CHAPTER IV

PUNISHMENT, CELESTIAL, REDEEMER,

AND BEN & JERRY’S

Even if bullets pierce my skin, I will still enrage and attack,

Wound and poison. I’ll take running, running…

Until the pain leaves, And I will care even less,

I want to live a thousand more years…

-Chairil Anwar: Aku (Me)-

Paris was cloudy, warning the hoi polloi that it would rain. In a flash, it was spewing out rain. Like the typical mild winter and summer of in Paris weather, there was a time in life that couldn’t be predicted also. 

7 PM. March 29th 2017. France – Paris, The Studio.

“Thanks everybody for your hard work!” Allan said to all the staff.

They had finished, cleaned the set inside of studio. All the staff left the room one by one. Allan stayed at the studio with Amber who was complex.

“Jos, what was happened?” Allan asked, approached Amber.

Allan perched to sit down on the stool next Amber, who already sat down on the stool, facing his desk. He was busy looking on his Macbook screen, chiefly he didn’t know what he was doing right know. There was no synchronized between the head, brain, hands, legs and so. Allan put his elbow on the desk, supported his chin. He looked at Amber.

Allan said, “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to involve in your private life. Just sense something strange before she walked out.” Allan arched his eyebrow, understood Amber didn’t want to discuss about it. He tried to perk him up, “By the way, your flight in 9. Hope you find her.”

Amber didn’t say anything. Whether he listened or not, he just remained silent. Making Allan in perplex. Didn’t know what to do. The next minute, there was stepping sound across the corridor, sounded like running not walking. Allan had turned his head, anticipated who it was while Amber was staring at Krystal’s photo that he took before. Didn’t care who it was.

Someone already showed up in the front door. Grabbed the doorframe. The shoulder fast moved up and down, managing the breath. Allan who had anticipated before stood up so sudden. He acknowledged.

“OH, Krystal.” Allan friendly greeted.

Allan was shocked after he had realized that Krystal was soaked caused by rain. Her cloth are soaked, her hair wet, she was in mess. In a flash, Amber turned his head. Stood up, facing the girl that he had been missing. Krystal had walked from the front door, stopped about 2 meters from Amber. Purposely, making a gap between them. The water dropped from her cloth, there was trace on the wooden floor. She stared at him, still with eyes fulfilled in anger. Amber lowed his head. Guilty feeling enclosed his mind. Allan sensed the bizarre situation. Didn’t want to make such awkwardness. He excused himself.

Allan said, “I’ll call you later Amb.”

After he finished his word. Before he left, he had nodded his head to Krystal who didn’t make any response, still glared at Amber. Allan was gone, vanished. Thought, creating space for Krystal and Amber took care the matter that he didn’t need to know, enclosure!

Amber became pale, jarred also, even some centenarian would look spryer than him. He was trying to look at Krystal, but his brain didn’t want to cooperate, he avoided. Both of them were facing each other. Krystal made a move. Walking sturdy toward him. For a while she didn’t do anything. Just glared. The studio just surrounded with unbearable sound of heartbeat. Then, without hesitated.

“PLAK!”

Krystal had slapped Amber’s left cheek. It was sound so loud. Amber just stood, didn’t do anything. Stared at the floor. Honestly, Krystal didn’t know either. Why she had done it. She was disappointed. Probably, it was look like a bomb that she had held through the years. At the end she could released it as the tears slightly dropped from her eyes. She put her left hand on her lips, dimmed her tears. Her right hand made a motion, hit slightly and repeatedly on Amber’s chest. She spoke while Amber was standing in front of her, accepted all she wanted to do to him. 

“Why did you do this to me?” Krystal said, sob.

“Is your life better without me?” Krystal asked, throwing her deepest disappointed.

“Did I do so wrong?! Pull it this far?! You completely cut me off from your life?! Krystal blared her disappointed.

“You said that you couldn’t live without me. You said that. You were the one who said that.” Krystal repeated the point. Her shoulder trembled.

“Fine Amber. You could have what you want. Blame everything on me!” She blurted.

