Sad news

Aruna was silent, watching Ardan from bottom to top carefully, thinking about what she should do with the stubborn guest in front of her.

"Hurry up, please!" shouted Ardan, scolding Aruna, "I can't take this long," he said, urging Aruna.

"Um, just like this..." said Aruna nonchalantly as Ardan's face returned to his serious attitude, ''It said you were the little brother of my father...."

"That's not what it said!... But, I'm his little brother," interrupted Ardan, who was impatient.

''Yeah, I know. Be patient, please... sir, listen to my explanation first. Why are you so impatient!?'' shouted Aruna, scolding, ''Okay, hurry up!'' shouted Ardan, immediately replying.

''Well, that means... I call you uncle (Mamang)... Because you are the little brother of my father. If that's the case, you must have my father's telephone number... Just wait a minute!" exclaimed Aruna, remembering something, she asked Ardan to wait with his hand code, "Sorry, I'll close the door first..." said Aruna, still calmly. polite, but she still closed the door and even locked it.

''Ah!'' said Ardan, flabbergasted with raised eyebrows, ''That kid... Twice... Damn!'' Ardan continued with his words broken in his high intonation even though only in his heart, ''So alert... She locked the door, even twice... Oh my, that girl!" exclaimed Ardan in his heart still with the same intonation, "What, I look really scary right now..." said Ardan muttering while shaking his head, after all he complained in his heart earlier, venting his frustration with Aruna's treatment of him.

Ardan was shocked to hear the sound of the door being locked. He stood still, still thinking about being locked outside and unable to enter the house where he was born and raised for decades. Ardan was shocked to hear the sound of the door being locked twice, making him stroke his chest while shaking his head. He was proud of the alert attitude of the young girl in front of him, but he was also annoyed because he was the victim of a misunderstanding there.

Not long after Aruna entered, the device in Ardan's jacket pocket vibrated and made a sound. It turned out that Aruna called her stepfather's cellphone number, and it turned out that now her stepfather's smartphone was in Ardan's hands.

"Assalamu alaikum father..." said Aruna when her father's cell phone answered the call.

"Wa alaikum salam wr wb... Yes, this is Mr Arga's cellphone but unfortunately, he is not there..." said Ardan, answering Aruna's telephone call.

Ardan answered Aruna's telephone call from the front door of the locked house. Aruna immediately opened the locked door with her hand holding the smartphone to her ear. She looked at Ardan who was still standing straight in front of the door with his face looking at Aruna, who was still alert.

"How come you have father's cell phone with you..." said Aruna, asking with an astonished face and looking sharply at Ardan. But, before she had finished speaking, Ardan immediately grabbed her words, "Yes! His phone with me, Ardan!" shouted Ardan, interrupting Aruna's speech, who was silent with a frown, "So, this is what I want to talk about... How?... Still not believe it... What else do you need proof?" said Ardan, asking in a pressing tone of voice and a soft made-up face but saying that "what did I say" was what the expression on Ardan's face said.

''Um... That... Anu... No need. Just come in...'' said Aruna haltingly. She was still hesitant and doubtful but obeyed the logic just now.

Aruna was surprised, it turned out that it was her stepfather's younger brother whom she had only met once, four years ago, at her parents' wedding. At that time, Ardan's face did look unkempt but he still looked neat, perhaps because he was attending a wedding.

Naturally, the Ardan she saw now was much messier than the man he saw at his parents' wedding party. His long hair was still the same as before, but his long hair was messy and just tied up in a messy bun. Not to mention his mustache and beard, which cover almost half of his face. Previously, his mustache and beard were very thin, but now his mustache and beard are so thick that only his eyes can be seen. Currently, Ardan is only wearing torn jeans and a jacket that looks dull and dirty and has dust everywhere, all of which adds to his gloomy face and appearance.

Aruna finally invited Ardan to come in and sit on the living room sofa, and then Aruna came in for a moment to get a glass of drinking water for Ardan. After Aruna calmed down and completely believed what Ardan said that she was her stepfather's younger brother, Aruna could sit down and listen carefully to what Ardan would say next. Aruna looked nervous and her face was shocked when Ardan explained everything that happened earlier at the hospital to Aruna. Aruna looked tense at the start, although not complete. Slowly but surely, Aruna tries to stay still, is calm, and can accept all of Ardan's explanations well. She seemed silent and had very little reaction, but her eyes looked dull as if they had lost their light.

