Call Me Isha
9. Basketball Match

⁇ "Isha it's fried rice eaten!" tell Brother Raefal, make the daydreams fade away instantly.

"I-iya Brother."

I feed a mouthful of fried rice into my mouth with a mind that flies somewhere.

"From that moment on, what's going on?"

"Engga Brother. I just want to get home quickly" my lie shook my head.

"Kirain you don't like it or anything."

"Sha's coming home from school with me!" breaking up Raefal made me confused, because I have decided to stay away from him.

"Where are you, brother, better not be broken,"

"Gue hongajak lo, so you have no reason to nolak."

"I. I have a show, there's a show!" These lips pronounce the origin of what is in the head without a second thought.

He raised an eyebrow. "Events? Don't know what dong, so I'm anter lo."

"It's not like you, I have to help Papa in the store" I lied again.

"Later let me drop each other," his reply that increasingly makes me confused myself. "Why? How do you feel like you're panicking?"

"That there's a brother, just a pedes," I'm like an idol.

"It's a drink!" Raefal's brother thrust his drink at me.

"So I anter lo later, but before I have a show, you come!"

"If you have a mending event do not, so ngerepotin later. Continue I must hurry," I said finding reproach.

"Hurrying? Isn't Bokap lo's shop now closed?"

I glared, too focused to trick you into not being aware of reality.

"Ouh yes! New inget. I promised Grandma after school, that's the show."

"What is that event? Isn't that show you're staying away from me because of Orlin?"

I now understand why I realized that Brother Raefal asked me this, that I felt like the most stupid person.

"Why? Confused because I know? Lo it's not pinter acting. So don't try to lie to me."

🍁

"If you want to play basketball first why even interracial?" ask me while stepping hand in hand with a man who seems like he will always be with me for a long time.

Raefal's brother stopped and turned to look at me with a sharp gaze that then grasped this wrist, making the heart jump uncontrollably.

"Engga! You come with me!" the jeda. "Well, how dare you argue?!" The sentence that later escaped from Brother Raefal's lips made me silent not wrinkled.

"Bu-not that Kak," my great-grandson lowered his head.

"Why down? I'm in front of you not under you!" He paused his sentence. "Are you still afraid of Orlin's threat?" guess right on target.

"Still scared? If you are afraid the opponent is not silent! I don't like lo who's weak and easy to bully, get up Sha! Show them you can!"

Raefal's sister held my shoulder, then looked at these two eyeballs with a hard-to-understand look. "Sha. I hate you"

If the shoulder is not supported by Raefal, maybe this body has been dazed to hear the sentence, even both eyes have been staring at Brother Raefal, as if hoping he retracted his speech.

"Gue hates you who are always silent and relented, life is not only about kindness but, sometimes we also have to compete." Pause back. "Gue promises will always be there for you."

As if the sentence that was spoken was a mantra, by itself this heart became warm and the eyes that had been staring softly now turned into a twinkle of hope. Slowly but surely he pulled this body into a warm embrace.

"Udah lo enough to be the Cupu who was bullied, now you have to rise up and fight people who hurt you."

"Be Isha who is not only kind but also not easily oppressed" he whispered in his ear, successfully causing a drop of tears to escape from his place of origin.

"If you want to date do not be corridor." Someone's instructions got me and Raefal somersaulted and then let go of that soothing hug.

"Damn lo Rik!" hardik Kak Raefal to Kak Arik who had laughed out loud after successfully snatching us.

"Lesson if you want messraan not in public places."

"Udahlah Rik, now where are the other children? So henga?" asked Raefal to divert the conversation.

"So, even the children who are waiting for you Bambang! Mulu lo's courtship," ledek Arik then embrace Kak Raefal walk together, while I follow them behind.

       I clasped Raefal's arm as the man was about to leave after sending himself to sit on the spectator bench.

"Lo sit here! Don't go anywhere, we'll go home together, I'll play first!" kak Raefal's pamit made me slowly let go.

