A Wound

Chapter 36's

At five o'clock in the morning, Ara awoke to perform dawn prayers. He slowly got down from his bed and walked towards the switch, to turn on the room lights.

When the light illuminated the entire room, Ara was shocked when she saw Ibra sleeping curled up on the long sofa in the room. She immediately grabbed the blanket she used last night and covered her husband's tall body. Before finally rushing to the bathroom.

***

Ibra was seen writhing under the blanket. He almost fell off the sofa where he slept. It was fortunate that he had regained his senses and quickly balanced his body.

He then sat himself down, and stretched the muscles of his body that felt so sore, due to sleeping on the sofa.

Ibra turned her eyes to the bed that looked empty and neat. Then it probed through the room looking for Ara's whereabouts.

"Is he in the bathroom?"

Ibra pulled out the blanket that was still attached to her body, which she remembered she had not used last night. Then stand up from his seat.

Just now he wanted to step foot into the bathroom, but his intention stopped when his eyes accidentally caught a small note on the table in front of him. He also took the note.

Breakfast should not be eaten.

Sorry, I went home without saying goodbye first.

Ara

"God! Why didn't he wake me up."

Ibra put the note back on the table, and moved on to grab her watch which she put on the same table last night. And how surprised he was, when he saw the clock that had shown ten o'clock in the morning.

He then rushed to the bathroom to clean himself up. And without touching the breakfast on the table, he went out of the room, and left the hotel.

On the way home, Ibra was confused about where to go. Eventually, he decided to go home to his parents.

***

Ibra's return home was welcomed by Mama Reta.

"You're home, honey?" ask Mama Reta who then probed behind Ibra. "Where's aura?" he asked, when he did not see the whereabouts of his daughter-in-law.

"Go home."

"Then why did you leave him? Why not bring her here too?"

"Ibra didn't leave him, she went home alone. It was precisely Ibra who was left alone in the hotel room," replied Ibra, a little annoyed.

"You mean? So you didn't drive him home?" sergeant Mama Reta.

"It's not Ibra's fault. He came home while Ibra was still sleeping. And he didn't wake me either" he replied in self-defense.

"God! This must be you who is very difficult to wake up, so Ara went home alone. No excuses, now you go pick up your wife and bring her back here."

Mama Reta shook her head, not out of thought. How can there be a pair of newlyweds who separate themselves on the first day of their wedding. Both are not victims of a match.

"But, Ma___"

"No buts." Mama Reta pushes her son's body out of the house.

Ibra sighed, "yes well. But can Ibra have breakfast first? Ibra is very hungry" he asked.

"No! You'll have breakfast after you bring your mother's daughter-in-law home."

"God! Why is mom so cruel!" Ibra looked at her mother's annoyance, then walked out of her house.

***

"Assynolt, Bi. Ara exists?" ibra said, as Bi Ratih opened the door for him.

"Vaalaikumsalam. Jesus, Den. Let's go in first." Bi Ratih quickly allowed her employer's husband to enter. "Neng Ara is on top. May I call or Den Ibra up by myself?"

"Auntie just call, Ibra will wait here" said Ibra, then sat on the sofa in the living room.

Bi Ratih quickly agreed and went up to Ara's room.

"Why should I go anyway?" ara asked Miya, who was tidying her clothes and putting them in the suitcase.

"I can't live alone in a house this big" replied Miya.

"This house is not so big."

"Yes. But it still feels weird when you're not here."

"There's Bi Ratih. I'll also ask Brother Ibra to stay here." Ara continued to seduce Miya not to leave her house.

"I'd feel even worse if I had to stay with you. Every day I'll witness your togetherness, and it's gonna be so stifling." Miya smacked her chest, as if she really felt tightness there.

"Excessive! After all, we are not real husband and wife. We won't be able to make out, as you can imagine" Ara said.

"I'll keep going back to my boarding house. I feel very comfortable there. Anyway, I live here because I want to keep you company. When someone accompanies you, then I will leave," Miya insisted.

Ara shook Miya's hand, "Miya... Comeon!" wheedled. But Miya still insisted to return to live in his boarding house.

Until finally, Ara tried to give in. He also could not force the desire of his friend. Maybe his best friend was not comfortable living in his house.

