THE QUITTER

45 | I used to like you

Merenung langit senja itu, Ariana dan Aidan memandang sesama diri sesekali. Aidan tersenyum kecil. 

"I feel like I'm bringing unnessasary attention to thee team since they have me." Ujar Aidan. Ariana terus berkerut. "What do you mean?" Soalnya.

"Oh, I mean I wasn't really a big deal if they can win even without me." Ujar Aidan. Nada suaranya jatuh. "Ariana, wherever I am, I need to be the one yang bring impact. Like in track,  need to be the winner, having highest unbreakable records, giving off impacts and they didn't seem to need me pun"

"You stand out,  Aidan." Balas Ariana.

"Trust me I wasn't"

"Why, what's wrong?"

" I was thinking of to leave the team. It's tiring. Plus, I'm taking your side Ariana" Aidan menongkat tangannya kebelakang. "Coach is guilty. You're providing the truth for everyone, but everyone wants coach to be proven innocent"

"Aidan, how did you know?" Nafas Ariana seperti terhanti seketika. Aidan sudah tahu perkara ini?  Dan ini reaksinya? Tenang sebegini?

"I know. I just happen to know. Faris keep on saying these and that. At first I thought I should storm at you too, Ariana. But I know the truth. Orang cakap kita kena consider someone yang dah luang lebih banyak masa dengan kita. It's true. Coach is a father figure to me. I love him. I treasure him. But that's the thing, if we love someone too much, we only see good things. We would refuse to believe the truth" 

Ariana perasan mata Aidan sudah mula berkaca. Ariana mengetap bibir.

"At first when I perasan yang you gunakan I untuk korek info pasal coach, I would play along. I would tell the truth. Because I believe in him. Tapi makin lama, I felt guilty. I'm siding on the wrong person, on the wrong side" Kata Aidan.

"I nak minta maaf. I kinda used you" ujar Ariana.

"Don't. You still need to prove him completely wrong. That's what I want to tell you. Let's go to the hospital. Coach once mentioned to me about his daughter being sick"

"I know that too tapi I don't know how to dig in that far. I mean his family is a private matter kan. Dia dah bercerai"

" Kensington" ujar Aidan sepatah.

" What?" Ariana menyoal hairan. "I tahu Coach's relationship with his family wasn't good" kata Aidan. "Come on. I want to walk with you" Ajak Aidan. Dia sudah berdiri dari duduknya. Topinya dipakai. Ariana tersenyum segaris.

"I nak makan aiskrim" ujarnya lagi.

Ariana tersengih bagai nak gila bila lihat aiskrim kon yang Aidan Shah genggam. Aiskrim strawberi dengan manik-manik berwarna-warni. Untuk Ariana, dia cuma pilih aiskrim berperisa coklat biasa.

Festival after match itu kelihatan cantik. Lebih-lebih lagi dengan cuaca yang berangin dan redup.

"The boys said I took your side because you're my girlfriend" ujar Aidan. Aidan tiba-tiba melabuhkan punggungnya di tembok tepi jalan. Ruang disebelahnya Aidan tepuk-tepuk sedikit supaya bersih.

Ariana melabuhkan punggungnya di situ. Agak gentlemen jugalah tindakan itu. Buatkan Ariana gembira yang Aidan miliknya.

"I took your side because you're right. Well partially, mainly of course sebab coach is a bit sketchy"

"Thank you Aidan. I thought you'd want to end it"

" End what"

" Our relationship" ujar Ariana. Dia rasakan bagai bebanan di bahunya diangkat. Dia rasa ringan. Macam sedang duduk berdua dengan Aidan di but kereta terbang, mengeluarkan asap berwarna-warni. Pelik?

"I like you a lot. A lot. Love you... Love you a lot too"

Ariana tersengih hingga ketawa besar.
Aidan kata dia cintakan dirinya.

"Me too, Aidan. Love you too"

Mereka berdua terdiam selepas itu. Sehinggalah Aidan memecahkan kesunyian. Kasutnya mengetuk perlahan kasut Ariana. Ariana mengangkat muka.

"After final exam, we'll go visit coach's daughter. Nak?"

"Boleh boleh. Kensington Hospital tu is quite dekat dengan my house actually. Kira cam you ikut i balik kampung ah ni" kata Ariana.

" Oh really? You live in Nusajaya?"

Ariana mengangguk.

"Oh..great then"

⬛⬛⬛

"Ariana, I have something to say" Ujar Ammar. Lama mereka diam. Dari Ariana mula mop sehingga Ariana habis mop satu lantai cafe itu.

"Sure. Ariana letak mop kejap" ujarnya. Ammar sekadar mengangguk. Menunggu Ariana tiba, dia membongkok sedikit untuk menongkat sikunya ke kaunter.

Beberapa saat kemudian, Ariana kembali kehadapannya.

"Kenapa?" Soalnya. Ammar termenung sebentar.

"Abang?"

"Yes, yes. Um.."

"Ish cakap je la apa dia" Ariana sudah naik geram.

"I've get over you" tutur Ammar laju. Ariana terus berkerut. "Hah?"

"I'm kind of talking to someone right now. Her name is Eva" kata Ammar. Ariana senyum segaris. " Well that's great, and?" Ariana masih keliru dengan apa yang Ammar sedang sampaikan.

"Abang suka Ariana" kata Ammar. Terangkat kening Ariana.

" Maksud Abang, dulu. Quite some time. And then Abang kenal Eva"

" Then, why are you telling me this? I have Aidan and now you have Eva"

"It's just that, abang dah move on. And to be completely move on, I need to confess. I need to tell you, I need to come clean"

Ariana mengangguk akhirnya.

" Thank you, Ariana. Seeing you smile was one of the thing that used to make me really happy. I hope you're happy with Aidan too"

Ariana menggaru lengannya.

" Well I guess thank you too, Abang. Bila-bila boleh bawa Eva datang cafe."

"Ah malu ah!" Ammar menekup mukanya. Ariana tergelak besar.

"Ariana minta maaf. Kalau sepanjang abang suka Ariana Ariana ada sakitkan abang." Katanya. Ammar mengangguk.

" So, how's the case?" Soal Ammar tiba-tiba.

"Aidan dah tahu semuanya. Tapi, dia percaya Ariana. Jadi, masih ada harapanlah"

⬛⬛⬛

To face new things, we need to get over the old ones.