BETWEEN THE CEO AND MAFIA 2

Shuwan Cemetery

"Om Zetian didn't come, Pa?" ask a young woman to her father.

"Are you stupid or what? He can't come."

"But this is his own daughter's funeral."

"She's not going to make Shuwan alive anymore. Zetian would definitely rather stay hidden than come here at the risk of being caught by the police."

"I'm kasian with Brother Shuwan."

"For what pity? He died it was already the best way out of life but it embarrassed his extended family."

"Papa's words are so evil. We should have felt guilty all along not wanting to help Brother Shuwan. At least we have to investigate the cause of his death, so he can settle down there."

"For what? It's just gonna be a waste of time."

"Let everyone forget him immediately, we need not extend something that is of no use. Shuwan will not live again. If possible the bad news about him also soon disappear and do not associate it again with our extended family."

Not far from the two fathers and children, there is Raeka dressed all in black, standing in front of the room to be used for the cremation ceremony Shuwan while holding the baby. He was very sad to listen to the words of Shuwan's relatives that sounded very evil. Though, Shuwan had died and they still treated him badly.

Raeka takes the child to see the cremation of the mother who has given birth to the child, as a sign of respect and separation. Raeka will erase the child's true pedigree, she will not mention Shuwan's name, until one day the child grows up.

Raeka watches the coffin with a photo of Shuwan in front of her surrounded by Shuwan's grieving family, relatives and friends. There was a person who said a prayer at the very front and gave a lecture before the coffin was put into the cremation oven room at a temperature of almost a thousand degrees Celsius which was able to melt human limbs to ashes.

The cremation process takes about two hours. When finished, Shuwan's ashes were put in a white marble jar. The urn was not brought home by the family, but was stored in an ash house that was also found in the crematorium.

Shuwan's ashes were stored in one of the glass cabinets in the ash house along with the gray from other bodies that had previously been present. For families who want to make a pilgrimage can come anytime to send prayers in front of the ashes there.

Raeka deliberately waited until the Shuwan family had left from there. He wanted to bring the child he was carrying closer to Shuwan's ashes.

"Shuwan, I'm coming with your son. She's so cute and pretty like me, unlike you, because you're uglier than me."

Raeka's tears began to trickle down as she spoke in front of Shuwan's ashes.

"Don't regret it, yeah.... This beautiful child will be my son. She'll call me mama. I won't say your name even in front of her, only I'll be her mother."

"He will I raise very well, until he thinks I have brought him into this world."

"You calm down there, yeah.... And don't worry about this kid. Because there's me who'll take care of her."

Raeka wiped her tears. He looked at the baby in his still-asleep carrier. Loving the baby, he would not know who the woman who had given birth to him into the world.

Raeka placed a sprig of white chrysanthemum flowers inside Shuwan's ashes cabinet. Flowers that symbolize the love and affection of a friend.

Still feeling sad, Raeka turns around, taking her baby step away from Shuwan's final resting place. From today, the baby will have a new life, as the daughter of the Mahesha family and the Vijaya family.

Irgi hugged Raeka when she returned to the parking area. He knew his wife was sad right now. He opened the car door so that Raeka could easily get inside. He turned the car around and got in and sat behind the steering wheel.

"After this we go straight home and take a break, yeah."

Raeka nodded with the advice Irgi gave.

"You should take a break. Lately you've been staying up a lot since this baby."

Although assisted by two baby sitters, but Raeka still took care of the baby. He seemed happy with the presence of the baby, until his sleep time was reduced.

"Hm.... "

"Can you love this child too?"

Irgi glanced at Raeka and refocused on her wheel. He felt strange about his wife's question.

"Why do you ask me that, honey?"

"He's not our son."

"Isn't he already our son?"

"I mean, she's not the child I gave birth to from my own womb."

"Then what's the problem? If you've decided to love him as your son, then he'll be my son too."

Raeka smiled happily at the answer from her husband, "Honey.... "

"Hm.... "

"I'm sorry, I can't carry your child yet."

"Why should I apologize? I never thought of it as something salutary."

"I married you because I love you, there's no other reason."

"For me, the kid is just a bonus. I'm still happy to be with you."

"Did any of my family force you to get pregnant fast? Who forced you to get pregnant?"

"Nothing, dear.... "

"If there is, just tell me who it is. Let me scold him. No one can make my wife sad."

Raeka gave a small laugh listening to her husband going to defend her. "No, Honey.... There aren't. Right now I feel so happy to be able to feel the hassle of taking care of a baby without me having to bother to conceive it." Raeka kissed the baby's tiny cheeks.

"Do what makes you happy, baby. No need to listen to the words of people who can hurt your heart."

"Yes.... "

*****

Bayu enjoys the ritual of bathing by soaking in a bath tube filled with warm water. After a day struggling with work, ranging from taking care of important company documents, to visit his clubs. Finally at nine o'clock at night he can go home and enjoy the freshness of the water that makes his body relax.

The bath water that he used was just right. There is a smell of soap that smells good and makes it feel at home for a long time soaking there. Prita, his beloved wife who had prepared all that when he just came home from work.

After feeling his body fresh, Bayu rose from the bath tube and rinsed the remnants of soap from the tubunnya. He took a bathrobe that hung on the side of the washbasin to cover his body.

The srek!

The bathroom door is open. Bayu directly face to face with the room walk in closet. It was not the termpat that made him fixated, but the woman who was there who was able to make it frozen in place.

Prita stood there, in front of the mirror wearing the red lingerie she remembered on their wedding day.