Because I Don't Want to Lose
14 - Hiking

After breakfast, Izzar and his cousin prepared to go hiking around the villa. They will explore the streets of villages, gardens and rice fields, to the upstream of the waterfall watery river.

Mama Izzar tells Anaya to come along and promises to take care of Naira. Initially, Anaya was reluctant to leave her son, although Naira and Mama Izzar who asked to be called oma were already very familiar. However, once back face to face with the two aunts Izzar, Anaya remembered the talk of the second julid last night. Instantly he followed his in-laws' advice.

Izzar did not expect Anaya to participate. He told Anaya to bring a change of clothes that he put in his backpack. Anaya follows the others wearing knee-length t-shirts and shorts. Fortunately, Anaya has been wearing sneakers since she left yesterday.

They're six people. Three men and three women. The oldest is Izzar and the youngest is Sheilla who is still a student.

“So far is the location of the river?” ask Anaya for Izzar.

“Away, Brother! Five hours trip!” sambar Sheilla is in front of Anaya.

Sheilla's reply made Anaya a little daunted.

“Do not nag, La!” reprimand Izzar.

“Casual, Brother! So close! But pretty tired. Later if you have met the waterfall and bathe in the river, lost how tired. But, back to the villa yes, tired again!” Sheilla chuckles.

Anaya smiled.

Sheilla is a cheerful young man. Anaya forgot which son of Izzar's aunt. The trait is more similar to the humble mama Izzar. Along the way he invites Anaya to talk about the details of her work. He also asked the possibility of Anaya accepting him to work part time.

“I can snack, Brother! I can design, I can sing, I can do marketing, whatever it is, brother. Brother tell me anything, I canaine!”

Sheilla's high self-confidence made Anaya laugh.

“Why not just finish your college? Just working?” ask Izzar who followed their conversation.

“Let me immediately have my own money, and can quickly get out of the house.” Sheilla answered honestly.

Izzar was silent not daring to comment more. Recognize Izzar's reaction. Anaya refuses to respond to Sheilla. He does not want to interfere with other people's problems.

Sheilla was non-stop talking. The light-skinned and neck-haired girl commented on all things. He also did not run out of material teasing or mocking his brother and cousin.

Along the way, Izzar was always not far from Anaya. If the road is wide enough, he walks by his side. When narrow, he was behind Anaya. His instincts are directed to keep the woman who is forced to bond with him. Last night, Izzar was able to catch something that made Anaya fret and cry, but it was not told. Whatever the cause, Izzar felt guilty and had to take responsibility.

Izzar's treatment, like a bodyguard for Anaya, invited pity in Sheilla.

“Nempel go! Don't envy singles like me!” sheilla exclaims to Izzar.

“Mean it don't be too chatty! Make a guy scared to be your girlfriend!” reply Izzar.

Sheilla sneered and held Anaya's arm, walking beside or behind her. Anaya is happy to make friends.

When passing through the rice field, Sheilla who was telling a story about her lecturer, slipped and spontaneously held on to the shoulder of Anaya who immediately lost balance because of shock gripped suddenly by Sheilla. Both of them screamed and fell to the fields that were still in the mud.

Izzar, who was a few steps behind, quickly approached. He was worried that something had happened to the two women, especially Anaya. However, after a second of complaining, Anaya and Sheilla laughed at the event that had just happened. Anaya's mud-soaked hand was rubbed against Sheilla's cheek, which Sheilla responded to with the same thing. Both laughter grew louder. No matter what part of the body and clothes are dirty.

Seeing the scene, Izzar and his other cousins stopped helping. They instead documented Anaya and Sheilla's ‘suffering’ with their respective phone cameras.

After being satisfied with laughter and laughter, Sheilla got up and asked her brother for help to be pulled over the grunts. Anaya followed, but her movements were stifled by pain in her left ankle. He stared at Izzar.

“My leg hurts!”

Snapping Izzar extended his hand. With the help of two male cousins, Izzar pulled Anaya and refuted her body. Pain and heat, making Anaya unable to concentrate his body on his left leg. Izzar finally carried Anaya on his back and carried her carefully to the saung at the end of the grater. Anaya. Pain in his legs beat the discomfort of having to attach the body and contact the skin with Izzar.

