Losing Us
Bereft

Once, Arsenio found herself in a vast meadow. The green is so spoiling the eyes. Making Arsenio momentarily forget the fact that he was in a strange place.

From a distance, there was the sound of children laughing. His joyous spirit provoked Arsenio to walk over. Find out what the kids are doing until their laughter explodes.

The further Arsenio's foot stepped from where he had stood, the more he could see. Not only green grass, he also found wildflowers of various colors flourishing at some point. The beautiful colors made Arsenio's steps come to a halt. Just to look at them one by one with admiration emanating from both of his eyeballs.

The sound of laughter that sounded closer became an alarm that managed to make Arsenio re-conscious. The leaving of colorful flowers, to go back to find out the whereabouts of the children.

The smell of babies came out when the netra Arsenio finally managed to find a group of children playing on the edge of a river. The splashing sound of the water blends nicely with their laughter. Unknowingly managed to make Arsenio follow along creating an arch on his lips.

Arsenio walked over. Want to join the joy that the children are celebrating in such a simple way.

However, his steps came to a halt when he found one daughter separated from the mob.

The boy sat alone under a reddish-leaved maple tree. Hugging both of his bent legs with a bowed face. No sobs were heard, but Arsenio could see the child's shoulders trembling slightly.

Leaving behind a group of children who were now running around the area near the river, Arsenio deflected the direction of the steps. The approaching daughter who cried alone without a voice with a hopeful feeling of anxiety. For some reason, he suddenly felt uneasy.

Arsenio was sure the distance to the girl was not too far away, but when her legs had gone long enough, she found that they were still stretched out to such an extent. It was as if he was just walking in place. Cosplay became a pantomime actor on a stage show.

The uneasy feeling of eating away at Arsenio grew even more intense. His legs were forced to swing wider until his breath became dull. But then again, it was just like walking on the spot.

This situation made him think back to the nightmare he had last night. When she finds herself in a dark lonely hallway and ends up sobbing.

Sad, angry and frustrated into one. Arsenio was still trying to swing a step even though there had been no progress. Until then, the girl he was about to go raised her head and presented a reddish face.

However, that was not what made Arsenio feel the extreme pain in her chest. But the fact that the girl had the exact same facial features (especially eyes) as Anara. The boy looks like the figure of Anara in her childhood.

“An,” Arsenio said, but either his voice came out or he just said that one word through the motion of his lips.

The girl did not answer. Their distance was still far enough for Arsenio to hear even though the boy replied to his words.

Once again, Arsenio tried to walk over. As powerful as he was carrying his feet, no matter how tired it felt.

This time, the effort succeeded. The distance that stretched out began to erode bit by bit. The girl's face became clearer in Arsenio's eyes, and she became more and more aware that the child was really similar to Anara.

When a little more Arsenio will arrive in front of the child, his steps again stopped when the child opened his mouth and then issued a sound that managed to make most of the cells in the body Arsenio stop working.

With a soft look, the boy said, “Papi,” followed by a movement to rise from his seat.

The two arms of the boy stretched wide. Like wanting Arsenio to immediately come hugging her trembling body.

“Papi,” call the boy again. While Arsenio even more felt his body stiff.

Arsenio was still trying to move her body while digesting the situation. But no matter how hard he tried, the result was nothing at all.

Then, Arsenio saw the girl who might be about 6 years old walking closer with both arms still stretched wide. Clear threads melted back from the child's pretty eyes, soaking his smooth white cheeks yet stained with dust.

They should be able to grab each other's hands, if only a black shadow did not suddenly appear, dragging the girl backwards until she returned to where she had been.

Not enough to get there, the black shadow also then took the girl further and further away. Keep away until finally arrived at the edge of the river with water flowing quite profusely from upstream to downstream. And at that moment, Arsenio only realized that at the end of the river downstream, there is a gate to the waterfall that empties into a cliff.

There was still nothing Arsenio could do when the girl was crying hysterically. Shouting out a request for help many times in a desperate tone.

“Papi, please!”

“Adek won't go, Papi!”

