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 7
Neo opened the big white envelope very carefully. Worried that the envelope will be damaged.
"Scholarship? So Anara got a scholarship from the campus? Anara is great too!" praised Neo smiling proudly.
Neo read the contents of the letter carefully. His brows knit as he saw the writing after the writing in the letter.
"I entered that campus with hard work and struggle! But look Anara! She was able to get a scholarship because of his achievements. How good is Anara really?" muttered Neo.
Neo then stowed the large envelope back where it belonged. His eyes were now fixed on several piles of thick folders with the logo of a school. Neo grabbed it and opened the folder.
"Anara's grades are above average. That means she is indeed a very smart girl. It's not wrong if he gets a scholarship from the campus." Neo chuckled in awe with a faint smile on his lips.
After being satisfied with the contents of the map, Neo then put it back on Anara's study table. Neo then lay down on the narrow bed, just big enough for his athletic body.
Neo stares at the ceiling in Anara's room. Even though the room is narrow, it feels cool and very neatly arranged. Anara made the atmosphere of the room so comfortable that Neo felt like he was in a room in a villa.
"Is that a family photo of Anara?" Neo's eyes fixed on the photo hanging on the wall of Anara's room.
"Beautiful Anara! Exactly like her graceful mother, but Anara's face is dominant of her father." Neo muttered chuckling.
The night was getting late, finally Neo fell asleep in his sleep. I don't know which second Neo fell asleep hugging Anara's photo while on the riverbank under a waterfall alone.
"Only you can make Anara happy… Anara's father entrusted her to you, be a protector for Anara. Don't hurt Anara, love Anara like you love yourself…" the voice of a man whose face looked pale still kept ringing in Neo's ears.
Neo woke up with a little shortness of breath, his chest heaving up and down abysmally. Sweat poured down his forehead and all over his body.
"What dream am I? Why is it so real? And who is that person?" Neo said shuddering.
Neo got up from his position with his hands still hugging Anara's photo. Neo's eyes were completely opened when the dawn call to prayer was heard in the mosque.
"Eh? So last night I slept hugging Anara's photo? No wonder I had such a strange dream!" Neo muttered then got up and put Anara's photo back in its place.
Neo smells cooking coming from the kitchen. The smell of cooking is really appetizing, that's what Neo has felt since Anara became his personal assistant. This time, Neo is sure that Anara is cooking in the kitchen.
"Neo? You're awake, son?" asked Grandma Azizah who had just come out of the bathroom.
"I want to take a bath as well as ablution too, Grandma!" said Neo who was ready with a towel over his shoulder.
Anara, who was still cooking, didn't look at all, she kept her focus on her cooking utensils. Neo, who realized that, only stared at Anara's back, who was still struggling with her cooking activities.
"Let Granny prepare breakfast for us! You immediately tidy up your room again, so that Neo can be comfortable when he returns from the bathroom because his room is tidy." Asked Grandma Azizah.
"Fine, Grandma!" Anara immediately went to her room.
Anara cleaned up her bed and then swept the floor of the shiny cot. While Anara was tidying up the study table, Neo came with only a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Anara, you…?" Neo's eyes widened when he saw Anara in the room.
"So… sorry, sir! Granny told me to tidy up the room while Master was taking a bath." Anara looked down in fear.
Anara immediately reached for the doorknob, but Anara didn't expect Neo to lock her bedroom door, which made Anara hesitate to open her own bedroom door.
"Why?" Neo asked looking at Anara's face who now returned his gaze.
Their eyes met each other for several seconds. Don't ask how the two of them felt, both Anara and Neo were both beating fast when they met each other's gazes.
"Excuse me…!" Anara immediately turned around and tried to open the locked door of her room.
"Don't you ever lock your bedroom door, Anara?" Neo tries to help Anara who has difficulty unlocking her own bedroom door.
Anara's face felt hot when Neo was near her. The torn bread that was in front of Anara's eyes, made her heart not stop pounding. Anara can see how beautiful Neo's body is with just a towel wrapped around it from the waist to the knees.
"Th… thank you, Master!" Anara immediately came out of the room with a downcast face, while Neo only smiled faintly barely visible.
"What a cute girl!" muttered Neo.
Breakfast is served on the dining table. Alif and Alfi who are going to school are ready with their school clothes.
Today there is a distribution of report cards at her school, and Grandma Azizah will go with Alif and Alfi after breakfast to bring the report cards for her twin grandsons.
