COLORLESS LOVE
Anara is an orphan girl. Her father and mother died when Anara was 9 years old. Meanwhile, his twin brothers Afdhal Alif Fikrie and Akhtar Alfi Faizal are only 3 years old. At that time, Anara's parents would go to the market to sell. Anara's father is a chicken seller in the market, while Anara's mother is a vegetable trader. As usual, Anara's father and mother left the house early in the morning. They went around 2 am to get fresh vegetables from the wholesaler. And broiler chickens directly from breeders. That night it rained lightly, soaking the earth, causing the road to be slippery and Anara's father's eyesight to blur. Anara's father lost his balance, which caused the motorbike he was riding with his wife to roll over. Instantly, the motorbike hit the large truck in front of it, which caused Anara's father and mother to fall and get under the truck that was passing by. The bodies of Anara's father and mother were run over by a truck, so that their lives could no longer be saved and they died at the scene. Anara and her two younger twins Alif and Alfi are now orphans and live with their grandmother who loves them very much. Living in a shack house with her grandmother and her twin siblings does not make Anara feel humiliated and inferior. Anara grows into a beautiful girl who is smart, independent, smart, and also strong. In order to support her three grandchildren, Grandma Azizah sells yellow rice and various kinds of cheap fried foods in front of her house. Anara, who doesn't want to burden Grandma Azizah, sometimes helps Grandma Azizah by selling wet cakes that she makes herself. The knowledge that Anara got from her mother during her lifetime was really useful for her. Anara is good at making various cakes and various kinds of home cooking. Usually Anara will sell her cakes at school, offering them to her friends and teachers. After returning home from school, Anara returned with her wares to go around the village. After it's finished, then Anara will come home with the money from her merchandise.
Chapter 20
Neo and Anara looked very nervous when Grandma Azizah caught the two of them looking so deep, with the same longing after one night they didn't see each other.
"Neo?" Azizah's grandmother distracted the two of them.
"Eh? Grandma…?" Neo smiled stiffly.
"Is Belia all right?" Grandma Azizah asked when she saw the baby Belia crying in Neo's arms and struggling to be held by Anara.
"Eh? I'm here because Belia didn't sleep all night, she was fussy because she was looking for Anara. That's the reason I came here. Did Grandma allow Belia to stay here with Anara for one week? Do you mind if your time off is disturbed by Belia's presence here, Anara?" asked Neo.
"Eh? Of course not! I'm happy to be with Belia again. To be honest, I couldn't sleep well last night because I felt something was missing. This month I used to sleep hugging Belia, but last night I just hugged a bolster and I felt lonely." Anara said unconsciously.
"Re… really?" asked Neo as if he got a breath of fresh air to get an answer from Anara.
"Yes!" answered Anara with twinkling eyes.
"Then don't just stand at the door! Come on Anara, invite them in!" said Grandma Azizah.
"Will Grandma let us stay here for one week?" asked Neo again.
"Never mind just one week, if you guys want to stay here forever. Grandma will always be happy to welcome your presence here. You are happiness for Anara, meaning happiness for Granny too." Grandma Azizah's chatter made Neo happy, while Anara just looked down in embarrassment.
Neo finally handed Belia's baby to Anara after entering Grandma Azizah's house. Miraculously, suddenly the baby Belia stopped crying and was comfortable in Anara's arms.
"Meeting Belia's handler became silent!" Neo muttered which Anara and Grandma Azizah could still hear.
"Darling, do you miss Aunty? Last night Aunty also couldn't sleep without hugging you!" Anara kissed baby Belia's chubby cheeks which made her laugh happily.
Neo and Grandma Azizah smiled at the behavior of Anara and baby Belia, who seemed to have a strong bond between the two of them.
"Grandma, I brought pizza and kebabs for Alif, Alfi, Grandma, and also Grandpa Badrun." Neo gave a paper bag containing several boxes of pizza and kebabs to Grandma Azizah.
"Why bother bringing all the food?" asked Grandma Azizah feeling uncomfortable.
"No bother, Grandma! I purposely brought it to the family here. I also want to make Alif and Alfi happy. After all, they are also my brothers, right? Grandma has been very kind to me, and treats me like Grandma's own granddaughter." Neo said smiling happily.
"Thanks Neo!" Grandma Azizah hugged Neo full of emotion.
"You're welcome, Grandma! Let's eat together, okay?" invite Neo.
"Yes!" Grandma Azizah replied breaking her hug.
Anara looks happy looking at Grandma Azizah and Neo who love each other so much like a grandmother and her grandson. Neo's wealthy condition does not prevent him from loving Anara's family, which has economic limitations.
Anara believes that Neo and his family really really love their family well. Anara also feels that Neo is actually kind, friendly and compassionate.
"Why look at me like that?" asked Neo when he caught Anara staring at him without blinking a bit.
"Eh? Don't get carried away! Who's staring at you? I'm just happy to see Grandma smiling like that, a smile I rarely see from Grandma's face." Said Anara reasoned.
"Grandma can smile like this because of you, and Belia are here! Grandma is happy to have a new family like you." Azizah's grandmother replied to Anara and Neo's words.
Anara brought Belia's baby into her room by letting Neo and Grandma Azizah be in the living room. Anara doesn't want to make the atmosphere uncomfortable, because she has to argue with Neo.
"You iceberg! Once cold, always cold!" grumbled Anara annoyed.
"Mamamamama… mamamamama…" Belia's baby babbled as if responding to Anara.
"You understand, honey?" asked Anara making the baby Belia chuckle in her arms.
"Smart baby!" Anara's praise made the baby laugh loudly at Anara's words.
Neo heard the baby's laughter, who was so happy when he was with Anara. The laughter disappeared for a moment when Anara was away from Belia's baby. Neo is aware that Belia's baby cannot be separated from Anara and that can be the ultimate weapon for Neo not to be far from Anara.
