A Reply to My Husband

A Day Full of Tears

"You regretted it?"

Rania did not answer.

The atmosphere turned silent for a moment. Rania who had been dissolved in laughter turned moody at once.

If time could be replayed.

Rania's silence made Barra feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. If only Rania had preferred her superior, maybe her fate was not like this. She is now living happily and has three children. Or perhaps she already had a prominent position because her husband did not limit her career, and other possibilities now filled Barra's brain.

All this time he only blamed her and acted as if Rania was the source of all the problems she faced, a descendant she never had. All that he's burdened on Rania.

Not to mention his mother who constantly told him to look for another woman. It made Barra even more feel that his wife was useless. In fact, in retrospect, Rania prefers him who is still not well established than his boss who also likes him.

How stupid of me! He could have chosen the manager of that marketing division instead of me. Or if she wanted to, she could leave me and marry another man once she knew that there was nothing wrong with her fertility. Maybe now his life is much better than mine. With my mother and I all this time? Of course he regretted choosing me!!

"Rone ... I'm sorry ... " Barra's voice choked. His eyes are already glazed.

"I've realized my mistake. I'm tormented if you continue like this. Can't you forgive me?"

"Please give me another chance. I'm gonna fix everything. I'll be even better. I promise you. I will grant your wish. I will obey your words. Please Ran ...."

"We're still getting divorced. Just give me my share and I won't interfere with your life and mother anymore" Rania said slowly without looking at Barra.

"Did you remember when we went to the beach a month after we got married? I'm holding you around the beach because you're afraid to step on a urchin."

"Or when I managed to buy you a BTS meal for lunch at the office? You were so excited that you hugged me in front of the other officers. Do you remember that incident?" Barra laughed but with tears dripping down her cheeks.

Rania is not flinching. His eyes were blankly staring at the clear flowing river water.

"Is there not the slightest good thing you remember about me? I was wrong Ran ... But is there no good you can see from me?"

"Please Ran ... Give me another chance. At least for our son?" Countless times Barra begged.

The deg!

Then Rania turned her head after Barra mentioned "our son".

"I want to be alone first. Go!"

"But ... "

"I just want to calm my mind."

"Alright .. call me later if you want to go home. I'll pick you up."

* * *

Rania did not say much on the way home. Barra who had invited him to chat was only answered a word two. But Barra still behaved normally even though it was ignored by Rania. He even treated Rania even sweeter.

"You want to go somewhere else again?"

"No."

"We're home?"

"I want to sleep." Rania turned her face. He tried to close his eyes but could not. Barra did not say any more words and they were silent for some time.

"We're all looking for lunch. What do you want to eat?" Barra is still trying to take Rania's heart.

"Don't whatever, usually cravings women like to ask for strange. Tell me what do you want to eat?"

"Padang Rice can."

Barra chuckled at Rania's reply. "That's not something strange. Rice fields are everywhere."

"Why do you want me to ask for something weird?"

"Content ... I often hear my friends tell me their wives cravings and how troublesome they are to comply with their wives' requests. Wake up midnight asking to buy this, after they've been hard-earned to get it, uh... left to sleep with his wife." Barra told me with passion.

"Then?"

"Five years I'm waiting for you to get pregnant. I also want to feel the hassle of obeying the request of the wife who is cravings."

"I want to wake up in the middle of the night because you're whining for something that's hard to find, I want to see you lashing out until your eyes are glazed over because I didn't get something you wanted. I also want you to unconsciously immediately hug me with a big smile and sparkling eyes for getting what you want, like BTS meal back then." Barra's voice began to slow down.

Stammering, he continued his story. Like there was a large chunk of rock stuck in his throat which caused his voice to get heavier and hoarse longer.

"I want when office friends tell me how they struggle to deal with the fussiness of their wives when cravings, I also have my own story." For the umpteenth time, Barra again shed tears.

"I would love to be proud to tell them if I feel the way they do too. I've been waiting for that moment for a long time." Barra pulled over and stopped the car. He wiped his tears.

"Maybe for others it's just a trivial thing, but I'm .. I've really been looking forward to it" he said, staring at Rania.

For this time Rania was really touched by Barra's story. Honestly, he never thought that far. When he realized his eyes were also beginning to tear up, he turned back his face from Barra.

Barra took a deep breath.

"Easy ... We continue the journey again" he said after he felt calmer.

Both are silent again. Not how long they stopped at a restaurant cooking Padang.

"Let's eat first." Barra opened the car door for Rania. "You wanted rice Padang, right? We've arrived."

Rania gets out of the car and with Barra enters the restaurant. With a swift Barra fetch dishes and rice for Rania. Rania does not refuse the service of Barra, even she has started to enjoy it.

"What do you eat?" Barra offers all the side dishes but Rania just points to the balado eggs.

"This is it?"

"Yes." Yeah."

"But you said you wanted to eat Padang rice?"

"I just want to smell the typical aroma of the Padang restaurant," replied Rania as she passed. While Barra was just dumbstruck to see Rania's behavior.

Barra takes food for herself then catches up with Rania. Now they sit facing.

"Eat a lot, let you and our child be healthy." Rania did not answer.

As they were enjoying each other's meals, a young woman came in carrying a very small baby, perhaps not even a month.

The woman seemed to be rolling her gaze around looking for an empty seat. The arrival of the woman stole the attention of Rania who accidentally saw her enter the restaurant. He stopped eating and focused on watching the woman.

"Rone ... You why?" ask Barra. "You know him?" He understood after following the direction of Rania's gaze.

"No ... It's okay." Rania ate her food again.