Don't Say Love (BOOK 2)
Chapter 3

For the first time, upon his arrival on the Indonesian mainland, a raindrop welcomed his presence. The smell of wet ground was immediately smelled by him, aggravating his already congested breathing rate ever since he decided to accept his mother's decision to return. Look again at the faces he has left five years ago. Until this moment, his hands still cooled down imagining how his life was after deciding all this. 

Feels heavy.

The burden that was piled on both his shoulders was getting more and more burdensome for him to assume that all this was reality. He is like a dream, and will always hope that all this is just a dream. His heart rate was always irregular, even so fast that it was unheard of when his mind delivered his consciousness to the last trace of him in this place.

A great deal. There was so much he wanted to forget. Between the feeling of longing and hurt as if clashing in his mind. He missed, and grimaced to remember.

"Mirror ..."

The woman immediately turned to the mother who was sitting on the wheelchair she was pushing. They arrived early in the morning, as rain poured down on the capital, turning the specks into a painful water sting. Making a disturbing noise.

"We're here, Mom." Lirih.

Arnetta had no spirit considering they had stepped on his feet for the first time in his homeland. The dark shadow of how he decided to leave the country continues to haunt his sleep. In fact, Arnetta did not enjoy his free time on the plane to rest.

Ratih refused to turn to the princess, who he believed was in a state of turmoil. He knew that Arnetta would never set foot again in this place, especially since the events of five years that have been whining his beautiful dreams for no reason. He also knew that Arnetta still could not let go of her dream with him. The wounds he had carried for these five years had flourished in his heart.

"I'll call you a cab." Said Arnetta who marginalized her mother in the corner of the airport. They came to a time when so many people had not gathered there. There were only a few foreigners and officers there. Three o'clock in the morning is not a time when many people are willing to arrive in the rain.

Arnetta ran small looking for a taxi that was still pulled over at the corner of the arrivals parking lot. He did not want to risk the mother who would be sick by the rain. Let him who pierces the rain, he wills. Only the coach has. For Arnetta, her mother was everything she had.

The middle-aged woman noticed how Arnetta refrained from resisting her wishes. Ratih knows if this decision is hard for his daughter, he also knows that it is difficult for Arnetta to forget the past and make peace with her. There have been a lot of injuries that they have been through together over the past five years.

It's just that, Ratih no longer wants to burden Arnetta. His son doesn't have to mess with him anymore if they're here. She already knew that Rivai, her ex-husband had cut off all financing while they were still in Singapore. But, what to say. It was the right of the man even though in the end Ratih had to sacrifice everything for the sake of the man. And once again, he regretted his decision of not daring to fight back.

"I'm sorry mom, Arnetta. I'm sorry, Mom."

***

Arnetta watched the mother who looked calm sitting behind her. He deliberately sat next to the driver, because many luggage that does not have space in the trunk. The blue-colored sedan car carried them through the almost illuminated road. The heavy rain made Monday morning appear denser than usual. At least a few moments in Indonesia did not immediately make him recall everything. He could still see the alienation he had not seen while he was here.

Arriving at home, Arnetta already has the wish to lay down his body on his old mattress that he has longed for. How much he forgot about it here. Many places he still remembers have sweet memories, though not many. His life isn't much sadder here, not even appreciated. Just like working at the Club the other night, just different views of others see it.

"Mirror ..."

Ratih's voice broke Arnetta's daydream. The woman immediately looked back and saw the face of the mother leaning on the seat of the taxi they were riding in.

"What's up, Mom?"

Ratih did not speak directly. There was an indignation implied in his eyes that was looking out the window. Soon they will arrive at the house they used to live in. However, that's what makes Ratih worried about how Arnetta would react if he knew everything. Her daughter would have been hurt so much if she knew what had happened to them. He knew the man must have lost all traces of them, and Ratih understood what caused it.

For a moment Arnetta frowned. The mother's words were like a riddle in her head. He can't just digest it with his brain. It took him a while to ask his mother, after finding a terrible conjecture he never expected.

"Why, Mom? We'll be home soon. Don't you have to rest?"

Ratih closed his eyes for a while, when he realized he was just looking, Arnetta would know everything. He could not see the reaction of his daughter who might be shocked to see the reality of their lives that were no longer the same.

Seeing that her mother did not understand her, Arnetta turned her head again. However, the driver's voice further shook his mind from the ambiguous sentence that Ratih had given him.

"Mbak, where's the house? I see everything is just empty land."

DEG

Again, Arnetta had to think again with the words he heard from the driver. He lifted his head and saw what he had just told him. There, in front of him there was no house. The building that was supposed to be there and woke up to greet them was like being lost to the earth. There is no small terrace that is usually the object of cleaning by the mother. No small wooden fence is nearly weathered. He saw nothing but the wet red soil because in the drizzling guyuri this morning. Nothing, everything is gone.

"Mother .." Arnetta looked back quickly, but he was even more surprised when he found blood pouring from both of Ratih's nostrils. His heart instantly pulsed very fast. He did not know where the blood came from, and when it was there. The panic was no longer felt. Arnetta could not control himself, except he heard his own mouth yelling at the driver to turn the car towards the hospital.

"Turn around! Take us to the hospital."

***

"I don't know if the patient regularly takes all the drugs prescribed here, but the disease gets worse. The cancer that continues to spread in his body is getting more malignant. We can't do much other than take precautions with Chemotherapy."

It felt like Arnetta's world wanted to drown the woman round and round. The woman no longer realized where she stood. His gaze was empty, with ears still being heard by the voice of the middle-aged white-clothed man who continued to analyze his mother's condition.

He was devastated when he learned there were other diseases in his mother's body besides cysts. He had never known this before when he was abroad. His mother never complained about anything, even seemed to be fine when Arnetta asked him how he was. He could not imagine whether his mother often understood the pain when the pain gnawed at his body. Seeing his mother lying weakly on the mattress with a hose attached everywhere has made him full. Arnetta doesn't know what will happen if her mother leaves her. Maybe, .. he's going crazy.

"Do whatever it takes, whatever my mom's safe from, Doc." Arnetta said, almost begging the man. He hopes to hang his life on a man who might save Ratih's life. Without it, Arnetta would have been destroyed. He will get hurt again.

The middle-aged man could only sigh when he saw the figure of the young woman who was so persistent in saving his mother. But he couldn't promise her much. Cancer suffered by his mother is already in a dangerous stage. I don't know what would happen to the woman if she was a little late to the hospital.

"I can't promise anything, but I will try my best to save your mother. But, maybe this will all require time and costs are not small."

A time? Arnetta willingly let herself spend her time to take care of her mother and take care of her. For him it doesn't matter what the situation is. But if the money doesn't have it. The money in his hands will definitely not be enough to finance everything. He had to find another addition to finance his mother's treatment. However, Arnetta believes he will not be able to if he loses Ratih. It would be crazy without him.

"Do whatever it takes, I'll make money even if I have to go to the end of the world."

***

Here he was, standing before the gate of a magnificent house that he no longer remembered. Arnetta never remembered if she had any childhood memories in this place. The magnificent house with towering pillars became the hallmark of a man he was reluctant to acknowledge as a father. If not for being forced, Arnetta would not have set foot back in this place. It felt like all of that was further tearing apart his wounded mind. But, at least he had to work on this one first. He only hopes Rivai can fulfill his promise in the past after destroying his home and his life. He had to be strong for his mother.