Forbidden Love On A Full Night
Pull Uproot....

I came out of the toilet feeling embarrassed. I gulped with great difficulty before finally saying, "Auntie already knows who I really am? I'm sorry, I...."

"Ram told me everything yesterday." Aunt El stood up to me. "So, you still want to leave this place?"

Not if Ram is willing to hold me back, and fight for me. But in fact until this moment he had not changed his mind at all. "I'm going to go. Nothing's gonna change. Not with Ram's attitude. He will not fight for our relationship. So there's nothing I can do anymore."

Aunt El nodded sadly.

"Emmm... Bi, I. I'm sorry for everything that happened in the past, as well as for the present. I hope Aunt won't hate me after knowing who I really am."

Now he shakes his head. "No," he said, he held both my hands. "You are innocent. But... Yes, as Aunt asked you, don't go carrying hatred, huh? Go see Ram first and you guys talk good. After that, the decision is in your hands. Hm? Speak well as a friend who wants to say goodbye, and do not put forward the ego, you can certainly forgive each other. If you still can't be together, at least part ways in a good way. Can you do that for Auntie? Would help?"

Aunt El was right, I thought. And I intend that anyway. So I nodded quickly with a smile. "I'll do it" I said. "Thank you for being so kind to me. I'll be back to say goodbye. Excuse me first. Bye, Bi...."

I put a smile on the kind woman before leaving the office and heading for the lounge. I want to enjoy this place for a while before I meet Ram. Unfortunately, none of these things interest me to do. I don't want to read. I don't want to play video games. I've seen a movie playing in the back room. I nodded and smiled at some other visitors and left the building.

Swimming for a while seems fun, I thought. But I don't have a swimsuit. So, I walked towards the souvenir shop to see if they were selling swimsuits, but my steps came to a halt before arriving at the destination due to hearing Ram's voice.

My footsteps instead walked following the sound to the small cage behind the warehouse. Lina and Dina Wijaya were sitting on the top fence. On the inside, Ram is giving riding lessons to Nina, who focuses more on Ram than on horses.

Standing outside their line of sight, I noticed the way Ram got along with the teenage girls. The man patiently faced Nina, avoiding the girl's attempt to flirt with her, in a way that would not offend the teenage girl, she said, while still trying to teach the girl how to maintain her sitting position and hold the bridle. Ram is also as patient as the other two younger girls, helping them cultivate confidence in themselves and their abilities.

I stayed there until the lesson ended, happy to look at the man, imagining he would be a great father in the future.

I hid back as Ram opened the cage door for the girls, nodding and smiling as they thanked him for the day's lessons.

I was just about to turn around when I heard Ram's voice. "You can come out now."

I was silent, thinking whether I should escape or come out of hiding and admitting that I had been presumptuous to secretly look at him.

"I know you're there" cried Ram.

While holding my shoulders, I came out from behind the shed and went to the cage. "How did you know I was there?"

"I smell your scent."

"That's right."

"It's true."

"What do I smell like?"

"Fruit of peach."

I felt a red hue running down my cheek. I washed my hair with peach-scented shampoo this morning.

Ram releases the saddle, loosens and releases the bridle. "What are you doing here?" Next to his brow. "You didn't sign up for riding lessons, did you?"

"No."

Taking off his hat, the man ducked down and slipped between the railing and walked towards me. "Well?"

I looked up at him, my heart rate increasing feeling the closeness of the man. "Are you busy right now? Emm. I mean...."

Ram glanced at his watch, then leaned his right hand on the top row of the cage. "I have fifteen minutes" he said. "I'll give you fifteen minutes."

Oh my God, I'm glad to hear that. Even if it was only for fifteen minutes, it wasn't the lifetime he gave me. But I was silent, it was hard to say that I wanted to say goodbye.

"What's wrong?"

"Yes why? There's gotta be a reason, right?"

I put my shoulders down. "Obviously there. But I can't explain. I don't know. But I want to talk to you."

"Well, we're chatting."

"Em, I know."

"What do you want to say?"

"Do you hate me?"

"How can you?"

"So, no?"

"Either in the past. But now it's not. I don't hate you."

I was relieved, but somehow the relief remained like a lump stuck in my throat. I don't want to get out of myself. "thank you. I'm glad to hear it."

"Then?"

"Then...."

"You want to say goodbye?"

I nodded, trying not to cry. "really. I want to say goodbye to you. My flight tonight. So...."

"Can you cancel your flight?"

Eh? My eyes were almost wide open at his request. But....

It's too scary to be happy. I'm afraid this will make me feel like a pulled kite again.

For what reason? I want to ask that. Wanna ask that. But it can't. I stress to myself: do not let yourself fall back into the pit of pain. No, Purna....

I've decided to leave. Then I have to go.

I nodded to Ram. "Sorry...."

"At least postponed first. What can? Not tonight. Something is not finished. At least that's my opinion. There is something unfinished between us. I don't want to. I don't want to regret it, Purna. I don't want any more regrets. Would please? You can go after. once we feel. We should spend some time together before you go, please?"

Huuuuh. Ram said this to me.

Ram took a deep breath. "There's a dance at the inn tonight after dinner."

"There again?"

Ram nodded. "They do it every Friday and Saturday night. I'll pick you up at eight, if you don't mind. Would please? Don't go yet?"

"alright. I'll be ready."

"Promise not to leave before you see me?"

"Promise."

Life is uncertain, I thought as I walked back to my cottage. Last week at the same time I was standing in front of the altar next to Mr. Hartawan to tie the wedding vows, with a damp palm and a nauseous stomach, then fled to leave it. But today, I promised my old lover to stay here and cancel my departure.