Dusk (And Taste)
Chapter 18
The days change so fast. Like a train crossing its tracks.
Reyhan and Nadhira's wedding is just a matter of hours. People seem to be busy preparing for all the wedding needs. No exception Nadhira who also contributed to help Mother and her other relatives.
“Dik, rest. Don't get tired. Let tomorrow look fresh.” Bara approached his only puppet sister who was arranging plastic flowers into a pot.
“Nothing, Bang. I will not be tired. Just sit by kayak gini.” Nadhira answered while displaying his teeth.
“Ya. Later if tired directly rest in the room.”
“Siiaap, Boss.”
“Abang go first, yes ?”
“Where, Bang ?” nadhira asked to stop his activities for a moment.
“Royhan's Rules. Want to see the preparations at the hotel for your event tomorrow.”
“Good. Be careful on the road, Bang.” Nadhira smiled and kissed Bara's hand.
He stepped foot towards the door. Sometimes he stopped when he passed by his brothers who came from outside the city to watch the sacred event between Nadhira and Reyhan.
He entered his parked car in front of the door. He was driving his car at a speed that was splitting the traffic-prone road with that traffic jam.
After a few minutes on the way. The car that Bara was driving stopped at a star hotel. He walked into the hotel. Many women have noticed it. There are even whispering but can still be digested well by the Bara's sense of hearing. Whispers admiring his fondness. Who is not interested in a Bara ? A young CEO with exceptional talent. Blessed with an athletic body, white skin and a firm face.
Bara does not care at all the gaze and whisper of the opposite sex creature. For him it was just a common thing that he often encountered.
Bara continues to walk down the hotel corridor to a ballroom set up for the wedding of his sister and best friend.
Bara browse every inch of the room that has been conjured in such a way with the green decoration of the toska and combined pink color that spoils the eye.
The corner of Bara's lips is interested in forming an arch smile imagining his sister sitting on a guarantee.
“Hei, Bara!” Reyhan patted Bara on the shoulder and grabbed her.
“Hei!” Bara just turned his head for a while and refocused his gaze on the decor of the room that will be used as a place to hold the wedding of Nadhira and Reyhan.
“How according to lo, Bar ?”
“Abanya ?” ask Bara so innocently.
“Ya decor and everything you see now ?”
“Good, Han. Surely Nadhira really seneng see this later.”
“Hopefully.” Reyhan said expectantly.
I stared at Reyhan's face. Looks fatigue streaks emanated on his face despite wrapped in happy mimicry. However, it could not cover his face that seemed still pale due to his condition that had not fully recovered after being discharged from the hospital two days ago.
“Han, your face is pale. Just rest first.”
“Ngak, Bar. Hold on again, cover everything. Come with me there. There's Mama with Raina.” Reyhan pointed towards where his mother and sister were.
Bara just followed in the footsteps of his sister-in-law's candidate.
“Assalamu’alaikum, Aunt.”
Mama looked towards Bara. Bara took Mama's hand and kissed her as respect. This is what his parents have always taught him.
“Wa’alaikumussalam. Uh, Son Bara.”
“Hai, Raina.”
“Come Salim used to be the same Brother Bara.” Reyhan said as he led his sister to shake hands with Bara.
___
Nadhira approached his mother who was busy chatting with women his age.
“Bun, sister go to room first, yes ?”
“Iya, Dik's. Brother rest. Collect energy for tomorrow.”
Nadhira stepped foot into his room.
Nadhira stood by the wide open window.
“Senja.” Her speech.
Nadhira likes twilight. Every day he looks forward to it. Looking forward to this half dark day on earth.
Today is the same. Nadhira supported his face with both hands. Enjoy the night through the window of his room. The same twilight. Like dusk before. Keep the reddish orange color.
Nadhira closed his eyes. Enjoying the breeze that blew his face.
“I miss twilight with you, Brother.” Nadhira.
Someone's voice came from behind. That sound. Yes, the voice belonged to the man Nadhira called Abang.
