Only Raised Children
6. Beautiful Sound and Appearance

After filling her stomach with heavy food, while completing the adhan isya' that has been reverberating, Alina invites Rico to go up to the second floor, where the live music is located.

While Alina prepares to do her job as a cafe singer, Rico takes a seat at the table closest to where the live music stage is located. There he could clearly see Alina who was struggling with her work.

Accompanied by a cup of solid black coffee, Rico seems to start enjoying the atmosphere. Although not too fond of a place like this, but somehow seeing Alina with her activities alone is enough for her to stay there. Rico felt something was different as he looked at the beautiful woman. He realized the strangeness but also did not want to make a decision quickly.

Musical instruments began to play, the sound of each object on the stage began to fill his hearing. It did not take long for people there to check the sound, now a song began to be heard and the beautiful voice of a girl who plays as a vocalist began to sound.

Rico smiled when he heard how beautiful Alina's voice was when she sang. But it can not be denied because when talking alone Alina's voice does sound very soft in the ear, let alone sing.

The first song that Alina and her friends played at the time came from a local band called Utha Likumahuwa entitled, While You Present. One of Santi's favorite songs as well as Rico's favorite since five months ago. A coincidence Alina played it at the beginning of her appearance.

And another coincidence, when one of the lyrics he liked was sung, was when Alina looked at him as if the meaning of the lyrics was addressed to him.

...'With your shadow, love...

...As if I were waking up from a dream...

...From a life that was pseudo and humbled me...

...Makes me forget everything'...

Rico threw away his gaze because he suddenly felt embarrassed by the woman's gaze. Rico took another sip of coffee and started staring at Alina again, who was no longer looking at him.

Almost an hour after Alina sang, the woman got down from there and walked up to her. Not to forget Alina said a few broken words that said if he and the team will rest for a moment so as not to make visitors wonder.

"Hey," said Alina, sitting next to Rico.

"Fastly," said Rico astonished.

"Satisfied, tired."

Rico smiled hearing that. Alina had not spent half an hour on one plate of her ordered heavy meals and she had to start singing. No wonder we get tired faster.

"What time do you want to go home?" ask Alina random.

He did not intend to expel Rico with his question, but it seemed as if Rico felt so.

"You're upset with me?"

"No, I'm just doing it. If you feel uncomfortable, don't answer."

Rico pulled one corner of his lips. "Hey, you stole my words and it doesn't fit in at a time like this."

"So what does it fit?" ask Alina.

"I'll wait for you to come home" Rico said regardless of Alina's questions.

"You sure? I came home at 12pm."

"Its okay," exclaimed Rico casually.

Alina smiled with both eyebrows raised upwards. Because she felt a little thirsty, Alina called one of the cafe employees who was her friend to make her a cup of drinks.

"You want to order something? We are still a long time here" Alina told Rico.

"Simple is just like a mineral."

Alina agreed and immediately mentioned Rico's order to her friend.

"Oh yeah, you want to request a song?" alina asked after the cafe staff there left.

"Request?"

"Yes, what song do you like? Who knows if I can sing it or if you want to sing by yourself?" Alina raised both eyebrows.

"One of the songs that I like you've sung before" said Rico.

"Huh, which one?" ask Alina curiously.

"When you're present." Rico looked at Alina with a gentle gaze as he mentioned the title of the song.

"Oh yeah? That's my favorite song also loh buy the way," said Alina with sumringah.

From there the chat started to become more flowing and unknowingly half an hour had already passed and Alina had to go back to doing her job to entertain the cafe visitors by singing.

Rico enjoyed the song that was played. Alina's soft voice was able to make her hypnotized, her lips had even unconsciously shown her smile. He started to like that woman. It is strange to like someone in a very short time, but that is what Rico feels today.

But even so Rico did not want to make a decision quickly. He had to get to know Alina first so that this decision he made was not wrong. Moreover, this was the first time he had any feeling of being more than interested in a woman in such a short period of time. He did not want if in the future the feeling grew deeper and suddenly Alina also could not accept the shortcomings. He could have guessed if that time came, then the pain he would feel later would have been much greater than all the rejections he had received before. And Rico wasn't ready for that.

