Still In Love's
EP. 21. Who’s Orange

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Bandung, 2022

“I always feel and see the same thing. I vaguely saw a beautiful girl in a garden, I approached and hugged her. Her smile was so beautiful, that was what was clearly visible. I remember, but I don't know who he is, when, and where it happened.” Clearly Blue was under the influence of his hypnotherapy shortly after the doctor asked him to explain events that sometimes appeared in his memories and dreams.

“You clearly saw his face?” Ask the doctor.

“No, I just saw her beautiful smile.” Answer Blue shakes.

“How do you feel?” The psychiatrist named Johan.

“Sad. It feels sad to see him cry.” Sahut Blue.

Doctor Johan brought the drink to Blue after the hypnotherapy session was over. Blue thanked him and raised the cup containing the green tea to drink it.

“It has been more than eight years, but no result from my hypnotherapy.” Complaint Blue.

“I'm not sure if the girl's shadow is part of my memory or just a hallucination, Doc.” Furthermore, looks tired face and want to give up plastered there.

“You will know after your memory recovers. Who knows that girl was your lover in the past.” The 45-year-old doctor said it was a bit of a tease for Blue.

“I've never had a boyfriend, Doc. I remember my school days, kok.” Blue Tepis.

“Haha, don't you remember amnesia? You forget that you forgot some things in the past. Remember Blue, your memory is like a broken cassette.” Doctor Johan laughed upon hearing Blue's denial.

“If I had, maybe he already knew me and is here.” Timpal Blue later.

“Now, for sure at this time you should not give up on the treatment.” Doctor Johan said with an encouraging smile.

********

Meanwhile at a Private Dining Restaurant, two families gathered, chatting casually to make the small room look warm.

“I really don't have kids right now. Huuh.” Complain Mona. The middle-aged woman who looked young was exhaling weakly.

“The eldest star, since marriage chose to stay apart from us. Sagara is in the middle, he really does not know the way home. And the youngest most beautiful?” Mother stopped her sentence for a moment to take a deep breath. “She even keblasan at home living in America, may have forgotten, times, yes, the same country itself?” He continued grumbling, he currently felt lonely in his old age.

“Should have been, I didn't let them out of the house or marry even.” His words then immediately invited the laughter of everyone in the room.

“Haha, you have three lonely children. I'm the only one, Na. I never even wanted to worry about a child.” The late middle-aged woman of Mona's age, named Lisa, felt like she had a fate that was not much different. We are both lonely in old age.

“Already, maybe God wants us to spend time together romantically in old age.” Said Rendra, Mona's husband, calming. A light laugh then re-echoed the entire room.

“Haha, Dad is-there aja.” Mother chuckles amusedly while hitting her husband's shoulder arm.

“Oh, yes. By the way, our son is coming, isn't he, Ma? The food has come, you know. Not very polite to make parents wait.” Tanya Rendi who is the husband of Lisa. As soon as the question caught the attention of the two people in front of her, Rendra and Mona looked at Lisa, waiting for the woman's answer.

“So she chatted Mama, she said soon until. Maybe still on the road ka–” Lisa sentence hangs when it sounds the creak of the door of the room open.

Everyone there immediately turned their attention towards the door. They smiled happily at the arrival of a boy with a handsome face and tall stature like a model. Bluest. His arrival was immediately greeted warmly by them.

“Sorry, it has made you wait.” He regretted speaking politely while sitting next to Lisa the Mama.

“Nothing, Son. We understand, you must be busy.” Said Rendra trying to understand.

“Ahh, yes, dear, know, they are Papa's friends with Mama, Om Rendra and Aunt Mona.” Mama Lisa introduced the two people in front of her in turn.

Blue smiled, then introduced himself by greeting Om Rendra and Aunt Mona. “I Blue Om, Aunt.”

Blue frowned in astonishment as he looked at Aunt Mona who had not let go of her hand, the middle-aged woman looked at him full of probing.

