"Don't be sad. We'll just come back here. We'll just take a vacation in the province," the girl convinced her little boy best friend.
El and Jas are the same age but El is taller. Young Jas is only up to his neck when measured by the height of his female friend.
Jas is modest and prefers to stay indoors rather than play with others. He only wants to play with El reason for their young neighbors to tease them. Even so, they just ignored it. Jas is happy that he has one friend. They are always in the same class and always together in everything so Jas is very affected that his only friend is leaving. He had a feeling that it would never come back and that he would be alone on his journey.
Jas sighed and didn't dare to look at his friend. He was afraid when he looked at it he might cry.
They were both standing on the rooftop of El's house when he suddenly remembered the conversation he had heard from his auntie — El's mother and his mom. "I heard auntie and mama talking. They said you're not coming back because you're going to live there."
A few seconds passed before El spoke. She gulped because she had no reason to lie to her friend.
"Jas," she called but Jas' vision remained straight. She reached for its two palms and she gently squeezed it. "Jas, look at me," she ordered.
Jas looked sadly into El's brown eyes. The girl tried to smile.
"Jas, the truth is, I don't really know if we'll be back." El bit her lower lip and took a deep breath.
Despite the fact that they were only ten years old, she knew exactly how she felt. She could not just leave as long as there was no certainty if they would return. She wanted to confess to her admired friend. And most of all, she also wants to know if they feel the same way.
"Jas, I have something to confess on you. But promise me, you won't be angry and ashamed of me after this." The boy nodded.
"Jas, I have a crush," El confessed with a smile.
Jas frowned and at a young age, he felt mad. He wants to get out of El's grasp and find the man it's talking about.
El noticed Jas' expression so she couldn't help but pout. She hasn't said a name yet, but her friend looks angry instantly.
‘What if he knew what I was referring to?' she asked herself.
"I just say don't be mad at me. I don't want you to leave mad at me," the girl said pouting.
"I'm angry, El. Aren't you leaving?" Jas was a small child compared to his peers and had a gentle face. It looks like he doesn't seem to break the dishes, as the elders said, but Jas' expression is different now. He is indeed mad maybe because besides him, there is another man that El values.
El was trampled and sniffed in front of the man. "What do you want—"
"You." El was literally surprised by Jas' sudden intervention on what she was going to say. She didn't comprehend, but she could feel her stomach worms trembling.
"Jas, let me finish first." She stopped herself from screaming because of the strange happiness she felt. "I can't stay here while mom isn't by my side. I'm still young," she explained.Jas sighed and nodded.
On the other hand, El's mom came out with the luggage and looked up at them on the rooftop."El, come on! We might miss the bus!"
Jas and El looked down at the same time."Mom, wait a minute!" El shouted back before looking back at her friend.
"Jas, kiss me," she commanded causing Jas' eyes to widen. "Hurry up, Jas! I'm going to close my eyes!" She closed her eyes as she shook the palm of Jas she was holding.
For a few seconds, Jas froze in his posture, and when he saw El with her eyes closed in front of him, he carefully brought his face closer till his innocent lips brushed her pretty weird friend's crimson lips.
He couldn't help but flush despite the fact that it was a smack.
When El looked upon him, the smile of it almost reached its own ears especially when it saw his countenance.
That's where El realized. She didn't have to say she admired her boy best friend. She also doesn't need to know if they feel the same way because she might hurt Jas too much if she will going to confess. She doesn't want Jas to rely on anything and if someone has to be hurt and suffer, she's the only one who should, and Jas shouldn't be affected.
"You took my first kiss so I won't allow us not to meet again. I'll take back what you stole, Jas." El teased.
"W-what was that a stolen? You ordered me," Jas stammered.
El didn't say a word because what Jas said was true, she just let go of her friend's palm before she hugged it.
"You're stunt, Jas. I want when we meet again, you'll be taller than me," El said in the middle of the hug. She didn't show that she was sad so she tried to tease him.
"It's vacation now so there's free circumcision. Grab it, Jas. Don't be scared or nervous, you can do that, can you?" They let go of the hug and then Jas flicked her forehead.
"You have the strength to tease me, ah. You're just tall but you're empty in terms of a flesh." He sighed and also tried not to show how much their friend's departure would affect him.
"I am just a sexy girl, Jas," she replied with a smile as she rub her forehead.
"Are you sure that you're sexy?" Jas asked with a smile too."You don't have any young coconut fruit compared to our classmates."
El stopped from rubbing her forehead and looked at the man as if disgusted."You're such a bastard!" She now flicked Jas' forehead but the boy's look didn't even bother."You pretend to be soft boy but obviously, you like to stare at coconut fruit! Yay, you ah maybe when I'm not—"
Jas cut what she was supposed to say."It's just you forever, El. All right, go away. Leave me now and come back for the next vacation."
El's body appears to have a ruptured vein.
Her entire being was overwhelmed by sadness and remorse.
Her tears were treacherous, yet she smiled.
It splattered on her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away with the back of her palm.
"Promise," she replied without certainty.
JAS HAD BEEN WAITING FOR EL'S APPEARANCE FOR MONTHS.
When he started the next school year, he had no friends and was solely focused on his studies.
He wished to meet El or speak with her, but fate conspired against him because he didn't even see El in his dreams.
A year passed. Vacation came again and young Jas is hoping for El's return.
"Son, what's wrong with you? Did someone fight with you? Huh ?!" Jas' mother asked. It was at the door as he came. At his mother's shout, his father and his two brothers immediately approached.
"B-brother, did you get bitten by a dog?" worried question of the youngest.
"Did someone beat you?" angrily asked of his father.
He shook his head and continued to step inside while unable to walk properly.
"I was circumcised," he replied before entering his room. He thinks that El might not be coming back because he remained stunted that why he grabs the free circumcised in their municipality.
JAS waited several years. He went to junior high school and there he met Baki.
He recognized it because it was new to their town. The girl has a habitable talking with someone using her inveigh words and that's one of the things Jas hates about her. However, even tho he avoided Baki's presence, the girl doesn't want to let her go so he eventually got used to it.
Jas' family is falling apart. His two brothers chose to go with their father. Jas loves his parents but he has done nothing but choose his mother because she has no one to be with.
When he moved and joined his mother in another province, he did not think of leaving him and going abroad. He was alone when he was discovered to be ill. A disease that was uncommon and affected his entire life.
He didn't think Baki would come to accompany him. He didn't think it was ready to help him in case he needed it. And he wish that the girl who left him from the past would have been the same with Baki. He wishes for El's acceptance despite his condition.
"El, do you still like me like before? Do you still like me even though there are limited things I can do with you?"
<u>Vibrant Night</u>
<em>A Novel Written By:</em>
JUMBO