Like a Former Nail
Episodes 11.1
After traveling in the air for almost an hour, Gebri and Rion stepped on the Soekarno-Hatta international airport. While on the plane and now in the drop off zone, Gebri was more silent, as much as possible to minimize the conversation between them, only once answered questions that were thrown from Rion's mouth.
Actually Gebri did not intend to return to the area of his home first. Not because of fear of being blasphemed by those who know him, just do not want to go back to explore the regret that will eat away at his heart and brain. But considering Rasti's words, Gebri would not want to grant the request of the man sitting next to him now, to come to Jakarta and visit their son's grave, and was forced to miss one day not to follow two courses.
Yesterday, when he and Galang had just arrived in front of Wisma Bestari's boarding house, Rion's car was parked in front of the fence. The young man got out of the car and approached when Galang had turned off his motorcycle.
“Hai, Geb!”
Rion knew not those words were appropriate for the current situation, but suddenly the vocabulary he had prepared a few days ago seemed to vanish beyond silence.
“You moreover with my Ma'am?” ketus Galang by showing a cynical look.
Gebri slightly nudged Galang's arm, as a form of warning for his attitude, but it was not heeded by the teenager. Galang's eyes still looked on. Very incisive.
“What's up, Yon? Why did you come here?” gebri asked, trying to be friendly.
“Can we talk—”
“No. We already have an event after this,” Galang chirps quickly before Rion had time to finish his words.
“Lang, don't be like that. Be polite, he is older than you,” said Gebri who immediately get a pouting face Galang and his eyes are getting mediocre sharp. “Sorry, if I can't now. But if it's tonight, I might. Later I will call you again,” said Gebri again while looking at Rion's face, their eyes staring at each other. This was the first time he had ever dared to look at that face.
“O-OK,” answered Rion, suddenly became wrong, usually the beautiful woman never wanted to look at her face let alone make eye contact with her.
After that short conversation, Rion immediately moved closer to his car, then began to move away from the boarding house Wisma Bestari with a big smile. Her heart so–can be likened–flowering. Could this be the beginning? Could this be the beginning? The short sentence continued to buzz in his ear, like a siren of a loud police car, and that night, a pair of people of the opposite sex met again. Not in the cafe. Not at Koning's place. But Gebri prefers to invite you to meet in Rion's car parked in front of the boarding house Wisma Bestari. And Gebri did not intend to linger near Rion, he would only say about their baby.
“Namea Gebian. Gebian Ananda,” open Gebri while presenting a piece of a photo of the baby being carried.
Rion's eyes were in tears, finally he could see the tiny face he often imagined. Gebian's face was exactly like his face when a baby, he seemed like he was reflecting into the past. Only her lips were different, looking the same thin as Gebri's.
“Doctor said, she died because her umbilical cord was pinched with the uterine wall and also because I was too young to give birth,” Gebri explained when there was no sign Rion would let out her voice.
Those teary eyes finally melted, soaking wet both of Rion's cheeks. The words of apology were repeated from his mouth. Like spells. Indeed, since the meeting with Gebri, the man with a sharp nose was suddenly sensitive, becoming easy to cry. Suddenly crybaby. But not without reason. He only wanted to channel such deep sadness and regret that had long been buried. While Gebri only let the twenty-one-year-old man shed tears, he was surprised but tried not to show his look.
“What do you want to know about Gebian again?”
Rion was still shedding tears, still wetting both cheeks, and words of apology were still memorized timidly.
“If there is none, I want to get into kosan now. I did a lot of college work,” Gebri said again while taking a photo of Gebian from Rion's handle, and then opening the car door.
Suddenly Rion's hand held Gebri's wrist. “Where is he buried?”
“Kalisari Cemetery close to my home first.”
“Sorry, but I—”
“I beg.”
And finally here they are, in a yellow car that will take them to the public cemetery of Kalisari. After traveling for about an hour with several times the car had stopped because of traffic jams, the taxi driven by Gebri and Rion stopped in front of a fence that was not too towering. There were two flower petal vending carts parked on the left and right side of the gate. Gebri decided to buy two packs of flowers before passing through the gate, then headed for the Gebian graveyard located a little in the corner.
“Hai dear, forgive Mother who rarely visits you,” Gebri when her body has folded both knees and rests on the soles of the feet, his hand then rubbed the wooden headstones by plucking the weeds. “Today Mother introduced you to someone.” Gebri hinted with his eyes for Rion to crouch down. “He's your father and sorry new Mother can introduce you now,” continued Gebri again, for so many times his fingers again rub the short milestone and sprinkle the flowers.
Rion just watched. Somehow his voice suddenly disappeared, it was spinning inside his head. Like it was about to explode. Try first I'm not silenced. Try to admit it first. Try first.... Rion's eyes turned red again and a moment later tears came out and wet his eyes. This sense of slipping is no use. He can't change history. It's all over.
“Don't cry! Gebian definitely doesn't want to see his father like this.”
“Sorry.”
Rion quickly rubbed his eyes.
“Talk to him.”
Once again Rion rubbed his eyes, making sure there were no clear details adorning his face.
“Hai Child. Sorry for never visiting you,” started Rion and sprinkled flower petals. “Are you happy in heaven?” rion asked as he rubbed his eyes, the details reappeared. “Did you meet your grandfather?” once again Rion asked.
Gebri's forehead immediately frowned. Grandpa? My father or his father?
“If you meet your grandfather, please kindly send your Father an apology to him for making your Mother suffer all this time.”
Ah, Gebri knows. The grandfather that the man meant must be his father. Remembering again there is no sad news that mentions the name of Adrian Michael Fernandez. The head of the Fernandez family is indeed quite famous in Jakarta–maybe also in Indonesia– and the news of his death must be quite horrendous among Indonesian businesses. But how did he know about his dead father? Didn't they very rarely talk about their families, most of them used to talk about their schools?
“Once again forgive Daddy who was never by your side, Son and make your Mother suffer.”
Rion was still chattering on the mounds of earth and gravestones, while Gebri was only a listener, once his hands plucking out wild weeds. But Rion's next words really make Gebri fixated. The wrinkle created from his eyebrows was more obvious. He did not really listen to exactly what words came out of Rion's mouth before the word came out, but the seven letters were so caught in his ears. Marrying.
“Marry me,” Rion's birthday.
“A-what's your mak-you mean?” gebri said as he believed that his hearing was not having problems.
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