“Mother, Dad knows she's handsome. But do not look at it, dong, Dad so feel rivaled, nih.” Tegur Rendra who saw his wife continues to flinch.

“Ohh, yes, sorry. Aunty never met you, but where is it, yes, forget.” Mona chuckled amusedly while pulling her hand.

“I think this is our first meeting, Aunt.” Say Blue so Mona is not burdened by trying to remember something that is not clear.

“What, yes, yes? But it feels like Auntie emang has really seen you, but forgot where.” Mona is still in awe as she keeps trying to remember.

“Maybe you've met Blue in the hospital or at school during a parent meeting. Blue ama Orange, right, used to school in the same school.” Timpal Rendi's. Mother just nodded her head, trying to accept the reason Rendi sounded reasonable.

“Jingga? Who’s that?” Blue wonders in the heart as soon as the name is called. It felt like no stranger to hearing it.

“Ya already, let's eat.” Rendra urged them to start their dinner soon.

The two families then enjoyed the dinner in silence, only the sound of the clanking of cutlery touching each other.

“Emm, by the way. When will Orange return?” Tanya Rendi who suddenly opened the conversation in the middle of dinner activities.

Rendi's question immediately made Rendra stop chewing his food. All attention was now on him to wait for his explanation.

“Typically, he comes home the same new year as summer vacation. A few more days he must be home, really, next week new year.” Rendra replied, but that was not the answer that Rendi expected.

“Working at John Hopkins must have been very busy. But he's quite diligent as well as your ngunjungin. How do you say he rarely comes home?” Lisa asked looking at Mona with one eyebrow raised. “Beda, nih, the same one who has forgotten the home address.” Then glanced at Blue with his eyes, insinuating because the child almost never returned home either while still abroad or now when he had returned to the homeland.

“Who is he?” The murmur in the heart again wondered. But even so he did not ask, choosing silent listening to take busy putting food into his mouth.

“After once he came home only a day doang, it is not done at home, directly go to the playground, have been there all day no where else.” Mona grumbled, then clucked and spoke again. “Udah pilgrimage to the grave every time he comes back to visit there.”

“Then it comes home again?” Lisa asked with an incredulous look.

Mona nodded. “Iya. The body flew again. Time with us, anyway, yes just shaman doang.”

“Truly, right? He's a crazy guy. Maybe for him, America, tuh, analogized kayak Bandung and Jakarta.” Sahut Bunda splashy.

“Sorry, Aunt.” Blue smiled awkwardly, feeling bad for accidentally swearing at their child.

“Nothing, really. Orange is crazy.” Mona relaxed, making her husband and her two best friends shake their heads.

“You're based, Na. Can't do that, you know, the same kid himself.” Lisa laughed amusedly as well as annoyed..

“Haha, already. How about talking about this, anyway? I, tuh, actually want to ask when Orange comes home from America forever?” Rendi tried to return the topic. He looked at Rendra and Mona took turns seriously. “It's time, Ren, Na.”

Blue blinked, then his forehead frowned, for a moment he stopped the chewing of food in his mouth. “Time? What time?”

The guy drank water to push food in the mouth that suddenly difficult he swallowed.

“I said next week. His return will be forever. I'm sure he won't be back in America again.” Reply Rendra steady. Rendi nodded in confidence.

“I'm so impatient, deh, the inventor of Orange.” Said Lisa with sparkling eyes.

“Ma, Orange who, anyway?” Blue Whisper in Lisa's ear, can not help her curiosity anymore because since then the name of Orange became the main character in the talk of the parents.

Lisa glanced with a meaningful smile, then whispered back. “Prospective of your wife.”

“Haah?”

“Iya, wife-to-be. Mama's feelings have said, deh, earlier.” The woman put on an innocent face.

Blue was flabbergasted, his eyes were bought, quite surprised by what he heard. Her mother called her to have dinner with her relatives. Just dinner. Not to give him a wife.

