My Beloved Uncle
C13. Protecting In Silence

Alina stared intently at Ziel who was still pretending to be busy by checking out reports of her expedition items in her study.

It had been almost two weeks since Alina's return from the cottage and living in Ziel's house, the man had never shown his nose in the residence that was supposed to be occupied by her and Alina.

"When will Uncle be like this?" Alina asked after nearly half an hour of Ziel's neglected existence.

"Would it be night, you'd better go home. Kasian Mbok Yani is alone at home" Instead of answering Alina's question, Ziel deflects the question with orders.

"Uncle ignored Alina again?"

Silent. Inaudible answer from Ziel just a breath of Alina who held back the anger that I heard in Ziel's work room.

"It's Alina's night. Go home!"

For some reason since his return from the boarding school and had a four-eye talk with Abi Dhika Ziel's attitude and tone of speech to Alina changed.

Even the man no longer called Alina with Alia not even infrequently Ziel used the word You for Alina, a very much different thing from what Ziel used to do to Alina.

"Did Alina's presence make Uncle uncomfortable?"

Ziel was still speechless and still reluctant to see Alina's face.

Weary. Alina is tired of Adzriel's two-week change in attitude.

No wind no rain, the man suddenly turned quiet and even seemed to stay away from Alina.

Even Alina had thought it could be possible that Ziel had dissociative amnesia against her because only to Alina only Ziel's attitude changed, while Ziel's attitude to others still looks equally unchanged.

"All right."

At the end of his life, Alina gave up facing Ziel's attitude which changed only to her. The girl put back on her niqab covering her pretty face and then got up from her seat.

"Alina's gone. But maybe after Alina comes out of this door, Uncle will never see Alina again for as long as she is!"

Ziel stopped his activities and looked at Alina who had opened the door of his room.

Brakes

Alina slammed the door of Ziel's room tightly and immediately ran away from Ziel's room.

Ziel took a breath and exhaled loudly and then kicked his desk before the end decided to resume his activities.

The clock was showing at ten o'clock the night when Ziel got a phone call from Mbok Yani, ART who Ziel trusted to accompany Alina at her house.

"Assalamu'alaikum Den"

"Waalaikumsalam Mbok's. What's up?"

"That's Den. Sorry, is Non Alina still in the shop?. Non Alina's phone can't be reached by Den"

Ziel was silent to Mbok Yani's remark that Alina had not yet arrived home. The girl was gone two hours ago.

"Alina, haven't you reached Mbok's house yet?"

"Lho is not his Non Alina went to the shophouse, said he wanted to pick up Den Ziel. Even Non Alina hasn't had Den's dinner yet"

Ziel endured the tightness in his chest when he found out Alina had not yet reached his home and had not eaten dinner because she had accidentally picked him up.

Ziel's thoughts grew increasingly chaotic as he recalled Alina's last words before leaving her two hours ago.

"Astaghfirullahalazim"

"Let me find Alina first. Mbok please call Ara's family" said Ziel before closing the call to Mbok Yani.

Ziel rushed out of his study with a feeling of sadness.

"Where'd you go bang?" Ipul asked when he saw Ziel out of his room in a hurry and immediately welcomed the motorcycle keys and expedition helmets commonly used to deliver expedition employees' goods to his customers' homes.

"You guys seen Alia?" Ziel's question made his employees feel astonished.

"Isn't Alina home from a bang?" Said Ian, one of Ziel's employees who was working that night.

"The motorbike is still in Bang's parking lot!" Pulle suddenly just came in after before his man came out to pick up the package.

"Astaghfirullahalazim says. Where are you Alia!" Murmured Ziel who immediately ran towards the parking lot and immediately drove his motorbike at full speed leaving the parking lot of his expedition shop.

Ziel drove his motorbike slowly down the quiet road because the time was getting up late at night.

It has been almost half an hour Ziel drove his motorbike but Alina's whereabouts are still not visible.

Mbok Yani says that Ara and her family did not receive a call from Alina, so Ziel can make sure that they do not know where Alina is.

Ziel stopped the speed of his motor when he sensed that there was an incoming call vibration in his HP.

Abi Dhika's name on her HP screen makes Ziel most immediately raised the call.

"Assalamu'alaikum Abi Dhika"

"Waalaikumsalam Mr. Ziel, how has Alina been found?"

"Still not Abi. I'm still looking for Alina's whereabouts"

The breath of Abi Dhika

"Is there a mosque or a musholla?" Abi Dhika asked Ziel.

Zie seemed to pay attention to the surrounding environment, and all it looked like was housing, shophouses only. There were no mosques or moshollas.

"When she was devastated by her longing for her family, Ara said Alina must have been in the cottage mosque".

" There is good Mr. Ziel looking for Alina in the mosque or musholla that is around Pak Ziel's shop or around the house. Let's just hope Alina is in one of the mosques or the Musholla". Said Abi Dhika who immediately made Ziel back the spirit of looking for the existence of Alina.

"Alhamdulillah, good Abi. Thanks for the information, I will look for the existence of Alia in the mosque or Musholla around Me first. I hope Alia is in one of those places"

"Aamiinu. Hopefully Mr. Ziel can find Alina soon. And don't forget to tell us about Alina's development"

"God willing I will preach to Abi. Then I have permission to continue looking for Alia first Abi. Assalamualaikum"

"Girishal"

Ziel continues the search for Alina. This time He will look for a mosque or musholla that is around him and hope that what was said by Abi Dhika is true if Alina is in one of these places.

"Bismillah. Hope you're here this time, Alia" Ziel muttered as he entered a small musholla in a small alley after before Ziel looking for the whereabouts of Alina in the mosque or musholla he met earlier on the way.

Ziel was stunned when he saw a girl's body that seemed to be sitting leaning against the front wall of the musholla while laying her head on a hunch that was folded to the extent of her chest to support her head.

"Alhamdulillah. It turns out it's not good to just be able to protect you in silence Alia"

Ziel stepped his feet toward the figure he had been looking for for almost an hour more. Swiping softly at the head of the girl who seemed to be sleeping in her sleep. Until the girl woke up and looked at her.

"Uncle"