#primtiff

[fukuroukekinoto]

Kembali.

Prim sedang membaca bagian ketika pasangan tokoh figuran dalam bukunya mengakui perasaan masing-masing ketika tangan kanannya yang tergeletak bebas di tempat tidur, digenggam dengan lembut. Ia sedikit berjengit, kaget dengan sentuhan yang tiba-tiba saat ia sedang mengalihkan isi kepala dan fokusnya, tapi tak menarik tangannya. Pun tak membalas genggaman tangan tunangannya. Mereka beradu pandang. Tapi laki-laki yang terbaring di tempat tidur itu sedang menatapnya penuh penyesalan alih-alih penuh tanya seperti dirinya.

"Maaf." Ujar keduanya nyaris bersamaan.

"Saya akan kembali lagi esok hari." Tambah Prim segera, sambil menutup bukunya dengan tangan yang lain. Bersiap pergi. Walau isi kepalanya sudah lebih tertata, Ia tidak yakin lisannya bisa menyampaikan simulasi tanya jawab seperti yang disiapkan kepalanya. Jadi pergi untuk kembali adalah jalan terbaiknya saat ini.

"Tinggallah di sini..." Laki-laki itu mengeratkan genggamannya sembari berujar lirih. "Perjalananmu jauh..." tambahnya kemudian. Kali ini sambil meremas pelan tangan Prim yang sudah menarik diri lebih jauh.

Prim membuka mulut, hendak menolak tawaran, tapi membatalkan niatnya untuk kabur setelah melihat perban yang melilit leher dan badan atas sang tunangan. Ia mengendurkan tangan, memperbaiki posisi duduk, lantas menggeser kursi agar lebih dekat dengan tempat tidur. Ibu jari tangan kanannya mengelus punggung jemari si tunangan.

"Maaf. Saya bukan bermaksud lari dari Anda tapi saya belum siap membicarakan kejadian tempo hari." Ujar Prim, yang lebih mirip gumaman, kemudian.

"Aku tahu." Laki-laki itu tersenyum mafhum. "Kita bicarakan besok, ya?"

Prim hanya mengangguk. Entah maksudnya benar-benar esok hari, atau esok setelah efek samping obat yang dikonsumsinya berkurang, atau esok yang entah kapan, Prim akan mengiyakannya terlebih dahulu. Sambil menunggu, Ia harus mencoba merapikan perasaannya. Sebab mengusap punggung jemari sang tunangan dengan Ibu jari, bukan hal yang dilakukannya dengan sengaja. Badannya, seperti tahu bagaimana harus bereaksi di sekitar laki-laki ini. Laki-laki yang membuat hatinya dicubit hanya karena berbalut perban di beberapa bagian.

Ia... memang harus kembali.

[fukuroukekinoto]

Kembali...?

Prim memandang wajah Tiffaldy yang masih tidur akibat pengaruh obat. Owen bilang, sudah beberapa hari ini laki-laki di hadapannya mengigau nama Prim. Tapi dirinya, baru punya keberanian untuk kembali ke rumah tunangannya. Kejadian beberapa waktu lalu membuatnya memilih pulang ke rumah Ayahnya untuk menjernihkan pikiran. Bukan... dibanding menjernihkan, lebih tepat bila dikatakan merapikan isi kepala.

Ada terlalu banyak momen yang perlu Prim pilah demi menghubungkan rangkaian sebab-akibat yang selama ini terjadi di sekitarnya. Tapi dipilah seperti apapun, setelah mengetahui kalau mereka adalah satu entitas yang sama, rasanya isi kepala Prim malah jadi semakin berantakan. Ketika ia mencoba menceritakannya pada Nenek, Prim justru mendapat jawaban yang sudah diperkirakan. Dan yang jadi masalah setelah itu adalah hatinya.

'Apakah ia sanggup bertemu Tiffaldy?'. 'Beranikah ia menanyakan pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang berkecamuk dalam kepalanya tanpa emosi?'

[fukuroukekinoto]

Kunjungan

Yang duduk di ruang tamu adalah Owen, yang begitu melihat kedatangannya segera berdiri dan memberi salam. Walau begitu, biar wajah pria itu menunduk, ia bisa melihat sisa-sisa kekagetan yang berusaha disembunyikan.

"Tidak perlu kaku begitu."

"Maafkan saya, nyonya. Tapi kalau boleh tahu mengapa Anda..." Owen menelan ludah. Matanya bolak-balik melirik wajah Prim dan kursi roda yang dikenakannya.

