Letter to Atlanta
19. Atlanta said

Early in the morning, Elisha was getting ready to go to school. He deliberately set off when the sun was still timidly revealing its warm light. Just alone, not with Joni who always takes the girl to school. His mood has not recovered after yesterday's debate with Papa. Not the intention of opposing the return of Pratama, the article of the man returned only to suppress and realize all his wishes, no matter the screams of the heart of Elisha who continued to rebel.

Tracing the sidewalk to a school far enough away, Elisha grabbed a fluffy jacket, dispelling the piercing cold. Occasionally his foot kicked a pebble that blocked his path.

Still with her eyes down, Elisha did not care about the surrounding circumstances, with vehicles starting to pass by rarely, with people walking in opposite directions to him. He took out a side of his hand that was inside the jacket pocket, staring at the bandage wrapped around there, strangely he felt nothing, he said, like numbness even the girl deeply remembered how yesterday she injured her palm, to cry alone it felt very difficult, as if those tears had dried up.

Elisha took a deep breath, a puff of warm smoke coming out of his mouth as he threw it out quietly. It seemed like the girl lost her spirit and smile.

Suddenly his footsteps came to a halt, after seeing a pair of legs standing right in front of him. Elisha raised his head slowly, looking up to see the man. His bead eyes stared at the clear obsidian belonging to the man who was smiling gently at him.

"Atlanta?"

The man smiled widely, then moved his hand slowly.

"Why are you here?"

"You too, why are you here?"

Slowly the corner of Elisha's lips lifted, the man in front of him gently smashed the top of Elisha's head, without diminishing his beautiful smile. Ah, since when did that man dare to be sweet?

"Come, go together. Ride a bike."

"Bicycle rake?"

Atlanta nodded, pointing at her bicycle parked beside the cyclist-only street, Elisa following the direction of Atlanta's index. The man walked towards his bicycle, Elisha trailed behind him.

"Come, get on," he said after riding a bicycle.

The girl climbed the footing between the rear tires of the bike, making the man's shoulder as his grip. Atlanta started pedaling, running her bike at medium speed.

The curvature at the corner of Elisha's lips lifted again, he noticed the strands of black Atlanta hair that swept in the wind to let out the smell of sweet shampoo from his hair.

Elisha turned his head up, closed his eyes, took a breath, felt the cold air entering through his nasal cavity. Somehow, it feels very different, watching the disk of the sun that began to show its light in the eastern horizon, like witnessing the most amazing moment. Especially with Atlanta, a man who is now pedaling a bicycle, someone who is able to restore the smile of Elisa, a perfect man with all its simplicity.

Not noticeably, they spent fifteen minutes on the way to school. Atlanta parked its bike in a parking lot that is still running in a two-wheeled vehicle. The girl got off the bike, followed by Atlanta.

"Why did you come so early?" elisa asked, confirming the position of her backpack.

"I have to clean up the class."

Elisha nodded his head, he returned to his feet, aligning the position beside Atlanta. They were both tracing the still deserted passageway, and it was rather dark. Ah, it turned out to be very frightening, the girl could feel how the fine fur in the area of the hand covered with thick cloth was bristling. Elisha turned his gaze to the side, looking at Atlanta who was walking looked ordinary, looking at her face showing no signs of fear. Consider him a coward, but the reality is like that, the famous school building is indeed impressed horror if in a quiet state.

Elisha cleared his throat, trying to melt the atmosphere. "Aren't you afraid?"

The man shook his head, then breathed.

"Keep, what scares you?"

That question practically made Atlanta turn her head.

Elisha rounded his eyes, his chest pounding above normal. He wasn't stupid with the man's hand movements.

"A-what? I don't understand" he said nervously.

Atlanta just smiled, shook her head again, then turned her face towards the front. The girl just snorted, and again aligned the pace with Atlanta who walked a little ahead of her.

In front of the class, the man's hand opened the doorknob, revealing a very empty, quiet, and dark classroom atmosphere. He was looking for a light switch behind the door, capable of turning on two class lights at once.

Elisha walked first to his bench, followed by Atlanta. After keeping his backpack on the table, Atlanta picked up a broom tucked away in the corner of the classroom.

Girls looking. "Where are the others? How come you're the only picket?" tanyanya while resting her chin on the back bench, watching Atlanta who began to sweep the back of the class.

"Because it's just me."

Elisha frowned, where has the history of the picket schedule only followed by one person? The people in the class are certainly quite enough if divided into six groups for the picket schedule, right? The girl got up, took a broom, helped Atlanta clean up the class.

"From now on I'll picket with you. I don't have a picket schedule yet, " do I?" he said while sweeping.

The man immediately approached Elisha who was sweeping the area opposite him, his eyes fixed on the left hand of the girl. He immediately blocked Elisha's wrist slowly, making the girl raise her head.

"What's your hand?"

Elisha immediately let go of Atlanta's hand. The man looked at Elisha as if asking for an explanation.

"Gapapa. Yesterday I-I, it was just jatoh kok," he said. He again swept the floor on the corner bench, slightly keeping his distance from Atlanta, not paying too much attention to the look of Atlanta's face that was very worried at that time.

It was clear that the man did not fully believe Elisha's words. He felt that something was being covered up by the girl. Atlanta came back to Elisha, took off the broom the girl was holding, leading Elisha to sit on the chair. Atlanta crouched down with one knee as a focus, again holding Elisha's hand wrapped in bandages, stroking it slowly as if afraid that the girl would be in pain.

Elisha was just silent, watching the activities of Atlanta, the soft sweep of the slightly rough textured hand of Atlanta was able to make his heart full, it felt like he wanted to cry, scatter into the man, hug the man, and poured out all the grievances in his heart.

Atlanta looked up, looked at Elisha's teary-eyed bead, then smiled, moving her hands.

"Don't hurt."

All Elisha did was nod, confirming Atlanta's words.

Drrttt

The sound of vibration from Elisa's smartphone blew away the atmosphere. He almost cried if the phone call notification did not reply. Elisa reached into the smartphone inside the jacket she was still wearing, opening a WhatsApp message.

Feeling right, Joni and Yunaka sent him many unanswered messages and calls. Elisa had no intention of giving a call back, she reinserted her smartphone, changing the settings to airplane mode.

Atlanta moved her hand again, making Elisha turn his gaze.

"So there's a problem, don't keep it yourself. If you need a friend for a story, I'm ready to be heard. You can't run away from problems, because they will always chase you, and later you're tired, then give up if you don't want to face them."