Nanta and Rania were spending the afternoon together at the beach where they had been with other friends. But this time it was just the two of them. As Nanta promised, Nanta wanted only him and Rania to spend time with them.
Nanta and Rania sat on the edge of the barrier between sea and land. Both of them just sat looking at the sun which was about to sink in the corner of the horizon there. The sea breeze that hit their faces did not disturb their tranquility. The roar of the waves and the breeze that shook the leaves added to the serenity of the twilight of the two of them.
"Nana, thank you for teaching me various things. One of them is getting out of the comfort zone that I have been keeping."
"Yes, you're welcome. Thank you also for teaching me the value of simplicity, struggle too, you're the coolest woman I've ever known."
"I can't believe the last sentence. There must be a lot of cool girls you've met."
"You're cool, unique, cool, funny, you name it."
"Oh yeah, speaking of struggles. There's one thing I want to tell you."
"Okay, I'm ready. I have plenty of time if it's for you."
"Nana, I'm serious."
"I'm serious too. Come on, tell me, I'm listening."
"Actually..."
Rania told me about herself and her family. Both father, mother, and her brother, Chandra, whom he had met.
How Rania could go to school at Amanah Bunda. About the struggle of herself and her brother who struggled to realize her father to get out of his conservative mind, that women could not advance, especially from the lower class.
Rania's father even intends to marry Rania off to the son of a rich plantation owner in her village after graduating from junior high school. But Rania with the help of Chandra escapes to the city and pursues the ideals and hopes of her mother and brother.
"Does that mean your parents don't know you're here?" Nanta asked.
"Mom knows from Chandra. But my father can't know. If my father knew that I was here, he could come straight here and tell me to go home. And I would be married to..."
"That can't happen. Your father can't know about you here." Nanta interrupted.
"Yes, that can't happen."
Nanta immediately hugged Rania. He was suddenly very afraid of losing Rania. Nanta had not yet thought about getting married. Even though they were already allowed to get married. But they were still in school. It was impossible to get married.
Besides, if Nanta's crazy thought that had just crossed his mind to marry Rania so that Rania would not marry someone else, it was not necessarily accepted by Rania. Rania hoped to be able to awaken her father and lift her family out of poverty.
"If this was the year we graduated, I could have married you right away." Nanta said suddenly.
But Rania firmly refused. "Ih, what the hell. I don't want to get married right after graduating from school. It's the same as my father's will. The only difference is with different people." Rania grumbled.
"I want to graduate from school and go to college. Get the highest education possible, experience the world of work, build a house for mom and dad, start a business with Chandra and then think about marriage."
"But I don't want you to be with someone else."
"Yes, but that's already my dream. Chandra and mom's wish too."
"Yes, okay." Nanta said relenting. "But... What if one day your father finds out you're here and does what you said earlier?"
"I don't know, maybe I'll hide. Go as far away as possible so that my father can't marry me to the person of my father's choice."
Nanta looked at Rania's face which was slightly radiating anxiety there. And if he was honest, Nanta had the same anxiety for Rania. This was the first time he felt so afraid of losing her.
Nanta pulled Rania back into his arms. And Rania also returned Nanta's hug. Both of them are already comfortable with each other.
And honestly Rania also doesn't want Nanta to leave her life. Nanta made her teenage years more colorful. Plus the friends she had together. Rania is so very grateful to meet good people who accept her for who she is.
Without Rania realizing it, Nanta kissed Rania's forehead until the sound of his kiss made Rania surprised by what Nanta did to her.
"Ananta really loves Rania. Hopefully Rania is Ananta's soul mate. If Ananta is not Rania's soul mate. Rania can't have a soul mate with anyone. Ananta's soul mate must be Rania. And Rania's soul mate must be Ananta."
Rania reflexively pushed Nanta's body away. "What are you talking about?"
Instead of answering Nanta laughed. "Remember you also pushed me like this before. It's just that you were holding a milk box, then the milk box squirted onto my shirt." Nanta continued to reminisce.
"Yes, I remember, you used to claim that I was your girlfriend."
"But now you're really my girlfriend."
The two laughed together. Then silence again enveloped both of them. I don't know what happened after Rania's confession. Nanta became afraid of losing her. As if Rania was going to leave.
Rania also wondered whether it was the right decision to tell Nanta about it. But actually Rania also intended to tell Nindi and Grisela about it. This time Rania felt she had to tell her friends.
They already trusted each other, but Rania was still hiding something from them. They might get angry at her if she hid something from them again.
"Do you love me, or are you still saying you accept me out of pity or because I'm nice to you?" Nanta asked. Because he never heard Rania's statement of affection for him.
Actually Nanta knew the reason, because Rania was embarrassed. But Nanta also wanted a statement directly from Rania's mouth.
"Rania loves Ananta." Rania said. "My Nana, Nanta has me." Rania continued while pulling both of Ananta's cheeks.
"What was that? My Nana? Nanta has me? Ohh.. that's why my contact name on your phone is my Nana, it turns out Nanta has me. Ah so happy. My girlfriend is so cute s--mmp..."
Rania immediately smothered Nanta's over-excited mouth. "Noisy Nana, shame on people!"
Nanta removed Rania's hand from his mouth and answered Rania's statement. "Let it go, each other's business. The important thing is that I'm happy that you're so sweet too."
"Nanta shut up!" Rania was upset but Nanta continued to tease her.
Their twilight, they spent with great joy. The reddish sky at that time witnessed a beautiful teenage story for Nanta and Rania.
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