Afraid to Widow

Chapter XX (Grizelle Prameswari)

10-14 days quarantine in hospital, finally home too. I miss the AT Press office. Work at home is good. No need to panic if the bad luck, but still not as good as in the office. Sounds different.

I chat kids AT Family first in WA group. 

AT Family

M. 10.00.

Genk, how are you? Not in the office?

Sukma, Wardah, Helen, Lychee, Typing typing.

Sukkma, 10.05.

Kangen. Work at home is not good. Everyone wants to open a computer that cries mutely. Gisel Ma'am how are you? Is Sahrial healthy?

M. 10.10. 

Thank God you are healthy. So want to apply the 50% WFO rule starting tomorrow. What do you think?

Ms. Nazneen. 10.12.

I am let's go. I'm handing it to you, Gisel.

Lychees. 1015.

I just follow. How good.

M. 10.18.

How are you @leci? You healthy?

Lychees. 10.20.

Alhamdulillah is free from Covid lucknut. Healthy at walafiat. Tomorrow I can work again. 

M. 10.25.

That's what my WFO schedule is, Leci, Sukma, Wardah. While Helen, two interns, Ranti, Siti, Lisa, still just WFH.

***

"Iallll .. Let's get up!" I shake Sahrial's body.

Sahrial squirms while rubbing his eyes. "What the hell is that? It's good to sleep too. I just slept again at dawn."

"I'm going to the office first. You're fine at home. Don't fuck around weird. Since you are sick, not yet fully healed, I just called the inpal assistant. At 9 ntar he's coming."

"Yes, my dear wife." Suddenly I am glad to hear that word. Not exactly Sahrial.

Sahrial. Then his lips poked towards me. I rush to get a roll and stick it to his lips. "Eh, what do you want? Just delicious. Where does jigong smell. There's no kisses."

"So, so stingy. During our marriage there was no kiss."

"We're just a contract marriage. My kiss is expensive. I only love the man I love."

I glanced at the clock. Showing at eight less than fifteen minutes. AT Press business hours are actually nine to five in the afternoon. As a good boss, I always come early to imitate other employees. Does the boss always arrive late?

 "Well, ah. I'm going to the office. Inget my message. Don't be weird."

"Yes, bring it."

I grabbed a pink handbag. Then step out of the house. 

***

I'm surprised Leci's on his desk. "Loh, the morning lychee is coming."

"And I was sick for a long time, so today I came early to finish my work that was delayed."

"Without working hours, can I have a chat with you for a minute?"

"What conversation, Mom? Can you please write an acc author this month?"

"Can. Gini, why didn't you tell me you were Sahrial?"

Leci stopped his activity moving the cursor of the computer mouse. He looked at me with a confused expression. "Kok Ma'am Gisel knew about it?"

"You don't need to know where I'm from, you just answer my question. How come you never said you were Sahrial?" I repeated the question. "Why break up? As long as she's with Sahrial, how's she?"

Leci. His face turned cloudy. "Sorry, Ma'am. I did not intentionally hide that. But I don't feel good saying it. Afraid later Mbak Gisel thought I was fighting sheep or did not like the marriage of Mbak Gisel and Mr. Sahrial."

"Why break up? As long as she's with Sahrial, how's she?"

"Hmmm ... How is it?" Lychee scratched his head. "Sorry, can I not answer that question? It'sit's nothing. But I'm the same Mr. Sahrial only in the past. Gisel's future Mr. Sahrial. Fear of being a drama between us. I'm also the lazy type of discussing the past."

Huft, again I did not get a satisfactory answer. But how else. Not everyone likes to talk about the past.

***

Go home from work and go straight to the room. Suddenly my eyes did not blink looking at the room decor that changed completely. The floor full of red rose petals around it was scattered with small candles, on the bed there was a pair of ducks from cloth placed on the petals of a love-shaped red rose, not to mention the entire wall decorated with balloons and birthday ornaments.

"Surprise. How do you like it?" Sahrial appears behind me.

"Yes, dong. Uh, helped by the mother also ding."

"Make what?" 

Honestly, a little less like. For me tacky. The decoration is not. Want to be romantic, but how to go awkward? It was like a child's birthday.

"Make my beloved wife happy as well as thank you for taking care of me during the quarantine in the hospital." 

Suddenly Sahrial knelt in front of me. More surprisingly he opened the maroon city. It's ring.

"Grizelle Prameswari, will you marry me again? This time I promise to be a good husband to you. You no longer need to pay me. I am the one who is trying to support you. Whatever you want, I'll give you as long as I can."

My tongue is thick. Confused what to say. Between dream and real. Seriously a shitty Sahrial can say that seromantic phrase? Don't miss anymore. Corona effect is nongol again.

I touched jidat Sahrial. "Why, but how do you feel?" 

Sahrial brushed my hand. "Oh, I'm not sick. Uh, sick ding. Sick from a fall. Falling in love with you. Ever since you got sick yesterday and you took care of me sincerely, I just saw you turned out to be a good wife and worth keeping. How do you want to marry me again? This time it was a real wedding. Without contracts."

"Hmmm ... How is it? Can you please, give me an answer? This is too surprising. We live as usual. Until I really you fooled me. I don't want to get sick a second time."

The look on his face changed. There was disappointment in Sahrial's eyes. "OKAY. How long you ask for I love you."

***

Bored at home. Be me as Sahrial walks. The City of Yogyakarta. Lenggang street. Sepi kayak cemetery. Especially the area around Malioboro. Totally lockdown.

"Where are we going to eat?"

"Whatever the hell." I see around, the lesehan-lesehan is ready to close because the rules of PPKM food stalls can only be open until eight at night.

"It looks like it's closing. How about buying fried rice, just take it home?" my proposal.

"Come."

Coincidentally in front was the Bright Shop of the Moon. The fried rice menu. Sahrial stopped the car. 

"You just wait here. Let me take the pesen."

While waiting for Sahrial, I called Jihan first.

"Hey, Jihan. How is it healthy?"

"Thank God is getting better. How's Gisel?"

"Neither dong. But again fucked."

"What else?"

"Sahrial is suddenly romantic and ngajak marriage. I'm confused as to what."

"I think accept it anyway. Who knows Sahrial is the match of Gisel's mother. If you are still upset, try salat istikharah deh. Find the best leads."

In about ten minutes, Sahrial walked out of the store. 

"Eh, please yeah. Sahrial is back."

"OKAY. Assalamualaikum."

"Getishalight."

Sahrial's back in the car.

"Where else are you going?"

"Yogya. Go home yuk. Watching Drakor at home."

"Ready Mrs Sahrial."

"Dih, what the hell. Ial, the story of the complicated romance drama you are the same Sukma, Ragiel and Helen."

"Definitely haven't read my novel yet."

Last year I knew Sahrial published a novel called 5 Times a Day I Called Your Name. I haven't been in AT Press, but I've been friends with Sahrial for a long time on Facebook and Instagram.

"Males ah read the novel, the author is not famous." I smiled at jail.

"Don't, sneak."

"If the romance is the same Leci, has it been written in the novel?"

"Honestly not yet. Mager nulis."

"Yes, you told me to try. I want to be horrified."

"I'm telling you that?"

"Yes dong. I want to know you more deeply to answer your question this afternoon."

"Okay, I'm telling you. So gini …"