Basque : Liberation
Chapter 13; Farewell.

Tebet, South Jakarta.

"Still far bro?" Ask Baskara.

Steven was still quietly focusing on the road. "Front turn left bro."

Baskara's legs felt tired pushing the expensive iron-weighted motor. But still always help people who are in trouble, although not in the same direction as the goal.

Steven's bike turned to the left followed by Baskara pulling his motor gas. Then push back with his leg. Dark streets, night lights are not lit around there are shophouses and old buildings that seem to have been unused.

"Your house is around here bro?"

"Yes, Bang. A little more in front."

Because the day was late so did not find a suitable workshop for motorcycles like Steven's. Steven asked to be escorted to his house if possible.

Steven's eyes were still searching for something turning right and left as he entered this dark path. Until someone appears in the dark against the wall, He realizes the existence of the person and again He saw another person in the roof of the shop but Steven remained silent drove forward.

Steven stopped at the end of a dead end. Refuting the iron standard of his motor. His rather short body stepped forward again his eyes searched.

Baskara followed him down, wondering inwardly what all this meant. The actions of the person in front of him felt very suspicious right now. "So where's your house?"

Steven looked at her with a pale face full of regret. Her lips folded like she wanted to cry but were held back. Makes Baskara even more clueless.

WHOA!

Baskara heard something. He is sensitive to something above the natural limits of others. Like something approaching quickly behind his head, when it slowed down he looked down and faced behind to make sure it.

Sure enough his eyes saw a person holding a thick beam that had swung towards his head, lucky he managed to dodge.

"What do you mean you brought the cave here?" Baskara asked the short man.

Steven looked down, his body slumped with the cry in the strangeness of his voice. Baskara judged from his rather geeky appearance there was no way Steven would mess with him.

One came out from behind Steven, a shadow still covering his face until it was seen.

Ken.

Baskara understood all of these traps that the jerk in front of him was setting. Also the person behind him who was ready to hit the beam once again, including his plan to immobilize himself.

Prok-prok-prok-prok!

A clap of applause was heard from the roof. All eyes were on him. Then he stood in the stare of the shophouse, appearing to be one more person, part of this plan.

Pras.

"Great also your reflexes ngehindarin that beam. Now the cave understands why Alex can lose as much as you."

Silent.

"Lu demon!" Shouted Pras. "That's disguised among humans, right?"

Baskara answered nothing. He only focused they could at any time move to finish him. And when that time comes He must be ready to endure it all.

"Ordinary people will not be able to avoid attacks that are invisible to the eye."

Keni grabbed Steven's hair that was still paved to regret his actions. Obviously it was Keni, who made him do something like this. "Pras, let's get started." Keni Seru. "Before that you have to go first."

Keni's hand stamped the jubilee to make Steven sprawled. Then he woke up in a hurry to start his motorbike, left them.

Baskara raved in the heart for a moment. I realized that the bike never broke down. It was only their wits to fool this extremely good self.

Perhaps this is also the reason some people start to stop helping others?

"Get out of you all!"

Some people came out from the shadows. Five, eight, ten, twelve men besieged Baskara at a dead end. Some of them were carrying blunt weapons in their hands.

Steven's motorbike got to the road to get away from the commotion and began to turn left. His eyes realized there was a motor, his eyes narrow in white, lurking from a distance since earlier facing where he came from.

Steven was reluctant to deal with them again and chose not to interfere passing away. His job is done.

Baskara took a breath. Really this time he had to prepare for the damage that would happen because of this fight.

Pras jumped down and took a slow step closer to him.

"HAYESRR!!"

Everyone who surrounded him, namely Pras and Keni's men ran together to beat him immediately. With those two higher-ups observing the situation at close range.

Baskara looked for reproach for a moment and decided to go forward against it. He dodged to grab that man's hand.

THE CRUTCHES!

The sound of an arm fracture was accompanied by a scream of pain from a beam holder. One has been paralyzed.

Now from the back. Baskara turned the body to block the beam with the sole of his left foot. Forward approaching the man hit his face as well as the body with a quick punch kicking the back of his knee until half-sitting paralyzed his legs.

There are ten more. No one is capable of fighting ten people at once, whoever it is. According to him, this is the end of him before Keni and Pras look for a gap and then drown in this fight as well.

The blows come one by one also hit the boxer. Basqueen swiftly avoided it. He prefers to avoid for now while looking for a gap.

Stalk by stalk is also used to minimize damage to him.

BUKK!!

Thick beams hit his back. His body immediately felt limp, his concentration decreased. But still trying to avoid the attack that came towards his makeshift body.

