TAGGED WITH OM RICH
36. Richard's Promise.

Rianna had an accident, rather hit-and-run. According to Randy, when he approached her, the little girl said Richard and Renatta were buying ice cream.

Rianna's tiny hand pointed towards the front of the school. And right, on the field across the street, Richard was buying ice cream with Renatta.

Rianna invites Randy to follow Richard and Renatta. The little girl ran ahead of her sister.

Randy chases after his sister, warning the little girl to be careful. Rianna was not listening.

Until that bad thing happens. Randy saw with his own eyes, one of his twin brothers was hit by a motorbike that was traveling at a very fast speed. That left the little girl covered in blood.

Instead of stopping, the motorcyclist actually drove faster.

Randy cried hysterically, making people huddle until Richard came.

“It's not your fault.” Papa Roy calms Richard down. The young man was no less shaken than mama Dona.

Richard did not answer. She scratched her own hair. One of her favorite little girls is gone forever.

Richard got up close to the coffin containing Rianna's body. The young man looked down. Took that sinless stiff face.

“Pardon om Rich, dear.” His body fell on the edge of the box.

The man's head lowered, hiding the eyes that were starting to heat up.

“Om, Rianna why sleep so long?” Renatta's voice made Richard quickly wipe the corner of his eye.

“Sayang.” Richard grabbed Renatta's body, sat the little girl in his lap.

The young man clenched Renatta tightly. Repeatedly sprinkled a kiss on the little girl's head.

“She was devastated.” Papa Roy.

Mama Luna who was holding her mother Dona nodded her head.

“I'm sorry, Roy. I shouldn't have let the twins come.” Mama Luna felt guilty. He also asked Richard to take the twins with him.

“Roy.”

Papa Jonathan came with Johanna.

“We are sorry.” Papa Jonathan hugged Papa Roy.

“Thanks, Jo.”

“Ma. Brother why?” Johanna asked to see the brother who was holding Renatta while sobbing.

“So you feel guilty for not being able to take good care of the twins.”

Mama Luna then told me what happened, as Randy told me.

Johanna wiped her tears that just came out.

“Kakak really loves the twins.” Johanna. “He must have felt very guilty.”

“Please forgive Richard's negligence, Roy.” Papa Jonathan said later. The adult man felt the need to apologize because at the time of the incident, Richard was the one who was around the children of Setiawan.

“We don't blame Richard, Jo. Everything happened because of God's will.”

Papa Jonathan shook his head.

“It wouldn't have happened, if Richard hadn't left Rianna alone.”

Until the next day Rianna was buried, Richard continued to hold Renatta, the young man did not want to be away from the little girl at all.

Richard was afraid that something bad might happen to Renatta.

“You're fine.” The murmur was always coming out of Richard's lips.

In fact, it happens for a few days. Richard did not want to part with Renatta. It seemed like the young man's soul was greatly shaken. Not only that, Richard also had nightmares every time he slept.

Until papa Jonathan decides to look for a psychologist to help restore Richard's psychic condition.

“I promise. In front of all of you. I'll look after Renatta for the rest of my life. I won't let anything bad happen to her.”

With all his heart Richard promised in front of the Setiawan family and the Vijaya family. That he would look after Renatta for the rest of his life.

FLASHBACK OFF

***

Richard had a nightmare. A dream that once haunted him a few days after Rianna's departure for good.

The grown man woke up with a sweat drenching his forehead. He turned his head aside, Renatta was still sleeping uninterrupted.

“I'm sorry, dear.”

Richard decided to wake up. Time showed at five in the morning. He could not close his eyes anymore.

The shadow of bad events came back to haunt her sleep.

Didn't Rianna want Richard to marry Renatta? Why did the dream come again after a dozen years had passed?

Richard even had to consult a psychiatrist to get rid of his nightmares.

“Why should it be now, Ri? Aren't you thinking I married Renatta?”

Richard then flushed his body under the water in the bathroom.

While inside the room, Renatta had woken up to realize the side of the bed beside him was empty.

“Where is he?”

The woman closed her eyes. Then look at the clock in the corner of the room. Time showed at six in the morning.

Renatta was convinced that Richard was taking a bath. She rushed down from the bed, put her sleeping pajamas back on the carpet floor, then went to the dressing room to prepare work clothes for her husband.

But unfortunately, when he arrived in the dressing room, he saw the husband was neat with his work suit.

It made Renatta frown.

“Om, why is it so early?” Tanya Renatta approached.

Richard smiled faintly. He rubbed the wife's coconut, then anchored a warm kiss.

“I have an important job this morning. Sorry, can not accompany you breakfast.” Said the grown man.

Renatta nodded in understanding. “Do I prepare provisions for eating on the road?” Ask later.

“What do you want to make me? Warm water?” Ask Richard while chuckling. He knew his wife could not cook at all.

Renatta pursed his lips.

“Later I have breakfast at the office. You don't have to worry.” Richard kissed his wife's lips. The man then decided to leave.

****

Richard decided to visit Rianna's grave. Maybe the man was less on a pilgrimage to the final resting place of his little girl, so lately Richard again dreamed of their last day together.

Not to forget Richard bought a bunch of white Lily flowers, as Renatta had bought when they visited last time.

“Ri, I came to visit you.” He said after putting a bouquet of Lily flowers on a mound of earth.

The grown man lowered his head, offering a momentary prayer.

“Ri.. do you disagree with me marrying Renatta? Why have I been back in that nightmare lately? Like, you don't want me to be happy with Renatta.”

Richard breathed slowly.

“I'm sorry, Ri. I married Renatta, not just because I wanted to keep him for the rest of my life. L loved her. Loved her. I don't want to lose her, like I lost you. Please forgive my mistake for neglecting to look after mi, Ri.”

Richard looked up to dispel the water that began to come down from his eyes.

“Let me be happy with Renatta, Ri. Don't haunt me with that guilt again.”

****

Seriate.