The Injured
This is Me

The toilet door opened, Echa got up from her squat, her heart was relieved. Seeing that smile, Echa's body inched backwards.

Sneering a sly smile on his lips. "Well what are you?" ask Echa who has now hit the bathroom wall.

"I want to have you," he said.

His body drew closer to Echa and his hands cupped Echa's face. "I don't like rejection" he said with emphasis.

Echa ventured to let go of the man's hand amid the fear that plagued him. With all his might he let go of that hand.

Plaque!

Loud slap on the man's face. He could only hold his cheek which was hot from Echa's slap. His face was flushed red and he violently grabbed Echa's hair. He tries to kiss Echa's lips but Echa keeps shaking her head.

The man's anger peaked and violently dipped Echa's face into a large bucket of water. He pulled it again and dipped again.

"Would you accept my love?" his jolt.

"NO." Very roughly he looked at Echa's hair and dipped Echa's face back until Echa's face was completely pale and helpless.

A sly grin appeared on his face. She pulls Echa's chin, before her lips touch Echa's lips. Radit's face was red when he saw Dimas wanted to kiss Echa. Retractable Dimas shirt collar from back. And the punch of his hand landed beautifully on Dimas's face.

"Sir Ra ...."

Echa was unconscious. And Radit immediately carried Echa's body into his car. He drove the car to his house. With the help of security guards at his home, Echa's body was brought to his room.

Radit tries to wake Echa with the smell of wind oil. Ten minutes later, he woke up. Echa's eyes glazed over at Radit. Radit immediately hugged Echa's body and tears broke in Radit's arms.

"Shed everything out if it makes your heart calm" Radit said as he gently rubbed Echa's back.

After Isaac cried inaudibly, Radit wiped away Echa's tears. Look at him questioningly. "What is he doing?" ask Radit.

Echa was just silent, the incident was like going back in time. He is treated almost every day like that by his friends. Torturing Echa in the bathroom.

"You don't want a story, it's okay" Radit said.

Echa looked at Radit with a glare. "He locked me in the bathroom. She ... submerged my face into a bucket filled with water" she wrote.

Radit's heart was furious hearing that. "He forced me to be his girlfriend. Because I refuse to let him do that."

"He tried to kiss you, right?" Echa nodded her head slowly.

"I'm afraid," he said.

Radit pulled Echa's hand and held her again. "Don't tell my parents" Echa pinta. Radit just kept quiet, actually he really wanted to report all the actions of Dimas to Echa's parents.

"Nr ...."

"Yes," Radit replied gently.

"Thank you, brother, I've been used to getting hurt like this" he said.

"meaning?" Radit frowned not understanding.

"When Kindergarten all my friends and their parents put me as a child who has no father, an illegitimate child. But I keep trying to be okay. Sometimes I also cry silently when Mamah hasn't picked me up at school." Radit was completely stunned to hear Echa's story.

"When I have complete parents. In Elementary School, friends in my class called me an unwanted child. I can't play with them and I'm always tortured by them. Their treatment was exactly as Kak Dimas had done earlier."

"You didn't tell your parents?" Echa just shook her head.

"I don't want to make Mom sad and make Dad angry. It was enough that I saw Mamah grieving when we were left by Father. And when we were united I intended to be a good, unruly child who did not disappoint my parents. I know my father loves me very much, whoever bullies me will be angry. And I don't want to be like that. I don't want my friends to want me anymore either."

"I'm used to living a sad and hurt life from childhood. Holding back tears when I saw my friends being picked up by her father. Withstand the wound when my friends prank me until my hands bleed or I get soaked. It's common for me."

"Cha ...."

"Here I am Brother, the child who tried to be fine in front of my parents. I keep my own pain and my own wounds. Why am I keeping it? Because I don't want people close to me, just love me for pity. I don't want to," he said.

Radit was silent, unable to speak. Echa's eyes implied a very deep wound that she had single-handedly covered.

"You're a great girl" Radit said as he stroked Echa's hair.

After Echa's condition improves, Radit drives Echa home. Just deliver it without coming into his house. Because Radit made an appointment with Echa's parents.

Radit came to Rion's house, where there were Ayanda and Giondra. Radit can't keep it alone. There are too many secrets about Echa that they do not know.

"What's Dit?" ask Rion.

"Om, Auntie, sorry before." Radit took a breath before speaking.

"What about the little Echa?" ask Radit.

Ayanda and Rion looked at each other, they both did not understand why Radit was asking this.

"He was a good boy and never had any problems" Ayanda replied.

"He's a cheerful boy, very cheerful," added Rion.

"Do Aunt and Om know that behind Echa being a good child and a cheerful child there is a sadness and pain that she feels?"

"What do you mean?" ask Rion. Radit tells all of them to Echa's parents. Ayanda closed her mouth in disbelief and her tears just fell down.

Rion only fell silent, die closed his eyes for a moment. He felt he had failed to become a father.

"And should Aunt and Om know, today almost Echa was hurt and tarnished." All the eyes of the adult were perfectly widened.

"What do you mean?" sentak Gio's.

"Om Rion knows Dimas, right?" Rion nodded, and so did Amanda.

Radit tells Dimas' behavior to them and the wrathful face of a father is clearly visible on Rion's and Giondra's faces.

"Echa is okay, Dit?" ask Amanda.

"No Aunt, but Radit please don't mention this. Because Echa doesn't want you all to know, she doesn't want you to worry."

"Why are you like this, brother?" lirih Ayanda who could not hold back her tears. Gio hugged Ayanda's shoulder and tried to calm his wife down.

"Who's limas?" ask Gio.

"The son of a cave friend, Resky," replied Rion.

"Resky ...."

*****

Happy reading