Behind The Lies
The Terrible Silence

Aruna woke up at exactly two in the morning in a terrible silence. Thank goodness he survived the fatal accident. Gusman is still on his way to Jakarta. When he got the news that his only child had an accident, he immediately felt depressed, he felt like he was slapped in a row. If Gusman beat his trauma and accompanied Aruna for several days in Jakarta, though he could not change the events that God had set.

Aruna was pensive, she felt empty for a few seconds. However, then he remembered on one name before the accident happened.

“Iyash,” murmured while waking up. He quickly got out of bed and staggered while leading the infusion pole.

“Where are you going?” ask the nurse who happened to be about to enter.

“Iyash. My friend, is she okay?”

 The nurse immediately took a wheelchair and asked Aruna to sit down. “Let me between.”

Slowly Aruna sat down. Luckily he had only a few injuries, the impact on his head was not too serious, while Iyash lay in a coma. The nurse pushed back her wheelchair and stopped in front of Iyash's outpatient room door. Aruna quickly stood up and peered behind the glass next to the entrance.

Her tears trickled seeing Iyash sprawled with various medical devices on his body. His neck was propped up by a neck collar, his head was wrapped in bandages, his breathing was oxygen-assisted, while a monitor screen showed his heartbeat.

“Iyash will be healthy again, ‘kan?” Aruna Gumam.

The nurse stood next to him. “The possibilities are very slim.”

Aruna slowly backed down and sat back in the wheelchair crying. It's all his fault, if only last night he had stood in his position without having to run out. Withstand the pain until the event is over, it may be better than what is happening now.

“I take you to the room,” said the nurse as she reached for the wheelchair handle. “Morning will be done further tests. Hopefully there are no problems with the wound on his head.”

Aruna continued to cry and quickly climbed into the bed as soon as she reached her room.

“Many prayers yes,” said the nurse while covering her.

Aruna's tears were back inundated, her chest felt tight. He promised to do whatever Iyash got back to health.

***

At six Gusman arrived at the hospital. Without thinking anything more, he immediately searched Aruna's room. After arriving Gusman stepped slowly near his daughter's bed. “Nak.”

“Dad.” Aruna woke up and hugged her father. She was crying so hard.

“Sstttt ...” Gusman patted the boy on the back. “This is already part of destiny, Nak.”

Aruna continued to sob in the arms of her father.

“Iyash how? Is she okay?”

Of course Aruna shook her head. “This is all wrong Runa.”

Gusman. “Why can you think like that?” He rubbed Aruna's back. “To blame yourself is useless, you better pray for healing Iyash.”

“At Aruna tight,” complains the girl.

Gusman released a hug and rubbed Aruna's forehead full of sweat.

“Sick,” watered Aruna while pointing at her own chest. How not, it's not about the accident, but about the previous incident. In front of Iyash's eyes were sobbed by thugs without being able to fight back, then a painful quarrel.

Gusman could only sigh. “Ikhlaskan. Don't make this a mistake because not everything you can control.”

Advice may sound easy, but the reality is difficult to apply, especially Aruna is feeling inferior since a few days.

Not long from Aruna's silence, a knock made Gusman turn towards the door, Aruna herself immediately held her stuffing.

Ira was standing in the doorway. Tears keep pouring out. Slowly his two feet took turns to approach Aruna. However, Aruna and Gusman suddenly gasped to see Iyash's mother kneeling in front of her bed.

“I beg. Leave my son,” pinta Ira without seeing Aruna's face. “Leave him and never come back.”

Aruna flabbergasted. His chest is getting painful.  He quickly got down and helped Ira to stand up. “Tante.” However, Ira held back and clasped her hand.

“Not for me, but for Iyash. Please let Iyash live a quiet life and do not disturb him to reach his goal.”

Aruna's tongue is twisted. His throat was choked, while tears kept flooding both of his cheeks.

“Iyash is still too small to be burdened. He needs help to take care of his own life and now even the pretentious want to take care of your life.”

Aruna felt slapped. His father had warned him subtly, but he did not want to understand, but now he understood the words of Ira's circus.

The woman removed her hand from Aruna and looked at the thin-moustached man.

“Love? What father should take advantage of my son under the pretext of love?” said Ira as he rose. While Aruna bowed because Ira's sentence had really slapped her.

“I will never approve of them. Since Iyash is with your son. He changed a lot, he lied to us often. Love that turns a person into a negative behavior is disease.”

Gusman's heart is breaking. Flashbacks about him and the Goddess again burdened the contents of the head that he should have forgotten. Really he does not want Aruna to experience the same thing as what she experienced.

Ira grieving. “What Aruna. Little Aruna. Iyash had almost forgotten his own purpose. He must be tested to attend an education abroad. If it is canceled, I cannot forgive you.”

Gusman looked at Aruna. Just a few minutes ago he complained of chest pain from tightness. Now his son must be in more pain.

“You should be self-aware, You don't raise your child to be someone else's burden, ‘Does it? Why should my child bear it? something that should have been the responsibility of his parents was instead inflicted on my son.”

“Enough!” Aruna got up soon.  “If this is for goodness Iyash–”

“Do not return,” Ira said while putting a wad of money in bed. “Ongkos make you go. All hospital fees I have paid.”

The pain in Aruna's chest slowly disappeared along with the sincerity of her heart let go of Iyash. “Say that I am dead,” says the girl sure.

Gusman was stunned because Aruna's words reminded him of the Goddess. “Run, you can't–”

“Can, dad. Let Iyash forget about Aruna.”

“But it doesn't have to be that way.”

“What other way should I do? All for the good of Iyash.” Aruna turned and hid her pain.

“This is not necessarily the best.”

“This is the best decision,” sambar Ira. “I agree. Now Iyash's goal is only one, thinking about and realizing his ideals. Nothing more about you.”

Aruna's heart was like being hit by a heavy object, the tightness of which had subsided, now feels again torturous.

“Thank you.” Ira breezed off leaving Aruna's nursery.

Gusman tore the body down onto the chair. “Why, Run?”

Aruna soaked her throat staring at the father who looked so sad for his wound. Aruna quickly turned around and went up to the bed. He then cried while curling up.

“Dad disappointed with you.”

“It's the best,” Og Aruna.

“Not your farewell to Iyash that disappointed me, but you who want to be considered dead.”

“That's all so Iyash doesn't nyari Aruna.”

“Confidence once you.” Gusman got up and looked at the child's back in anger. “With you gone was not necessarily Iyash looking for you.” Gusman snorts. “This wants to be considered dead.”

Aruna was instantly moved. Then he got up and sat down. “Quiet, Father, Aruna will not repeat the mistakes of Father.”

“No need to carry around Dad's mistakes. You won't understand, not a lifetime.”

Aruna stupefied. Maybe Gusman was right. No one can understand the suffering of others.

“The circumstances are clearly different.”

“This is all Aruna can do.”

“By pretending to be gone, then what if one day you are destined to meet again? What truth do you want to tell?”

Aruna is confused and again the father does have a point.

“It is better if you want to leave, leave without having to leave a big question mark on Iyash's heart. The world is vast, we can live anywhere.”

Aruna bowed and went back sobbing. Whether his decision is right or not which is clear for now maybe he feels this is the best.

***