Letter to Atlanta
57. Paper boat

"Atlanta, wait a minute. Scaring me."

Since the bell came home, Elisa was still trying to catch Atlanta who immediately left without saying goodbye to her. Ah, was that man angry at her because of the matter of the music competition earlier. He tried to adjust the wide footsteps created Atlanta although it felt very difficult, Atlanta still did not pay attention to Elisa who was then driven to follow him to the parking lot.

"Ih! Hold still. I want to talk to you, don't be mad, please."

Elisha clucked, apparently the girl did not want to give up just like that. He pulled up Atlanta's arm as the man reached for his bike.

"Atlanta! You're not fucking me?!"

Then the man turned around, making Elisha immediately satisfied with his efforts that were not in vain chasing Atlanta.

"Denger first explained me."

"Sorry Elisha, but I can't."

Elisha breathed out, he was very frustrated how to explain it to Atlanta. But he also did not want to be selfish with his intention from the beginning to enter the competition.

"I'm sure you can, Atlanta. Everyone should know your other side. Don't bury your dreams so."

"Elisa, but I don't want to participate in that competition just because I want recognition from others, after all things won't change."

The girl ruffled her hair, looking frustrated face strokes there. Atlanta switched to riding her bike.

"okay! That way, it's only because you want to help me."

"Help?"

"Yes, help me let me stop being a model, and not go to London. I want Papa to be proud of my choice now. I want proof that I have a dream."

There was a sigh from Atlanta, it seemed like Atlanta was equally confused by Elisa's request. There is a feeling of fear that always roams his mind when it comes to dealing with the stage of the show. Since long ago he always showed off his talent to himself, encouraging himself and more silent to vent it alone.

"Aren't you going to help me?" Her great-grandchild. Elisha looked at Atlanta when he realized the man was silent. I don't know what the person in front of him is thinking.

"It's not so, but—"

"You really want me to go, huh?" Elisha lowered his head and smiled bitterly. Atlanta immediately shook her head slowly in denial of the sentence coming out of Elisha's mouth.

No, Elisha, I don't want you to go.

"I never knew what my purpose in life was, and I didn't know what kind of future I would face. All this time, I've only followed Papa's will, I can only realize Papa's ideals without any pleasure or satisfaction in me."

"10 years is not a little time for me to try to smile in front of the crowd even though my heart is hurt, and as hard as I can try to make a good look even though I am fragile. I've never lived as myself, I cape, I don't want to wear a mask again, it's like Ta's stuffy"

Elisha neutralized her breath, then again said, "But after I know the music from you, I feel I have a purpose in life. Like you said, the music never lies, it'll drift away in someone's heart."

Now Elisha lifted up his head, revealing his teary eyes.

"I just want to be like that, to be myself."

It took a while for Atlanta to digest Elisha's words. In his mind he really thought hard to determine what step he should take, and he hoped his decision was a good one.

The man's right hand moved, touching Elisha's shoulder, he smiled gently.

"I want to help you, join the competition."

In the next second Elisha rounded his eyes perfectly, with a quick movement he grasped Atlanta's hand with a pleased look.

"Seriously?! You want?"

Atlanta nodded steadily. He was determined to do his best for Elisha. He did not want to lose the girl.

"I'll do what I can, for you."

Elisha gave a smile, but it seemed that Elisha's cheeks were unable to lie about the heart pounding that the girl was feeling.

"When did your brother come to pick you up?"

Quiescent. The girl just stared meaningfully at Atlanta, she just looked at the clear obsidian belonging to the man in front of her, even the girl seemed to not respond to Atlanta's hand movements, rather Elisha daydreaming.

Seeing her, Atlanta patted Elisha on the shoulder until the girl gasped. He opened his eyes twice.

"T—so what did you say?"

Atlanta moved her hand again after responding to Elisa with a faint smile.

"When did your brother come to pick you up?"

"You mean Bang Joni?"

The man nodded. Right after, a phone call rang on Elisha's phone. He immediately reached for the flat object, rotating his eyeballs when he found out that Joni had called him. With a single breath, Elisha shifted the red button, turning off the one-sided phone call.

He looked at Atlanta. "You want to work, okay?"

"No. I'm going somewhere first, just going to work."

"Where?"

Atlanta thought a little before answering a question from Elisha until the girl pulled an eyebrow up waiting for an answer from him.

"Where, Ta?"

"I'm going to meet Mother first."

"Your mother?"

