Thursday, December 25, 2008

BalQisku Episod 8(ii)

“Behave।”


Danial tersenyum ke arah Fatin। “I will. Don’t worry. And thank you.” Dia meletakkan tangan di belakang Balqis sambil mengiringi wanita itu ke lif. Balqis diam tanpa suara. Cuma sesekali mengerling ke arah kekunci butang lif.


“You dah makan?”

Balqis mengangguk. Tunduk memandang lantai lif. “I’m sorry terlupa tinggal dinner for you.”

Danial menghela nafas. “Now you think I only regard you as my personal chef?”

Pandangan Balqis jatuh ke wajah Danial। “Well, isn’t that what I am to you in the first place?” soal Balqis, sinis.


Lif berdenting. Mereka menapak keluar. Danial membuka pintu penumpang Autobavaria untuk Balqis. Lima minit kemudian, kereta itu laju meninggalkan Subang ke Ampang.

“I’m sorry। For everything.”


Diam lagi. Cuma suara Bryan Adams di radio yang memecah keheningan malam.

“This sudden 380 of my life, I pun tak tahu where do I begin to explain। Or how. Or when. I’m not trying to give Hoobastank a run for their money when I say the reason behind all these, is you,” luah Danial.


“Pelik, Balqis। There was a point in my life, I rasa my life was coming to an end bila I setuju dengan perkahwinan kita. Don’t get me wrong. The thought had nothing to do with you.”


“You pun tahu macam mana life I kat US. Mungkin I never literally told you everything, tapi perempuan sebijak you pasti dapat tafsir gaya hidup I macam mana। You saw how I got drunk. You even acknowledge my affair with another lady. What mesmerizes me, Balqis, is how you deal with me. Your patience. Your tender care.”


“Danial..”

“Kejap, I cakap dulu ya while I still have the guts to do so,” potong Danial, menggigit bibir.

Balqis menjungkit kening. “You takut nak cakap dengan I?” soal Balqis, skeptik. Biar betul। Lempang berani, takkan nak heart-to-heart takut?


“Balqisssss,” rengek Danial. “Before I datang cuak dan lupa my speech, bagi la can I cakap.”

Kali ini mata Balqis membundar। “You memorized a speech? For me?” soal Balqis lagi. Lagi kurang percaya. “I scare you that much?”


Danial tersengih. “Well, you are an intimidating woman when it comes to logics. I ingat lagi malam kita tengok TV tu, you fire I sampai I jadi mandom, tak reti nak cakap apa,” ujar Danial। “So, sebelum I kantoi dan ruin this romantic moment, apa kata you bagi can I proceed?”


Balqis mencebik. “Romantik konon…”

“We’ll see,” balas Danial ringkas, tersenyum.

Balqis menjungkit kening lagi। “Well, go ahead. Do your stuff. Sweep me off my feet.” Dia menguap perlahan.


Danial menjulingkan mata. “You ni, serius la…”

“Sapa cakap I tak serius?” Menguap lagi।


“Fine, fine. As I was saying, I was mesmerized by you,” sambung Danial. Dia memerhati dari ekor mata reaksi Balqis. Wanita itu membelek-belek kuku, sambil memutar-mutarkan cincin perkahwinan di jari.

“Balqis, I’ve realized there is so much more to life, thanks to you। Alcohol made me forget, women satisfied my lust, tapi akhirnya, I tak rasa I ada untung apa-apa yang boleh dibawa ke hari esok. Macam buku akaun. Takde carry forward. Loss.”


“It took me awhile before I came into terms with what I am feeling. You seem to be together all the freaking time, it scares me. I tertanya-tanya macam mana orang yang sesempurna you boleh muncul dalam hidup I. I nak berdiri seiring dengan you, duduk bergandingan dengan you. You di puncak yang jauh lebih tinggi dari I, Balqis. I cuba nak gapai you। I hope you wouldn’t mind lending me a hand to pull me up.”


“And I don’t hate you. Never.”

Danial mencuri pandang ke tempat duduk penumpang. Raut wajah Balqis tenang ketika tidur. Danial menghela nafas.

“How could I hate the person I’m falling helplessly in love with?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Your milk.”

Balqis menjungkit kening. Mengalihkan pandangan dari iBook. Headphone dilurut jatuh dari telinga। “Kenapa you tak ketuk? I tak pakai tudung ni॥” gumam Balqis seraya mencapai tuala di kerusi.


Danial tersenyum. “Dah ketuk. You tu je dengar Oasis macam nak buat konsert,” tukasnya. Dia melabuhkan punggung di atas katil Balqis. “Kenapa tak tidur lagi? Esok kan kerja?”


Balqis menarik senyum segaris। “Case study. Tengah nak find out about clinics yang perform illegal abortion,” balas Balqis. Dia mengurut pangkal hidung. Letih.


Danial menongkat dagu. “Aik? Kena buat research? Tu bidang tugas you ke?”