"Eh? Why am I like this? It feels like something is missing when I'm away from Anara! Is this how you feel too, Belia?" thought Neo.
In the afternoon before the baby, Belia had finished bathing and dressed neatly. Anara wanted to invite baby Belia to sit on the terrace of her house while watching her twins Alif and Alfi playing with their friends.
"Alif, who is Sis Anara carrying?" asked Meilani, a friend of Alif and Alfi.
"He's a baby, Belia, nephew Brother Neo. They will stay here for a few days." Answer Alif smiling ba happy.
"Sister Anara and Brother Neo get along well if they are Belia Young's Daddy and Mommy! They look so good together!" whispered Faiz, another friend of Alif and Alfi.
"You're right! I also agree with you, Faiz!" he said.
"What are you whispering about?" asked Neo who actually already knew.
Hannan, Faiz, and Meilani looked tense when Neo approached them. Hannan covered his mouth, while Faiz and Meilani shook their heads.
"Well that's that then! If you don't want to talk to Brother. Don't expect Abang to give you the pizza and kebabs that Abang brought from town!" Neo's threats made Alif and Alfi's friends finally open their mouths.
"Brother Neo and Sister Anara, if they were Daddy and Mommy, they would be perfect! You guys make a perfect match and look perfect!" whispered Faiz chuckling.
"Is it true?" Neo's eyes lit up with a sweet smile rising at the corners of his lips.
"Yes!" replied Faiz, Hannan, and Meilani.
"So that's what you two were talking about?" asked Neo who immediately got a head nod from the sixth grader.
Neo was amused by Faiz's story, for some reason his heart suddenly felt filled with flowers when he heard the honesty of the three little kids. Neo's heart was beating very fast like after a marathon, especially now Anara was staring intently at him.
"Eh? Did Anara hear what we said?" thought Neo.
"Are they talking about me?" muttered Anara.
Anara and Neo were silent in their own thoughts, they stared at each other blankly. Until the inexperienced boy standing near Neo compactly cheered on Anara and Neo.
"Cieee… look at each other! Cieee stealing glances…! Cieee dating…!" cheered the three little boys friends of Alif and Alfi.
"Hushhh! You're too young to know you're dating!" Neo's protest made the little boy chuckle in unison, while Anara pursed her lips.
Afternoon turned to night, the baby Belia was fast asleep in Anara's room. Unlike yesterday at his house, baby Belia couldn't sleep because she missed Anara's hug, which always made her feel comfortable.
"Young Belia is sleeping?" asked Neo when he came home from the mosque after the evening prayer in congregation.
"Already!" Anara answered briefly.
"While Belia is already sleeping, let's have dinner first!" invite Grandma Azizah.
"Yes, Grandma! I'm hungry too!" answered Neo.
They had dinner in a warm atmosphere accompanied by conversation, which was occasionally interspersed with laughter from Neo, Alif and Alfi which made Anara laugh heartily.
"Anara really looks happy when she is with her family. Am I too bad for causing Anara to separate from her twin sisters and Grandma Azizah?" thought Neo.
"Brother, tomorrow we will join Grandpa, let's look for fish in the river!" ask Alif.
"Can! What time are we leaving tomorrow?" asked Neo.
"Usually in the afternoon so it's not hot." Answer Alfi.
"Good! Go home you have to catch a lot of fish! Let Sis make grilled fish when we have breakfast tomorrow." Anara said.
"Yeaay…!" screamed Alif and Alfi happily.
Neo watched Anara's twins, Alif and Alfi, laughing happily with them. It turns out that the happiness that Neo feels for Anara's family is very simple. Gathering together, chatting with each other sharing stories, even though life is lacking but they look happy. One thing that Neo never got from his family.
Money can really buy anything we want. But money can't buy happiness for someone like Anara. In fact, Anara is happier when she is with her simple family, rather than living in a luxurious house with Neo's family, who are all living well.
"Neo, you sleep in Alif and Alfi's room with them is it okay?" Grandma Azizah asked, interrupting Neo's reverie.
"It's okay, Grandma! I'm not anywhere, as long as I'm in this house I will definitely feel comfortable and can sleep soundly." Neo replied subconsciously glancing at Anara briefly.
"Eh? Why is he glancing at me like that?" Anara thought.
"Yeaay… sleep with Brother!" shouted Alif and Alfi happily spontaneously making Anara and Neo smile and look at each other.
"Well that's that then! It's already late, you guys go to sleep!" said Grandma Azizah.
Anara immediately went into her room, followed by Neo, Alif and Alfi. When Anara was about to close the door, she accidentally caught Neo's eye, who was also going to close the bedroom door while looking at her.
"Good night!" said Neo suddenly.
"Eh? Good night!" Anara replied and immediately closed the door of her room.
Anara's room and the rooms of her twin Brothers Alif and Alfi face each other. While Grandma Azizah's room was next to Anara's room which was located near the kitchen.
Grandma Azizah's house has three rooms, a living room which is quite large for a house in the village, and a kitchen which is attached to the dining room. While the bathroom is next to the kitchen, near the exit at the back.
"Why do I keep imagining Anara's face?" Neo thought to himself.
"Recently Brother Neo has been acting weird! Why is he? Is there something wrong with my attitude so far? But Brother Neo didn't tell me?" muttered Anara.
Anara and Neo are both lost in their own thoughts and feelings. Anara doesn't understand Neo's feelings for her, while Neo doesn't want to admit his feelings for Anara.
Two people who are of different ages with the same feelings but don't want to be honest about all the feelings that exist, just stay silent in the middle of the night. Shadows of the faces of the people she loves keep haunting Anara's and Neo's hearts and minds.