
"Let's kiss this." Then bring the flowers closer to her mother. "Harum." He then kissed the flower himself with a smile. "How fragrant. Looks like this flower was picked from the kahyangan, picked by the angel directly."
Alesha then looked at her mother. The woman smiled. Though invisible, her mother must be smiling right now.
"Mother, happy birthday." The woman smiled widely. "Today is still the same, lavender flowers still accompany us. And I'm still accompanying Mom. We're still together."
Alesha then put the lavender flower back on her vase. "So, tomorrow again, and so on, we'll keep going like this until the end."
He then sat back in his chair. "Mother, you said it, didn't you? We will always accompany each other. It was a promise and I will definitely try to keep it. Mom did too, right?"
"I believe. Mom is a great fighter. Do you remember first? The story of the imperial guards. Mother once told me that there was a woman who managed to defeat a black fire dragon with a royal heirloom sword."
"The heirloom sword was a cursed sword that could not be used for hundreds of years, but some say that it could only be used by people who had power within them." Alesha looked at her mother's face.
"For me, she's just like Mom. Mother is someone who has power within you. As long as I've lived with my mother, I've never seen one that I can't conquer."
Alesha now smiled broadly. "I'm sure this time too. Moreover, that warrior is now with me."
The woman was silent for a moment. He then spoke up, saying things he had always wanted to talk about. "Mom, I have something to tell you. I'll have to have heart surgery later. I'm looking forward to it, so that you won't be in pain anymore."
Alesha then smiled with enthusiastic rounded eyes. "And I have good news!"
Alesha straightened her body. "Mom remember, didn't you, a few months ago I told you that I bought a lottery coupon and just won the prize."
"The reward is not enough for the cost of surgery, but the gift can be used for maintenance costs." Alesha moistened her lips, starting to talk about the core of her sarin.
"I know very well Mother has always been worried about the cost of care in the hospital, but this time there really is nothing to worry about."
"Look at this, my eye bags are healthy. I've been sleeping well lately. Because I've been getting for the cost of that operation." Alesha now folded her hands in front of her chest. "So you just need to focus on your health right now."
"Oh, yes. You remember, right, if we had health insurance? I've collected this too. Besides, I applied for government benefits as well and managed to get them." Alesha now smiled wryly.
"Mom see for yourself, I am the goddess of luck." The woman laughed a little.
Meanwhile, Rafael who heard it now furrowed his brows. So, this woman wanted to keep the loan from him a secret.
"But a friend helped me, too. He gave me a loan, no interest. I'm so grateful to him. Therefore, I want to ask Mom's permission to help her." Alesha now thinned her lips.
Rafael again flinched. Is the woman talking about him?
Friends, yeah. The woman introduced him as a friend apparently.
"It's night. I need to rest more. Look, I'm so excited. You should be excited too." Alesha now pulls her mother's blanket.
Alesha's mother looked obedient and little by little closed her eyes.
Until the woman completely fell asleep, Alesha turned around, while Rafael now panicked, switching hiding places.
The man slid against the wall and leaned his body behind the corner.
Alesha then walked out of the room. He went to the garden which was now illuminated by spherical lights that emitted a bright white light.
Alesha sat on the garden chair which was now quite quiet. He looked down deeply, cupping his face with both palms. Long time. The woman covered her face as if she would not allow the night's air to disturb her breathing.
She cried.
Alesha realized that her tears could not last forever. Seeing his mother lying down without speaking left him helpless. Alesha longs for her days to go normally.
Without the fear that every second cornered her, without the worry that daily greeted her and there was her mother's voice.
Rafael breathed. If it turns out to be this fragile, why keep trying to lie to yourself? Sometimes, when faced with suffering, pretending to be strong can give you a little satisfaction. But the longer it takes, the more it gnaws.
The man knows very well. Pretending to be strong is like a beach that is swept by waves many times. At first nothing happened. Everything seems normal. But over time, the beach began to erode. The sand began to be devoured by the sea.
The ocean and the beach are a unit that is in each part carrying out its role. However, even though the oceans and beaches are in the same unity, the oceans could erode the coast without tolerance.
Rafael then looked at Zaara. For a moment to think, is Alesha including the beach that he analogized?
Or maybe something else.
The woman slowly silenced her voice. His crying voice was now changing with the rhythm of his breath slowly roaring. Then wipe his tears until he is not there. He stood up as if nothing had happened.
Rafael jerks.
Alesha, why is he living like that?
The man then turned around. He rushed to find the doctor Alesha had just met. Walk with wide steps from hallway to hallway.
Feels less, he then ran in the intrusion until his sweat poured. After going through all the corners of the hospital many times. Then the doctor came out of a room.
Rafael approached the doctor. "Doctor!"
The doctor stopped his steps. "Can I help you?"
Rafael exhaled slowly trying to neutralize his messy rhythm. "You're handling a patient who's Alesha's mother, right?"
The doctor nodded questioningly. "Rubber."
"I want to ask you something. Please give her the best care. As for the matter of cost, I will bear the shortcomings." He then pulled out his business card. "This is my business card. You can call me by this number."
Despite wondering, the doctor still nodded in understanding.
"However, please keep this a secret from Alesha. I don't want him to know that now meet you." Rafael looked at the doctor with a serious look.
The doctor nodded back. "Good, Sir."
Rafael doesn't know what he's doing right now. Pity, feel guilty, or feel guilty.
He felt that he had underestimated Alesha's problem all along. He always considered that the woman was always acting like a courtesy, bad temper, and selfish. He never thought through his point of view.
Rafael will never be able to calm down if he cannot make amends.
To be continued...