Bitter Rendezvous

A man walked along a small dike in the middle of wheat farm. He sometimes wagged his hand and greeted some people who were busy to clean the farm from grass. With a big bundle of fresh grass on his shoulder, he walked very carefully on the narrow and slippery dike. His own sweat wet his strong and powerful body. The sun radiated hotly but he never mind it because the sun helped to grow the farm and the grass for his cows.
He kept walking toward the building across the wheat farm. As he walked, the wheat leaves spread across the path and he pushed him aside with his left arm.
He stopped in front of the fence in the end of the dike. There across the fence, was the building he walked for with its old wood wall and large yard around it. He walked through the fence and entered to the building.
“Hi guys, how are you? Sorry, your breakfast is late today” He spoke while putting down the grass he carried. He never got answer but he like to greet them every day.
“Eat much! After this, I had to clean the farm. I’ll be back in the afternoon to take your milk. He kept talking while dividing the grass for the cows.
The cows seemed understand what he said. They ate the grass as the man put it in front of them. Seeing the cows ate the grass greedily, a satisfied smile came out on the man’s lips.
“Good. Eat much and give me lot of milk. I need money from your milk. I am homesick. Three years apart from home is really a serious sadness. I miss all I had leaved and I want to repay all I had leaved after this”.
After talking with his cows, the man took his sickle. He grinded it, then walked out toward the wheat farm next to the yard of the building. When he reached the wheat farm, he stopped. He looked around for a while. A few second then, he jumped to the wheat farm and disappeared into the wheat.
****
Eliza Pratiwi sat in the edge of her bed while looking out to the small pine forest beyond. There, she could hear the sound of the stream of Queen River. Her memory was flashback to the past time. Under the rain and thunder, she saw herself played water with a man. They were wet but happy. They used to play and swim in that river. There was a pine tree in the edge of the river, where they used to take rest. They made a cradle from rope under the tree. Accompanied by the sound of the stream, the singing of bird and the blossom flower, they used to sing songs, laughed and cried together in that place. There was the place they shared everything and the place they declared a promise of love.
“Oh My God, what am I doing? I have a new life now. Why should I remember the past?” she spoke to herself. She shook her head while smiling and went to the bathroom.
The rain had stopped when a horn of car rang in front of Eliza’s house. A good-looking man sat in the driving seat waiting for Eliza. He gave a smile when Eliza came out from her house.
”Good morning Eliza. You are wonderful today” The man greeted Eliza as she reached the car.
“Morning Dion. Stop threat me so. You never give up uh?” Eliza laughed.
“Never. You know that. It’s really hard to win you heart, fkwasn’t it?” the man called Dion also laughed.
“I know” Eliza smiled.
That the way why she loved him so much. She remembered three years ago, Dion tried to get her love but she didn’t open yet her heart to someone else after her boyfriend leaved her. Dion never give up. He did all he could do to attract her. Leaved by her boy, she fell into depression and suicide treatment. Dion came to amuse her and brought her a new life. When Eliza was sad and cried, Dion appeared to change it into happiness and laugh. If she was in fear and loneliness, Dion brought her strength for her soul. That was why she couldn’t lose or apart from him anymore. Not for the second time, she thought. Therefore, after waiting for one year, Eliza accepted Dion’s love.
“Here we go. We are in campus now my princess” Dion’s voice broke Eliza’s dream. He parked his car and opened the car’s door for Eliza. Then, they walked together into their campus.

****

An old Chevrolet stopped in the edge of road beside the wheat farm. The birds that were eating the wheat ran away as the car door opened. A little blonde girl got off from the car, followed by a young girl. The young girl smiled looking at the large farm in front of her. As the wind blew, she closed her blue eyes and felt the smell of wheat came in her nose.
“Come on Ms. Evelyn. This way” The little girl took her arm and led her to the small dike in the middle of the farm.
The dike was slippery and they walked carefully. They sometimes jumped to avoid the hole. Few minutes then, they arrived in the end of the dike and a yard crossed their sight.
“There is my father’s husbandry. I guess my Odd Brother is feeding the cows there” The little girl pointed the building in the middle of the yard.
Then, the little girl ran to the building “Odd Brother! Where are you?” She yelled.
Hearing someone called him, the man inside the building stopped on his work. His face changed into a curious mimic. He knew the voice. Carla Rake, the daughter of Rake Douglas, the owner of the husbandry and the wheat farm who he lived with, owned the voice. He ran to the door “Yeah, I am here Carla,” He shouted while opening the door. A little girl stood in front of the door smiled at him.
“Hi, Naughty girl, what are you doing here?” The man asked the girl.
“I am not naughty. I am a good girl” the little girl showed her disappointed face.
“Okay, good girl” The man amused her. He took her hands hugged her and kissed her forehead.
The girl smiled while closing her nose “You are bad smell, Odd Brother” She laughed.
“That’s Cow’s perfume,” The man laughed also.
“Are you both laughed at me?” a voice broke their laugh.
The man turned around slowly. A beautiful smile from a pretty face fetched his view.
“Evelyn Rose? Why are you here?” The man asked clumsily.
“Evan Adam, do you forget that this is my hometown? I had finished my study in Canberra and I am back to my home now. Today, I came to visit you. Long time no see, right?” The young girl called Evelyn answered.
“Welcome home Evelyn” The man said.
“Well Evan. Come on. I miss the way we fed and squeezed the milk” Evelyn took Evan’s arm and pulled him into the building.
Carla had been inside first. Acting like her father, she moved around to watch and checked the cows one by one. “Good job, Evan” she imitated her father’s sentences.
Evan smiled “Thank you Miss. Douglas”
All laughed seeing Carla’s action.

