A LIFETIME BEHIND THE BARS OF PRISON

episode 3

It would seem that the Revelation is very fond of my eldest daughter, the way she looks, anyone who sees will be able to read it.

"Please drink the tea, Revelation."

"Oh, yes, thank you, ma'am."

She was a little nervous to respond to me who realized she was looking at Halimah.

"Well, Revelation, I'll keep this file, tomorrow I'll bring it to take care of my husband's Jamsostek disbursement, thank you."

After saying, Revelation said goodbye, before she left my house, her eyeballs looked inside like they were looking for something.

"Search for what, Revelation?"

I asked him to see him uneasy looking for something he had not yet gotten.

"Oh, no, ma'am, I .. I'm sorry excuse me, Assalamu'alaikum."

"Wa'alaikumsalam."

Revelation left my house, from the porch I saw, she tried to smile to remove her embarrassment.

I hugged my husband's files, with tears in my eyes, still trying to stay strong.

***

I ask my children to keep going to school and college, I don't want them to be so swept up in grief, after all, their future is still long.

This morning Anisa and Rani left for school as usual, but before we had breakfast, usually my husband also took breakfast, with a little joke, we lived with warmth, but ... now I see no more the smile of my husband sitting in the dining chair that he used to sit in, O Allah.

"Mother, I'm going to college first."

Halima was greeting me, her eyes were still very sad.

"You didn't have breakfast, son?" I looked into his eyes deeply.

"Halima is not hungry, anyways today the lecture is just a moment, Mother"

Geck! Geck! Geck!

Me and Halimah were silent for a moment, we realized the sound of the door knocking, it seemed like someone was coming, who this morning was visiting?

Me and Halimah stepped to the door, and at the door I found Arya standing with a small smile on her lips.

"Son Arya?" I responded.

"Assalamu'alaikum, Mother."

Arya greeted me, and after that she looked at Halima who was not looking at her.

"Mother, I'm going to college first." Halimah greeted me farewell.

"Let me deliver, Halimah." Arya offered expectantly.

"No need, thank you." Halima passed away from home, Arya saw Halimah trying to get Halimah to accept her offer, but Halimah did not respond at all.

"Please enter Arya's son."

From our conversation, I catch that Arya wants to marry Halimah as soon as possible, I haven't talked about her intentions to my daughter at all.

"Son Arya, I can't decide yet, Halimah doesn't know any of this, she's still saddened by my husband's departure."

"I understand, I just want permission to approach Halimah so she can get to know me more deeply, Mother."

"If you're just visiting, I'll allow it, but if you want to walk alone, sorry, Halimah will definitely refuse." I explained who already knew how my son's character.

"I see, Halimah is not the woman I meet most, which is what makes me so eager to be her husband, Mother."

From this conversation, I learned that Arya, the son of one of the officials in this city, is a manly and polite young man who is well established, bu Lili was furious when her son's Monik was broken off from her engagement.

I reopened my war, I could not stand still, though heavy, I had to keep moving forward for the sake of my daughters.

Not long after, Mr. Slamet came, he was a resident of this complex as well, when my husband was alive, they often sat on the porch of my house, he was very diligent to visit here, he said, whether it was just chatting or just sitting down for coffee, but, this time there was what he came to my house, and the way he dressed was more neat than usual.

"Assalamu'alaikum, Miss Rina."

Mr. Slamet immediately sat in my house, he brought bananas or other fruits, besides he also brought three chickens and a small basket of duck eggs. I was just stunned to see him put all his luggage on my stall table, and what made me feel even more of a strange sight, his gray white hair was already black, his toothless teeth were also invisible with neat dentures adorning his mouth.

"Wa'alaikumsalam, Mr. Slamet."

Although with a sense of wonder, I tried to respond as kindly as possible.

"Bu Rina, I'm here well-intentioned, I've known my mother's husband, Mr. Adam, we've been like best friends, I'm so sad to lose him."

Mr. Slamet's words confused me, too much stale and convoluted, what does this mean, I was very confused.

"Just get to the point, sir. I don't understand." I responded to her complicated words.

"Well, I'm here to propose that Rani be my wife."

Whahuh? Did I not hear wrong? Mr. Slamet, who is a grandfather, wants to propose to my daughter Rani, who is in the third grade of High School, what is in her head, even the age of Rani as her granddaughter.

Is it because I'm a single parent raising three daughters that makes Mr. Slamet see a weakness? Astagfirullah.

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