Love That (No) Blind
Part 22: The Brave Child

[Sara]

“Selam ... Oh, my God, Non. His eyes are so. What time was it last night?,” said Mbok Jami early in the morning when he saw Sara enter the dining room.

Sara could feel her eyes heavy. Feels hot. I want to close both eyes for a moment. And, that's what he wanted to do from last night, but always failed. The result, yes now. He believes his eyes that surprised Mbok Jami.

“You sick?,” asked Agam who was ready in his place at the dinner table.

I should be the one!

“Please lack of sleep,” Sara replied briefly.

“Why? Are you uncomfortable?,” asked Agam again.

Who would it be if not you?!

“Not. Just can't sleep.”

Sara wasn't lying. He couldn't sleep all night. And all because of Agam.

Yes, Agam. Everything Agam did yesterday really made him not to be out of thought. The least he could make sense of was Agam's remark last night before Sara came out of her room.

“I want to taste the fried chicken together that I brought earlier.”

“I'm serious about that room. And also playground. They'll start working on it tomorrow.”

It is clear that Sara thinks it is Agam who is sick?

Did he take the wrong medicine or forget to take the medicine? Why did he suddenly become like that? Can't people suddenly change that fast if they're not crazy? Wait for. Is he crazy?

“Sara.”

Agam's call clearly broke his mind that was struggling with many questions.

“M-sorry. What time do we leave?” Quickly, Sara switched the conversation before Agam asked again the same thing.

“Jam 10. If you're not feeling well, you don't have to go along. Just rest at home.”

Why does he sound worried?

“A-I'm fine. Who do we want to meet?” Sara asked back.

“Ehem ..” Agam cleared his throat once, and a second later he was back as usual. “Later you will know.”

Maybe it's just my feelings.

......................

“Name Yuda. He's an NFC client for the TD-512,” project Agam said introducing a tall, dashing man in his suit at Agam's office in the NFC.

“Auch ..” The man named Yuda immediately held onto his chest. His face grimaced in pain until his body was pushed back as he pressed against his chest.

“Ah, my heart aches. You just introduced me as a client. What do you think of our days together when you slept in my arms?”

Sara almost trusted her pain act.

Brak!

Agam had just pelted Judah with a new book taken from the nightstand next to him.

“Ah, too bad not hit,” seductive Yuda who directly avoids the book thrown by Agam, making Raka who had been holding her laughter behind Agam had to pick up the book and return it to its original place.

“Do not talk nonsense! Others will misunderstand your words,” hardik Agam.

“You are afraid of others or Raka who misunderstood?,” Yuda's tease while staring at the teasing Raka who is now standing behind Agam.

“You!!!”

Yuda walked ignoring Agam's chatter towards Sara whose smile could not be separated from her face seeing the interaction of the two men in front of her.

“Yudha Putra Pratama. Just call me Yuda. Tamtam can also. Call dear to us,” Yuda said as he stuck out his hand. But both of his eyes kept blinking. His eyebrows moved up and down tempting Sara.

Sara smiled nervously at Yuda's hand and shook it. “S-sara ..”

So awkward it felt, let alone seeing Yuda who was staring at him like that.

“Where is the book? Give me! Let me hit the crocodile's head. I told you not to come near.” Agam's hands are looking back on the nightstand. Once he got it, he immediately lifted it up and prepared to throw.

“Eit, eit ..” Yuda immediately hid behind Sara. Holding Sara's shoulder and directing her to Agam who was preparing. “If you get Sara, it's not my fault, yes. You threw. Protect me, Sar.”

Agam held his hand. Slowly the book was placed on his lap. Agam fell silent, and all looked at him question markingly. Including Sara.

Then then, the book Agam was holding suddenly slid down and shot towards Sara. Towards Yuda who was standing next to Sara, more precisely.

“Aw ..”

“Sara??,” call Agam with his loud voice. He looks very worried.

“Aw hurts, Mas. I was sick,” Yuda shouted in a small and shrill voice made up, as well as the groaning voice that Agam had mistaken with Sara's moaning.

Agam getting annoyed. He immediately turned the wheels on his wheelchair looking for Yuda who was still hiding behind Sara. While Raka's laughter becomes the music of the accompaniment of the silly behavior of two adult men who are acting like children who are just growing up teenagers.

“Bbha ... Bbha ..”

Sweet little girl with hair tied in two, right and left. And with a lacy white dress and tiny white shoes on both feet made the girl look so pretty and cute.

Adorable.

But the little girl was blind. Both of his hands hung straight in front of him, looking for something or maybe someone he had just called. Hearing the boy's voice, Sara was sure, the little girl was also deaf and mute.

Yuda immediately came out from behind Sara and approached her. He led the two hands of the boy to hold each hand of Judah. Then Judah began to speak through his hands.

“Papa would like to introduce someone,” Yuda said in his gesture.

Then Judah took his hand, and led him closer to Sarah and the others.

“She's my only daughter. Name's Tania. He's 5 years old. She ... blind, deaf, and mute since birth.”