At 00:03 Alina finally got off the stage and approached Rico at her desk. Just waiting for the other children to finish tidying up the musical instruments there, after which they immediately go home.

On the way home they were seen chatting casually so as not to get bored. In addition, sleepiness that begins to attack also requires them to continue talking so as not to fall asleep.

A very quiet street made them arrive quickly in front of Alina's contract. The woman said goodbye and got out of the car as she was already very sleepy.

"Alina," call Rico from the window of his car.

Alina stopped her steps and turned to look at Rico.

"What's wrong?" tanyakanya.

"May I have your phone number?"

Without thinking long because the drowsiness was very controlling, Alina immediately approached Rico from the side of her car.

Rico who saw it immediately grabbed his phone on the dashboard and gave it to Alina when the woman was next to him. Without hesitation the woman pressed the button on Rico's phone screen to enter her phone number. After that, he returned the phone to the owner.

"Thanks." -."

Alina nodded and was about to turn around, but not yet Rico turned back to call her.

"What else is it?" ask Alina.

"Can I accompany you to work again?"

"Oh yeah, can I take you out sometime? Eat or walk?" ask Rico again with great expectation.

"You can take me to your house too" said Alina.

He was already very sleepy and Rico was wasting his time asking him something that was not important to him.

"Huh?"

"Co, you have my mobile number. Can I ask you later? I'm so sleepy" said Alina lazily, but her voice still sounded polite and gentle. As already from the womb the woman was taught to speak well. He felt that Alina was from a very respectable family in his village.

Not wanting to waste any more time and Rico also could not bear to see Alina resist sleepiness, he finally said goodbye and left the woman.

*

Tomorrow morning in a pretty luxurious house, a woman who is none other than Renata looks moody since yesterday. Sitting in the corner of the mattress while hugging his knees with his face drowned. His hoarse voice and puffy eyes, confirmed that the woman was not okay. 

How to be okay if he who was cut off by Andi unilaterally turned out to be unable to accept it until now. He was eager to contact Andi to apologize and repair her relationship, yet he did not dare to do that. He was afraid that Andi would still be angry with him and would not forgive him. Rena was very dizzy thinking about her relationship that stopped, let alone her who was the cause of all this.

"What should I do, Lord?" tanyanya is alone.

Rena looked at the figure of herself with Andi who was on her dresser, then she slumped her face back on her knees. Does she have to allow Andi to be close friends with Alina in order for her relationship to improve? But how, while he himself is always haunted by suspicion if he sees the closeness of his girlfriend with Alina. What's he supposed to do?

Rena grabbed her phone that was on the bed. The photo gallery she opened and saw so many photos of herself with her lover. Photos when they were on vacation, when they were in Offford, photos when they were celebrating the anniversary, to photos of them while karaoke with Rico and Nita, his best friends.

Rena was silent to see their photos, then her mind said if she had to confide in her good friend. But immediately Rena shook her head back. He couldn't possibly have told Nita where the woman was overseas. It was impossible for him to tell through voice contact alone as it would not satisfy his sadness.

Rico's?

I don't know why Rena suddenly thought of contacting the man. But after careful thought, it doesn't seem to hurt if he tells stories with Rico.

Rico is Andi's best friend besides Alina. Maybe the man could help her a little, she thought.

Rena looks for Rico's contact and contacts him. After it was confirmed that Rico was in the office, he immediately cleaned himself in the bathroom before approaching the man in his office. She also had to compress her puffy eyes so that they are not so clearly visible, although in fact she is not sure if they can be disguised in a short time, even with makeup though.

After an hour or so of preparation, Rena immediately asked the driver at her house to drive her to Rico's office. Once there he immediately climbed to the fifteenth floor, where Rico's room was located. Fortunately Rico had given a message to his employees who were below, so Rena could easily get in to see him.

Tookk…

Twice the door was knocked and after getting permission from the owner of the room, Rena immediately opened the door. He walked into the room and sat his body on the sofa next to one of the windows after receiving direction from Rico.

