Tarnished Before Accident
Chapter 31. Meaning of Hand Grip

"Where is Zoya?"

Rey pulled up the chair to prepare for breakfast. Since today was Sunday, she was still wearing casual clothes.

"Ehm, I'm calling."

I immediately went to call Zoya who was playing in the backyard this morning. Just two steps away, Rey called me.

"Alea!"

I turned my head, twisting my chin as a gesture explaining "what's wrong?".

"I want to take Zoya to the zoo. Do you want to come?"

A few days of silence at home bored me. It seems coming with Rey is a fun choice.

"Ehm, okay. I'm coming!" I answered while smiling at him.

***

The Biatang Gardens are open at nine in the morning. We went around to buy time. Zoya still charges me to tell the story of other prophets so that even in the car she wants to hear the story.

We both sat in the passenger cabin. Kak Rey was in front of the steering wheel with the driver driving her car. For a while, we looked more like a happy little family.

I accidentally saw the rearview mirror in the middle, found Kak Rey who turned out to be staring in the same direction. The man seemed to be watching us both. I lowered my head, taking my eyes off her gaze which could make my heart beat faster.

We walked around for a long time, finally arriving at the zoo at exactly nine in the morning. Because Sunday, even though it is still morning there are many visitors who queue tickets.

"Wait here. I bought the ticket first."

Rey's sister ran for a ticket, while Zoya and I were sitting under a thick-leaved angsana tree.

Zoya is a jolly little girl. I'm getting used to all the questions that seem to be constantly appearing incessantly. The little girl always nodded after being satisfied with the answer I gave.

"Tante, Om Rey is handsome, huh?"

This time, however, the question made it difficult to answer. "Zoya why ask like that?"

"Aunty has been watching Om Rey ever since."

"Huh?" I have been staring at Rey ever since. I feel like a thief caught red-handed by a little cop. But I don't feel that way. I only look occasionally at Brother Rey, not as intently as Zoya said. I think Zoya's overdone.

"Om Rey is handsome, Tan? My mom often sees Papa. Mama said, Papa is handsome."

I simply gulped as I grimaced at Zoya's statement. "Do you have to answer Auntie?"

Steadily Zoya nodded. The longhaired little girl would definitely constantly ask the same thing while not getting an answer that could satisfy her curiosity.

"Yaaa, handsome. Rey is a guy. If Zoya's a girl, be beautiful."

She chuckled smallly, covering her mouth with her tiny palm. His cheeks looked reddish when sunlight hit him directly.

"Come, in! The ticket has already been." Rey suddenly came by showing us three tickets. Zoya and I immediately stood up to join him.

The view is pretty beautiful. There are a lot of trees that shade this place. We did not feel the sun's heat in excess despite the hot weather. Zoya ran around while looking at the various animals in the cage. He was not afraid, even wanted to feed like the other children.

Zoya runs to catch the rabbits, but the bunches escape when Zoya approaches them. It was obvious that the small animals were dodging because Zoya was running so fast that it frightened them.

A sad look on Zoya's face. I approached her, rubbing her head gently. "Don't be sad! Here, Aunty help me get one!"

The pouting face turned carefree. It's so easy to entertain a child. Their problem is just a matter of catching rabbits, unlike adults who think about a lot of life problems and make the head throbbing dizzy.

"Zoya, look at this!" Rey's sister brought a curvaceous rabbit, walked over to us.

Zoya jumped up and down in excitement, then held out a carrot in a plastic bag to give to the fat rabbit. Her lips revealed a happy smile as the cute animal chewed on the carrot.

After being satisfied with the meal, the rabbit suddenly jumped towards me. Suddenly I was shocked and screamed because the leg of the puffed animal hit my face.

"Are you okay?" I heard Rey ask me. My eyes couldn't open, it seemed like they were getting dust from the rabbit's feet.

Trying to remove a foreign object that entered my eye, I rubbed my eye with my index finger. I haven't had my finger hit my eye yet, but Rey's burly hand held her back.

"Don't poke!"

"But, perch, Brother!"

I felt his hand touch my face, while his finger opened my eyes wide. I felt a breath of fresh air hitting the cornea of the eye. Rey's sister blew my eyes repeatedly with me trying to rub my eyelids so that the dirt would get out of there immediately.

My tears came out afterwards, but Rey was still blowing fresh air into my eyes. Until everything feels comfortable, I don't feel any more pain. Then I realized that the position of our faces was very close. I became nervous, touching the burly hand that had been holding my face ever since.

"Su-dah, thank you," I told him.

The hand was off me. He nodded in understanding, then turned his attention towards Zoya.

"Eat, yuk!" invite him who followed the nod by the little girl.

The two of them walked first, while I tailed behind him.

That sturdy body that I previously thought was very cold and haughty turned out to have a loving soul. Her burly hand held Zoya's tiny hand with the little girl jumping up and down while humming cheerfully.

If only Rey wasn't Kak Rena's husband, I might be the happiest woman to have her. If what Rey loves is me, maybe this story ends differently. However, all this has been outlined by God who has become my destiny. I can only admire the figure who became my husband without being able to have.

Destiny probably won't unite us because from the beginning this relationship was a mistake. Perhaps, I should be content with being behind him, admiring him without much expectation. Let the figure be happy with the real couple. Of course, because I'm basically just an unexpected third person.

My eyes still caught the sight of two different people of that age from behind, until Zoya turned to look at me.

"Tante Alea, why is it there? Come on, hold Zoya's hand! We join hands."

The little girl took my hand, inviting me to join her group. The three of us joined hands to go to the restaurant in the zoo area.

For a moment I thought. Just now I said that I could only stand behind him, but that very second that little figure allowed me to stand beside him.

Will I ever be able to feel that burly hand grip where a sense of protection will be present when our palms are fused together?

...****************...

The next chapter, prepare a roomy mind because maybe you will think of doing this to me. 😭