Black Swan's
(One Hundred Fourteen)
Cold nights, strong winds blow dry leaves to scatter on the asphalt. The rumbling of thunder that was mutually disdainful echoed in the sky, indicating that soon the rain spots will fall in the City of Vegas. Laila, the woman who was currently standing on the sidewalk looked anxious while observing her watch that was coiled around her wrist. This afternoon when he was going home, suddenly his favorite car broke down because he forgot to change the oil in his garage subscription. And that's why he should
waiting for the workshop officer until finally he became the night to go home to his apartment. Stella offered him a ride. But he feels bad for Stella because Stella's house and apartment are not in the same direction. Moreover, Stella has a baby at home that is only three months old, if Stella has to drive her to the bottom, she is worried that Stella's child will be too long waiting for Stella to come home. Eventually he told Stella that he would take a taxi home. But until the sky turned dark and the sound of lightning roared around him, not a single taxi passed by and was willing to give him a ride to his apartment. Laila then went back to thinking about other alternatives to go home. The only way other than using a taxi is by bus, so inevitably now he must immediately cross and find the nearest bus stop from where he stands.
Ting
The traffic light suddenly turned green. The entire pedestrian who was originally standing next to him immediately walked hurriedly across the crowded highway. The raindrops that had not yet fallen, now began to drip little by little into the earth and caused a bit of panic from the pedestrians who did not carry umbrellas.
“Ahh, I forgot to bring an umbrella.” grumbled Laila annoyed. The woman quickly walked along the storefront so that her clothes would not get wet by the heavy rain.
Laila stood on the edge of a bag shop while looking annoyed at the heavy rain that was currently going on in front of her. If only he had not forgotten to change his car oil, surely he would not be stuck in the storefront, and in the midst of heavy rain like this. But it seemed like those regrets would be useless and would bring nothing to him. With resigned Laila began to sit himself in one of the empty seats while staring at the traffic motor vehicles and also pedestrians who were walking under a large umbrella with his friends. At first glance Laila seemed interested in a couple who were fighting not far from
the place sat with the woman who was staring annoyed at the man who also looked as upset as the woman. Laila faintly heard the voice of the woman who was blaming her lover because they did not carry an umbrella, while the lover's car was across the road a considerable distance away. Laila gave a small smile looking at that little quarrel that looked quite silly to her.
He has also experienced it before..... The ridiculous quarrel that once happened because Nathan was late came hours and hours when they had promised to go on a date.
“La.... Laila Stanford's... Hey, did you hear me? Laila!”
Laila stared in a daze at the person standing in front of her in wet clothes. Laila then blinked her eyes many times to call her consciousness back which had long since disappeared. After that he turned back to someone who was now looking at him with a worried look.
“Are you okay?”
“Since when did you stand there? Oh, you're wet.” strangled Laila stuck while pulling the man's hand to shelter next to her. Nathan sat himself a little away from where Laila sat so that his wet clothes would not wet him.
“I came about five minutes ago. I happened to pass by and see you daydreaming alone here. Where's your car? Why are you here?”
“My car is broken, I forgot to change the oil.”
Nathan chuckled with Laila's reply as he glared away at the wet road in front of him. “It turns out your patron's attitude hasn't changed. I used to remind you to change the oil in the workshop every three months.”
Laila looked pouted as she stared bitterly at Nathan. Nathan used to be a walking alarm for him. Every three months Nathan would remind him to go to the garage and change his car oil. Then Nathan will also remind him to have lunch if he is too busy with his patients. But that was then, now he has changed to become more independent and not dependent on others. Although the habit of lupanya it is difficult to be eliminated.
“I think now I've been better.” said Laila a little hard. Suddenly silence struck them when Nathan did not respond at all. Laila who felt sultry with the strange atmosphere finally ventured to turn to Nathan who was next to her.
“Sorry, maybe I'm too hard.” said Laila regretfully. Nathan smiled sweetly at Laila and shook his head slowly.
“No, you're better now. I just... I just don't know what to say now.”
“Oh, so you just got home from the hospital?” tanya Laila opened the conversation.
“No, I just finished a meeting with our investors from China. You alone, why did you just come home?”
“Investor? You have the company?” laila asked with a frown. At this time, Nathan only worked as a successful surgeon.
“Yahh. Sometimes working as a doctor is boring, I need something a little entertaining.”