"Since next week we have started college, my mother asked me to go back to Surabaya first tomorrow. If you hadn't been married, I would have taken you. But now it's not possible anymore" said Miya, closing her suitcase.

Tok.dok..

Hearing the knocking sound on the door of her room, made Ara immediately open the door of the room that was actually not locked.

To show the figure of Bi Ratih, who said that Ibra is below. Hearing that, Ara immediately went downstairs to approach her husband.

"Sister Ibra!" greet Ara, who then sat herself in one of the chairs.

"Fra... Mama asked me to pick you up" said Ibra hesitantly. Afraid, if only his request could trouble the woman.

"Are we going to stay at Ibra's?" ask Ara.

"Why? don't you want to?"

"Can't we just stay here? If Ara leaves, the house will be empty."

"All right, if that's what you want. We'll talk to Mama later. But, for a few days we're staying at my mom's house first huh?" ibra Pinta.

"Yes, okay. I'll get ready first" he said, who then returned to his room to pack up some of his clothes.

Once ready, Ara came back down with a medium-sized suitcase, and a tote bag in her hand. Ibra swiftly grabbed Ara's suitcase and stuffed it into the trunk.

The two then say goodbye to Miya and Bi Ratih, who have delivered him to the front door.

***

"We'll eat first, okay?" ibra. At this time, I feel very hungry.

"Sister Ibra hungry?"

"Yes. I haven't even had breakfast yet. When I was going to eat at home, my mom forbade it. He said I couldn't eat before bringing his daughter-in-law home" Ibra said, laughing.

"Why didn't you say it. Though Bi Ratih had cooked earlier," said Ara regretfully. Didn't know her husband had not eaten.

"It's okay. We stop at a food stall near here, he said, who then turned his vehicle on one of the restaurants he was passing through.

At first Ara refused to eat, arguing that she was still full after breakfast at her home. But due to the coercion of Ibra, made him want to not want to eat too.

After both of them finished their meal. They continued their journey to Ibra's house.

***

"Assalamualaikum, Ma." Ara approached Mama Reta who was in the kitchen, and kissed her hand.

"Waalaikumsalam, darling. Welcome to our home. Hope you feel at home here," said Mama Reta while hugging her daughter-in-law.

"Welcome sister-in-law," cried Rissa who had just joined and hugged Ara from behind.

"Don't call brother, call Ara aja," said Ara, amused to hear her best friend calling her brother.

"But it's not polite. Aye, Ma?" said Rissa.

"Yes, it's up to you" replied Mama Reta, laughing.

"Bra to the room first yes, Ma," said Ibra to her mother. Who had come to the kitchen, to deliver Ara to meet her mother.

"Yes. After changing clothes, you quickly go down. We'll have lunch together" mama Reta told her son.

"It's not necessary, Ma. Didn't Mama forbid Ibra to eat?" replied Ibra, pranking her mother.

"Are you angry?"

Ara who saw that, shook her head, "No, Ma. We ate in the street" replied Ara.

"Really?" ask Mama Reta. And answered with a nod by Ara. Makes Mama Reta even more upset with her son.

"Astagfirullah, Ibra! Why are you taking Ara out to eat? Though mama has cooked a lot to welcome mama's daughter-in-law," maki mama Reta.

"Where does Ibra know. Wrong mama, didn't tell Ibra first. Ibra was very hungry anyway, because she forbade Ibra to eat" Ibra replied in self-defense.

"Basic! Then you got Mama and Rissa to eat this much?"

"Yes, Brother is outrageous!" Rissa chimed in.

"It's okay, Ma. Ara is still hungry. Ara will come eat with you." Ara smiled, clasping Mama Reta's hand. Trying to defuse the woman's anger.

"really? You don't just want to please your mom, do you?" ask mama Reta.

"Yes, no, Ma. Ara had only eaten a little, because the food was not so good." replied Ara, trying to please her mother-in-law.

Ibra rounded his eyes, not believing to hear Ara's words. Whereas at the food stall earlier, Ara painstakingly finished her food. Ibra then chuckled, shaking her head. Didn't expect his wife was willing to lie to please her mother.

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