Behind The Lies
Still Have Family

After a disagreement with Aruna over differences of view, Gusman left the hospital, while Aruna was asleep. Either do sleep, or pretend to sleep to forget his sadness.

That morning Gusman was standing in front of a house. Her feelings are really dull, silent and uninspired, it feels unable to see Aruna like this, she hopes her parents will destroy the impasse in her heart.

His fingers knocked on the door of the house. At first he thought about turning around and leaving. However, suddenly the door opened and it made him undo the intention to leave the place.

“Gusman?” Her mother's voice sounded so soft.

With a feeling that keeps raging. Gusman dropped his knees in front of his mother. “Sorry, Ma.” He hugged the mother's leg. “Gusman apologize.”

The seventy-year-old woman quickly helped Gusman to his feet. “Where are you, son?” Lestari stroked Gusman's cheek, then hugged him tightly. “Mama has forgiven you, long before you asked for it.”

After releasing the hug. Lestari invited her son in. “Papa must be glad you're home. Two years ago, Papa heard that your son was in Jakarta and said he was looking for Dewi, but back to Surabaya, is that true?”

Gusman nodded.

 “Since the day Papa heard it, he immediately told people to look for you all over Surabaya, but did not meet.”

Gusman landed his buttocks and held his mother's hand.

“Mama call Papa first yes.” However, before that Lestari locked the door, then pulled it out for fear of the child leaving again. “Wait.”

Gusman himself was pensive on the sofa. What would the father think of him who only came in a state of really need.

Slowly Gusman heard the sound of footsteps getting closer, he immediately got up when he saw Ganjar was standing in front of him.

 “Gusman?”

Gusman immediately took a step and approached the father. “Sorry.” Just as he did to his mother, Gusman also hugged his father's leg. “Pardon Gusman, Pa.”

Slowly Ganjar's lips were on their backs. “Papa forgive you, son. Stand-stand.”

Gusman also rose. Then hugging the father and crying, not with a small voice, or almost without a voice, the cry of Gusman just sounded so bitter and full of regret. Not like when he lost the Goddess. This time it was more painful. No matter how far he goes the family remains the place to return to.

“Why you?” tanya Ganjar patted the child on the back. “Sit yuk, sit.”

Lestari was crying. The prayer that every night was said to the creator has been granted, Gusman has returned.

Gusman sat back on the couch. He rubbed his cheeks rough. “Gus came here to ask for help, Pa.”

“Say. We're your parents, we won't let you have any more trouble,” said Ganjar. Unlike decades ago, even the sentence was never spoken. Maybe Ganjar regretted it and didn't want Gusman to stay away from him again.

“Aruna has an accident.”

“Innalallahi.” Lestari rubbed her face while continuing the prayer in her heart, even with Ganjar.

“Gus ask for help take care of Aruna because Gus' age will not be long.”

Instantly the hearts of his parents were smeared, but they thought that Gusman only scared him. “What do you mean?”

“Six months ago Gus was convicted of brain cancer.”

“Astaghfirullah.”

“If Gus goes, Aruna is alone.” Gusman looks so tough, but every night he is sad and restless because he thinks of what Aruna would be like without him.

“Why did you just come home?” ask Ganjar.

Gusman took a deep breath. “Sorry, Pa. Sorry for being selfish. Now in Gus's mind is only Aruna's happiness.”

“Your path, Gus.”

Gusman nodded. He had indeed gone too far for leaving Aruna in trouble.

“Aruna got a scholarship to school here, but she had an accident and now she asks to leave Jakarta. We are unlikely to return to Surabaya.”

Ganjar looked at the wife who then nodded.

“Please Gus, Pa, Ma.”

“After you divorced from Dewi, we thought you were going home, but you disappeared instead,” said Lestari.

“Too heavy live here, so, Gus decided to move to Surabaya.”

“Why don't you just come back here, but if you want to go, you can catch up with Miranti to New York.”

“Gus Shy, Pa, Ma. Gus can't even make a living and Gus can't possibly depend continuously on you guys.”