**

"Okay, let's go to the hospital now!" shouted Aruna as she exited the living room sofa.

''Can you go alone, to the hospital?'' asked Ardan, ''I was told to pick up someone by my brother's order. But, he said, you just go to the hospital first... That's what he said," said Ardan, continuing.

''Yes,'' answered Aruna while nodding, ''Okay, Aruna will go alone now...'' said Aruna again and immediately walked to the room to get something.

"Aruna, wait!" shouted Ardan, holding Aruna, making Aruna focus on looking at Ardan with a questioning face. "My brother ordered me again, he said, I was told to call your uncle (Mamang)..." Ardan continued.

"Mamang Aruna?... Which one?" asked Aruna, confused.

"I don't know either, but my brother said he is the one who still likes giving money to Aruna," Ardan answered nonchalantly.

''Mang Tatang?!'' Aruna replied affirmatively.

''Yes, maybe...'' said Ardan resignedly.

"What for?" asked Aruna. She was even more confused now.

''I don't know,'' Ardan answered calmly, ''The important thing now is that I'll do it first. Do you have his phone number?'' Ardan asked then.

"It's here... Wait a minute..." Aruna answered as she took out her device and scrolled through the contacts on her smartphone.

"Where?... Come, give it to me!" exclaimed Ardan, who also prepared his smartphone.

Aruna took out her device and immediately looked for her uncle's contact number. She then gave it to Ardan. After everything was finished, Aruna went into the room to get a jacket and everything she needed to go to the hospital to meet her stepfather who was critical in the ICU.

''Why are you carrying a helmet?!'' Ardan exclaimed with a serious face.

''Oh, this!... of course I do. If I don't wear a helmet, I'll get a ticket from the police, it'll take a long time,'' Aruna answered innocently.

"Hey, do you go to the hospital, bring your own motorbike, ride it by yourself?" asked Ardan, pausing each sentence.

"Yes," Aruna answered seriously, "Why?" asked Aruna in surprise.

''No!'' shouted Ardan firmly, ''I'll just call an online motorbike taxi!'' said Ardan, then immediately took out his device again.

"No need, Aruna has a motorbike. Let me...'' said Aruna, politely refusing. She didn't want to bother Ardan, for whom he was still a stranger she had just met.

"Aruna!" exclaimed Ardan, patting Aruna's head gently, "Listen to me!... I'm older than you, so obey!" Ardan exclaimed commandingly. He interrupted Aruna, who had not finished speaking.

Ardan doesn't want anything to happen to the child and he doesn't know what she's thinking right now. Aruna looked normal but her shaking hands holding the helmet made Ardan's heart uneasy.

Aruna remained silent and did not speak again after Ardan gave her strict orders. Ardan immediately typed something on his device calling for an online motorcycle taxi for Aruna. Ten minutes later, the motorbike taxi that was ordered arrived and immediately took Aruna to her destination.

"Strange girl, she's too calm..." said Ardan as he watched Aruna walk away, "She was surprised when I told her that her mother had died. But, how come, it seems... the reaction is too flat. It's like something isn't working properly... But, what, huh?!'' Ardan exclaimed, muttering to himself. ''The response... What, huh? There was a response, but it was too vague. But I'm very sure that the child's heart is very sad," said Ardan again, still muttering to himself, "Her face is very flat, just stunned?!...almost without expression..." Ardan was still muttering alone to himself. terrace of the house, ''Hey, what was I thinking?!'' exclaimed Ardan asking himself, ''How come the impression is, I want that girl to cry uncontrollably... But, never mind crying out loud. That girl is calm," he said, still surprised by Aruna's attitude.

Ardan grumbled as he looked at Aruna's back as she left him. Ardan couldn't stop thinking, he was confused and hesitated to convey the sad news to Aruna. On the road, he imagined how Aruna would cry uncontrollably when this news reached her. But, it turns out everything missed Ardan's imagination and instead surprised him.

**