Krystal threw those words as exclamation of the disappointment and furious. She stopped to hit. Loosed her strength as the tears started to flow down through her cheek insanely. Her left hand brushed her tears that didn’t stop to flow. Amber grabbed her left hand. Threw it down. Krystal stared at him, couldn’t understand his intention. It was riddle.

Amber finally talked, “I said, I don’t want to see your tears again.”

Amber flashed placing his hands, cupped her cheeks. He kissed her, closed his eyes. Krystal felt those soft lips that she had been missing so badly. Krystal grasped his jumper, closed her eyes. Krystal kissed him back, put her arms around his neck while his hands grabbed her waist tightly. Seemed, Amber didn’t want to let her go for forever. Both of them were really into kissing each other lips. Probably craving for each other.

They were into the rhyme of kissing that led them to the passionate one. Amber slight bit Krystal’s lower lip. Krystal understood where it would lead them. She slight opened her lips. Felt his tongue, entry inside her, roamed. Krystal could felt his breath and heard his heartbeat that pounded really fast. Sometimes, Krystal tangled her tongue to his and loosed it, let his tongue sensed every part of . She caught up little bit air between it. So did Amber. Seemed, either of Krystal or Amber didn’t want to stop it.

The atmosphere steamed up, heat their lust. Brought them to the next level. Krystal broke the kiss, but Amber didn’t make her rest for a while, he kissed her, treasured her cheek, chin, down through her neck. He buried his face on her neck. While his hands was taking off her dark blue blazer. She ruffled his hair affectionate. Amber grabbed her lap, making Krystal tangled on his waist.    

While Amber was stepping toward the desk, Krystal directed his lips to her; she wanted to kiss his lips, again. They did. Amber placed Krystal on the desk. Gave a time, taking off their upper cloth. It flew away. Made amber topless. Left Krystal with her black Victoria secret.

Amber put down his hands on the desk, while Krystal was sitting in the middle of his hands. He managed his breath. Krystal was mesmerized by him, the guy that she loved and loves. She knew that she loved this guy, and it didn’t changed. Never.

He lowed his head, then Krystal lifted his chin, making him stared at her. His eyes were glisten. Krystal saw the pain that was drawn in his eyes. She knew that not only her that feeling suffered for those 2 years, but also him. She brushed his eyes softly. Amber could sense a love in every touch that she made. He spoke, sound like whisper in sorrow.

“I’m sorry Krys. There’s something that I have been regretting till now…” Amber paused, taking a breath before he said again, “After that man said his vow. I just realized that I’ve never asked you to stay by my side, directly. You weren’t in the state to ask. I’m the one who should do that. You were in the state to choose. Not asking.”

He spoke as he meek loosed his face from Krystal’s hand. He was staring on the floor, his eyes started to glisten. Framed his pain. Krystal just stared at him. Bit her lower lip when she heard that confession. She just realized about it. There was regret that showing on her face, but after all. It didn’t matter anymore. Amber continued to rattle away, seemed, he had taken tons of swig drink, freely threw everything on his mind out, thought that he had owned Krystal hundreds of apologize.

“I’m sorry for, those painful years.”

“I’m sorry for, couldn’t do anything when you needed.”

“I’m sorry for, letting you go.”

“I’m sorry for, making you suffer.”

“I’m sorry for…”

Krystal pressed her right index finger on his lips and shut him down. Exactly the same like what she had done 2 years ago. She cut off his word. Then she put his chin to her neck, reached his ear.

She whispered, “Don’t dare to say an apologized to me. You’re not. I don’t care what happen next. I just want us, stay like this forever.”

Amber loosed his head from her neck, stared through her eyes. For a moment, he stared at her in riddle. But, afterward, seemed he already made a decision, he sincere smiled and said, “I’ll make sure this time that I’ll stay with you till the end. No matter what, I love you, always did, always do.”

Krystal smiled as the tears of joy flowed down, she said, “I love you more than you did and do, stupid.”

Amber chuckled as he heard the word that he had been missing so badly.