GIFT FROM GOD

THE GIRL IN THE DINNING ROOM

Bugh!!!

Rendra, who had clenched his fist, hit Malik right on the nose, knocking him to the ground with blurry eyes and a bruised nose. Malik got up and felt his wet nose. The screams of the other patrons made Malik realize that he was already bleeding, while in front of him, Rendra smiled sarcastically at him.

Malik wiped the blood running down his nose with his hand. The cafeteria patrons were clamoring to break it up. The girls who happened to be in the place were roaring and screaming in horror.

Malik, who had been furious and clenching his fists, now suddenly came forward and hit Rendra back with the same punch that seemed more complicated than the one he had given Malik.

“Hey! What the hell?” snapped Heri and Doni, glaring at Malik.

Malik just smiled wryly.

“You guys know better; you shouldn’t ask me!” replied Malik, who looked fierce this time. In all his life, Malik had never shown such wild behavior as this time. But now, it was ignited just because Rendra wanted to approach Isha forcefully.

Rendra groaned and fell. Malik rushed over and delivered two more blows, leaving Rendra covered in blood. Then, some teachers came to break them up.

The school was again in an uproar over the events in the cafeteria, this time with the same people: Malik and Rendra, with Isha still the culprit. Fortunately, the fight ended because some gardeners and teachers broke them up.

A new story will be created again from the same canteen and the same perpetrators.

***

“Can I take you home?” asked Andi when he saw Malik coming out of the counseling room with his face swollen from Rendra’s punch. The blood flowing had been cleaned by the nurse in charge of the school health unit.

Behind Malik was Bayu, who had been escorting Malik since Malik and Rendra was called to the counseling room. Bayu was certainly on Malik’s side since Malik was there at the time of the incident.

“I can go home by myself,” Malik replied, grimacing at the feeling of his swollen face.

Andi turned around, looking at Bayu, who nodded as if telling Andi to keep taking Malik home early this time.

“But Malik is like this. His emotions aren’t stable yet, are they?” said Bayu.

“Thank you for your sympathy. But I’m fine, Bay. I can go home alone, okay?” repeated Malik, looking at Bayu apologetically.

“Mal, I think Bayu is right. We know you’re fine physically. But mentally, you’re not okay. So sorry, Bayu and I will still take you home or wherever you want to go,” Andi said stubbornly.

Malik let out a long sigh, having no choice but to agree.

***

The lake looks beautiful, like a pond built by the local government for fishing. Some of the saung deliberately made for this afternoon’s resting place looked quiet. The breeze blew through the three teenagers sitting in one of the shacks.

They were Malik, Bayu, and Andi. Andi is one of Malik’s close friends who knows Malik’s life and problems. They were friends not only during the third grade because they had always been in the same class since the first grade.

“What if your father or mother later asks why your face turned so ugly?” Andi asked deliberately with the aim of mocking.

Bayu just smiled at the familiarity of the two people.

“Just say you got into a fight,” Malik replied casually.

“Are you crazy, Mal? If they ask why did you fight?” Andi asked again.

“Yes, I’ll say because Rendra was bothering Isha,” Malik replied, still casually.

Andi smiled wryly.

“People who have been bitten badly, this is the result,” Andi mocked again.

“Just wear a mask so you won’t be seen. Just say you have a cold and avoid the pandemic,” suggested Bayu quietly.

“Okay! That’s a good suggestion,” Andi said in response to Bayu’s suggestion.

For a moment, Malik thought about what he had done in the cafeteria. He couldn’t figure out why he had gotten so worked up seeing Rendra approach Isha in such a pushy way.

“Mal, if I may make a suggestion, you should stop caring about whatever Isha will do and what happens to you. She doesn’t necessarily care about you, does she?” Andi advised Malik to stay away.

“But she’s my little friend, Ndi. How could I let her down?” asked Malik, looking for justification.

Hearing this, Andi laughed.

“You need to change your mindset, Mal.” Andi continued to chatter while Bayu just listened.

Malik looked at Andi and asked, “What mindset am I changing?”

“Your mindset that Isha is your little friend because that is completely wrong. Isha is not your little friend anymore. She has grown into a beautiful and charming girl. She has become a teenager, even an adult. Isha is not a girl who always needed you as her guardian, but she is no longer there. What exists now is the teenage Isha, who has her world, the world of teenagers, who is even starting to become the target of our school beetles,” Andi explained at length.

“Would you say that you are also among the ranks of the beetles?” asked Malik dryly.

Andi laughed.

“What’s wrong?” asked Andi with a restrained smile. He knew Malik was still unwilling to let Isha go to his world. Perhaps their closeness had turned Malik’s affection as a brother into a man’s affection for a woman. This might make Malik grumpy when anyone approaches Isha for whatever reason.

“Just tell me you have a crush on Isha,” Malik said flatly.

“You also said you were jealous of Isha,” Andi replied with laughter.

Seeing these two friends, Bayu just shook his head in disbelief. What was it that had made these two men discuss Isha endlessly? Okay, Bayu admitted that Isha was indeed beautiful. But usually, men do not only choose beauty but also intelligence. For these two criteria, Bayu should prioritize approaching Malik.

But that’s not always the case because these two men discussed Isha endlessly, even though Isha was not very prominent in academics.

They finally went home after the discussion, which did not meet the meeting point. But Bayu still advised them before they parted ways at the intersection leading to their home areas.

“Maybe Andi’s advice is right. It’s time for you to let Isha be with his world. She’s a big girl now. She doesn’t need you to take care of her anymore. I know it’s not easy for him to do, but I guess it can’t hurt if you try, right?” said Bayu.

Malik looked down uncertainly.

“It’s not easy to let go of our friendship since we were kids together, Bay. But I’ll try your advice. Maybe it’s for the best. It’s just that maybe it’s because I haven’t dared to try yet. But, yes. I’ll try to let her be herself,” Malik smiled.

Bayu nodded with a sweet smile.

“Okay, good luck,” said Bayu, then drove his motorcycle, leaving Malik, who was still silent without moving.

After a few moments pensive, Malik put the mask in his school bag and went home. He didn’t want his mother to see the bruises on his face from Rendra’s punch earlier. But when he got home, Malik was surprised to find a motorcycle in front of his house. He was sure that it was not his father’s motorcycle because it was new.

Malik got off his motorcycle and went inside. But he was even more surprised when he went in to see his mother, who was in the dining room of his house. He also saw a girl sitting awkwardly, eating with his mother. And without looking at her face, Malik already knew who the girl was.

Deg!

Malik’s heart fluttered instantly.

***