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 10
Neo stared at Anara who was still frozen while looking down. Instantly Neo smiled faintly almost imperceptibly. Neo felt exasperated seeing Anara like that.
"Okay! One week I will give you the opportunity to get together with Grandma and your twin brothers, after that we will leave here and you are ready to be my nephew's nanny!" Neo said making Anara nod her head.
"Is it true?" Anara immediately lifted her face with twinkling eyes.
"Hmm." Neo nodded slowly.
"Thank you for your generosity, sir." Anara cupped her hands in front of her chest.
Neo didn't respond to Anara's words, he immediately walked away leaving Anara who was still struggling with her work in the kitchen.
"Can I help, Grandma?" asked Neo when he saw Grandma Azizah packing the wet cakes ordered by the owner to be brought soon.
"No need, boy! You better just rest in your room! It's just a little bit more, it'll be over soon. Alif and Alfi have also helped Grandma." Grandma Azizah answered.
"Then where are Alif and Alfi now?" asked Neo then.
"Usually... they play outside with their friends, you know!" point to Grandma Azizah.
Neo smiled when he saw Alif and Alfi playing in front of Grandma Azizah's house with their friends.
"Can you come to play?" asked Neo to Alif, Alfi, and his friends.
"Come on, Brother! Come with us to play!" shouted Alif.
Neo happily got down from Grandma Azizah's stilt house and approached Alif and Alfi who were playing with their friends.
"Looks like that young man is having a lot of fun with those kids!" Grandfather Badrun secretly watched Neo from behind the window of his house.
While playing in the yard, it suddenly rained heavily without any warning. Finally the game ended and they dispersed.
"Tomorrow we play again!" exclaimed one of Alfi and Alif's friends.
"Yes!" said Alif.
"See you tomorrow!" shouted Alif and Alfi's friends.
"Okay!" replied Alif and Alfi in unison.
Neo immediately invites Alif and Alfi into the house. Neo's clothes were a little wet from the rain, while Alif and Alfi were only wet on their hair because Neo protected the twins when it rained.
"Have fun playing just now?" asked Grandma Azizah.
"Happy, Grandma! What's more, brother Neo is also playing." said Alif happily.
Anara came from the kitchen carrying snacks she made from bananas as the main ingredient. Don't forget that Anara also brings warm tea with you when it rains.
"Wooow… what is this, Sis?" Alif cheers and Alfi is happy.
"Neo, let's eat! I hope you like this food." said Grandma Azizah.
Neo immediately tasted the various wet cakes that Anara had brought to eat together. Neo seemed to really enjoy the food.
While enjoying togetherness while eating various wet cakes made by Anara. The electricity at Grandma Azizah's house went off spontaneously making Alif and Alfi scream in surprise.
Anara herself immediately looked for Grandma Azizah's whereabouts. Anara groped around, until finally Anara found the touch of a hand that felt warm.
"Grandma, I'm scared! Granny is still here with me, okay?" Anara whispered that Neo could still hear.
It was very dark outside because of the rain, plus the power cut so that it was also dark inside the house. And that made Anara, who was afraid of the dark, tremble and hug someone close to her.
"Why is the light taking so long? I'm already scared, Grandma!" muttered Anara softly.
There was no sound but Anara could feel her arms hugging someone's body. Anara was really scared and hoped the lights would come back on soon.
"Anara's hands are so cold!" Neo thought in the dark.
There was no sound, only the sound of Anara's breathing, which was hunting for fear of the dark, but after a while the voice sounded quiet and slow.
"Is Anara sleeping?" thought Neo softly feeling Anara's head resting on his shoulder.
"Grandma forgot we don't have candles for us tonight. Forced we can only be silent in the dark. Hopefully the power will be on soon." Grandma Azizah said not far from where Neo was sitting at this time.
"It's okay, Grandma! After all, this isn't Grandma's fault either, and this power outage wasn't intentional, right?" Neo asked in response to Grandma Azizah's words.
"True, but we can't do anything in the dark like this. How can we not know that it is time for the evening prayer or not?" Grandma Azizah said again.
Silence returned. Suddenly Neo felt that Anara's body was slowly sagging and now Anara's head was on Neo's lap.
"Oh God! Why is my heart back like this? These few days I feel that I'm not okay! My heart often beats fast and feels uncomfortable, I don't know why it can be like this." Neo thought lightly squeezing his chest.
"Anara, why have you been quiet since the lights went out? Usually he is very scared and looking for me to be hugged! Is he embarrassed because of Neo? thought Grandma Azizah.
When Neo and Grandma Azizah were in their own thoughts. Suddenly the lights came back on brightly in the very narrow 3x3 living room.
