Love Heals Wounds
10. Slowly Only

Audrey was lying in her room, staring at the ceiling of the room while thinking about what she said.

The flashback

"You and Rangga are our nacre." grandpa's eyes glazed over. "Somehow you made our wounds heal. The more you love the more you make us have hope. Our tiara is not gone forever, she is in you."

Audrey quivered, "Did grandpa just forget about Rebecca's actions?" clenched hands.

"Who said we forgot?" Grandpa asked back. "When the sand enters and begins the process of forming a pearl, does the process result from getting out of the shell?" Audrey shaking.

"So much with us. The wound was healed, but it remained in our hearts. Maybe you think it's easy for us not to care about Rebecca." Grandpa's tongue was too faint to continue.

"Trust me, it's not easy. But hating can't bring back our only daughter." Grandpa's tears began to pool in the eye pelubuk.

"We hope that with the love and compassion we shed, we can slowly fade hate and heal wounds."

"Look at Rangga, how many people did he help for free through the efforts of his personal bodyguard? He used the scar to keep others from experiencing the same events as himself."

"You feel the most hurt from looking directly. Then what about your grandmother who gave birth to your mother, and then she also drove her into the burrow?"

"With both of my hands I carried her as she was newborn, laid her down gently beside your grandmother, and with my hands I carried her and laid her in the coffin." grandfather's voice began to cling.

"No parents would bury their son Audrey, no." Grandfather's tears spilled, Audrey's shoulders trembled violently, she cried with her head down, covering both her faces with her palms.

Silent, they both dissolve in their respective sorrows. Grandma, Sebastian and Rangga who saw and heard were also unable to hold back their tears. The three of them embraced each other, strengthening each other.

"Tiara has given birth to an angel to this world, not a monster" Grandpa said after his cries and Audrey began to subside.

"Rebecca wiped out your mom, and you're gonna pay for it. Then, what's the difference between you and Rebecca? You both live in grudges, you two are both monsters." the last word was said softly, as if it was a scary forbidden word to say.

"I just want to seek justice for my mom, am I wrong?" Audrey defended herself.

"It's wrong that the way you judge him is the same way he destroyed Tiara."

Grandfather looked at Audrey gently then pulled the trembling hand and grasped it gently.

Audrey stared back at Grandpa with tears still flowing.

"Then how should I do it? It's not fair if the sentence is light."

"It's not fair to whom? For you? What about Rebecca? Does he think it's fair?" Grandpa asked back, Audrey stopped crying, she was confused as to how to behave.

"Audrey, the Creator of the universe has his own way of avenging every bad deed we do. And if the Creator did it, it would be fair to all of us."

"Until when do I have to wait for that retribution?" Audrey starts to get emotional.

"Our time is not the time of the Creator, He knows when the best time is. After all, for sixteen years, we've never known anything from Rebecca. What he's been through all this time, we never know."

Grandpa sighed. "If you retaliate your way, then you will inflict a new grudge on the hearts of others who are part of Rebecca's life. And in the future that person will look for you and repay you. Unlimited crime, exhausting." Grandpa grunts.

Flashback off

So, all this time Papa and Kak Rangga wanted me to stop for preventing future retaliation. They want me to live comfortably without the shadow of fear.

Geez, I've always cornered them for not seeing firsthand how mama was wiped out. I didn't realize they were preparing for a quiet future.

I feel guilty for them, I indirectly consider only myself to be lost, and they are not. I'm the same as Rebecca, my God!!! I was terrible. Audrey monologue.

He then hit his own forehead, realizing his mistake.

Audrey sat on the bedside, pulling and exhaling slowly, trying to calm herself down.

Then his eyes stared at the piece of dead coral on the nightstand. Audrey got up and took the thing. He observed the thing he was holding and smiled faintly. There was a foreign feeling infiltrating his heart.

The last thought made Audrey reflexively hit her head.

What I think, he wrote in his heart.

Tok.dok..

"Audrey, can you come in?" Rangga knocked on the door.

" Yes, come in."

"You okay?" asked Rangga while sitting on the sofa in the room. Audrey just nodded.

"I just found out that Rangga's brother is providing escorts for free."

"Not to everyone. If it's an escort of high-class businessmen and celebrities, I'll give you a tariff. Free is only for the lower middle class."

"What's their problem that needs protection?"

"Many, the most frequent is intimidation if they don't want to sell the land." Rangga took a breath. "Drey, I'm sorry we had to get back to town early. There's something to do."

"I'll pack my things, so anytime I want to go home I'm ready."

"Are you sure you're okay?" ask him again. Rangga looked worried.

"I'm still confused, I need time to digest Grandpa's words. But I'm fine." Audrey said confidently.

"We all need time, but please don't keep your own burden. Share it with us." Rangga stepped out of the room.

Drrt...Drrt...Drrttt

Audrey took a cell phone, apparently a video call from Isabela.

"Hi sweety." Isabela, Nabila and Yura's faces were seen sumringah.

"Hi, I miss you guys."

"We're drey too. When's home?"

"Fastly, in these few days. Mmmm, Ra, stop looking for information about Rebecca." Audrey asked.

The three friends looked at each other in wonder.

"You're serious?"

"Yes Isa, I'm serious" Audrey replied as she looked at Isabela.

"Okay, we're happy to stop him." Nabila.

"We must celebrate this." proposes Isabela.

"Sippp, I'm buying." Audrey then waved and severed the connection.

"I wonder what will happen after this. And you're the rock master, what's your name?" Audrey spoke to the dead coral she had been holding.

"You're more interested in that Audrey thing?" Grandma was standing in the doorway.

"Eh, grandma. hehe" Audrey just grimaced.

Grandma stepped closer to Audrey. "Slow down. You need time to understand what your grandfather said. If anything makes you confused, ask directly, hmm."

"I understand grandma." Audrey hugged grandma. "Hhhhh.this is the best holiday." Grandma kissed her grandson's cheek.