The After The Rain
Healing

From the beginning, when Sekala said that he had obtained permission from Papa, Kinara was already suspicious.

For, let alone Sekala who has only been known for a few weeks, with Atha who incidentally has he dated for three years only, he said, Papa still refuses to give permission to take him away past the predetermined curfew. Except for one time when Atha invited her to candlelight dinner that night.

So, when he now found Papa's existence hanging on the hood of his car, Kinara was not too surprised.

"Dad you want to come, is it okay dong?" whispered Sekala, as they walked out of the cafe after making sure the door was locked properly.

Kinara only glanced at Sekala at a glance, then turned his gaze again towards Papa who now rattled like an innocent human.

"Let off now?" asked Papa enthusiastically, even more looks excited than Kinara and Sekala.

"Why do you run around here? Not at home, nemenin Mama." Kinara nagged, but Papa did not care at all. The man pulled Sekala's arm, leading the man to the side of the driver's car.

"We have to hurry up, we'll hunt more and more at night." Whisper Papa, while glancing towards Kinara who was still standing still on the other side of the car.

He chuckled softly, then opened the car door and immediately sat himself behind the wheel.

Papa was so excited when he helped Sekala close the door. Then, the man ran over to Kinara and opened the passenger door at the front.

"Please come in, Princess." Papa said while showing a gesture is inviting. Because of his totality, Papa even huddled to welcome Princess Kinara into the car.

Kinara clucked, then immediately entered and sat in the passenger seat because the night was getting late and he had no power to serve Papa any further.

After her sitting position was comfortable and the seatbelt was installed properly, Kinara frowned in confusion when she found Papa not coming after getting into the car. The man was still standing in his place, staring at him with a smile that extended to his ears.

Not understanding why Papa was acting this way, Kinara lowered the windshield and turned her head out.

"Come, the hunt's in!" he shouted, but Papa shook his head.

"Well?" tanyanya.

"Dad, you want to follow me from behind, he said, using my car." Once, who was ready to step on the gas pedal suddenly open the sound.

Kinara turned his head towards the young man, and grew increasingly confused as he knew the accelerator pedal was stepped on and the car started to go.

"Well, heh?" Kinara did not have time to wonder anymore because the speed of the car began to increase.

All Kinara could catch the last time before the car got onto the highway was the figure of Papa waving at him with an increasingly wide smile.

"Close the glass, get in your head." Sekala's Order.

Kinara according to him. The seat position was again secured and the car glass was raised.

"Mas Kala isn't afraid of his car being taken away by Papa?" asked Kinara after the car drove for nearly ten minutes.

"No, lah. Why afraid?"

"Mas Kala's car is expensive?"

"You're more expensive."

Kinara turned his head, glaring at Sekala who was now giggling with a straight look towards the streets.

"Kala want to sell me?!"

"You?" sedala again.

"Kala don't mengeselin, my mood is not good today." Kinara complained, hoping that Sekala would just give a little understanding and stop bothering him.

"I know, really. That's why I took you for a walk."

To be honest, Kinara wanted to check further whether Sekala really knew that his mood was bad, or that the man was just talking. But for some reason, Kinara's tongue suddenly felt so faint that she could only shut up, allowing silence to reign supreme for the rest of their journey minutes later.

...****************...

Kinara thought, Sekala would take him to a place filled with colorful lights like a night market or other similar places. Apparently, he was completely wrong.

He took her to an artificial lake just thirty minutes away from the cafe. The lake is located on the outskirts of the city, side by side with a large area of government land overgrown with shady trees.

The atmosphere there was of course quiet. Because who would want to wander around that place when the time is almost touching at eleven o'clock in the evening?

"Mas Kala has no intention of killing me, keep throwing my body into this lake, right?" ask Kinara suddenly. I don't know, maybe because of the quiet and gloomy atmosphere, he became reminded of the murder scene in the thriller series that he had watched.

"You mostly watch dramas!" sekala said, rather insistent. But then, he lowered back the tension and instead pulled the corners of his lips upwards.

"If you're sad, I usually come here." I Sekala, made Kinara who was busy looking at the reflection of moonlight on the calm lake water, interested to turn to be able to check the expression on Sekala's face.

Once, Sekala was also staring at him so that their gazes met.

"It's quiet here, Kin. As you can see, this lake is surrounded by protected forests. Here, I can scream out loud without fear of anyone hearing. Here, I can cry, without fear of anyone seeing and making fun of me."

"I brought you here so that you too could do what I used to do."

"Mas Kala is not afraid that I will throw myself into the lake?"

He chuckled softly, then shook his head. "You can do it on the footbridge that night, if you want. But you didn't, because you obviously know that dying never accomplishes anything." He answered calmly.

Although the truth is, it's a lie that he doesn't worry about Kinara. The fear of what Kinara was asking was actually there, but Sekala tried to convince herself that this girl would not do such things.

After getting no answer from Kinara, Sekala turned his eyes, on the lake water that was slightly rippled by the gust of wind.

Then suddenly, without giving a warning, Sekala shouted loudly.

The unprepared Kinara of course jumped in shock, but after that, he found Sekala turning back to him and smiling.

"Want to try it?" tawar Sekala's.

Kinara was seen thinking for a moment, hesitating whether or not she could shout as loud as Sekala.

But in the end, he kept trying.

Kinara took a deep breath, exhaled it slowly then she opened her mouth and started shouting.

The first shout was not too loud, so he again shouted for the second time. Then, like an opium, another shout followed, echoing, filling the open space that night witnessed how badly Kinara was still wounded.

That the betrayal of Atha and Dahayu still hurt his heart that deep, and all this time he just pretended to be healed because he did not want to make the people around him absorb the energy of sadness that he emanated.

Once still faithfully stood beside Kinara until the cries stopped, replaced by sobs that were willing to hear.

While far behind them, in Sekala's half-opened car, Papa felt her own heartache as she watched her daughter scream. Papa was sad, as well as grateful because at least, tonight Kinara can vent the sad feeling that was originally only held and stacked in the chest.

Seriate