My Hate, the Water of His Eyes (The End of A Taste)
We'll Be Adventurous

For the second time Leo saw his mother crying while screaming, smashing things with uncontrollable emotions. Leo kind of went back to a few years ago when his papa died. The difference is now that Leo is faced with two women who are so loved.

Aunt Retno helps Leo take Mama Mila to the room and gives her a drink to make her calmer. Mama Mila looked weak after the outpouring of emotions she let out.

Leo took the glass from Mama Mila's hand and placed it on the table that was at the right side of the bed. Leo sat facing Mama Mila, wiping off her mother's tears and rubbing the back of her mother's hand.

"Ma?" leo's voice called his mother so softly. "Did you know that Leo loves you very much? Don't do anything like that again, ma."

"Mama wouldn't have done that if it wasn't for Syera and the woman. Don't blame your mom for hating her. Mama was good enough because she received and accommodated Syera at that time in our home. Mama regretted why she didn't just throw the girl away so there wasn't a need for something like this."

"Ma, don't blame Shera. Nor did he know what was happening at the time. Her mother is also dead, so free mom hates her."

"Died? Know where you're from?" ask her mom cynically.

"Actually Syera had met her mother but on that day her mother died in an accident. Syera knows that she's not the father of her mother directly."

"He felt what my husband felt. Does Fandy know about this, too?"

"Fandy knew about Syera's mother but he didn't know that Syera and I weren't siblings."

"You already know that she's not your real sister but why still let her stay with you? Have you forgotten what you were like the day you died? Did you forget that the woman named Wulandari was also in the same car with papa?"

Leo gasped because all this time he had never told me things about his papa accident. Every piece of information he once obtained was kept for himself, even if he did not tell his mother.

"Why? You're surprised your mom knows about that? Mom's not as stupid as you think. Mama's fault for letting the woman's daughter stay in my house."

"Don't it be like that, ma?"

"Forget her if you still want to see your mom alive!"

"Ma?" leo's voice was cribbing.

"When you see her again, it's also the last day you see your mom alive!" resolute mom Mila.

"But Leo loves him, ma. Leo thought mom had also accepted the existence of Shera. Aye, ma?"

"humanitarian feeling. It was also because all this time mama thought she was papa's son. Now everything is clear, she's just the daughter of a woman who made your papa die."

"But-"

"Enough! Don't have to be extended anymore. Don't get in touch with him, forget him. There are a lot of women out there who are much prettier and more attractive than her."

"But he's the one Leo wants" said Leo sadly.

"Then there is no other choice, you will immediately see the corpse of mama!"

Leo shook his head, he did not know what else to say.

"Come out, mama's gonna take a break."

Leo wiped his tears and helped his mother lie down. Her mother is the woman who has been there for her and supports her under all circumstances. Leo loved his mother very much but now there are other women who he loves besides the woman who has given birth to him and raised him affectionately.

"Tomorrow morning we go home and don't think about the girl anymore" Mila's mom said as Leo walked out of the room. "Fandy. Fandy can take care of the girl."

Leo came out leaving his mother to rest. He ran to all corners of the room to look for the whereabouts of Shera. Not meeting him inside the villa, Leo looked for him outside. Run around here and there but Leo didn't find it either.

While searching around the villa Leo tried to contact Syera's phone but Syera's phone was not active. He then contacted Fandy's phone but the same thing happened.

When passing through the parking lot Leo stopped and did not find Fandy's car parked again there. Leo's worry became more and more so, he ran towards the road and saw it quiet because it was already night.

Leo's legs limp, he sat on the ground leaving his body buffeted by the night wind that pierced to the bone. He wanted to scream but his strength was no longer there.

Someone patted Leo on the shoulder, rubbing him gave strength.

"Would go inside. The wind is strong and not good for you. You're a man, you have to be strong and not weak like this."

Mr. Asep stood next to Leo, strengthened him and was also saddened by the circumstances tonight. Mr. Asep helped Leo stand up and told him to go inside.

The man, who was more than half a century old, stared at Leo's limp-walking back. Mr. Asep felt sorry and blamed himself. Although not sure but Mr. Asep regretted his actions.

If Mr. Asep had never sent a photo every time Syera went to class and graduated from school then Leo would not have remembered Syera when Leo was abroad. If Mr. Asep had never told me anything about Syera while Leo was abroad, Leo would not have thought of Syera.