Grandma Azizah was surprised when she found Anara fast asleep on Neo's lap, hugging Neo's sturdy waist.
Finding his body embraced by Anara, Neo's chest was pounding again very fast. What's more when the lights are on and Grandma Azizah sees it.
"Anara! Wake up, Anara!" Azizah's grandmother feels bad for Neo, with Anara's condition.
"Anara! Get up!" Neo helped wake up Anara.
"Emmmpppttt…" Anara stretched as she opened her eyes.
When she realized that she was asleep on Neo's lap, Anara immediately got up with her pillow face typical of people waking up.
"So… sorry!" Ana's voice was hoarse.
"Looks like it's past noon. It's better for us to do ablution first and then pray in congregation here." said Grandma Azizah, unraveling the tension between Anara and Neo.
"Emm… yes, Grandma! I'm going to the bathroom first!" Anara said, looking down in embarrassment.
Neo stared at Anara with a flat gaze without any expression at all. The pounding in his chest was no longer felt at this time.
After the congregational prayer, Anara with Grandma Azizah and her twin brothers Alif and Alfi and Neo were sitting in the dining room which is still attached to the kitchen.
They are currently having dinner together. Anara sat next to Grandma Azizah while Alif and Alfi were in front of her.
While Neo sits separately between Grandma Azizah and Alif. They ate in silence enjoying their dinner.
Three days later…
"You guys are going back to town tomorrow?" asked Grandma Azizah when they finished dinner and sat together in the living room.
"Yes, Grandma! Hopefully there are no obstacles." answered Neo.
"Grandma entrust Anara with you, Neo! Please take care of Anara for Grandma. If Anara makes a mistake, be nice to her, never yell at her because Grandma has never yelled at her or even scolded Anara in her life. She's an obedient girl." said Grandma Azizah.
"Sure, Grandma!" that's all Neo said.
Finally, Neo came back to town, taking Anara with him. Because starting today Anara will work as a caretaker in the Neo family's residence.
"Enter!" Neo orders.
"Yes sir!" Anara followed Neo from behind.
"This is your room!" Neo showed Anara a room big enough.
"That's huge, sir? Isn't this too much?" Anara asked nervously.
"I don't like rejection!" Neo then left Anara in her room.
Anara just took a deep breath and then entered the room and cleaned up all her belongings into the cupboard that was already available in her room.
"Hello Belia, honey…!" Neo said making Anara plug her ears while in her room.
"Did that girl named Belia come here?" muttered Anara.
"Anara!" Neo exclaimed.
"Yes sir!" Anara's eyes stared unblinkingly at a beautiful baby in Neo's arms.
"It's Young! From now on you will look after and care for Belia! Do your job well! Just a little bit of Belia's skin to abrasion, I will not let you go!" Neo's threats made Anara swallow her own saliva with difficulty.
"Emmm… well, Master!" Anara said slowly.
Neo then handed Belia's baby to Anara. Seeing Belia comfortable and quiet in Anara's arms, made Neo smile almost imperceptibly.
"Soon it will be time for Belia to have her meal ready!" said Neo leaving Anara and Belia in Anara's room.
Neo places Anara in the same room with baby Belia, because Neo wants Belia to be accompanied by Anara when she sleeps during the day and at night. That way Anara can freely look after and care for Young's baby.
"You are so beautiful, honey! If it's like this, I won't refuse to work until the cooperation contract is over, even if you don't need me anymore! Even if I have to deal with icebergs every day." Anara chuckled, and as if understanding Anara's words, the young baby also chuckled in Anara's arms.
Neo, who was quietly peeking from outside Anara's room, only shook his head when he heard Anara's chatter to the baby Belia.
"It's great if you can make my Belia smile like that, Anara!" muttered Neo as he stepped away from Anara and Belia's room.
Anara was busy feeding Belia's baby, when suddenly a woman came up to her and asked Anara.
"Who are you?" asked the woman who was still very beautiful at her age who had entered her four heads.
"I am Ana! I am the babysitter of the baby that was brought by Mr. Neo." answered Anara kindly.
"Neo? Brought you here to be Belia's nanny?" asked the beautiful woman surprised.
"That's right, Madam!" replied Anara firmly.
"That's great! That way I can relax a bit if Bella is babysitting." The old madam then left Anara and Belia's baby in the dining room.
Anara continued to feed Belia's baby until the baby porridge in Belia's baby bowl ran out. Neo, who saw that from a distance, smiled contentedly with Anara's work making Belia's baby comfortable when she was around him.
"It's not wrong for me to ask you to be a nanny for my niece, Belia!" muttered Neo.