Rena sat there alone for almost five minutes, as Rico was still finishing his work. After feeling that what the man was doing could be delayed, Rico immediately approached Rena and sat down next to the woman.

"Why, Ren? Tumben very nyamperin me," asked Rico in surprise.

How not surprising, even though Rena is the boyfriend of her best friend but they are not that close to just being friends. And a few hours ago Rena suddenly contacted him and said she wanted to talk to him right then and there. Makes him very curious, at the same time curious. Moreover, he said not to tell Andi of his current arrival.

"I broke up with Andi."

"Huh?" Rico seemed to not understand what Rena said.

"Andi mutusin me yesterday, after the restaurant. He just cut me out because of Alina, Co."

"Why do you blame Alina?" asked Rico with a frown.

"Yes because of Alina's presence, I often quarrel with Andi, Co. Andi mutusin me because I do not like it if I am jealous of their closeness," said Rena with tears that almost spilled.

Rico looked at the face of the woman before him for a long time. He could have guessed that Rena had been crying for quite a while with those puffy-looking eyes.

"Your eyes are swollen. How long have you been crying?" ask Rico without disputing Rena's words.

"No need to talk about my eyes. Just tell me, Co, do Andi and Alina really have a special relationship? Why did he cut me off unilaterally just because I was jealous," urged Rena to have Rico answer her question.

Rico sighed hearing that.

"Rena, you should introspect yourself first before accusing the no-no of others. Your relationship has been going on for a long time, hasn't it? Then why don't you still trust Andi?"

"What do you mean, Co?" ask Rena not understand.

"I don't know how to say it, but you should know, Andi is not the type of guy who likes to play with women. All I know is that Andi met Alina earlier than you. Alina is a beautiful woman, if Andi likes her, why didn't they just be? Why did he make you his girlfriend?"

"As long as I'm friends with Andi, you're the only woman she's always mentioned by name in front of me. While Alina? I had heard that name several times when he was in Oxford, precisely when you were dating, but after returning to Indo, I never heard him mention the woman's name again. I don't even remember him having a girlfriend named Alina. And just so you know, yesterday Andi introduced me to Alina just because of you."

"Me?" rena asked puzzledly as Rico called herself.

"Yes. She didn't want you to be constantly jealous, so she took the initiative to introduce me to Alina. Don't you know how close they are? If you knew that, you would know that they were just friends."

Rena was silent hearing the truth. Yes, he admitted all that in his heart, but not with his mind.

"You should be grateful, Ren, for getting a loyal man like Andi. While out there are many men who easily cheat. Just so you know, something done excessively will never go well. Just like you did to Andi. He's a loyal guy, but your excessive jealousy could make him actually commit an affair."

Rena looked towards Rico with a surprised look.

"I don't know how your relationship is right now because Andi doesn't tell you anything either. But for a guy like him, if he's decided to split, it means he's tired of your blind jealousy. My advice, you better change your jealous nature."

"What's wrong with me being jealous when I see my boyfriend with another woman, Co?" ask Rena. His voice sounded trembling because it could not hold the tightness in his chest.

"Nothing's wrong, but your jealousy has crossed the line, Ren. If you were still like this, you would really lose Andi. You better introspect yourself well, if your mind is calm and feeling better, meet Andi. Talk carefully with him, I'm sure Andi must still love you."

The last sentence Rico said managed to make Rena remove her tears that had been stuck in the eyelids. Andi still loves him? There was a bit of pleasure in his heart, although the tightness came back when he remembered the face of Andi yesterday who looked disappointed in him.

Does he have to follow Rico's words to change his jealous nature? Rena is still confused by all this. For whatever sake he was still very dear to Andi and he did not want his long-standing relationship to just stop because of the blind jealousy that possessed him.

Yes, Rena began to realize that she had been over-exciting her boyfriend. True Andi said yesterday, his girlfriend did have the right to be friends with anyone including Alina. Lest he really lose Andi just because of this excessive jealousy, like what Rico said just now.

***

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