Balqis mengulum bibir. Hujung tuala dikepit dengan jari di bawah dagu. “Tak. Ni kes polis. But…”

“But this cute lil’ nose just like nosing around police business kan?” ujar Danial, sambil menarik lembut hidung Balqis. Balqis cuba mengelak। Gagal. Dia cuma mampu memasamkan muka.


“Janganla…”

“Apa jangan-jangan. You ni perempuan tau? Klinik-klinik gini mesti otai giler kalau diorang berani buat abortion gitu. Mesti diorang ada taiko ke, apa ke,” tutur Danial. “Kes sapa you siasat ni?”

Balqis terdiam। “Patient kat hospital. Dia muda lagi…”


Danial menghela nafas. Dia melarikan tangan melalui celah-celah rambut. “Biarlah polis je yang handle, sayang. I know you rasa bertanggungjawab, but this could be dangerous, tau…”

Diam lagi। Balqis merenung karpet.


“Promise me you won’t proceed?”

“Danial…”

“Hush. Just say ‘yes, I won’t proceed.”

Balqis mencebik। “Tak habis-habis dengan perangai ala Stalin you tu. Tak pernah kasi I can nak habiskan ayat I.”


Danial ketawa. “Okay, okay. You were saying?”

“Hmm… That I tak dapat janji,” ujar Balqis perlahan.

“Haa, ni yang nak buat I kurung you je dalam rumah। Jangan pergi kerja sampai pakcik-pakcik polis tangkap doktor kambing tu.”


Balqis tersenyum. “Sapa nak bayar gaji I? Dahlah masak, membasuh semua tak pernah ada gaji. Kalau I menapak je kat rumah ni, bukan setakat mati kutu, anai-anai dengan cicak semua pun extinct agaknya।”


Danial sengih. “Baguslah. Jimat jugak belanja nak beli Ridsect.”

“Danialllllll।”


Danial tersengih lagi. Dia bangun dari katil dan berdiri di hadapan kerusi Balqis. “Ye sayang?”

Balqis menarik muka. “Apa sayang-sayang? Nak gula-gulakan orang je tahu,” tukas Balqis.

“So, has it been working so far?” soal Danial, sengih।


“With you?” Balqis menyoal, menjungkit kening. “I have a massive immunity against you, lad. Sorry.”

Danial tersenyum. Lopsided। “Ye ke?”


“Money-back guaranteed,” balas Balqis mengangguk gaya iklan Smart Shop.

“Really?” soal Danial lagi। Tangannya sudah mula mencari tangan Balqis. “I think I need to conduct an experiment on that.”


Balqis menepis tangan Danial. “Heyp, apa pegang-pegang?”

“Apasal pulak tak boleh?” soal Danial, tangannya meraih lembut lengan Balqis। “I dah lafaz akad depan papa a year ago, remember? Balqis Amani Az-Zahra, my lawfully wedded wife.”


Balqis meneguk liur। “Your point being?” tutur Balqis, kecil. Suaranya bagai tenggelam dek bunyi degupan jantung yang bergema tiba-tiba.


“My point being,” balas Danial, berbisik। “That I can view your beauty as I please,” sambungnya, tuala Balqis di kepala ditarik perlahan. “That I can hold you, kiss you, cherish you as I please.”


“Danial, you nak buat apa ni?” soal Balqis lagi, suaranya sendiri bergetar ketakutan.

Danial tersenyum lagi। “I was wrong. Your hair is even prettier than J. Lo’s. She spends hours in front of the mirror to look superb like that, you pulak sepuluh minit je dah turned out this breath-taking.” Dia mengelus perlahan rambut wanita itu.


Kemudian dia mengalih perhatian ke wajah Balqis। Wanita itu hampir menumpahkan air mata lagaknya. Danial ketawa kecil. “Apa you ni, macam I nak bawak you pergi Nazi concentration camp je,” bisik Danial kecil.


Balqis melarikan pandangan. Masih berdebar-debar berada sebegitu dekat dengan Danial. “Manala tau. You tu kan macam ada tempias-tempias Hitler,” gumam Balqis।


“Laa.. penat I buat gaya Don Juan, you panggil I Hitler?” tukas Danial, tersenyum। “Well, this Hitler will bid his wife goodnight.” Dia mengucup perlahan dahi Balqis. Kemudian dia ketawa lagi. “Did I just hear you sigh with relief??”

Balqis sengih।


“Kalau I cakap I nak tidur sini je, amacam?”

Balqis menarik muka।


Danial ketawa, menggeleng-gelengkan kepala। “Ye la ye la. Meh sini nak perati muka tu, takut I tak tidur malam rindu nak tengok you.”

5 comments:

  1. bestnyeeee.... english yg bagus..... terasa menusuk smpai ke ulu hati niehhh...

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  2. suwitt..baru nak bercinta la ni.. hahahha,, bgs gak danial ni..cepat sedar yg BalQis tu istimewa, kalu lambat..dikebas org kang baru taw..haha

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  3. hahaha..
    best + swtttttttttttttttt....
    a'ah baru nak bljr bcinta la nana..
    nak lagiiiiiiiiii..........

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  4. so sweet..
    heheheh
    danial dh berubh ka?

    ReplyDelete