I opened the door, "It's clean!" Rose sighed in relief, and she smiled, "we spending the night here?" I shook my head, "it's dangerous, especially at night." She looks at me, "why?" I took off my jacket and looked at her, "I've been encountered by a tarantula" She stuns, "w-wait," I raised my eyebrow as she looked at me with confusedly looking "a-are you sure it's a tarantula? A real one!?" I nodded.
"So, it's night. My brother, my sister, and I were lying on the bed with my dad. Thank God we have selambu," she looks at me with disbelief looks, "l-let's get out from here," I chuckled, "sure, but let me pick something." I walked to the stairs. It's been a while.
"Lobak?" I think my aunt living here, "y-yeah?" Thank God, I thought no one was in this house. "When you arrived?" I'm smiling, "I heard from your dad that you already got a spouse? Where's your fiance?" I hugged her hip, and Rose smiled at my aunt.
"Her name is Rose, Aunt. Rose, she is my aunt, Nur." She nods, "Rose," I took a deep breath, "you wanted to stay? Your cousins miss you so much!" They miss me because I'm the quiet and mysterious one. Never talked, always avoided crowds, and do not interested in anything. As we were growing up, we never said a word except for Farah. She's a cooking YouTuber, and she often asks me to edit her cooking video.
"No, we should go to Jakarta tomorrow. Maybe when I have a job here, we can meet," I hold Rose's hand, "she's right. We also have worked there," I nodded. "Too bad, I cooked much," I shouldn't make her sad. "Well, we can stay until dinner, right?" She nods. "It's okay, aunt. I will look for a job here and stay longer." I sighed in relief. "So, I need grandma's letter for me?" My aunt gives a sign to follow her.
"I was there, Lobak. I wanted to know that in the end, she loves you. Because you the only child who looks like her," she opened my grandma's bedroom. "I'm not surprised," she chuckles, "you still the same! Quite, not talking too much, and always straight to the point!" I chuckled. "I'm missing the chocolate tree. Where's the tree?" She sighed.
"We forced to chopped that tree," I hummed, "sad" I picked the letter, and I looked at her, "you want to open it now?" I shook my head, "no, not now." I sighed. "We will wait for the dinner downstairs. Where are my cousins again?" She closed the door and looked at me. "They at the backyard. "Thank you, Rose. Do you want to come with me or do you want to stay here?" She looks at me, "you want to go there?" I shook my head, "I want to wait downstairs." She hums, "no, I wanted to know your family, you can enjoy yourself with your cousins." I sighed, "okay," I walked downstairs.
"Lobak!?" Oh, for God's sakes, give me a break! "Sup, brother?" He was the oldest, "you grow up now," he pinched my face with his dirty hand, "oh, Lobak! You came!" I'm smiling in pain. I wipe my face with wet tissue, "you afraid with an eel?" I shook my head, "why would I? I like their meat," I sighed. "You don't want to join us?" I shook my head.
"Wahyu!" I put my hand inside my hoodie pocket, "good luck, brother!" I walked to my grandma's porch, and I opened the car's door. "Lobak, what are you doing?" The same-aged cousin. I took off my glasses. "So you finally home!" I'm smiling in pain, "what's wrong?" I shook my head, "I need to read grandma's letter," she laughed. "You already met Hafiz and Wahyu?" I nodded, "I can't believe that little brat becomes big brat," she chuckles. "Well, good luck." I nodded. "Thanks," I'm wearing my glasses and reading her letter.
It's nice to go home and gather with your cousins, "hey," I'm looking at Rose. She's smiling. "Are you okay?" She hugs me, "we got blessings," I hugged her tightly, "you..." she shook her head, "your fiance not lying, Lobak Aryanti. We blessed for your wedding," I'm looking at her, "I know it's a shocked for us, but we happy if you are happy," I'm smiling, and I hugged my aunt and cried. "You not like your dad," I wipe my tears with my thumb, "your dad loud, but you were the quiet one," I shrugged my shoulders. "I spent two years at the hospital and sacrificed my childhood for my injured," she nods. "First, we all scared you not get healed." I nodded. "I know," my uncle comes approaching me with his police uniform.
"Glad you came!" I nodded, "yes, sir!" My uncle patted my shoulder, "so, this is Rose?" I nodded. "She is," Rose smiled, "she's beautiful," I know. "Don't let her down, Lobak." I nodded, "so, when is the dinner ready?" I sighed, "why the chocolate tree chopped down?" My uncle raised his eyebrow. "Because you will eat all of them," I chuckle. "Rose, let's cook," I nodded, and I closed my car's door, and I sighed. I climb the stairs and sit there.
"Lobak! Is that you!?" Oh, come on, Wahyu! I looked at him, "you tall brat! Get down!" Well, I should pretend not to hear his screaming. I continued to read my grandma's letter as he screamed, "Lobak!? What are you doing?" Thank God, my sane cousin. "Reading grandma's letter, can you open the door?" She opened the door, and now, I'm on the second floor.
"Penguin!? I know you in there!" I took a deep breath and looked at her, "you asking for help?" I nodded, "he misses you," I sighed. "But I don't miss them," maybe it's my fate, and he pinches my cheek with his dirty hand, "oh, my cute cousin here!" Please not now, Ira. She hugs me, "Indah, helped me," she shook her head. I'm dead.
"Where are your sister and brother?" Yup, thank you for asking, "they were at Surabaya," they sighed, "so..." I hummed. "You still our quiet penguin!" I nodded, "I wonder what are you doing at Java," working and looking for girls, "well, I'm busy," Wahyu give me my grandfather's guitar, "accompany me?" I smirked, "I'm tired," I sighed.
"It's nice to meet all of you, but please! Give me a break to read grandma's letter," I walked to the outside and closed the door. I opened the envelope and read from the start. I wiped my tears, and I put the letter in my pocket. "I need to talk to you," I sighed. "I'm glad you get married soon, but you should..." I sighed and looked at her.
"It's nothing to do with my relationship with her!" She stands next to me, "I'm happy for you," I hummed, "I'm sorry," I sighed. "You have rights, too. Our parents told us to help each other," Indah nods. "But thank you. I appreciate your help to talk to her," we looked at Rose, who was cooking with my aunt.
"We concern, Lobak. The day you broke up with her, you wanted to suicide. What the hell are you thinking!?" I sighed. "I never break my promise," she nods, "you never failed us, sorry to hear what on the news. They were afraid," I chuckle and sigh. "About her, you right. I can't deny, she is my past now." She smiled.
"Let's get back..." I heard a cracking sound. "We should change the plank," I nodded. "You moved first. I followed you." She hums. I'm walking slow approaching her.
TBC