But Arya's happiness didn't last long. When he got home, his small steps turned into a hurried run—as if there was a bad feeling pressing on his chest. His breathing became ragged, cold sweat began to drip down his temples.
"Grandma… grandma…!" Arya's voice echoed in the house which felt so quiet.
No answer.
The silence hit him in the heart.
"Strange... Grandma usually answers..." he muttered in a trembling voice.
The anxiety that was originally small has now transformed into a suffocating fear. Without thinking, Arya ran towards her grandmother's room. His hands trembled as he pushed the door.
And suddenly...
Arya's world seemed to be collapsing.
"Grandma...?"
Grandma Siti lay stiff. His face was pale, unlike its usual warmth. Arya approached slowly, as if afraid that the reality in front of her would become even more real.
"Grandma... wake up Grandma... Arya is home..." his voice was weak, almost inaudible. There was no response.
His hands began to shake his grandmother's body.
"Grandma... wake up... wake up grandma..." Tears started to fall one by one, she couldn't hold them in any longer.
"Grandma... DON'T LEAVE ARYA...!" he shouted hysterically, his voice breaking, full of despair.
Suddenly.
"Cough… cough…"
Arya was silent. His eyes widened. The hope that was almost extinguished was rekindled.
"Grandma!" Arya immediately hugged the fragile body tightly, as if afraid of losing her again.
"Grandma, why...? Take Arya to the hospital... we're going now..." he said panicked, his voice mixed with tears.
Grandma Siti shook her head slowly, her cold hand holding Arya's hand.
"No, son… grandma is just… tired…" he said softly, his breathing heavy.
Every word that came out felt like a final struggle.
"Arya… grandma has something for you…"
Arya frowned, her heart suddenly felt tight for no apparent reason.
"One day… your life will change… use it well…"
Slowly, grandma took an old ring out of her weak grasp.
Arya looked at the ring, then looked back at her grandmother's face.
"What is this, grandma...? Arya doesn't need this... Arya just needs grandma..." her voice broke, her tears flowing freely without being able to stop them.
Grandma smiled faintly. Such a warm smile… but it also felt like goodbye.
"This is an ancestral relic... take care of it... and take care of your aunt too..."
The sound was getting weaker...
"Grandma...?"
No answer.
The smile remained… but the breath was gone.
"Grandma...?"
Arya shook her grandmother's body again, harder, more desperately.
"GRANDMA!!!"
He broke down crying. His heart was broken into pieces.
The small house was now filled with the screams of a child who had lost everything.
"What's wrong, Ar?" Mr Juned's voice came from outside the house.
Arya was unable to answer. His chest was tight. The words seemed stuck in his throat.
"Ne… ne… grandma… died…" finally came out, stammering between sobs.
"What?!" Mr. Juned was shocked, his face turned panicked.
It didn't take long for the news to spread. Residents came and helped take care of everything. But in the midst of the crowd, Arya felt the most alone.
He just sat quietly in the corner, hugging his knees, staring blankly... as if his soul had gone with his grandmother.
All the residents came and helped Arya to prepare for her grandmother's funeral.
Don't forget to contact Imah's daughter who is in Jakarta working as a household assistant.
"Tuuuu.... Tuuuuu...
The telephone sounds
"Asalamualaikum" Greet Aida
"Waalaikumsalam, is it true that this is Aida's brother, Mrs. Siti's daughter. " Said Mr. RT
"Yes, that's right, I need something myself, sir. Aida asked
"I'm sorry first, I just want to provide important information, brother Ida, don't be surprised and calm yourself, that Siti's mother has passed away. " Said Mr. RT
Like being struck by lightning in the afternoon, Aida couldn't answer anything, her body felt weak and helpless as if the sky had fallen.
Aida immediately packed her belongings, because she wanted to return to her mother's hometown.
The day of the funeral arrived.
The red soil slowly covered the hole.
Every shovel of earth that fell... seemed to hit Arya's heart.
"Grandma... wait Arya..." he whispered softly, his voice almost lost in the wind.
The following days passed without color.
The house feels cold.
Quiet.
There was no more grandmother's voice calling his name. There were no more warm hugs every time he came home.
Arya changes.
He became silent. Silence. It was as if his heart was buried with his grandmother.
Six months passed.
Arya must now learn to survive on her own.
He does whatever he can - in the fields, helping neighbors - to stay alive and continue his studies. Her small body was forced to become strong, even though her heart was still fragile.
This morning…
"Arya is going to school, Bi..." he said softly while kissing his aunt's hand.