Panicked Sheilla carries Izzar's backpack while apologizing and stops after Anaya says she forgives him and tells him to calm down.

One of Izzar's cousins called Mak Sadah, a good massage farmer. Izzar helped open Anaya's shoes and socks. All circled Anaya who was grimacing in pain in the old hand of Mak Sadah.

“Ngga this is all right, Neng! Just sprained a little. Soon also healed,” said Mak Sadah with a thick sunda dialect.

While staying the two of them, Anaya so remembered the words of Randi who said Izzar a good man. At the same time, the words of aunt Izzar last night who degraded her status before marriage to Izzar and the accusation of pregnancy, again ringed.

“Can I ask you something?” asked Izzar while giving a wet tissue to clean the dry mud on Anaya's cheeks.

Anaya's eyebrows raised the mark allows.

“Your all night why?”

Anaya can't believe Izzar's still thinking about last night.

“Ngga nothing,” Anaya replied in a convoluted manner. He put his socks and shoes back on.

“Anaya, you free story to me.” Izzar.

“Iya, I know. But last night there was nothing. I'm just not comfortable being in a new place.”

Izzar looked at Anaya. He began to understand the character of the woman before him. Behind the stubbornness and sometimes the rudeness of his attitude, Anaya is actually fragile inside. Too many feelings, desires, and problems that he harbored and tried to solve alone.

“Come on the road again!” Anaya stuck her left foot on the ground. Although still a little linu, Anaya forced back to continue the journey. He let Izzar drive and hold his hand when passing steep or slippery roads.

The distance to the river is not too far away anymore. In a short time, the two had arrived and joined Sheilla and her siblings. Anaya sat on a boulder and soaked her feet in the very clear and cold water.

At first, he just watched the others swim and play water. However, Izar started to idly splash his body with water. Followed by Sheilla. Finally, he also down to enjoy the flow of the waterfall by staying guarded Izzar.

They arrived back at the villa by noon.

Alternating with Izzar, Anaya cleans up and changes clothes. During lunch, Anaya tried to avoid being close to the two aunts. He broke away on the grounds of feeding Naira on the side porch chair.

From the glass doors and windows, Anaya was able to observe the activity in the inner room. Widya's aunt, Sheilla's mother, is seen talking to Izzar. I don't know what's being talked about. However, Anaya notices Izzar's familiar friendly face turning hardened. He left his aunt with a sour attitude.

Izzar approached Anaya and sat so close to him.

“Overnight, you heard a bad talk from my two tantes, huh?” izzar asked half-whispered near Anaya's ear.

Despite the hesitation, Anaya finally nodded. Izzar stared at him for a moment.

“Ngga anything really, Zar. Don't worry,” pinta Anaya while smiling strengthens her own heart.

“OK! I don't want you to be uncomfortable. Finish eating, we'll just go home!"

Surprised Anaya by Izzar's decision. But, he also did not want to oppose it.

Reasoning that Anaya will have an event that must be supervised later tonight, Izzar asked for permission to go home first to his mother. Mama Izzar doesn't mind. He took Anaya and Naira off by hugging and kissing both cheeks.

Anaya realizes, mama Izzar is actually the type of dream in-law. The woman was very friendly and did not like to interfere in the affairs of her son-in-law.

On the way home, Anaya secretly notices Izzar who remains calm driving and patiently responds to the seriousness of Naira recounting her activities with oma and Izzar's nieces.

Izzar's treatment of him who always kept his comfort and protected him again gave a warm glow in his heart. Anaya is grateful to have lowered her ego by receiving a helping hand from Izzar. Because, this man beside her was basically indeed fun.

Anaya's phone rang. Mba Kemi called.

“Halo, Mba? What's up?” greet Anaya.

“Sorry, Mom! Just now Mr. Ridwan called me, nanyain Naira and Mom where. I'm just saying the family's mother is back at the top. Keep asking when to go home. I said I don't know.”

Anaya breathed her. True to his expectations yesterday, Ridwan will definitely test the truth of Anaya's reason.

...***...