“Since when?” Laila's gaze seemed unfocused towards Nathan. There is a clear bitterness in Laila's gray bead, but Nathan is reluctant to ask Laila for the reason behind it. He was afraid that it would make Laila disturbed and increasingly away from him.
“After I finished my studies in the Netherlands.”
“It means after we get divorced.” said Laila flat.
“You alone, how about your work?” nathan asked to switch their conversation, hoping Laila would be okay once they stopped talking about her life.
“Today I have many patients and there are some things I have to do.
Silence returned to them after Laila finished her sentence. For some reason this time Nathan seemed more silent than the days before or the afternoon when the man came to deliver lunch.
“Emm, do you want to come home with me? My car is parked there, so you don't have to walk too far.”
Laila followed Nathan's index finger pointing at a white SUV that looked perfectly glued in front of him. The woman then thought that now Nathan had completely changed. In the past the man never had a car as luxurious as he could only afford a used car owned by one of his friends at a cheap price. But now the man looks much more established and successful. It turns out that their divorce brought a huge change to Nathan.
“If you don't mind.”
“Of course, let me drive you home safely.”
Laila followed Nathan's broad steps while covering her head with the bag she was carrying. Nathan then turned around for a bit while patting his eel as he forgot to bring an umbrella and had to make Laila a little wet from the rain.
“It's okay. Just wet a little.” said Laila soothing. Nathan quickly ran to his car and opened the passenger seat for Laila, while he himself had been drenched since.
“Nathan you're soaked.” cap Laila awkwardly in front of Nathan. Nathan sniffed his shoulders lightly and seemed unconcerned about his shirt that had been soaked ever since.
“No problem, I am a man. My body is definitely much stronger than your body.” Nathan said arrogantly. Laila sneered softly at Nathan's attitude which seemed to have returned to how it was. Before that, the man looked calmer.
“Ck, basic! Quickly enter before your clothes get wet.”
“Each mistress.”
Nathan pretended to salute Laila before closing the door of his car hard and running around towards the steering wheel.
“Laila, I will definitely get you back.” Nathan muttered happily before he opened the steering door of his car and prepared to deliver Laila to his apartment.
-00-
“This, quickly change your clothes now.”
Laila throws a plaid blue shirt at Nathan. Nathan swiftly caught up to him while smiling strangely at Laila.
“What?”
“You still save it?” nathan asked in amazement with the blue shirt in his hand. Laila rolled her eyes lazily and immediately went into the kitchen to make a warm drink for Nathan.
“At that time you just left without taking your things. But I actually gave some of your stuff to the housekeeper. But since some of your clothes are a gift from me, and I bought them with my money, then I decided to bring them because those expensive clothes are too dear to give to the transfer officer.” replied Laila Sakarstik. Nathan walked into the kitchen and kissed her clothes many times. I don't know what the strange man was thinking right now, which he clearly looked even stranger with his drab demeanor for Laila.
“Why are you still here, quickly change your clothes.”
“Oh Lai, thanks.. You still saved one of my favorite shirts, and thank you for giving it to me on my twenty-ninth birthday.”
“Huh, that doesn't matter. Geez, you're dirtying my apartment floor in your wet clothes. Nathan, you better change your clothes now!” said Laila a little upset while wiping the floor of her apartment which is now starting to be inundated because of Nathan's actions. Nathan grimaced a little at Laila and was about to walk towards the bathroom, but again the man returned to Laila asking where his pants were.
“You didn't give me pants?”
“Ck, I'll get it after this. You better change your clothes immediately with dry clothes so you don't get cold and sick.”
“You're going to go inside the bathroom?”
“Please, don't start it again.” growled Laila was upset. But it seems Nathan wants to play around a little with Laila's burning anger. The man with a stupid face started to play Laila again with her annoying words.
“But I thought you could come in, instead of you've seen it, and..”.
“WHISPER! QUICK LOGIN AND DON'T TALK MUCH ANYMORE!” laila shouted thunderously as she pushed Nathan's body into the bathroom. Meanwhile, Nathan is laughing out loud in the bathroom, laughing at Laila's funny reaction.