This may really be the end. This trap plan will really kill him. His brain began to think of giving up the choice to give up and die without trying, accompanied by weakness all over the body. But the fight will eventually be the same. Maybe they'll torture it a little and hang it to death.

The sound of a motor roaring from a distance. It quickly crashed into some people who were ganging on it.

BUAKK!!

He jumped before his bike crashed, which left some of Keni's men injured.

Alvin stood up to put up his body to help his friend.

"Alvin?" Ask Baskara make sure.

***

Tossy.

Nadir's eyes stared at his last selfie with Alex. Not focused on the photo, he thought it was just a framed paper. Freeze time for a moment in the memories engraved in the heart. His mind drifted to the moment the photo was taken.

A beachside cafe in Pantai Indah Kapuk. The strong wind cooled the atmosphere that afternoon.

"I like the view of the horizon. We have to come here often."

"Yes." Yeah." Alex answered briefly. "You can see the full extent of the ocean."

They chuckle together. The sun was still shining on their hearts at that time, cultivating a sense that was splashed every day.

"How's your brother doing?"

"good. Lately he's been working late at his office. But this afternoon he'll be home early."

"Yeayy. nice dong." Nadir cheerful.

"Yes, I chose to stop by this abis."

"okkey. You have to encourage him. Because Brother Laras has been fighting for your school all this time."

"Sure dong. No one can replace him in my life."

They chuckle again.

"Let's take a photo." Nadir. "Let's frame each other's rooms."

They froze those memories in a framed photo.

Describe how selfish it is for people to remember something beautiful for longer, and forget all the bitter memories forever.

But reality is more often the opposite, right? Something that wants to be forgotten even stuck tightly to the wall of the heart. Good memories pass faster than we thought.

Nadir's tears dripped on the photo's protective glass. He longs for memories with Alex at that time, but humans are easy to change.

Nadir realizes that he does not miss Alex, nor the place they took pictures of. But just missing the result of a combination of all the circumstances in that situation. He also realized it would not be repeated, only remembered as far as his memory remembered.

Alex rubbed his hair with his towel to dry. Blue bruises were still visible all over Alex's body, his wounds from that night had not healed completely. He just finished his bath. His eyes were glued for a moment to see Nadir looking at the photo of the two of them in his bed. Then passed without commenting towards her wardrobe.

"Lex?"

Alex did not budge, his hands were still looking for the shirt he wanted to wear.

"I'm so sorry that I always want to change you the way I used to."

Alex's hand paused for a moment trying to hear what Nadir was saying even without turning his head.

"Honestly, I expect too much from you. I realize I can't change you the way I want to." Nadir. "But now we're both too hopeful, right?"

Alex has been wearing the shirt he was looking for. "What do you want to say?"

"I want to see you first, some time."

DEG!

Alex's heart was like a big mace. It was glued to one moment, as if time had stopped after hearing that sentence. His blood flowed from his neck to his head.

"Maybe that way we can understand each other what we want to be like." Nadir again. "Yes, right?"

"You mean we're gonna break up?"  Ask Alex to challenge.

"Not gi-"

"Have it done." Has not been able to finish the sentence was interrupted by Alex.

"If you want to break up yaudah gua have no objections. The cave can live without you!"

Nadir's tears flowed profusely while staring at Alex deeply. As if to say this is not what he wants.

It was just Alex's ego, a momentary ego to keep his pride intact even though his heart was crushed to the sword.

"After everything that happened between us. It must not be easy. I didn't know I could survive without you or not. Please think again, Lex." Her request.

"If you're worried about choosing a cave or him. Suaranin cave you choose him." Alex said firmly. "Cave's not an option."

"Not gi-"

"Better cave break up you loudly right. Rather than have to beg to be chosen just like you." Said Alex again. "The cave is worth more than you know."

Nadir was at a loss for words because he was always interrupted by Alex. Her opinion is no longer valued in this relationship.

Though heavy says this. Nadir understood that he had to take his relationship in a clear direction.

"If it is. Okay, we broke up."

"Yes, that should be it. The cave is also ready for us to break up." Alex also declared his farewell.

Nadir looked at Alex with teary eyes. "Are you conscious?"

Silent.

"Have you destroyed anything more than you tried?"

As we all know, love is the art of hurting yourself. You sacrifice yourself in a sea of pain for the happiness of the one you love, and expect him to love you as much as you love him.

The further immersed in love instead of getting liberated, but instead curb each other and fear loss.

One of the stupid things that humans often do is say something that is contrary to the desire of the heart to maintain its self-esteem, and make things more difficult than they should be.

***