Garden Benches
Red Flamboyant Petals

Red Flamboyant Petals

If you dare to fall in love, then you must be able to resist longing.

 “Waalaikumsalam Greet you gently. 

I sat down casually beside Ghifa. Staring at you with my longing groan. Your smile widened, occasionally Kunthi cauliarik with a hilarious look.

Ghifa is still fun to tell everything that just happened with a quick sentence. As if he wanted to spill immediately his frustration on Ghilman in one count.

“Ghilman? Is he ...” You look at me waiting for certainty, and I nod.

“Iya, the boy.” Answer's short.

You smile back and stretch out your fingers that I welcome in full. Cold felt, bursting to the heart.

I know you want to strengthen me, but any flash of the story will always be imagined.

“Is he Kunthi?” 

You try to divert my sadness. I nodded again, then turned towards Kunthi who was still standing with furrowed brows. The girl may be struggling to find answers to questions I haven't answered.

No story is left unturned, we promised to be next to Ghifa, together. Watching her grow up and be independent. Until every time I tell you. Until you can guess easily, the girl before us is now Kunthi.

“Mas Gie, who's talking?” asked the girl slicing those bright brown eyes slightly quivering.

Ghifa also turned to look at Kunthi, apparently some time ago so excited to meet the silhouette of his mother, he forgot there is Kunthi who is still sculpting.

“Tante Kunthi ..” muttered Ghifa while looking at you, then turned to look at me, grabbed my neck to get closer and looked down at him.

Then the little girl whispered.

“Tante Kunthi don't see Mommy, Ayaaa?”

“No dear ..”I replied while glancing, and as usual Ghifa will reply by rolling both her eyeballs to express a sign of understanding, ‘I see’.

“Ohh.”

“What's up, Ghifa?” kunthi asked, getting curious

“It's okay Auntie,” said Ghifa while playing her legs hanging on the park bench.

“Oh, cyrain..”

“What circuit?” sahutku.

Khunti looked to the right and to the left. Some park visitors partially noticed, they only momentarily frowned, then passed by just continuing their steps. All found their own preoccupation in the garden.

“I thought earlier, Mas Gie and Ghifa were talking to something invisible.” Kunthi said a little quietly, is afraid to be heard by people who started passing by a lot?

“You're not afraid?” 

“Fear the hell .. but I can't see it anyway, so it's not a problem for me.” Kunthi answered with her tongue-tie.

Even so, his gaze still swept across the park bench and around the flamboyant tree as if looking for something.

You laughed crisply, watching Kunthi's behavior. Ghifa asked you to bow a little.

“Munda ..”

“Ya cipikkk dear ..” 

Your Sahut while caressing the head of Ghifa. Our little girl chuckled, covering her mouth with her two tiny hands.

“Cold ... mother.” Ghifa exclaimed in excitement as the kiss landed on his forehead.

“Meet Mommy, she's aunt Kunthi ..” said Ghifa kept giggling, like a funny thing called the girl's name.

“Hihihi her name is cute, Kunthi ..., Kunthi who is Cupikkk?” 

I squint, I scratch my head and you laugh.

“You definitely don't know!” guess you're down. 

And I whined, how would I know, I never asked, and he mentioned his name at that time when Iptu Risma came to the house. It was immediately debated by Santi. I have no desire to know further. So …

“Ask now Cupikkk ..” 

I scowled lazily, I don't know even with just your silhouette, I can still be spoiled.

“For what?”

“Who knows it's just his nickname, not his real name, hayoo how dongg..” I snorted. Why bother with names?

“What's your name?”

Kunthi turned her head towards me, then patted her eel with her left hand.

“That's complete.” My sergeant before he opens his mouth to answer.

Back the girl patted her eel, this time with both hands. Then open both arms to the side with both palms up.

“Why ask now, Mas Gie?” regrettable.

I just shrugged my shoulders.

“Mother Ghifa?” pekiknya can't believe it.

Ghifa nodded firmly, until her chin almost touched the purple scarf wrapped around her neck.

Kunthi took a breath as if she wanted to get ready to sing a song. But what came out of his mouth was a greeting.

“Okey! Emm ... Mbak Laras, hi... introduce me Kunthi Dhaneswari,” Kunthi said as she waved her hand in several directions while throwing a wave-directional view of her swinging hand. His smile widened revealing his row of cucumber teeth.

“Hai ... hi, mbak ...where?”

“Hihihi ..” 

You and Ghifa compactly chuckled at Kunthi's hilarious behavior.

After all these years of your existence, only Kunthi has received our vision of you. Is the girl trying to appreciate, or just playfully and consider my and Ghifa's behavior to be halu and ridiculous? 

“Same Aunt, Cipikk.. mother here.” Your whisper's soft.

“Tantee…. “

“Ya, Ghifa beautiful?”

Kunthi stopped her waving and then stifled at Ghifa.

“Mother here ...” point Ghifa with her eyes looking towards her mother's face.

Kunthi stared at the empty space on the park bench right on the left side of Ghifa. Then throw her smile with confidence.

“Hai mbak Laras, greetings know. Sorry, yesterday I accidentally hit Mas Gielang,” 

I saw your eyes sparkling, staring at Kunthi. Then look at me with your soothing gentle gaze. 

“Cute good girl ..” you can smile cheerfully.  

“What? You asked me to say it was Cipukk?” my protest

You chuckle again, love to see me pout. Then you shook gently.

“Speak thank me, Cupikkk,”

“Hufff..” 

Breathm. Ah this afternoon I think the seconds are moving so fast. My time to share my story with you should be divided by this process of introduction, because of his presence. Though the Ghifa boxing incident had already unraveled the seconds as well.

“What's up, Mas Gie?” kunthi urged quickly, knowing that I was preparing words for him.

“My wife thanks you, Kunthi Da. da..... who?”

“Kunthi Dhaneswari, mas Gie!”

“Iyaa .. Kunthi ..thanks.”

“For what mas Gie?”

I fell silent for a moment, turned to you, then repeated what you said to Kunthi.

“Because I already care about Ghifa.”

Kunthi smiled broadly at my reply, then looked back at the empty bench beside Ghifa and began to unstoppable nerocos.

“Sama-sama mbak Laras. You know mbak, I know the youngest child does not have a sister, since childhood I whined to Papa Mama to give me a sister, but still not loved, so when I met the beautiful Ghifa, I'm so happy, like meeting a living Barbie doll .. hihihi ..”

“Hihihi ..”

“Why are you called Kunthi, not Danesh or Wari?” ask again at your request.

Kunthi is indexing her shoulders.

“Which I know, is someone else calling. Maybe cooler called Kunthi, I don't know ..”he replied casually. You weird girl.

The red flamboyant petals fell right on Ghifa's lap, making me look up. The sky turned dark. Scroll my watch, 17.37 in 5 minutes.

“Cupikkk ... go home ...” 

I fell silent, the flamboyant red petals falling back in the wind. This time, Kunthi is chasing him.

“Cipikkk, it's already evening, Eyang must be waiting.” You said while holding Ghifa in your arms.

I hold you in my arms. It's always hard to take it off, but time won't wait. You tickled Ghifa's face until she exclaimed with joy,

“Cold ... cold .. hihihi cold, Mother.”

“See you tomorrow dear ..” 

I'm down, there's always new scratches next to dry scratches every time I see your silhouette fade away in the twilight. There would be grief in Ghifa's eyes if it was seen, then you always asked me to take her home before that happened. 

So is this twilight.

...……...