GIFT FROM GOD

APOLOGIZE

“Waalaikumsalam,” Aminah replied, shaking Malik’s hand as he approached her.

“I have a guest,” Malik said, glancing at Isha.

Isha then smiled awkwardly.

“Yes, this is Isha looking for you. Uh, why are you wearing a mask?” asked Aminah in surprise.

Malik and Isha met eyes in equal surprise. Malik hoped that Isha had not told his mother anything about the incident. Isha’s slight shake was enough to relieve Malik.

“The air is hot and dusty, Ma'am. It's also the pandemic season, right?” Malik said reasonably.

“Oh, yes. It’s been unhealthy in the world lately,” Aminah replied innocently.

“Isha here for business?” asked Malik, looking at Isha and sitting awkwardly.

Malik’s tone was still friendly as if there was no hostility as there was. Isha was surprised to hear this. How could Malik be so good at acting in front of his mother?

Isha smiled awkwardly, then nodded.

“There’s... there’s something I want to ask you. Can you?” Isha asked, her face flushed with embarrassment and nervousness.

“About what? A lesson?” asked Malik as if nothing had happened between them.

‘Ha? Lessons?’ asked Isha silently while staring at Malik blankly. But Malik’s wink was enough to make Isha understand that they had to play a charade in front of Aminah.

“Oh, yes. Lesson. There's something I didn't understand earlier,” Isha replied with a strange and awkward smile.

“Okay. I'll go change first.” Malik then left Isha in the dining room with Aminah.

“It's been a while since you studied together, huh, Sha?” Aminah asked with a big smile. This question took Isha aback because she knew what she had shown Malik was not what had happened.

Isha nodded but did not answer because she did not have the correct answer to Aminah’s question. Fortunately, Malik came out of the room with his mask covering his bruised face. He was holding a book, which Isha didn’t know what it was.

“Where do you want to study, Sha?” asked Malik, still friendly.

“Ha?” asked Isha, confused because the point was that she was not here to study.

“You said you wanted to study?” asked Malik with his usual attitude and tone.

Seeing this, of course, Isha had to play along.

“Uh, yes. Can you study in my father's shack?” asked Isha awkwardly.

The shack was on the edge of Isha’s family’s fish pond. Mr. Ridwan, a furniture businessman, also had a fish pond for raising catfish and several other species.

Malik was silent for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.

“Come on then,” Malik agreed.

Isha nodded.

“I'd like permission to study with Malik first, Aunty. Can you?” asked Isha, looking at Aminah, who smiled.

“Yes, you may. It's like you've never studied together, Sha. Hurry up and go!” said Aminah.

“Thank you, Aunty,” said Isha, nodding in agreement.

Malik then stepped ahead of Isha, and the girl followed behind him.

“Can we use just one motorcycle?” asked Isha in a quiet tone when they arrived at the house terrace.

Malik hesitated for a moment, giving Isha an awkward look.

‘God, I miss this girl,’ Malik thought to himself.

“It's okay. Is it my bike or yours?” Malik asked awkwardly. A few moments ago, he was so good at acting in front of his mother.

“Just use my bike,” Isha replied, handing Malik the keys.

The man accepted it awkwardly, then immediately started the seemingly new motorcycle. Isha then rode on Malik’s back. Malik then drove the bike to the shack at Mr. Ridwan’s fish pond on the outskirts of the village. They were silent on the way there as if they were lost in their thoughts.

***

It’s still the same as when they last came and played in this saung a few months ago. There are two shacks in this pond. One is a shack for relaxing when the Ridwan family needs a private vacation; the other is a tightly-walled saun used as a residence by Mr. Ujang, the guardian of this pond.

The two of them -Malik and Isha- were still silent when they arrived at the pond, whose surroundings looked lovely. No one wanted to precede the conversation. Malik was quiet, as was Isha. Then Malik stepped towards the relaxing shack above the pond’s center while Isha followed him.

Arriving at the shack, Malik turned his body to look at Isha intensely.

“I know you didn’t come to see me do your homework,” Malik said, opening their conversation.

“How are you wound? Can I see it?” asked Isha, who asked about Malik’s condition instead of answering Malik’s question.

Malik looked at Isha with a frown.

“What for?” asked Malik stupidly.

“To... see the wound,” Isha replied quietly.

Malik gasped. No! Isha couldn’t see it.

“It's okay. It's just a small wound,” Malik deflected her gaze so that she wouldn’t melt at Isha’s request this time.

“You can't just look at it?” Isha insisted.

Malik shook his head. “It's not a big wound. It will get better by evening,” Malik said flatly.

“I... I'm here to apologize for causing you to fight with Rendra.” Isha could finally express what she wanted despite her heart pounding.

Hearing this, Malik smiled wryly.

“No need to feel guilty. I didn't do it for you. I did it because I didn't like what he did. There's a lot of unfinished business between me and Rendra anyway, so you don't need to feel guilty,” Malik said flatly, staring off into the distance.

Isha was embarrassed because she felt she had caused the fight.

“Do you have a grudge against Rendra because of Rasti?” Isha asked, suddenly surprising Malik. How could Isha know about Rasti, even though he had never told Isha about Rasti at all?

But Malik didn’t want to deny anything this time. Let Isha think according to her preferences; Malik doesn’t want to straighten it out. There would be no point.

“Yes. Because of Rasti,” Malik answered firmly, full of lies. But Malik did not want to look at Isha’s face when he said this. He didn’t want his lie to be read by this girl. Remembering their friendship in the past, Malik always failed to lie if he looked at Isha’s beady eyes.

Hearing Malik’s answer, Isha’s heart felt uncomfortable for some reason. She felt a strange feeling that she did not expect to be able to feel towards Malik.

“Yes, I understand if you did it for Rasti. After all, you were a phenomenal couple back then,” said Isha with a bitter tone.

Malik was surprised. How could there be a phenomenal couple nickname for him and Rasti, even though they were only at the approach stage then? Even then, it was more than a year ago. But again, in Isha's eyes, Malik did not want to ask further about him and Rasti.

“Did you say you were suspended?” Isha asked in a somber tone.

Malik just nodded. “Yes. But only for a week. It doesn't matter to me. I can still catch up on my studies,” Malik replied.

“What excuse will you tell your mother?” Isha asked worriedly.

Malik let out a long sigh.

“I'll still go to school even if I don't get to school. So my mom won't worry. Calm down; everything will be fine as long as no one complains to my mom.” Malik replied flatly.

Isha nodded.

“I also want to apologize for the past,” Isha continued.

Malik smiled wryly.

“I should be the one apologizing to you. You’re right. I did betray our friendship by letting my feelings for you go. No longer as a brother to his sister but as a man to a woman.

***