METHANOIA
Love Clapping Hands

Zeline was silent. It's his first day of internships and he gets surprises one by one. Suddenly gets a confession of love from a best friend, meets Patra who is back 'cold' and now, she comes face to face with Patra's fiancee, who is, watching Patra's busy hand clutch her hand while wrapping a beautiful silk cloth around her fiance's wrist area. Beautiful accessories, circling those white skinny hands. Really romantic.

Currently, he and three friends who are also interns at the same Hospital are orientation to the patient rooms, including Patra's fiancee treatment room named Sasha Antara. Every now and then, he looked at Patra who seemed to not know him, ignoring him perfectly.

"Sacya's patient is an anemic patient. This morning, he checked for blood. If HB (Hemoglobin) is normal, there is a plan for KRS (Exit Hospital)." said Dr. Andara, an internal medicine specialist who helped orientate the intern.

Sasha smiled slightly, "Thank you for the treatment, doctor."

Ugh! Soft voice! Zeline felt far away from Sasha.

"Mas Patra is Sasha's fiancee. Because Sasya quite often enter this hospital, so we have also known the same mas Patra. By the way, Patra is attending your college, you know... ."

Patra smiled wryly, "Maybe they don't know me. Bede. And, I'm pretty closed."

Huh! Closed once! Zeline could only curse while squeezing her hand from inside her doctor's suit pocket. He avoided his desire to look at Patra for as long as possible.

"The handsome is also Patra," said Jena in Zeline's ear.

Zeline gulped, "She's engaged." Zeline said to Jena. More like, convince yourself that Patra already has a special person. And, not Zeline!

"Sama-sama Sasha. Take care of your health, right? Excuse me."

Zeline hurriedly followed Andara's doctor who started galloping out of Sasha's treatment room. Zeline cannot continue to witness the romance of Patra and her fiance. Stuffy. Moreover, Patra did not look at him at all. Damnit damnit!

-oOo

Zeline tidied up her stuff, squeezing some stuff into the locker tiredly. The first day was exhausting. He proposes self-preservation in outpatient rather than in hospitalization. His reason? He can't face Patra and her fiance. So, he chose to stand guard in real outpatient, his patients reaching hundreds! His power's drained.

"Well better than feeling drained" said Zeline, forcing her feet to leave the employee locker room. He paused for a moment, staring at the room at the end of the hallway, where Sasha was taking care of. Zeline let out a long sigh, staring back at her phone. His WA message to Patra, still unrequited until now.

Still focused on the WA message, a call made him even more careless. Mutual. Zeline let out a long sigh and chose to ignore the call. He squeezed his phone into the bag and tried to be indifferent.

Zeline stepped out of the RS and into the lobby waiting room, ordering an ojek online when a motorbike stopped right in front of her. Zeline recognizes the Mutual motor!

"Oh, my wallet is missing!" seloroh Zeline turned her body about to run away when Reksa pulled the strap of her bag. "Okay!! Uh, you cuckoo.. Just pull my bag strap! yippee!" nagging Zeline while throwing a sharp glare.

"OKAY. Back to normal. Gih, get on the bike!" said Reksa.

Zeline gulped for a moment, "What's wrong with me? I didn't change why-why, tuh. ." Zeline said.

"Lo wants to ride sincerely to my bike, or less sincerely, or very non-resident?" ask Reksa.

Zeline turned her hand towards Reksa who then thrust a navy helmet at Zeline. Zeline wears a helmet in silence and rides a Mutual motorbike. Muta presses a little motor, making Zeline jerk until stuck on the back of Muta who chuckles satisfied.

" Fuck up! Lo-."

Not yet Zeline finished his sentence, Reksa closed the glass helmet Zeline and forwarded his motorbike, completely ignoring all the swearing of Zeline. Ha-ha!

On the other hand, Patra witnessed the events of Zeline and Reksa from behind the glass window of the RS canteen. He who was enjoying the hot coffee in his hand, involuntarily gripped tightly to his coffee glass until his hand flushed hot. He also remembered the words of Dani.

"You have no obligation to Sasha. You deserve your own freedom. It's up to you to take it off or hold on."

-oOo

Reksa stopped his bike at Cafe are peak. Zeline got off the bike, took off the helmet and excitedly pounded Reksa's shoulder.

"Eh, cuckoo! You can take me to the top! I'm tired of this!" omelette Zeline.

Mutual smothered Zeline's mouth and pulled her into the cafe. They took positions in the outside area of the cafe overlooking the cold, peak mountain afternoon scenery.

"Tax!" zeline Protest.

"We need a cold atmosphere to talk about something hot" said Reksa.

Zeline was silent at Mutual's words. Something hot? Suddenly, Zeline's feelings became alarmed. He could only shuffle around sitting on a chair, clutching his shabby brown totebag and throwing a glance in the other direction.

"Stop changing against me, Zel.." said Mutual.

"Gue gak-."

"What do you want to order, brother?" ask a waiter who interrupted Zeline and Reksa's conversation.

"Hot tea. Same brown toast." said Reksa.

"Hot chocolate. Spicy noodles. Double serving. Extra eggs." Zeline Sahut.

"Good, brother... ."

The waiter left the desk of Reksa and Zeline. The mutual back threw a joint gaze at Zeline who was trying to turn her eyes the other way. He was too nervous to face the gaze of Muta. Mispy.

"Gue just wanted to make a confession. Not that you have to answer, Zel... I'm just-."

"Sorry, brother... The hot chocolate is a dark variant. Still want or another message?" asked the waiter who came back to interrupt their conversation.

"What no. Dark chocolate is good for dieting." says Zeline.

"Good, brother... ."

The waiter left their table. Mutual looked back at Zeline.

"Gue just don't want to lose before competing" said Reksa.

"Who's equal?"

"Patra."

"She's got a fiancee." Zeline's half-cocky.

"He is pu-."

"Sorry, brother. This extra egg want one or two?" asked the waiter who was once again, present interrupted their conversation, making Reksa snort miserably.

"One thing." said Zeline in a patient tone.

" Okay, good brother."

The waiter left their table. Muta took a deep breath, enduring his near-peaking annoyance.

"The bottom line is, I don't want our attitudes to be different from each other" said Reksa.

"Gie hasn't changed."

"Zel. Looks real, lo--."

"Sorry brother, " again the servant interrupted their conversation.

"What else???" ask Reksa.

"Will the elbows be ripe or half-baked?" asked the waiter in a plain tone.

"Mateng." said Zeline. "Mie pedes lombok 5. just in case you are afraid you are again."

"okay, sis. Noted." the waiter smiled in satisfaction and then stepped away from their table.

Mutual and Zeline looked at each other for a moment before laughing together. They laughed at the crazy moment from the waiter. Who would have thought, the incident made the atmosphere of the two melt again. Mutual did not regret having expressed his feelings. She's relieved. Even though, his love clapped one hand. At least, Zeline was still by his side. I hope that. Let them always be in a safe and comfortable friendzone. For now, that's all that matters.

-oOo

TB