"Anara, today Grandma has to go to school for your younger siblings. If you don't mind Grandma asking you to go to the market to buy ingredients for Grandma to sell, is that okay?" Grandma Azizah said when she finished breakfast.
"Yes, Grandma! Later I will go to the market to buy all the groceries you need." Anara said happily.
Neo saw that the interactions between Anara, Grandma Azizah, and her twins Alif and Alfi were very well connected and full of warmth. One thing that Neo never got from his family so far.
"Can I go to Alif and Alfi's school, Grandma?" asked Neo suddenly.
"You want to follow Grandma to school?" Grandma Azizah asked back.
"Yes, Grandma! Let me know where Alfi and Alif's school is. I also want to take a walk around this village, before I return to the city later." said Neo flatly.
"Then you should just follow Anara to the market. Because all the way to the market, you will see around the village with beautiful views. You two go on foot." Grandma Azizah's advice.
"Is not it?" asked Neo getting interested.
"Yes! Just try it!" said Grandma Azizah convincingly.
"Okay! I'll just go with Anara to the market then." Neo finally agrees with Grandma Azizah's suggestion.
After Grandma Azizah went to school with Alif and Alfi, now it's Anara's turn to go to the market accompanied by Neo.
There was no conversation between Neo and Anara, both of them were silent. Anara walked first followed by Neo who followed behind Anara.
"Is it still far?" Neo asked breaking the silence.
"Soon." replied Anara.
"That's right Grandma said! Here the view is great! Very pleasing to the eye." Neo's voice is low.
Anara only heard without wanting to comment. Because Anara knows that her master is just muttering to himself. Anara doesn't want to be seen as close to her Master, that's because Anara prefers to be silent.
"What is the market?" asked Neo when he saw the crowd ahead.
"Well!" Anara answered briefly.
Anara buys various needs for Grandma Azizah to sell. Seeing only a few groceries that Anara brought, Neo then offered to buy other necessities but Anara refused.
"Why did you refuse it? For one month you worked to be my assistant, now I will pay you like you have worked for me." Neo clearly doesn't like Anara's rejection.
"But… didn't I work only as a contract for the mistakes I did, sir? If you pay me the same I violate the cooperation contract agreement!" said Anara plainly.
Neo thought for a moment then confirmed Anara's words. But his conscience says otherwise, Neo doesn't want to see Grandma Azizah and Anara's twin sisters, Alif and Alfi, short of food when Anara goes with him to the city.
"I bought something not for you! But for Granny, Alif, and Alfi. I have to be responsible and make sure that later they will not live in shortage when you work in my house for 9 months. I don't want to be accused of being a cruel and heartless human." Neo said at length making Anara's eyes widen hearing Neo's words.
"Eh? Usually she's very irritable when she talks?" Anara thought.
After finishing shopping and buying necessities for Grandma Azizah, Neo asked Anara to go home immediately because it was already noon.
"Sir, when we are tired we can go home by motorcycle taxi!" Anara's suggestion.
"No! I want to go home on foot!" Neo replied.
"But sir! It's tough and home is still far away. Sir, you'll be tired and overheated." said Anara reasoned.
"Why? You doubt my ability?" asked Neo sarcastically.
"Mom… that's not what I meant!" Anara became silent for fear of speaking the wrong word again.
When Anara was walking with Neo, suddenly a group of pickpockets blocked Anara and Neo's way.
"Haaah… you finally came, sweet child!" shouted one of the pickpockets making Anara suddenly surprised.
"What do you want?" asked Anara with a scared face.
"Don't play dumb, sweet girl! Because of you the other day we had to lose a victim and we couldn't have a good meal!" said one of them.
"Anara who are they?" asked Neo seeing the fear on Anara's face.
"They're the ones who chased me into your car, sir!" Anara replied afraid.
Neo then nodded in understanding. Then Neo stored the groceries he had bought earlier by placing them under his feet.
"Are you shameless attacking a girl by fighting her in a crowd like this?" Neo sneered making the pickpockets furious.
"Don't meddle in our business! You have nothing to do with us! Get out of the way!" one of the pickpockets pushed Neo's body staggering backwards.
"Sir!" screamed Anara pulled Neo's hand tightly.
Tap…!
Neo immediately grabbed Anara's hand and pulled Anara's body aside. But Anara's hand movement actually brought Anara into Neo's arms, instantly their bodies were close to each other with a distance that eroded the two of them so close.