GIFT FROM GOD

A PAIR OF WOUNDED EYES

Since that day, Malik has not dared pick up Isha again when he goes to school, but he consistently monitors the girl from afar. Even leaving for school, Malik chooses to be behind Isha within a monitored, safe distance. Since then, Isha has also ventured to school on her motorcycle.

At first, Mr. Ridwan asked Isha why Malik had not picked her up.

“Why didn’t Malik pick you up again? Are you fighting?” Ridwan asked when Isha asked him for permission to ride her motorcycle to school.

“He’s already in third grade, Dad. He’s getting busy with some tutoring and extra hours,” Isha lied.

“Is that right, Ma’am?” asked Ridwan, looking at Rosminah, who had been busy with her work deliberately so as not to get involved in the discussion about this matter.

“Yes, at most, Dad.” Rosminah did not want to prolong the matter because she knew that Ridwan would blame her for spoiling Isha too much, which would make her stubborn and unwilling to give in.

Although Mr. Ridwan doubted Isha’s answer, he did not have enough reason to ask further. Mr Ridwan had no choice but to allow Isha to go to school on her motorcycle. Of course, with various long-winded advice for Isha, be careful when driving.

“When they met in the parking lot, Risna asked, you being picked up again by Malik?”

Isha shook her head.

“Why? Still not getting along with yesterday’s problem?” asked Risna patiently.

“I don’t want to be humiliated again if I continue with him. Everyone thinks I’m dating him. He also took advantage of yesterday’s events, right?” grumbled Isha as she walked towards her classroom.

Risna was silent.

“Hasn’t it been confirmed that it wasn’t intentional?” Risna asked again.

Isha spontaneously turned her head, looking at Risna.

“You’re defending him because you have a crush on him?” Isha asked, starting to misunderstand.

Risna smiled. More or less, she began to understand Isha’s temperament.

“I admit I have a crush on Malik. But that doesn’t mean I blinded my eyes to the truth, Sha. Because I see this is not entirely his fault.” Risna said in a low voice.

“Never mind, Ris. I’m too lazy to talk about him. From now on, we’ve gone our separate ways. I don’t want to be ridiculed because he took advantage of it,” Isha said.

Risna could only remain silent, not wanting to respond to Isha’s sentence because Risna knew that Isha was starting to lose consciousness.

Although Malik stayed away from Isha and followed the girl’s wishes, he still couldn’t completely escape Isha. He still monitored the girl every moment, whether she was safe and comfortable with her current situation. Often, Malik would even go to the cafeteria to see who Isha had lunch with.

And Malik was entirely relieved that Isha always ate lunch with Risna. However, he knew that Risna looked disappointed at Malik several times. Risna also saw that Malik came to the canteen with Bayu, the beautiful and intelligent student council president.

“There seems to be someone looking at Malik with a disappointed look,” Bayu said while eating with Malik in the cafeteria this afternoon.

The gossip about them had indeed started to die on its own as time passed. The students had also stopped talking about it. It was just that Malik occasionally heard the grapevine that some students still mocked Isha, which often inflamed Isha.

“Disappointed? Who?” asked Malik while circulating his eyes after hearing Bayu’s comment earlier.

“Isha’s friend. Didn’t you ever notice her?” replied Bayu in a low voice so as not to be heard by the others.

"Risna?" asked Malik.

Bayu shook her head. “I don’t know her name. But I often see her watching you,” said Bayu.

“Her name is Rina. I met her several times and got to know her when I was still close to... “Malik stopped speaking because his heart suddenly ached.

“With Isha?” asked Bayu.

Malik smiled wryly, then nodded and continued his lunch this time. Bayu observed him, and she also felt Malik’s pain. They were hurt because they loved someone who didn’t love them back.

Yes, Bayu had been getting increasingly intense with Malik since the misunderstanding. And if Malik always had a reason to reject Bayu’s invitation, now he has no more excuses. As a result, he chose to be friendly with the situation, accepting the offer to go to the canteen that Bayu always proposed every day.

“Are your feelings for Isha no longer just a relationship between brother and sister?” Bayu asked quietly.

Malik sighed heavily, not knowing how to answer.

“At first, yes. Because she was my playmate since childhood, even in elementary school, Isha is the only child of her father and mother. Hence, she is a bit spoiled and always wants to be the priority. Likewise, when making friends. Her ego attitude made Isha not have many friends,” Malik said.

Bayu just listened and nodded occasionally, trying to understand.

“From elementary to middle school, even yesterday when she entered, I always took her to and picked her up from school.” Malik continued his story.

Bayu smiled.

“Brother Malik is no longer a brother because he’s more like his personal driver even though he’s on a motorcycle,” Bayu said.

Malik also smiled at Bayu’s comment. The sweet girl who was the student council president could always make Malik smile with her lighthearted chatter.

“Yes, you’re right. But that’s how our friendship is. I always can’t bear to leave her friendless. Moreover, she often came asking to be taught to do homework,” Malik said further.

“So, since then, you started liking her? No longer as a brother to his sister, but as a boy to a girl?” asked Bayu carefully so as not to arouse Malik’s wounds.

Malik shook his head.

“What does that mean?” asked Bayu, who did not understand the meaning of Malik’s head shake.

“It means that I don’t know when I liked her. Until now, I’m unsure if I like her as a sister or a boy to a girl.” Malik answered giddily, full of indecision.

Bayu was silent for a moment.

“So, what do you feel for Isha?” Bayu asked quietly.

Malik looked at Bayu silently.

“I don’t know if this is love because I’ve never felt like this. I love being close to her. Willing to drop her off and pick her up every day with no desire to complain. Making and seeing her smile is a satisfaction that can’t be repaid with anything. I was always wanting to make her happy at all costs. Is that the definition of love?” asked Malik, looking at Bayu.

Receiving such a look, Bayu suddenly choked up. Her heart was fluttering. And to stop the pounding, Bayu cleared his throat.

“Yes... maybe that’s the definition of the word love. Isn’t it the same as what you felt with Rasti?” Bayu asked quietly, even though her heart was curious.

Malik smiled.

“Did you also hear about Rasti?” asked Malik with a wry smile because he did not expect his brief story with Rasti to become public consumption.

Bayu smiled.

“Malik is not an ordinary student. So it’s no wonder that anything about him is always a topic of conversation among the students of this school,” replied Bayu while drinking his mineral water.

“They’re the ones who make too much of things. I’m just like you,” said Malik, who didn’t feel high despite being an outstanding student.

“So... how did you feel when you were with Rasti? Isn’t it the same as what you felt towards Isha?” asked Bayu, who returned the discussion to Malik’s feelings towards Rasti and Isha.

Malik looked at Bayu.

“Does it have to be answered?” Malik asked back.

Bayu smiled and then shook his head.

“Not necessarily, because even though you have confirmed in the group chat, I know that’s not how you feel,” Bayu replied.

Malik smiled, too. They didn’t realize a pair of eyes were staring at them with a wounded look.

***