

"others only know if our lives look perfect on the one hand, but when they know our ugliness they will immediately look at us to the negative side, they judge us from their point of view. I am just like them, not much different. But without them or me, you deserve a chance to improve, Ar. Who lives your life yes you yourself, me and others can only judge you, only you filter our judgments in a positive way, the negative is that you make a spirit race so that you are motivated to develop into a better person."

I was stunned by the words that had just come out of my own mouth.

But it is so. Although other people are good at commenting there and here, only we can change our own fate.

And do not forget the presence of God who never left his people in a state of joy and sorrow.

For a moment he was silent, but before long Arshaka began to unravel the smile on his face.

Now I could see Arshaka's usual figure, and now he took one of my hands, he held it and he kissed the back of my hand gently.

And it made me turn my face so that Arshaka would not see my blushing face.

The beginning of my intention to go to him was forgotten. But it's okay, at least I'm relieved to see him smile again.

**********************************

Hi, how are you guys?

May you always be healthy.

To the point, I want to confirm that I will not continue Arshaka's chapter until the end of this platform.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

See you on the next story..