The man nodded again, even Elisha who immediately widened his iris spirit.

"I'm coming! You promised to take me to meet your mother" he said.

"But you have to get permission first with your brother."

Elisha shook his hand in the air, and said, "That looks are omnipresent. Come on!"

Seconds now the girl was behind Atlanta, climbing the footing between the tires of the Atlanta bike while holding the shoulder of the man in front of her.

Atlanta began to pedal her bike at a moderate pace, out of the school gate to her destination not far from school. A girl who was breathing deep air, enjoying the afternoon breeze that she thought was very cool that day, was getting impatient to meet Mother of Atlanta.

Right after the tomb, Atlanta pulled her bike over, leaning it against the parapet. Suddenly Elisha who got off the Atlanta bike frowned when he saw the man smiling towards the tomb with many meanings. He was more confused why Atlanta took him to a tomb, instead of the man said he would invite him to meet the Mother?

Elisha blocked Atlanta's arm as the man was about to enter the entrance of the tomb.

"Atlanta's? Why come here? Don't we want to see your mother?" he said with a view still stripping the cemetery area.

"You just come along. You will know for yourself."

Despite the many questions that haunted the contents of Elisha's head, the girl continued to follow Atlanta from behind, occasionally glancing in fear at the rows of tombs lined up, the girl continued, moreover, the sound of birdsong and the quiet atmosphere can make the feathers stand upright.

After a short while on foot, Atlanta stopped her steps, practically Elisa who was standing behind her came to a halt. He looked up at Atlanta who was already widening his smile. The next second Atlanta squatted in front of a tomb, took out a white rose from inside the bag, keeping it in front of the navel.

Elisa who saw the man's activities stepped foot, and crouched down beside Atlanta.

"Who is this, Ta?" ask him very carefully.

Atlanta turned her head, looking at obsidian Elisha.

A shocked look was created just like that, Elisha really didn't know what to say. So Atlanta's Mother is dead? I don't know why his heart hurts so much knowing that.

"Is there anything you want to say to Mother?"

Elisha was stunned, for a while he just silently looked at Atlanta before finally nodding while giving a shady look.

The girl turned her gaze to the tomb in front of her.

"Assalamualaikum, Mother, I am Elisa the daughter of Mother. Elisa doesn't know what to say to Mother, but Elisha just wants to say thank you for giving birth to a child as good as Atlanta. She's the source of Elisha's happiness, Mother. Elisa doesn't know if she doesn't meet Atlanta, does Elisa still smile and laugh?" There was a pause, Elisha took his breath, stared at the tombstone.

"Mother don't worry, Elisa will take care of Atlanta, Elisa will be the number one person who is ready to help Atlanta. Because Elisha loves the Mother's child."

Then Atlanta turned her head quickly towards Elisa, her heart immediately thumping at the girl's words. A beautiful arch was again drawn on the lips of Atlanta.

The girl raised her hand, closed her eyes, prayed. Even Atlanta who switched to praying for the Mother. Before long the two again raised their heads, staring at each other with a faint smile.

"I'm sure your Mother in heaven would be proud to have a child like you."

Atlanta nodded, the man grabbed Elisha's hand, inviting the girl to go with him again. No, they did not go home immediately, but Atlanta who took Elisha to a river that could be said to be very close to the tomb.

This is where now, on the lips of the river they sit selonjoran, a calm flow of water brought by the wind and then unabated to make both of them want to linger there.

Seeing Atlanta who was still focused on writing on a color paper managed to divert Elisha's attention.

"What do you write?"

Atlanta only responded with a sweet smile, then the man folded the color paper into a boat-shaped origami, and floated it in the river water. Of course Elisa had wondered with Atlanta activities that always surprised her.

"Why did you make a paper boat?"

Atlanta looked back.

"The milk is all my hope."

Elisa frowned. "Why are you doing that?" he asked as Atlanta sat down next to him.

"Say if we write hope on a paper boat, all our hopes will be real. Everything will flow like the water that carries the boat."

Elisa chuckled a little. "But it's just a myth."

Atlanta flicked her shoulders, slashing her breath slowly.

"Eitherway. I'm not sure either, but I've always loved doing this long ago when I missed Mommy. I wish you could read a letter from me there."

The girl opened her eyes, she began to understand now, she turned to take the color paper lying on the grass with the old Atlanta pen, Elisa wrote something there. After that he folded the paper just like what Atlanta did, made a boat and drained it into the river.