“Already. Just enjoy the evening. Because this twilight is the last dusk adek enjoy yourself.”
Nadhira smiled towards Bara who was getting closer to him.
“Bang, I'm sorry I can't be a good sister for Brother, who is always sore and spoiled. And thank you for taking care of me all this time.”
“Isn't that already the job of Brother as sister ?”
Nadhira nodded. Then back in the position of staring at the sun full of desire rolled back to the contest.
Same with Bara. He stood beside his sister. Also gazing at the quiet afternoon sky with a tinge of his pinkish color.
“Indah.” One word that Bata revealed about twilight this time. The first night he enjoyed.
Nadhira looked at his brother.
“Any twilight there is always beauty. Dusk always has a way to seduce the taste and arouse the soul of its connoisseur.” Nadhira said to Bara.
“Really ?” tanya Bara was so enthusiastic.
“Hmm. Dusk is so unpretentious. It is so beautiful and soothing. I was so amazed at the twilight. The twilight that came so short. However, his arrival always aroused passion. When longing to be in touch with the atmosphere creates a dramatic story in thought. Aahhh.. dusk is so.”
“Do you really like twilight, Dik ?”
“Sure.” Nadhira was proud.
“If you know dusk is this beautiful. Of course since the first brother will not waste to enjoy it. Deserve Prisil used to always take a little time to pamper his eyes staring at the afternoon sky.” Emar smile. The shadow of the woman of her past was tangled in her brain.
“Start today. Enjoying dusk will be one additional routine Brother.” Keep Bara. Nadhira only chuckled at his brother's words.
Nadhira and Bara focused their eyes on the sky that afternoon. Letting his eyes receive the intake of beauty that is served twilight. Leaving their faces blown by the wind that blew past the window grille of Nadhira's room.
___
Dusk dimmed. Sunset drowned perfectly. The sky is gone and dark. The sound of adzan magrib reverberated from a mosque in a luxury residential complex where Reyhan and his family settled.
Reyhan shuffled from his study to his room to get ready to perform his duty to the Khalik. He must have gone to the bathroom to clean himself first before taking the water.
Reyhan held his prayer table facing the Qibla. And perform the three rakaat prayers alone.
After performing the magrib prayer. Reyhan returned to his Creator. Blend all the questions through do’a promised.
Reyhan ended do’anya with AAMIIN speech. Then he stood up and took a small Quran about the size of an adult's palm which he kept on a special shelf in his room.
Slowly Reyhan opened his mushaf and read it. The chanting of the holy verses of Allah airs melodiously in the room.
“Shadaqallahul azim.” Reyhan ends his Quranic recitation.
The sound of knocking on the door made Reyhan spontaneously turn towards the tightly closed door of his room.
“Log in.” Said Reyhan while tidying up the prayer rug he used for prayer.
“Kak, dinner first.”
Still with a sarong, white cocoa shirt and black peci neatly perched on his head. Reyhan approached his mother who was standing on the doorstep of the room.
“Iya, Mother. But Reyhan change clothes first.”
“Mama wait below, yes ?” Mam was about to pass by leaving Reyhan's room. But his steps were stopped by the call of his son.
“Ma ?”
Mama looked back to find Reyhan with a sweet smile decorating her pale-looking face.
“Why, Brother ? Sick sister ?” ask Mama a little worried.
Reyhan just shook his head.
“Reyhan gerogi.” Reyhan said half-whispering but could still be heard by his mother. Reyhan was a little embarrassed.
Mama's approaching Reyhan.
“That's the usual feeling that the bride and groom must have before the wedding day, sister. Mama Papa used to be like that too. But take it easy, yeah. God willing, everything went well. Leave everything to Allah.” Mama patted her child's shoulder gently.
“Sure, Ma.”
“Ya. Change clothes there. Let's have dinner first. Mom wait in the dining room, yes.”
“Good, Ma. Soon Reyhan susul.”
___TBC__