Sara looked at the girl. Heart's broken. Why did he have to undergo this kind of injustice from the moment he was born?

“Can I approach Tania?,” asked Sara carefully asking her permission to Yuda.

“Hmm. Sure.” Such a firm nod signifies that Judah has no objection to it at all.

Sara did the same thing that Yuda did earlier, and also Agam when they first met in the park at that time.

“Halo, I'm Sara. Nice to meet you, Tania,” Sara said in her gesture.

The look on the girl's face suddenly turned into a sumringah. Smile widens. Sara arrived unconsciously to widen her smile.

“It's nice to meet Aunt Sara. I love Auntie,” Tania said in her gesture, then hugged Sara suddenly. Sara was surprised by it.

Agam's remarks then surprised Sara even more. “Tania has been wanting to meet you for a long time.”

“Ya?”

Agam then explained that Project TD-512 is a project that is developing tools for blind-dark or speech-blind disabilities. In this project, Sara's father's gesture was included. And Tania was the first test pilot for this project.

“I introduced all kinds of cues of different shapes and languages to Tania, including the cues made by Sara's father. I want Tania to know a lot and be easy to interact with wherever she is. I also told him about you, and he got excited to meet you,” Yuda story when they finally sat in the living room in Agam's office. Tania chose to sit next to Sara and always hugged Sara's arm.

Sara smiled at how adorable Tania was who kept clinging to her. Several times the little girl hugged him, then gave him a cue telling him about whatever he liked and other stories. Over and over, every time Tania hugged her, Sara returned with a tight hug because of her anxiety.

He's really an adorable kid.

That afternoon, Tania will try the NFC-made tool that almost so. To find out if a product is developing in the right direction, a trial tester is needed to tell whether or not its use matches what they planned in their blueprint. If appropriate, then there will be no problems, but if not, that means their products must be revised.

Seeing Tania alone in the test room while the others were in the observation room, Sara could only admire the little girl because there was absolutely no whining or crying during the trial. He was only 5 years old.

He's a really brave kid.

“I always taught Tania to never be afraid of anything other than God. I don't want his flaws to keep him locked up in his own world. He must be brave in order to defeat the world,” said Yuda who was observing his daughter with Sara, Agam, and also Raka from the observer room.

Justjust wonderful.

“My life may be just a blink of an eye. But Tania .. her life is long. Even if later I am no longer in this world, Tania must remain strong even if she has to be alone,”.

Yuda's right. Little girl with conditions like Tania her life would not be easy if only pity her. Tania needs to be strong to be able to live a normal life with her abnormal condition. Especially in the midst of people who will definitely only look at him with one eye, or even not considered at all.

Yuda must have loved her very much. It's not easy being the parent of an amazing child like Tania.

But ... “Oh yes, her mother Tania is invisible. Didn't you come today?,” asked Sara after she realized she had just met Tania and Yuda only.

Yuda's gaze towards Tania turned so deep. It was as if it was not Tania he was looking at, but something that was not in there.

“Manya Tania died while giving birth to Tania.”

Yuda's answer clearly made Sara feel guilty. He really did not know about it to the point of daring to ask her. The regret was that he should have remained silent once he realized it.

“I'm sorry. I don't know if ...”

“Ah, no need to feel guilty.” Yuda cut Sara's words quickly. His laughter while teasing Agam earlier was already visible on his face. “After all it's been a while. You yourself how?”

“Yes? Me?” Sara frowning. Why am I now?

Yuda drew himself closer to Sara, then whispered in front of Sara, “If you are bored with Agam, hub .. ugh .. bhunngii hakkhuu ..”

Sara saw Agam who was next to Judah had just beaten Judah with his fist. Agam's punch, which was so hard, hit the bottom of Judah's stomach, made the man groan in pain.

But, Sara believes Agam is targeting other parts, because the place is almost close together. Looking at Yuda who was moaning in pain, Sara grimaced to see him.

A few minutes before Tania exited the test room, Sara and Yuda had already exited the observer room and were waiting outside the test room. Agam and Raka are currently back in the test room to discuss some things about the development of the trial today.

It only took an hour, and all of Tania's tasks were done. Once out of the test room, Yuda immediately went to his daughter who was looking for her father. And as soon as Tania's hand touched Yuda, the little girl immediately pulled her papa and hugged her. Then he told me with his hand how enthusiastic he was inside. Yuda did not stop praising his daughter which instead spurred the spirit of his little daughter.

Without realizing it, a sweet smile bloomed on Sara's face upon seeing their interaction. It's so sweet.

......................

Time has shown at half-three when they will exit the NFC office. Tania still continues to hold Sara and has not shown any signs of letting go even when they are in the front lobby of the NFC building. While Yuda and Agam were still chatting on the other side, Sara finally accompanied Tania to a chat by sitting on one of the sofas in the lobby.

When Judah came, to take Tania home, the little girl moved her hand to say something.

“Papa, come home with Aunt Sara."