“Ma...” Blue stared at him protesting.

“Shuut, already, later we spit at home.” Lisa's Saying. Blue turned his face upside down, as the food in front of him turned out to be unpleasant.

********

Other people take about nine to ten years to become a Specialist. But not for the Orange and the Sky. It only took eight years for them to earn their Specialist Doctor degree.

With the genius brain abilities they had, it was not difficult for them to complete their education faster.

They spent five years at the University of Oxford, England, earning a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. Then they chose to continue the specialist program at John Hopkins University, USA. Orange chooses a Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Specialist, while Sky chooses a Child Surgical Specialist.

And this is where Orange and Sky are now, working at John Hopkins Medicine Baltimore, Maryland, United States.

After graduating from High School eight years ago, Orange and Sky decided to continue their education by taking medical school abroad, at the same University.

“Photosynthesis . . .” The orange sitting in the hospital garden pensively suddenly shocked Sky who handed him a paper bag containing two American sub sandwiches and a lemonade cup right in front of his face.

An orange hand stretched out to grab the package of food, and then took one for him, and the rest he left the food to the Sky who now sat in front of the Orange and then they began to eat it in silence.

“You're like a soldier, you know, no, Ji? Hurry up to eat, after all there will be no war here.” The Celestial Tyrant who saw the Orange ate in a hurry. Then with a perceptive hand outstretched to clean the bread crumbs around the cheeks of Orange. While the girl remained a henchman receiving Sky's treatment, it was not at all disturbed. They've been used to it since childhood.

“Ehem.” The orange throats while trying to push its food into the esophagus. “I have a war in the operating room in twenty minutes, Lang.” He continued, then took a big bite of the bread, then sipped the drink quickly, even though there was still unfinished food he chewed in his mouth.

The sky was just a head bobble looking at the way his best friend ate it. It really looked very bothered.

“Lusa so go home, Ji?” Ask Sky to make sure after a long moment of silence.

The orange stopped the chewing, then again sipped the drink so that the sandwich he was chewing was pushed into his throat.

“Iya, I should have been there on the eve of the new year.” Replied Orange, her cherry face instantly becoming grim, her gaze seeming to radiate a deep sadness.

“When are you waiting for him? Free, the edges you will cry in the corner because he did not come.” Said the Sky. Angry himself because Orange said he would give up, but in fact he continued to wait for the jerk until now.

The orange was silent, unable to answer. The girl just looked down with eyes that started to glaze over.

The sky seemed bored to see Orange continue to wait and hope for Blue who never gave him any news at all, even after almost nine years had passed.

Orange still always comes to the playground every new year and summer night, waiting for the Blue that he hopes will come. However, in the end it was Heaven who always came and brought home the Orange behind his back in a state of great crying.

“Today you have always used your brain well in everything, Ji. Usually you are very realistic, never once depending on the fate of kayak gini.” Sky continued emotionally, hoping that these words could awaken his dear friend.

“But, why can't you use your sintered brain for that jerk?” The sky pointed at the orange temple with anxiety. The girl just fell silent.

“You shouldn't have done this, Ji. You've been waiting for him for almost nine years. There are times when we give up and stop. Take him off, Ji.” Gregetan added because Orange is so stupid, maybe more precisely stupid.

“I still want to give him a chance, Lang. I'm sure he'll come.” Flat Orange Tepis. The girl then stood up and left the sky that looked at her furious, annoyed, and at the same time pity mixed into one.

Always like that, Orange always tries to deny the bad things that might happen to Blue, the possibility like Blue has left and or forget it just like that.

The sky sighed in frustration, then shouted. “Terasu. I don't want to let you cry in the park because of him.”

The orange itself did not heed the cry of the sky. The girl took a quick step out of the park.

The sky glared in annoyance, then took a rough bite of his sandwich, and again shouted. “Jingga. Very bego, bego squared.”

Samar Orange heard Sky's words, but he chose to ignore them again.

********

To be continued . . . .