"... enthusiastic, huh. Grandma must be calm there... look at you strong like this..." Aida answered softly, her eyes a little teary.
Arya was silent for a moment.
Then…
He smiled a little.
A smile that still holds wounds, but also begins to hold hope.
"Yes, ma'am..."
Arya left on her old bicycle. The morning breeze touched his face, as if carrying a soft whisper from someone he missed very much.
In his shirt pocket…
He still has the ring.
And somehow—
Every time he holds it...
His heart felt a little warmer.
Over the past year, Arya felt like her life was slowly returning to color.
In the midst of the wounds of loss that have not yet fully healed, a girl named Wenda appears. His smile, his attention, and their togetherness—everything became a place for Arya to lean on silently. Without realizing it, the seeds of love grew so deep... so sincere.
And today, Arya decided.
He wants to be honest about his feelings.
With her heart pounding, Arya pedaled her old bicycle faster than usual. The morning breeze hit his face, but it couldn't beat the heat that spread from his chest. Every stroke seemed to bring hope.
"Today… I have to say…"
The journey that usually feels long, now feels short.
—
Time flies…
Report distribution is complete. The classroom atmosphere began to become noisy with the sound of students chatting with each other. But in the midst of the crowd, Arya only focused on one person.
His hands were shaking slightly. His breathing was irregular. But he still moved forward.
Every step feels heavy… but also full of hope.
And finally—
Arya stood right in front of Wenda.
All sounds around him seemed to disappear.
Without further hesitation, Arya knelt on one knee.
"Wenda..." his voice was a little shaky, but his eyes were full of confidence.
"We've been close for almost a year... and without me realizing it... I started to love you..."
He took a deep breath.
"Do… do you want to be my girlfriend?"
Some students started to pay attention. The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
Arya looked at Wenda expectantly.
A simple hope... that he kept all this time.
However—
Wenda just frowned.
His gaze was cold.
"Sorry, Ar… I'm not interested in you at all."
That sentence...
Like a knife.
Straight through Arya's chest without mercy.
The smile on Arya's face slowly disappeared. His eyes started to lose light.
"But… why, Wen…?" his voice was weak, almost inaudible.
"Isn't it… we've always been close…?"
Wenda laughed a little.
But that laugh... wasn't the warm laugh Arya had ever known.
The laughter was sharp. Painful.
"Heh... you don't realize that, do you, Ar?"
His tone turned cynical.
"You're just… a naughty person. Poor again."
Every word felt like a loud slap.
"Just so you know, I'm close to you just to benefit you. Doing my schoolwork."
Arya's world seemed to stop.
That very second.
His chest was tight. His breathing felt heavy. His legs seemed to have lost strength.
All the memories that he had considered beautiful... were destroyed instantly.
But Wenda hasn't stopped yet.
"And one more thing... I've been dating Andre for a year."
Arya was silent.
His heart was getting more and more broken.
"Can you compare to him?" Wenda continued without feeling guilty.
"He's rich, good at karate, can take care of me. Are you? What do you have?"
Every sentence seemed to destroy Arya's remaining self-esteem.
"You're just a poor kid… black… dirty… an orphan again…"
Wenda's voice grew louder.
"What's the benefit of me being your girlfriend?"
Silent.
The class suddenly fell silent.
Several students looked at each other, surprised… but no one dared to interrupt.
Arya stood stiffly.
His eyes were empty.
His lips trembled… but no words came out.
Her tears were held back... but they couldn't fall.
The pain is too deep.
Without saying anything else, Arya turned around.
The pace is fast.
Then it turned into running.
He ran out of the classroom… out of all the stares… out of all the wounds that had just destroyed him.
Behind the school...
Quiet place.
Arya stops.
His body trembled.
And finally—
Everything he had been holding back… collapsed.
"Why…?" his voice broke.
Tears flowed freely without stopping.
"Why should I…?"
He fell to the ground.
His hands clenched into tight fists, gripping the grass beneath him.
All this time…
He believes.
He hoped.
He loves sincerely.
But what he got...
Just a lie.
Just an insult.
Just a wound.
His crying got louder.
Sobbing.
Like a child who lost everything… again.
Between sobs, his hand unconsciously touched his shirt pocket.
The ring left by her grandmother.
He held it tightly.
As if looking for strength...
But this time…
Even the memories of grandma weren't enough to hold back the pain in her heart.
Arya looked down deeply.
Her tears continued to fall to the ground.
And for the second time in his life...
He felt completely alone.