The Price of Sainthood
Brothers forever

The eyelids that were once tightly closed are now slowly starting to open. Lara blinked to adjust the incoming light. Realizing he was lying in a white room made him believe he was now dead.

Slender. Is this what it feels like to die? Where is the angel carrying the whip? Would not every dead man be questioned for all his acts of worship during his life on earth?

Lara felt her hair shudder in horror. He has not even repented. He has not apologized to Alisha. So did his parents. Of course, the angel will throw him into hell without being interrogated again.

How appalling. Over twenty years of living in the world he just ended up in vain. Can only commit sins.

Still preoccupied with her thoughts regarding death, Lara suddenly heard someone talking.

"Without? You finally woke up too. Thank goodness .. I feel relieved."

Lara looked up and then turned. Is it really what he saw? It was not an angel like he thought, but rather the face of Alisha who was looking at him with an expression of gratitude.

"Alisha? You're following dead too?" He finally deciphered a question that made Alisha stunned for a moment.

"Dead? What the hell Lara, you're all there." When Lara felt tense, Alisha laughed.

"Yes, die." Lara assured. Alisha was still laughing.

"We're alive, Lara. You're lying in the hospital. Because you passed out, that's why I brought it here" explained Alisha.

"Hospital?" lirih Lara's. And a nod by Alisha.

I don't know what to think, Lara suddenly fumbled around her neck.

Not broken. His head is still connected to his body. Apparently he didn't die from being beheaded? Is he still alive today? Oh, my God, is this the terrible effect of that fear?

"Why neck? Is anyone sick?" alisha asked with her worried face.

Lara pressed her saliva roughly, then shook her head quickly. He looked at Alisha with curiosity.

"Al, how did I get here?"

"Ah, that's not important. What matters is that you're alive and well." Although Alisha put on a cheerful face as she said, but still it was not enough to make Lara feel satisfied.

"Al, be honest with me. What exactly have you done to those people? If it wasn't for you, how could they have been that easy to leave me even if I had fainted. They're after me. You must have done something so great that they ran away, right?"

Alisha smiled sincerely as she rubbed the back of Lara's hand gently. "Everything that happens with God's permission, Lara. Including the help you get. This is God's help through me as his intermediary. I'm just a human being, Ra. I'm not as good as you think."

Lara's eyes glazed over. There was something he felt, but I don't know what. Her feelings are jumbled between shame, happiness, and wanting to cry. Alisha's sincere attitude and the way it was made her completely moved. It could be that the girl saved him while Lara herself was always evil towards him. Alisha looked cheerful as if nothing bad had ever happened between the two of them.

"Al, why are you doing all this? Why do you stay good to me while I'm always mean to you?"

"Because we are brothers, Lara. We are sisters even born from different wombs," said Alisha while rubbing the corner of Lara's watery eyes.

Lara sobbing. If Alisha knew she was not Papa Narendra's biological daughter, would Alisha still be nice to her?

"Why cry, Ra? Is anyone sick? Should I call a doctor?"

"That's past let it pass, Ra. Now we open a new page."

Unable to be held back, Lara grabbed Alisha's body. The girl hugged her sister and her crying broke out there.

Alisha just smiled gently with teary eyes. The swiping of Lara's shaking back was gently full of affection.

"Well however you or I, that is clear to whenever we remain brothers, Lara. Thank you for sharing your mom. Thank you also for accepting me so well in our home."

Lara's getting all cuddled. Lara's hug she hasn't even let go.

"From now on, we have to share our joys and sorrows together, Ra. Rebuke me when I make a mistake. I'll also advise you if you've done something wrong."

"Thank you, Al." Lara parsed her embrace, then looked at Lara with a big smile between tears. "You are the best brother and friend in the world. I'm sorry I'm always the bad one."

"I'm not as good as you think I am, Lara. We're at peace, yeah."

Lara nodded enthusiastically. The two embrace again and laugh at the same time.

***

Helena looked astonished to see the arrival of her two daughters simultaneously. She was surprised, because seeing Alisha and Lara joking was something very rare. This is even their first time.

"Hey. Two girls Mama's coming home at the same time? Really dumb, honey? What wind is this?"

"Ih, Mama kepo," said Lara still with her smile.

"That must be a fresh breeze, Ma." Now Alisha replied with a joke. He approached the mother who was still smiling even though her face was filled with a fog of confusion. He kissed the back of the woman's hand with reverence.

"Lara dear Mama" said Lara after kissing the back of Helena's hand. Mata Helena buyak. Spontaneously he then hugged Lara and kissed her cheek full of affection. That guilty face he couldn't even hide.

"Mama loves you too, son," said Helena with a trembling voice holding back the cries. He turned to his left, right where Alisha was standing there staring at him and Lara was full of hariu. His hand then stretched out, then with full awareness, he called the stepson in a loving tone. "Come, Alisha."

Like a magnet pulling an iron. Alisha approached and welcomed Helena's hand. And then the middle-aged woman directly hugged her two daughters tightly without any cue.

"I'm sorry Mama's daughters. Mama loves you both." Helena kissed Alisha and Lara's cheeks in turn. From now on, his two daughters were of the same degree. There's no differentiator. Nothing is special. He will try all kinds of love.

While relaxing together in Lara's room at night, Alisha suddenly asked something that she had been trying to endure.

"Ra, what's your relationship with David?"

"David?" Lara asked back with her eyebrows in astonishment.

"Yes, David. He helped me get you to the hospital. But unfortunately he can't take care of you until you're human. David had to leave because there was something to do."

Lara's throat was choked. He did not expect that the young man would still pay attention to him. He was more grateful to be surrounded by good people who always loved him.