“Papi, please Adek!”

“Papi!!”

And other screams that managed to make Arsenio's heart like being hit many times using keris.

Unreserved. Arsenio was still trying to take her foot back. Nor did he stop praying that at least he could make a sound to prevent the black shadow from hurting the girl.

“Papi!!” one more shout, and Arsenio finally made it out of the circumstances that had trapped her.

His whole body began to move. He rushed to the girl who was on the edge of death.

However, when a little more legs arrived, the black shadow had already embraced the child, carrying his small body hovering in the air before finally falling into the river. Carry the current up to the waterfall and fall to the bottom of the cliff.

Arsenio fell on the bank of the river. Shouting for love and lamenting for what happened. The once green meadow, now slowly turned into a stretch of barren, arid land.

Again, Arsenio found herself in a place that made her feel helpless. The screams and losses felt so real. Accompanying Arsenio until the two men's eyes slowly closed and everything darkened.

...****************...

Upon awakening, what Arsenio found was Anara's panicked face just above her. The woman's forehead was wrinkled and decorated with sweat coats. Her pretty eyes stared worriedly while both her hands moved slowly rubbing both of Arsenio's cheeks.

“You okay?” ask the woman.

Arsenio did not answer. He was busy making his eyes. Only to be made aware that he is still in Anara's nursery. The clothes he was wearing were still the same—white shirt that was now tangled without form.

When glancing towards the wall clock above the television, time has shown at half 12 p.m. It made her realize that she had just woken up from a terrible nightmare.

“Arsenio,”

Arsenio still did not answer. Slowly, he sat himself down on the sofa, then looked back at Anara fixedly.

“An,” call him after a silence that lasts long enough.

“Iya, I'm here.” Answer the female.

“I'm a nightmare,” is his.

“What dream?”

Bereft. One word that crossed Arsenio's head before finally answering, “I dream to meet our son.”

The wrinkles on Anara's forehead increased a lot. Arsenio could see that there were so many question marks flashing in her head just by looking at her eyes.

“Our daughter looks a lot like you. His eyes, his nose, his lips. Everything on her face is a duplicate of yours. I may not donate any genes to him,”.

Anara is still focused on listening. The wrinkles on his forehead slowly faded and then completely disappeared.

“At first I thought he was you a small version. But when he cried calling me papi, I immediately realized that he was our son.”

There was a long pause because Arsenio was busy recalling the face of the girl she met in her dream. It feels so real. It felt like he could actually hear his voice calling out to papi so loudly.

“I saw him crying by himself when his other friends were busy playing. Therefore, I ran to him for his reason why he cried alone there. But just as I was about to arrive, there was even a black figure that dragged our child to the edge of the river, and the figure continued to bring the child into the rushing stream and fell into the abyss.” The tightness even felt real when Arsenio recalled the scene of the fall of ‘anak them' earlier.

“I ... fear, An...” great-grandson. Arrogance disappears, replaced by a great fear of loss.

“It was just a dream,” Anara tried to calm down.

“But it feels real, An. My chest is so tight because it's sad.”

“Just a dream,” said Anara again. This time, he grabbed Arsenio's hand and took her to touch her belly. “Rasain, he's still here.”

Arsenio felt a small movement in Anara's distended stomach. Vaguely, but quite capable of making it a little calmer.

For some time, Arsenio was glued to her hand in Anara's stomach. Enjoy every little gesture that their prospective child shows to him.

“Udah, yes, sleep again.” Get Anara.

“I tomorrow enggak—“

“I know,” interrupted the woman. “Despite not working, you still can't stay up.”

“I want to sleep with you, with our child.” His request with a hopeful look.

When Anara nodded her head, she directly got off the sofa. Walking to the bed the patient carried Anara's hand in his arm.

Arsenio lay down first, looking for a comfortable position then brought Anara to fall on her arm. The body with the distended stomach he hugged. He closed in with thousands of hopes so that the nightmare he had just had was nothing.

Stay here with Papi and Mami, yes, dear. May He come to the Almighty, and He is willing to grant his request.

Seriate....