The Heart of Old Menjakaka
9. That's a tough question
"About the house you leave it. Sometime if you want to stay there, of course you can." Steven just answered the last question.
"Eemm .. But, I want us to eat Dad first, Om. I miss you, Dad." Both eyes Image immediately glazed.
"Not now, how about tomorrow?" bargain Steven. Not that he wouldn't allow it, but he himself was afraid that Citra would faint again. "And from now on you must not be too late in grief, declares Father Danu. He's been calm there and won't feel the pain anymore" Steven said. He spoke as softly as possible while looking over with a smile on his lips. But looking at both cheeks Citra wet again, she cried.
"But I don't want you to go, Om. I ... I want him by my side. Now I'm alone ...." The image wiped both of his cheeks, but still the tears fell back. "First Mother left me first, now Father. I—"
"You're not going to be alone" Steven said quickly. He suddenly braked his car until it stopped and pulled the girl's body into his arms. Weaknesses, he could never see women crying. What else is a girl as sweet as Citra. "I'll take care of you, protect you. You will never be alone."
"Om won't leave me like Daddy and Mommy, right? Om will continue to be by my side, won't he?" ask Citra with still tears.
The question succeeded in making Steven silent, he could not answer the question. It was very heavy for him.
"Ah, let's continue this journey. I bet you must be hungry and want to eat." Steven let go of his embrace and allowed the suit. Then back to driving.
"Why didn't you answer my question? Is Om also going to leave me?" ask the image again.
"That's a heavy question, the age of man no one knows, Cit."
"But as long as Om is alive ... Om will always be with me, right? Watch me and protect me?"
The question was like hanging in the air. The image did not get an answer until Steven's car arrived at the apartment parking lot.
The adult man invited Citra into the apartment on the second floor. The room was quite spacious and so complete with all the facilities. Both hands pushed two suitcases containing Citra clothes that were deliberately taken from Danu's house earlier.
"It's not as big as Dad Danu's house. But I hope you like it." Steven opened a room and put the two suitcases near a wooden cabinet with several doors.
The image immediately spread its body on its back while staring at the ceiling of the room. The room was as large as his private room, only the difference was black and white.
"I like it. I love wherever he lives with Om."
"But we don't live together." Steven shook his head quickly, then walked out of the room towards the kitchen.
The image immediately woke up and walked up to him. It was seen Steven was taking an ice cube in the refrigerator and putting it into a basin.
"Not living together means what? He said Om said I was gonna live in Om's apartment?"
The image follows Steven's footsteps again, as the man sits on the couch and dips a small towel into the basin. After being squeezed, he was about to stick it onto his blue cheek, but quickly the towel was held by Citra.
"Let me, Om."
Image's hand almost landed a little more on Steven's smooth cheek, but Steven quickly took back the towel. He also shifted his butt a little because he felt they were too close.
'I have to keep my distance from him, let alone the two of us here, ' Steven's inner self.
"No need, I can do it myself" Steven said. His voice sounded flat and he also turned his eyes away.
Citra's face was immediately sad, she felt sad to see Steven refuse her help, but she tried to smile while looking at Steven.
"Sorry Om Hardcore and Om Tian ya, Om. Because they are smooth cheeks Om blue," said Citra is not happy.
"It's okay. Oh yeah, what do you want to eat? From last night you haven't eaten, have you?" Steven glanced at the image.
"I want to eat fried noodles, is there? But I can't cook it."
"Don't eat noodles, your stomach will be empty from yesterday. And now it's hours ...." Steven looked up at the wall clock attached to the wall. Instantly his eyes rounded when he saw the short needle showed at 5 o'clock. "It's 5 o'clock in the afternoon, I'm sorry. I forgot to remind you to eat. Now what do you want to eat? I'll order it."
Steven was so drunk, he threw the towel he was holding on the table, then took his phone in his pocket.
'Don't let it be because of this he's sick, Image can't hurt, ' Steven's mind.
"And I said no. Not good for health either. Just how about a slurry?" bargained for. His eyes focused on the phone screen.
"Why is Om sitting so far away? What's Om's butt itchy?"
The image question instantly made Steven turn his head towards him. Judging from their sitting position they were now really far away like enemies. Apparently since then Steven has been constantly shifting his butt. And like what Citra asked, maybe his ass itches.
"Just get my ass itchy, don't." Steven lifted his butt, then moved it a little closer even though it was still a distance away. "Now say what? But it has to be rice."
"I tangent, Om choose."
"That means some porridge?"
Imagery shook. "No, he said the rice, Om."
"Porridge is also rice-based."
"Yes, anyway. But I don't want to, Om."
"What do you want?"
"If Om wants what? You must be eating too, right? Temenin me."
Steven nodded. "Yes, I eat too. I want some porridge."
"Yes, I'm porridge too."
Steven sighed, then pressed down on his phone and ordered the food of his choice. "What drink?" bargained for.
"Just the same as Om."
Steven tapped his phone again. After successfully ordering food—the flat object was placed on the table.
"Now you take a shower, you haven't had a shower in the morning, have you?"
The image instantly lowered his face while looking at his own body. What Steven said was true, even his clothes were the same.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to take a shower. Even from the morning." The image immediately stood up, but he immediately recalled the question that the grown man had not yet answered. "So Om said we don't live together, will Om leave me after this?"
"I'm not leaving you, Cit. But I'll live in the next apartment."
"Do we mean neighbors?" Eyebrows Citra linked.
Steven nodded.
"Well, what the hell? I can't stay alone, Om. I'm a coward. Especially if I sleep alone, I can't." The image shook quickly. He is also afraid of the dark. The image has childhood trauma.
"Bi Titin will come tonight, he will accompany you here" Steven replied.
Bi Titin is a maid at Danu's house, previously Danu also asked Steven to invite Aunt Titin to live with them. Right, to accompany Citra and meet her needs. There's no way that spoiled girl can do everything herself.
If it's Steven, he's used to living alone in an apartment. But every morning there will be a cleaning task that always cleans his apartment.
"But Om himself said I'd stay in the apartment, Om. If we don't live together .. It's the same as I don't live in Om's apartment, right?"
"You're gonna live in my apartment, this is mine. Even all the units in this building are mine, Cit."
Citra looked dumbfounded, she thought living in an apartment was living on one roof. Apparently not, just living in his apartment, but not together.
"Keep how can Om take care of me if we don't live together? If I why-why how? Suppose there is a robbery coming? Keep me wh-apain? I'm beautiful, Om. While here later there will only be me and Bi Titin. She's a woman, she can't fight either. I'm definitely in danger." So many questions came from his lips. Honestly,—, what Citra wants is to stay together, not part as Steven said.