Mr. Asep was not sure what he was thinking but he regretted his actions. Mr. Asep was sad especially when remembering the allowance given by Aunt Retno to him was always used up just to send pictures of Syera to Leo's address when abroad.

..........

The speed of the car is fast enough to make the journey from the top to the capital feel so fast. Along the way Syera let out tears even though her cries were not heard.

Every sentence that Mama Mila said, her anger and hatred for Wulandari and herself made Syera sad. Not only that, Leo's face while crying hugged him even more to make Syera destroyed.

Until Fandy parked his car in Syera's tear basement still flowing. Fandy cupped Syera's face and wiped away the tears that had soaked his cheeks.

Fandy did not say or ask anything because he was sure that Syera would not answer him at this time. Fandy tidied Syera's hair and slipped it behind his ear.

Fandy's eyes squinted followed by a shrunken forehead. The long hair that Fandy had tidied up behind his ears showed Syera's neck. Fandy clenched his jaw, his hands clenched and his anger rose again. The red mark Leo gave to Syera's neck last night was clearly visible to Fandy.

Fandy looked at Syera's face, he didn't expect Leo to have done it that far.

Not him but me who has always been there for you. I can't wait anymore, it's time.

The long hair of the syera made Fandy forward to cover Syera's neck. Fandy pulled out his phone and opened one of the apps. Thirty minutes later Fandy took off their seat-belt and took Syera out of the car.

Fandy did not take off Syera's hand until he entered her apartment. Syera looks at Leo's apartment before entering Fandy's apartment.

"Let's have a drink" gave Syera a glass of water.

Syera accepts him and notices what Fandy is doing in a hurry in his room.

Fandy's clothes, securities and anything he thought was important was put in a suitcase. Lastly, Fandy picked up some small, thin books from the desk drawer and stuffed them into a backpack.

He threw the car keys on the bed and took two hats hanging on the wall.

"Come on," asked Fandy to withdraw Syera's hand.

Syera does not understand what Fandy is doing, she only sees Leo holding a backpack and pulling the suitcase out of the apartment without taking his hand.

"Hurry to open, '" Fandy asks Syera to press Leo's apartment pin.

Upon arrival in Fandy, he went straight into Syera's room and dropped off Syera's suitcase from the top of the closet.

"Let's pack your things quickly" Fandy pinta opened Syera's suitcase.

"No, sis. I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to wait for Leo's brother here" shook his head.

Without asking Leo opened the closet and put the origin of Syera's clothes into the suitcase. The bag that Syera usually wears when she goes to campus is put Leo in the suitcase.

Syera cried shaking her head holding Leo's hand to put her belongings into the suitcase.

"No, sis. No, I don't want to, brother. I have to wait for Leo's brother here. Brother Fandy don't do this, Syera please," Syera's pinta wailed on the sidelines of his sobs.

What Fandy put in the suitcase was taken out by Syera. Fandy did not want to lose, he re-inserted what was issued Syera.

"No, sis. I don't want to" please Syera.

Fandy held Shera's hand, shaking her arm to hear Fandy's words.

"Syera, listen! Listen to me, it's enough to get here. Don't cry anymore" said Fandy.

"But brother?"

"You remind me what brother Fandy once said? We're going on an adventure. Yeah, we're going on an adventure and it's time we left. We're going on an adventure to a place where it's just the two of us and you're not going to cry anymore, you remember that?"

"Sister?" call Syera lirih.

Fandy put all the stuff that Syera put back in the suitcase. The cell phone belonging to Syera who since leaving the villa was taken over by Fandy thrown also on the bed.

Fandy called the apartment clerk to help him bring the suitcase down.

"Come on!"

Fandy holds Syera's hand after an apartment attendant arrives. Outside the apartment building a taxi was waiting and no need to linger Fandy led Syera to enter first.

"Have, sir?" ask the driver to make sure.

"It has. Walk, sir."

"Good, sir. Sorry, where are we headed, sir?"

Fandy did not take off his grip on Syera's hand. He saw Syera sitting quietly beside him with tears.

"Airport, sir!"

Spontaneous Syera turned her head and Fandy nodded his head at Syera.

The airport?