CHAPTER 3
After he chatted with his mother, Aris started to get busy in his small cafe two days later, where he went about his day as usual. Work hard again, and begin to forget the affairs of the heart.
The cellphone ringing so loudly broke the silence of the cafe he was about to open which was still quiet.
"Hello, Ris," said someone on the other end after Aris picked up the phone.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Please help mother fill in the balance for your child, yes, there was a problem with M-Banking, which was very urgent, he said, a mother has a lot of work to do, I'll send the number later." The voice sounded hurried, she said without pause.
"Oh, okay, ma'am." Aris tried to be polite.
"Send it to the mother's young child?" asked Aris then, he was so curious.
"No, there is a mother's child your age, I feel like I've told you her name is Bella."
Aris thought for a moment trying to remember the name just mentioned. It didn't take long for him to find out that Bella was Mrs. Luluk's eldest. The woman he called Mother.
"Ooh Bella, yes, yes."
"Later, please send a message to Bella asking how much she needs and what for, I have a patient here. We'll talk again tonight."
"Okay ready, ma'am."
"Thank you, Ris." Then Mrs. Luluk said goodbye. Shortly after, the phone line was cut off. The middle-aged woman will be Aris's second mother. The figure of a hardworking woman who can make an Aris aware and change.
As soon as the cellphone was stored, it rang loudly again. Aris picked it up again.
"Yes, hello?"
"Assalamu'alaikum, Mr. Aris." The voice on the other end sounded deep and polite.
The twinkle on Aris's face instantly glowed. "Bella?"
"Yes."
"How is Bell? Is there anything I can help you with?" Aris chuckled this time. Like someone who finds a mate, Aris Sabarudin looks for a sitting position and listens to Bella's explanation about her problematic account.
This afternoon as usual, Bella sat in front of the laptop to do schoolwork or from her mother, her face looked confused. Currently she is contacting Aris at the command of Mrs. Luluk to ask for his help. Hearing Aris' voice who didn't seem to mind, the nineteen-year-old girl's heart warmed. The small and familiar conversation just flowed. Sincere, as a brother and sister who tries to respect her brother.
From outside, Rania appeared. Her eyes immediately found Aris smiling broadly and then chuckled while holding his cellphone. Faintly heard Bella's name called. Happiness radiated from his face. Yes, it can't be covered. Rania's heart suddenly ached. The fact that there is another woman, hopes of getting Aris's love again must be dashed, this is not the first time for Rania. But it still hurts.
That happy hue... She had never seen it before.
For a few seconds she witnessed a scene that pierced her heart. Rania felt she wanted to give up on Aris's life as far as possible. But her longing for Aris was excruciating.
Rania approached, then stood beside Aris. Aris looked up and was surprised to see Rania smiling broadly and was already by his side.
"Bell, we'll continue to talk later, okay?" Aris ended his conversation with Bella, stood up and invited Rania to sit down. The girl pressed sat down.
"What are you doing here?" asked Aris hesitantly.
"I just want to come here," Rania answered, trying to be as normal as possible.
The longing in her voice was heard.
"Okay, now I want to talk." Rania stared intently at Aris's face, which was still shining because of Bella earlier.
Suddenly Rania's heart was beating fast. Rania breathed slowly, then poured out her heart right before her soulmate.
"Unblock it, I promise I won't bother you with that woman." The sentence slipped from Rania's mouth. It made Aris's eyes widen instantly.
"I already told you, Ran. Go, learn to accept other people in your life. This way you can learn that the man in front of you right now is not a good guy like what you said."
"Please ..." Rania is still pleading, a look full of hope shining. Aris caught a glimpse of that moment and it made Aris feel sorry for her.
"Yeah, I'll open it later," Aris answered quickly.
"Really? Promise, okay. It can't be broken." Rania said firmly, more precisely a threat. She tried her best to keep her intonation and not scream because her happiness soared!
"Ran... Why are you so loud?" asked Aris annoyed.
"I'm not tough," Rania replied casually while pouting her red lips. "You are the hard ones, the proof is that for years I have tried to melt it, but it's still hard," she said later.
Silent. For a moment, Aris was silent. If the heart's voice can be heard, maybe Aris's broken heart sounds noisy now.
"I wish I could be like you, cool and tough. Oh no, let alone being harsh to you, I can't just call you with harsh words."
"Believe me, Ris. I've tried, what you said, everything you said, I've digested so that I can hate you, but the feeling is getting in my heart. I know it's useless even though I beg you to little open your heart. I want you to think of the wind... Ish...! I don't want to talk about this." Her voice was hoarse. Rania bravely expressed her disappointment.
The crazy words that Rania said brought great thunder to Aris' chest. The man stared blankly at Rania's beautiful face, which looked confused. Rania was holding back her tears which were about to explode.
Aris was still silent. Only a frustrated gasp could be heard.
"Ran you should know, asking me to love you is the same as forcing a caterpillar not to become a butterfly. Sorry, Ran. I can't."
Rania is still trying hard not to break the defense.
The girl smiled so sweetly, even though a clear liquid was now pooling in the corners of her eyes, Rania was trying hard to cover it up.
"Okay, it's okay. This is normal, after all I love an Aris not to have him. Oh, you promised to unblock me so don't break it." Rania shifted the conversation to the last sentence, then she ran towards the car. Covering the tears she didn't want to show in front of Aris.
***
A few hours later after meeting Aris, her cell phone rang indicating an incoming message was heard. Rania opened it and read the name that appeared on the screen of the flat object. She rolled her eyes in disbelief and happiness.
"Ran," she greeted through a short message.
Rania did not rush to reply, she still couldn't believe her idol had made her hope again, that beautiful face was now decorated with a sweet smile.
One sentence, but it made the girl smile infinitely happy, no, not because Aris called her, she was pleased because in the end the tough man re-unblocked Whatshap after almost two weeks Aris's figure disappeared to escape.
"Yes, Ris?" Reply Rani.
An Aris gave up too, the handsome-looking man consciously, without coercion. Out of pity, he reopened the block as if giving good news to Rania. The charismatic man immediately sent her a message, as soon as Rania replied as usual ignored and let the girl always wait like that.
It gives hope but lets it fade.