He had stood in front of that woman's jewelry store window for more than thirty minutes, considering whether to enter or not. Half of his heart refused, but the other half forced him to be shoved amongst all that sparkling jewelry.

 

There are so many ways to express affections, but there’s only this way known by Dodo suited him.

 

He wasn’t like other person who can sing a serenade for his loved one, he didn’t want to throw his pride by saying "I love you" plainly, and he wasn’t sure he could make his girlfriend laugh with his jokes.

 

Actually he had been aware of this fact for a long time. A fact that actually Helen Putri shouldn’t be with a guy like him. That sweet girl can get a better man...

 

Dodo shook his head, trying to drive out bad thoughts that keep popping up. Taking a deep breath for the last time, he pushed that glass door.

 

---***---

 

Dodo walked cheerfully, twirling the pink bag in his hand. After draining his energy and brain in that shop for two hours, finally he got what he wanted; a simple bracelet which he thought will suit Helen. He couldn’t wait to go to Helen’s and gave it to her now, although it’s already eight o’clock in the night.

 

Suddenly, right at the intersection towards Helen's house, Dodo heard a loud noise. The voice of a woman... a scream!

 

With all his strength he ran toward the source of that sound, and what he saw made him breathless.

 

A woman was pushed to the wall by a stranger who was trying to rip her clothes. The woman continued to fight and scream, but of course she couldn’t be compared to the power of a man, and another fact that made Dodo’s heart beated hard as if it wanted to go out from his rib cage is...

that woman was Helen.

 

His blood which bubbled in anger made his running became faster and his fists became more powerful than usual. That jerk was thrown out and run away. Dodo would have chased him and beat him to death if he didn’t hear Helen’s sobs.

 

Quickly he crouched down and checked on his girl, and he sighed. Hair disheveled, clothes torn here and there, face filled with tears, and the thing that make Dodo surprised most, her eyes which were staring blankly. This is not the normal Helen...

 

"Helen," called Dodo, worried. He held Helen's shoulder gently, and Helen reacted like she was being electrocuted.

 

"NO! LET ME GO!" Helen screamed frantically, still shocked by the events that had just happened.

 

"Helen! Calm down..." Dodo tried to shake Helen's shoulder, but it didn’t work.

 

"NO! STOP!"

 

"Helen!" Dodo hugged her tightly and said softly, "It's me..."

 

There was no reaction from Helen, so Dodo released his arms and stared at Helen's eyes. Slowly the lights of Helen's eyes changed. She seemed to recognize who was in front of her.

 

"Do... do...?"

 

Dodo smiled, "Yes, it's me. You're with me now, calm down..."

 

Slowly Helen burst in tears. Dodo hugged her again, hoping that her anxiety can disappear, along with his fear. Fear that he would lose her forever. Until now his urge to kill that bastard was never subsided.

 

"Do... do... I... I was so scared..." Helen said, still hugging Dodo.
 

Dodo slowly her head, "It's okay, everything's fine, I'm here with you, I'll protect you..."

 

---***---

 

For the next thirty minutes Dodo continued to calm Helen down.

 

He gave up his jacket to be worn by Helen, because his lover’s torn clothes was not appropriate anymore to be used as body coverings. And Dodo insisted on piggybacking Helen. Yes, how could he let her walked herself seeing that she can barely stand?

 

Just then Dodo remembered the gift he had prepared. Earlier when he lunged forward, he threw away that plastic gift. Now the cover was full of mud.

 

Dodo still picked it up and said to Helen slowly, ashamed that his plan was ruined, "Sorry, I was going to give you this, but maybe another time. I’ll clean it first."

 

He was about to put that box in his pocket when suddenly she took it from his hand. "It's a gift for me, how can you take it back? It's not like the inside is dirty too. Really. I don’t mind."

 

Dodo couldn’t say anything to refuse. He kept being silent as she opened the box. "Wow! It's beautiful!"

 

Helen’s joy didn’t make him felt any better. He looked at Helen sadly, "I'm sorry. I should be more caring. This incident should never happen. I’m not capable, I don't deserve you, I'm no worthy of you. You can find other man who is more..."

 

Helen held his lips from talking further with her finger and she said, "No. I don't like you because I want you to always protect me, you know. I like you because you are yourself. I don't need a perfect man, I need a boy who tried his best to be perfect for me. I love you..."

 

With a tiny smile Dodo grabbed Helen's hand that held his lips and kissed it softly, "I love you too..."