The noise was echoing around the room. It came from Lily's protest and Dea's embarrassment because her friends found out her engagement ring encircling her ring finger. But suddenly earsplitting noise stopped the chatters.
BAAMM!! Agus fell heavily on the floor.
A young man with long hair,Damar rode through the door with his vespa, fat motorcycle, and knocked Agus who was repairing the alarm door. Damar did not care about Agus who was standing on a chair. Happy smile was on his face.
"ARRRGGGHH….My butt!". Agus groaned. he fell down heavily and his fat body shook the first floor. He rubbed his back side in pain. His friends ran to find out what had made the building they were in was shaken. They burst into laughter instead of helping Agus who looked like a whale stranded on a beach.
"Hey you! I'm you senior. How dare you to make me your laughing stock? Tito, Timi, help me!" still grinning they pulled Agus up.
"You grabbed the news fast enough! Just a moment ago I shared Aruna's photo. Now you are here". Dea shook her in didbelief realizing that Damar might see the present of Aruna In Magic Letter outlet through the WhatsApp group.
That Padang man walked closer to Aruna who seemed was not bothered with the noise her friends made. She was scrubbing one of the cornes of the outlet.
Smiling widely and happily, he greeted the love of his heart," Hello lady who takes my 6 souls".
No response. She was using ear-pieces.
Damar was a bit upset, raising his voice volume," Aruna, hi!".
"Ugh". She looked around. Someone was touching her back.
"The mother to be of my children, so diligent of you!".
"Oh hi, Damar. You don't change!" Aruna glanced over, smiling but staying alert. She felt that man wanted to hug her from behind. She felt it right. That man reached her from her back.But before he landed his arms, Aruna kocked his head with the mopping stick she was using.
"Ouch, how cpuld you do that to me?".
"Stop being delirious, literary kid! Come, give me a hand. It seems everybody got contagious with your virus, the virus of living free and undisciplined".
"Now it is my fault". Damar grumbled.
"I don't care a bit, just help me now! This place must be clean and tidy like it used to be".
"Alright, beautiful! Whatever you ask me to". Aruna took all the flattery as normal.
They were all used to hearing such sweet words from Damar addressed to aruna, even before she got married. But Timi did not like it.
While listening to music, all the residents of Magic Letter were cleaning the place. They had the same feeling that the place had given them special and unforgettable memories.
One in a while Damar looked at Aruna as if he did not believe his eyes that girl finally came back, the girl who had made his sanity upside down owned his heart.
Indeed love is strange
What a story it may bring
When I am tired and stop hoping
It greets from out of the blue
No matter how bad the pain it has left
It wraps all the pain and heals it instantly
To forget how it hurts only seeing her laugh
That might be the maturity process
Till we get used to it when it's gone and come back as it likes
Not knowing how to behave well
***
"Dea, where is my assignment?". Aruna wished she could sort out the problems before she was able to participatein the final exams this semester.
"As I concern, you have done them". Dea kept the communication with Aruna and she knew that Aruna followed all the progress of her study even though she was off. She had done with all her tasks but too bad they were left in her husband house. Dea knew that her best friend left the house indecently, leaving her husband while they were in a honeymoon in Bali.
"Hehehe….they are all left in that house. I didn't have time to take them back". She bubbled. Dea understood that expression well. The girl with hijab gave all files Aruna had asked. Aruna brisked through the paper. Other tasks had been sent via WhatsApp and email.
"Are yiu sure you can do all of this? Have a look, assignment from Prof Dendy is to make a video animation with the characters he described. Our friends protested that such animation veideo was supposed for students in Animation Film not for us. But Professor Dendy didn't listen to us". Dea was worried with the determined expression Aruna showed.
"No problem. I can give it a go". She replied lightly while pushing a chunk of donut to her mouth. The other friends were resting and playing games after such tiring task.
"Will you come back to college, Aruna?". Damar was enthusiastic .
"If so, I will to". He added
"You said you would prolong your leave". Aruna said without looking at him but kept brushing up her files.
"I won't prolong my leave. If you are back to college, I will, too". He put down the stick game and gave it to Tito. He moved closer to the girl who lifted up his happiness.
Aruna did not even look at him. She kept focusing on her paper. She would take the exams the following week.
"Aruna". Dammar whispered when he was much closer to her.
"Hey, don't be too close". Dea pushed him on his chest with a book she rolled up a tube.
"Don't you miss me?". He was so much hoping.
"Please leave me alone. I'm confused now. Look at this piles of college assignment!'. She tried to take some important notes on points she did not understand before asking to Dea points she was not clear. She ignored him completely.
But he did not give up. He held his head with his hands supported by his elbows. He bothered her and teased her.
He felt like dreaming and His heart fleeting to see that girl in his again. He pinched his own cheek to make sure he was not dreaming.
"Isshhh….you're weird. Do you think you are dreaming?" Aruna grumbled. She was disturbed somehow.
"Yes, I am. Can't I?". he was happy he could grabbed her attention.
"Of course you can't. She is someone else's wife". Dea snapped quickly.
"No problem. For me she is my angel in heaven'' The poet made lines that could make anyone listening would go goose bump.
"Dea". Aruna turned to her best friend.
"Yeah?".
"Is our mopping cloth wet or dry?
"I think it is still wet". Dea was quite sure
"Give it to me now". Aruna looked at her seriuously.
"What? What are yo going to do with it?". Dea got confused.
"I'm going to clean his brain. It must be dirty".
Dea giggled. And Timi who silently watched the lady of Wenceslas family from different corner also giggled listened to Aruna;s reply.
Lily was quite suspicious. She noticed that Timi was acting a bit abnormal to Aruna.
Of course it was something acceptable to be done by an elite team under the shelter of D floor. But Lily had no idea that Timi was sent by Aruna's husband and had different background from what she knew so far.
"finally she went home…..how disappointing". That was soft sigh from an elite team unit infiltrated in the Magic Letter.
" that is the right thing I guess…. She must go home for her safety". A sigh that she thought no one would listen but herself was responded by someone else. Andien's reply was surprising.
.
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The background of this novel is in one of the countries in South East Asia where customs, norms, and values in those areas very much inspire every character depicted in this story.
The boundaries of relationship between males and females and the habits portrayed there can be very much different from your own life styles. I hope you can visit and see the places described in this novel and you can witness it yourself their uniqueness and beauty.