“You forgot you have to continue the company.”

Gusman bowed languidly.

“Why should we be ashamed, after all we are your parents,” said Lestari.

Gusman sighed.

“Yang already happened, already, we just need to accept and improve in the future,” said Ganjar.

Gusman is still bowing listlessly.

Gusman.

“Hopefully still treatable,” says Lestari.

“We will fight. Now where's Aruna?”

“At the hospital.”

“When can I go home?”

“Later afternoon can go home forcibly.”

“Why go home forcibly, why not wait for him to heal first?” ask Lestari.

“Aruna insists on asking to go home. Just confused Gus, want to take him home to where.”

“Of course get here. He's our grandson,” said Lestari. “Pa, ask Yayan between Gusman to bring Aruna here.”

“Iya.” Ganjar then looked at Gusman. “Take Gusman to eat, then change clothes, then go delivered Yayan.”

Lestari nodded and got up. “Yuk, Gus.” He walked with Gusman. “Miranti nanyain you continue, her son is already big.”

Gusman smiled.

***

At exactly three o'clock in the afternoon, Gusman returned to the hospital in neat and fragrant clothes like never before. This morning before Gusman went to see his family, he signed Aruna's letter of return and when he returned he saw that the infusion tube had been removed from Aruna's hand.

Not happy with the return of the father, Aruna even seemed to be staring at him. “Where is it?” her question was astonished to see Gusman's different appearance.

Gusman did not answer. He immediately took out a new clothes from the bag he was carrying. “You change clothes, we go home now.”

“Ke Surabaya?”

Gusman was silent for a few seconds.

“Yeah, where?”

“To Grandpa's house, Your Grandma.”

“Hahh?” Aruna's forehead frowned. He did know that the father still had parents, but he did not expect to be invited to meet them, but at least he did not return to Surabaya.

“Quickly you change your clothes.”

Aruna quickly picked up the clothes, then went to the bathroom.

Gusman looked uneasy, he hoped not to meet Iyash's parents. She just doesn't want Aruna to get back hurt by the treatment of her mother Iyash.

A few minutes waiting, Aruna came out of the bathroom with new brown clothes, no longer a skirt like she often wears, but a blouse and jeans.

“We're home now.”

“Yah.” Aruna held his father's hand, “We go to the place where Runa used to cost ya.”

“Nevent gone.”

“But, Well, Runa's stuff is there.”

“Cast it. You will live new with–”

“Ngak,” reject Aruna fast. “Although it's only a book, it's Aruna's memories. After all, diplomas, ID cards are all there, time must be given up, what's the point of Runa school if suddenly it has to be discarded?”

“Iya-iya. Dad's sorry. Now we go there first.”

Aruna nodded. He then walked with his father to the parking lot. However, he was stunned in front of the black avanza.

“This is your grandfather's car and this is Yayan.”

Aruna nodded. While Yayan smiled kindly at him. However, Aruna did not return the smile, not arrogant, Aruna did rarely smile at people she had just met.

Yayan opened the door and Aruna quickly entered.

“Still, Yan,” says Gusman. He then entered through another door in the back seat. Yayan quickly sat behind the wheel and was ready to drive his car.

“Live to home, Mas?” ask Yayan.

“No, to where Aruna used to cost.”

“Where are ya, Mas?” yayan asked as he looked back at the rearview mirror that led to the back seat.

Aruna looked at her father and told him. Unexpectedly the father knew the place and immediately shot to the destination. Aruna to termangu, it should be natural because his father grew up in Jakarta, despite spending half his age in Surabaya.

Arriving there, Aruna immediately packed her clothes and emptied the room while crying over her. I don't know what happens tomorrow, somehow with his future, which obviously Aruna can no longer imagine his life even an hour ahead.

Aruna sat crying on the mat. He took out a ballpoint pen and wrote something down in the last sheet of his diary book.

His hands shook as he wrote the parting sentence. When he finished he hung the key on the door, so that no one knew that afternoon he left his boarding house.