Atlanta and Elisha were both swept away in a sweep of wind that carried the paper boat both away into the middle of the river, carrying their hopes and hearts with it. Elisha closed his eyes, felt the atmosphere, then smiled, somehow, suddenly his heart felt something different.

.......

.......

.......

The sky that had changed color to pitch black was as if hinting Elisha to return home immediately. After spending time in the bookstore since the afternoon after visiting the tomb of Mother Atlanta.

Then a student who was still complete in a school uniform entered his house with a face that looked ordinary, just plain, there was no sense of regret at all in him after making all his family members worried about the youngest child who never gave news.

"Elisa's home" he said as soon as he got inside the house.

Joni and Vina who was in the family room suddenly turned to the source of the voice, making Elisha as a figure that looked good in the eyes of the restless two.

"Where are you from? Still want a house, hm? What time is it?" Said Joni in a cold tone. The man stared flatly at his sister who was still standing not far from his reach.

"Elisa abis from the bookstore."

"From the bookstore to wandering? You forgot you have a photo shoot today? Don't you intentionally kill HP so you can't call you, huh?"

Elisha snorted, rotating the lazy eyeball. Thankfully Joni was very sensitive, so he did not have to bother to explain the reason.

"You want my brother to get angry, Papa, huh?!"

"Bang, already, later let Elisha clear," said Vina when her ears heard Joni's tone rising. "Elisa, here sit dear." Its effects.

Inevitably Elisha again stepped foot, sat his butt on the sofa while turning his gaze in the other direction so as not to make eye contact with Joni or Vina.

"Elisa, why don't you want to shoot baby, hm? You didn't forget, did you?"

"Elisa did not forget, Ma, Elisa inget, and Elisha had missed shooting again." He replied and immediately invited Joni's neck veins that were getting stiffened.

"Elisha! You know you've also cape dealing with your shooting schedule, not to mention your piano lessons schedule, your tutoring class schedule, your school schedule that sometimes clashes, huh? Do you understand the position of brother?! In addition to taking care of you, Brother is also dizzy to take care of the company. And now you're acting like it, is that it?!"

Suddenly Elisha turned towards Joni, looking at her brother very sharply.

"Yes, you don't have to take care of Elisha anymore! Elisha also did not want to be constantly arranged. You don't have to be Papa's figure when Papa's not here. You also know yourself, right, how depressed Elisha is when Papa maksa Elisha makes all the wishes of Papa?"

"But Brother can what Elisha? Papa has given you the mandate with Brother to take care of you."

The girl clucked, and folded her hands. "Ngejaga doesn't mean you're both in Papa's rich chat. Actually you prefer to see Elisha depressed, right!"

Joni's tightening the jawbone. "You think that's all Papa's, huh?!"

"okay! If you can't fight Papa, let Elisha be your opponent! Elisha didn't care even if Papa kicked Elisha out of the house!"

Vina, who was getting bored with the fighting her two children, turned to sit beside Elisha, embracing her daughter.

"Of course, you don't fight. Elisha, you don't talk like that. You mean your brother is good, baby. Brother also tried to keep you from getting angry Papa."

"Now Mama's younger brother with Papa, yes? Elisha has asked you to take care of Elisha? Reluctant, right? Yes do not mistake Elisha dong if Abang himself will be a shield for Elisha."

Vina sighed, massaging her temples that started twitching. "Mama doesn't think of anyone, baby. But that's best for now."

"Huh, the rich die better."

"ELISA!"

"WHAT!" The girl looked up like she was challenging Joni who was clenching her hands tightly. "Here you go, Bang. How about we bet."

"Don't joke, Elisa. You mean what bet?" Asked Joni who was already frowning.

"Next week Elisa wants to participate in a music competition. And the prize is 5 million. If Elisha wins and brings the money, Elisha will stop being a model, and Elisha does not want to be regulated anymore. But if Elisha loses, Elisha is ready to move to London."

For a moment Joni seemed to think. "You've only been studying for no more than two weeks, Elisha. But you dare to take part in a music competition?"

"So you still don't believe in Elisha? You're not sure Elisha can do that?"

"Bang, gapapa, justin Elisha participated in the competition. Mama's sure your sister's gonna try hard."

The man massaged his numb nape, what would he say to Pratama with the bet Elisha wanted. Then he said, "Okay, but you have to keep your promise. Later Brother who talked to Papa about this."

Elisha smiled with satisfaction. It was as if there was a sudden burst of spirit stinging.

It's for you, Atlanta.