"Kau mau menebaknya?"

Owen menggeleng. Entah tak punya keberanian menebak apa dan bagaimana Prim bisa duduk di kursi roda, atau memang tak bisa menyebutkan alasan yang tepat.

"Yah, tidak penting. Lagipula aku memintamu kemari bukan untuk ini."

"Maaf nyonya, kalau alasan Anda memanggil saya, rasanya saya bisa memperkirakannya."

"Bagus. Kalau begitu aku bisa mempersingkat waktu dan tak perlu bertele-tele. Kata-kataku mungkin akan terdengar kasar tapi kuharap kau mengerti bahwa pertanyaan-pertanyaanku ini tidak bermaksud menyudutkan apalagi menyalahkan tuanmu. Ini semua murni karena rasa penasaranku." Prim melihat Owen membuka mulutnya, mungkin hendak menyangkal atau meminta Prim memperbaiki caranya menyebut laki-laki itu tuannya Owen. Yang manapun, Ia tak peduli. "Yang paling aku penasarankan adalah, sebenarnya sejak kapan tuanmu menandaiku?" Lanjut Prim.

Owen membasahi bibirnya yang kering. Kepalanya sudah membentangkan peta percakapan dan bersiap menyalakan lampu ke arah yang, sebenarnya, sudah bisa ia duga. Tapi tetap saja berhadapan langsung dan memperkirakannya sendiri, berbeda. Selama tinggal di kediaman Gladstone, Ia tak pernah harus berurusan langsung dengan Prim. Jadi ia juga tak tahu kalau istri tuannya itu bisa membuat suasana di ruangan menjadi berat dan dingin. Terlebih, ia tak yakin dari mana hingga mana kisah yang boleh dirinya bagi sebagai orang terdekat.

"Err... kalau saya tak salah ingat, sejak musim penghujan lima tahun lalu, nyonya."

Prim terenyak. Matanya menutup. Jari telunjuk dan jempol tangan kirinya naik ke wajah, lalu meluruskan kerutan di antara kedua alis, yang sebenarnya tak ada.

"Selama itu?" gumam Prim yang lebih mirip bisikan.

[fukuroukekinoto]

(Suatu hari di sebuah pesta)

Lelaki itu tersenyum. Ujung bibirnya terlihat naik, tapi beberapa kali kembali seperti semula. Seaakan hendak menyembunyikan rasa bahagianya yang meluap di hadapan gadis muda yang dicemooh banyak orang. Sementara si gadis, justru terlihat lebih peduli pada kakinya daripada pasangan dansanya. Entah takut kakinya akan melukai kaki si lelaki atau sebaliknya, khawatir si lelaki menginjak ujung gaunnya.

Pasangan aneh. Mungkin itu yang ada di benak sebagian besar tamu undangan ketika melihat Marquis Gladstone datang bersama tunangannya, putri baron Kirkland. Selain karena keduanya memang jarang muncul ke publik, juga karena image keduanya yang jelas bertolak belakang. Yang satu role model, sedang yang satunya lagi seperti aib. Sayangnya, di saat seperti ini, keduanya justru terlihat cocok satu sama lain.

[fukuroukekinoto]

Prim: Why should I believe your word?

Tiff: Because you haven't reply a single of my letter or even answer my invitation

(It hits Prim hard. The letters and invitations she's been dispose all the time was from him. The Man her Dad want her to marry. The Man that always in the talk fo the city, for rarely showing up his face.

Prim still don't want to believe that destiny brought him here to meet her. She even deny that he is handsome and already allured by his charm, right now)

Prim: Oh… so this is the trend now? Come over the lady who hasn't reply any of the letters?

Tiff: No… No. This is pure coincidence. I do not come over you or anything, Milady. My business around here just finished a moment ago, and I see you in the bookstore of mine. So I though I could say Hi, while checking on the store

[fukuroukekinoto]

A Night When He Wasted

"I'm sorry. I couldn't arrive on time and then found him like this already." said the tall man that Prim often sees with T, but didn't remember his name. The man with a black blindfold in his arm giggled, then mumbled something that Prim didn't understand.

"What did he say?" she frowns.

"He was greeting you in the Malay language." says the tall man while fixing his way and holding him up. "can't we laying him down, yet?" he added.

"Oh, right." Realizing that they are still in the stand at the front door, Prim then leads the way to T's room. Let the man lay him down in his bed.

"I don't know that he could waste like that and could speak another language." she still has the frown on her forehead.