I held my breath as Brother Raefal's palm ruffled my hair, but I became awkward when I realized that all pairs of eyes were staring at us. Yes, the basketball court is crowded like there is a match.

Mata accidentally caught the figure of Arga who was dribbling the ball with a shrewd, he also several times put the ball into the ring.

Then my gaze fell on the figure of Raefal Brother who is now trying to snatch the ball from Arga then began to mendribbling it and avoid the opponents who are trying to seize it.

Seeing the match directly made me feel furious, in my heart I cheered the name of Raefal's brother who tried to put the ball into the ring.

Raefal's brother jumped and then put the ball into the ring making himself reflex stand up and shout loudly.

"Yey! Raefal's brother!" my screams made all pairs of eyes look strangely at themselves.

Biting my lower lip did as dozens of pairs of eyes looked at me strangely. It is usually a lot of girls who will cheer like that in every exercise but, this might be strange according to them when, seeing introverts like me make a loud noise.

Spreading my eyes across the field, I was so grateful that neither Orlin nor her friend were always haunting me.

Just now I was grateful, now that person was walking towards me arrogantly followed by the lackeys.

Orlin sat down right next to me and grabbed onto this shoulder, causing cold sweat to spring up.

"Your son was a hug, how did it feel?" orlin asked whispering in front of the earlobe.

"W-what?" ask me to vent.

"Acels, Anor. You know what happens to people who take people I love?" orlin's code on his two lackeys made them giggle.

"Make people go crazy or die of fear?" ask Anoora with a style like a person who is thinking.

"Gue new inget, whose people we naked keep photos we patient on the internet is not it?"  asked Acel innocently pretentious makes me want to scratch that face.

"Gue believes you have a brain, even if it's only as big as a wart. But you know what you have to do?"

I can only hear it. Scared, fed up and tired, I don't want to deal with Orlin any longer.

"So you want to stay away from Raefal?" orlin asked who made me nod.

"No Lin. I-I will stay away from Raefal if that's what you want, but don't do it." I cried as I pleaded.

"The right choice! Inget said I was!" threaten him before he really left me who was crying so much.

I covered my face with my palms, hiding the tears that were still flowing.

       I don't know how long I cried until the originally crowded match is now silent but, I have not even lowered my palm from the face.

I gasped when both hands were forcibly pulled by someone to display a face full of tears.

"Lo cry?" ask someone with a baritone voice that I know very well.

"Ka-Kak-Raefal?!"

"Who?"

I shook my head, it was impossible to divulge a figure that hurt my heart.

"Lo knows or knows if I don't like lo kayak gini, childish!" sis Raefal made my tears break.

"Sir Raefal won't understand and you'd better get out of here!" banish me after gathering courage.

"So now you've got the courage to evict me?" he asked what seemed emotional.

"Sister who said it himself 'wouldn't if there's something I don't like I should say don't shut up, but Brother is also the--------" I didn't finish my sentence.

"Certain what?! How do you return the favor after I support you?!" Raefal's sister shouted loudly to make everyone who saw more curious.

"If you really support me. You can't possibly bully me." Pause words. "I think Big Brother is different from the others, because when everyone uses me, only Big Brother will embrace me, when everyone is away from me only Big Brother will be friends with me, and you know. Brother is the first person who wants to embrace at the same time the person I think will understand, but what? Brother is like any other."

Silence, only the sound of my cry was heard, even Raefal was just silent let alone moving.

"I'm sorry for all the words I just said, and I'm sorry if I was too upset. I know and I realize I was wrong, sorry."

Raefal's sister crouched down in front of me before wiping away every tear I dropped. "Don't cry, I don't like.

I shook my head rejecting something that suddenly appeared inside my head and stood up.

Running fast as well as breaking through the crowd that had been swarming my place with Raefal, became the last choice to escape.

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Purbalingga, 23 January 2020/16 August 2022.