****

It was late in the afternoon when Evan, Evelyn and Carla arrived at the village where they lived. They passed the gate written, “Welcome to The Divine Home”. It was a small isolated village about thousand miles from the capital city of Australia in the north. The nearest town was “Great Hour” 350 miles from Divine Home. Evan remembered 3 years ago, when he was the first time opened his eyes after sleeping for almost a month, he could count the number of houses there. Years after years, the house added two fold.
Carla and Evan got off from the car when Mrs. Rake Douglas waited in front of the door smiling at them. Evelyn took permission to go home. She turned her Chevrolet and drove it to a two floors house near to the God’s Hand Hospital. It was a small hospital where Evan treated after he got an accident. The one who found him collapsed near the estuary of River Angel was Mr. Rake. Evan was on duty as student exchange when a big wave capsized his ship and casted him away in that small village. At first, he didn’t remember anything. He only found himself lied on the bed with medicine aromatic around him. The doctor concluded that he got temporary amnesia.
Mr. Rake Douglas family treated him like their family. He regarded Evan as his son. Evelyn Rose, Mr. Rake’s neighbor was the one, who looked after her in the hospital, visited Evan every day. She brought him looking around the village. Evan then, fell in love to Evelyn but he never expressed it. Evelyn also looked happy with him. She taught Evan how to feed and took the milk of the cows.
A half year tortured with his feeling, Evan decided to say his love to Evelyn. That was the sound of River Angel became the witness. In the edge of the river, when the sun was going to set in the west, Evan expressed his love.
“I’d like to tell you something, Eve” his voice trembled.
“Yes. Just tell me” Evelyn smiled.
Evan rose from his seat and stood in front of Evelyn. “Would you like to be my girlfriend?” He said nervously.
“Ha ha ha “Evelyn laughed loudly.
Why are you laughing? Is it wrong to love somebody?” Evan protested.
“No, I just never guessed you’d say that. I thought you‘d never” Evelyn rose from her seat. She took water on her hand and washed her face.
“So, what is your answer?” Evan said.
Evelyn took a long breathe. She looked at Evan deeply. “Evan, I can’t…”Evelyn paused.
“Just tell me Eve, I am ready to hear everything, even though I never expected it,” Evan said in desperation. He almost didn’t have power to speak louder.
Evelyn walked back to her seat. “Evan, I can’t refuse you because I love you too” She smiled.
Evan was surprised with the answer but he was very happy. He stood and screamed loudly but unfortunately, he stepped too close with the edge of the river. He lost his balance and fell down into the river. Evelyn laughed at him. Evan also laughed at his fool.
Their happiness was very short. They enjoyed their relation only three months. Evan was broken hearted when Evelyn suddenly came with tears on her eyes. She was sent by her parents to study in a university in the Capital city for three years. She told to Evan to look for another girl if he couldn’t wait her.
Leaved by Evelyn, Evan’s life changed into loneliness and sadness. He got depression. He acted like crazy man. One day, he came to the River Angel. He dreamt there. He laughed alone and screamed loudly in the edge of the river. He suddenly slipped and fell down. His head crashed a hard stone and made him collapse. After that incident, Evan’s memory was back little by little. Mr. Rake and Mrs. Rake decided to return his wallet that they got from evan’s pocket when they found him in the estuary of River Angel. Inside was Evan’s picture with a pretty girl and a card identity. That really helped him getting his memory. Finally, two years after that incident, he got back his memory. He then worked hard to get money that he planned to use to come back to his real family where he supposed to be there by that time.


****

Dion Kamajaya helped Eliza out from the car. Eliza walked with a fold on her eyes. They walked into their favorite restaurant where they used to visit.
“Now open your blind fold” Dion asked when they were in a room.
As Eliza opened the fold, she couldn’t speak seeing what she saw. A dining table with meals on it decorated in pink suit filled her eyes. “Oh my Goodness, is this all for me?” she smiled at Dion. Her face was very happy. She never guessed that Dion had managed a candle light dinner for her.
“Close your eyes” Dion said after Eliza sat on her chair.
“Come on Dion, What else?” Eliza smiled. She wanted to object but she couldn’t fight against her curiosity to know the next surprise from Dion. She closed her eyes. As she opened her eyes, she froze. She couldn’t believe what she saw. A diamond ring stack on it box lied on the table.
Dion took the ring and lifted Eliza’s hand. “Eliza Pratiwi, will you marry me?”
Eliza was still silent. “Yes” She answered shortly.

****

“Are you sure with your decision?”Mrs. Rake asked Evan while putting two cups of coffee on the table.
“I have to, mom. I have family there and I have leaved them in worries about me for many years,” Said Evan bitterly.


Tobe continued...