"you two never drink before?" asked the man out of his surprise. Prim shook her head.

"I don't really like liquor. But I've seen him with a glass or two sometimes. Either alone or while accompanying his Grandmother."

"Well, a glass or two indeed can't get him tipsy."

"Then how many glasses that he drunk to have him like this?" he could see her eyes getting larger even with a single candle in her hand since their distance was relatively close. She was indeed interesting.

"I don't know. When I arrived, I only saw an empty glass in his hand. So I don't know exactly how many glasses he already had. But I do remember how much I have to pay for him." He said before whispering a nominal amount into the ear of the girl next to him. Again, he found her too stunned to speak, but with a different expression than previously at the front door.

"Are you sure you aren't miscalculated?"

"I can't work as an accountant if I can't calculate that much." he smiled.

"Geez... What kind of drink did he order to have to spend that much?" she sighed in disbelief. "I'll make sure to tell him when he wakes up, so he could repay you asap." the tall man chuckled.

"I think I could presume what he ordered since he is a picky one. But I'll let him know about the bill myself," he informed her warmly.

"Just make sure you don't go easy on him merely because you both are friends," advised Prim. The man next to her laughed, understanding why his friend did care for her to the extent that he found was questionable. Now the questionable girl is next to him and was talking to him, he admits that the girl is charming in her way. He nodded when he was finally able to stop his laughter.

"Well then... I'll excuse myself. You probably should go back to your room. I could find my way back on my own." said the man to Prim while leaving T's bedroom alone. Prim is following him behind but then halts her feet when she heard T's muttering her name.

"What? Do you need something?" asked Prim after turning back and getting closer to the man that was murmuring something just a second ago. But after a minute passed, still no answer. Took her a while to realize that was delirium. Prim then sat there for another while, gazing at his mysterious face in the dark and wondering what other thing he does when he's drunk, other than speaking in a foreign language.

"Ugh..." Prim was startled, as she hears him groan and notices a frown on his forehead. Her hand moves to his head and before she knew it, his big hand already gripped it firmly.

"You... You Awake?" she stammered, as she sees his eyes glaring at her. The frown was still on his brow and no response, but she can't let her hand free. "Sir Gentleman Thief... Are you awake?" she asked once again in a tiny voice. His eyes blinked. One, two times, before slowly releasing his grip on her hand.

"Oh, it's only you." he smiled. "Sorry for grasping it too hard." then gave a peck on her wrist. His smooth and a little cold lip of him make Prim startled. She draws her hand almost immediately after the peck was given. Her face felt hot Even if the candle isn't lit near her face anymore. It was like all the blood was rushing into her cheeks and making them gleam red. So she wraps her face with her palms and then dashes to her bedroom.

The next morning, all Prim did was avoid T. She find herself anxious near him, so she did all her best to avoid him until he leaves his Grandmother's house. Granny asked her nothing of it, so Prim feel at ease. Even if Granny asked her, she didn't know what to answer.

The days passed by. Prim manages to avoid T almost naturally now. She even manages to bury her memory of that day, when the man in black attire cornered her in the Library. It was a sunny day, a truly beautiful day to be just inside the house. Granny leaves with Kiara and Felice to go shopping, while Prim chooses to just stay at home while enjoying some books to read. She never really likes to go outside while the sun is up. So she didn't believe that her choice was wrong and now have to face the annoyed T.

"Have I done anything wrong to you?" The serious tone he has on him is enough to make Prim get chills. He isn't glaring at her, but she could feel her cheeks flushed. Prim lifts the book in her hand to cover her face.

"No, you have not."

"Then why are you avoiding me?" He pushes the book between them down.

"No, I'm not." She turns her face as soon as the book gets pushed down, then slowly turn around giving her back to him. She then hears him sighing.

"Zen told me that you were in my room that night."

"Of course, I am, since I was the one leading his way so he could lay you down in bed."

"He also said that he left you when he was leaving my room."

"I followed him behind, then leave to my room."

"Then..." he paused for a second. "If it isn't me, did something happen between you and Zen while I was wasted?" Added him. Prim turns in disbelief. She no longer cares if her red face is seen by him, not even she cares that he could realize her feelings for him. But then, she found him with a long face. Either he's disheartened by her or by his imagination.

"How could you have that shallow thought?" Prim could feel her face getting hotter, as the blood rose to her head and the tears filled up her eyes. After saying that, she makes a wide step to pass him. But his hand grasp her hand faster before she could even leave the library. The same hand that he grasp firmly that night and kissed after that.