Laila continued to grumble in her room while looking around for Nathan's trousers she had brought from their old house. As a woman, she kept thinking about the economic value of Nathan's belongings that she left behind, so she decided to bring them to keep. After all, he thought he would soon meet with Nathan, so he could give him all the stuff
that was her ex-husband. But it turns out that the former never appeared for months, making him then forget the clothes belonging to Nathan that he had saved from their former home.
“Lai, where are my pants?”
Laila heard Nathan's loud screams coming from the bathroom. Lazily he began to clean his closet and immediately pulled one of his pants that would be suitable for Nathan.
Tok
tok tok
Laila knocked three times on the bathroom door and waited for Nathan to open the door for her.
“This is your pants, next time no need to scream because I have heard it.” perremember Laila fierce. Nathan just smiled sinlessly in response to the warning from Laila while bringing his trousers into the bathroom.
“Again thank you for bringing him along with you.” cried Nathan from the bathroom like a bar-bar. Laila stared at the bathroom door that Nathan occupied at a glance while shaking her head inexhaustibly.
-00-
Laila looked busy arranging some dishes on the table. Outside the rain is still falling and looks more and more frightening with the sound of thunder roaring and gusts of wind that is so strong blow the leaves and also twigs into the air. Meanwhile, Nathan was sitting sweetly on a kitchen chair while opening some emails that went into his phone. Tonight Laila accidentally asks him to stay for a while and have dinner because he feels indebted to the man. If Nathan hadn't come, he might have stayed stuck in the store's head until late at night like this.
“Eat, and save your phone until you finish eating.” said Laila ferociously. Nathan glanced at Laila's face while putting his phone in his pants pocket. His sissy eyes that a while ago had drowsy, now immediately opened perfectly when he saw some dishes that Laila served in front of him.
“You cooked all this? Hmm, it looks good.” Nathan said with a face that was impatient to devour the whole food. Laila offered a chopstick and a spoon to eat the tofu soup she made. And after all the dishes had been arranged on the table, Laila began to take her place in front of Nathan while preparing to eat the results of his cooking.
“Can I eat it now?”
“Of course, did I ever forbid you to eat?” ask Laila a little ketus. Feeling permission, Nathan immediately tasted tofu soup made by Laila greedily. And when the soup had been in Nathan's mouth, Laila seemed to wait for his reaction with a thumping feeling. Although he was sure that his cooking would be delicious, but somehow when he saw Nathan would eat his cooking, he felt nervous.
“Hmm, this is delicious. This is really delicious. I feel like I'm back in time.” Nathan spoke lightly. While Laila chose to concentrate on her food and ignored Nathan who was eating the results of his cooking voraciously. He believes that Nathan is now baiting him into recalling their long-forgotten past. A sudden silence enveloped them and the atmosphere between them was filled only with the clanking of spoons and chopsticks. This time Nathan also chose to be quiet because he saw Laila was not wanting to discuss their past which was a little conflicted. But honestly he really wants to discuss a little of their past because he has some things that he must straighten out and he must know. But, will Laila be ready to discuss it?
“La.... Eeee..”.
Laila looked up at Nathan with question marks. While the man who had been the object of Laila's view was only able to smile strangely with his sentence hanging in the air.
“What's up? If you do not have a topic that needs to be discussed, then you do not need to make a sound.”
Nathan grimaces petty with his stupidity and resumes his delayed eating activities. He thought conquering Laila now was really difficult. Though he used to find it easy when he would ask Laila to be his lover and also his wife.
“Laila... Can I ask you something?”
Laila looked at Nathan in silence and then nodded, allowing Nathan to ask him anything. Nathan who saw Laila had given her approval, immediately cheered cheerfully within
heart because finally he can ask a question that has always stuck in his mind.
“You sure?”
Nathan tries to convince Laila again before the woman will hear a question from him. Although the question he was about to ask would not be as terrible as a matter of mathematics or physics, but he was not sure if Laila would think so, because this question is related to..... something valuable in their lives.
“What? What do you want to ask me?”
“Look, it's actually about our past that I admit is no fun. But since I've wanted to ask you this so much, I've been living far away from you for months and I've always been shadowed about her. So how many months did you get pregnant when you miscarried?”
Laila suddenly felt regretful about her decision to answer the question of the annoying man in front of her. But unfortunately he has promised and is unlikely to deny it. So. now he really had no choice but to answer.
“Four months.” replied Laila briefly without looking at Nathan's face. Nathan, who saw Laila, who seemed annoyed by his question, immediately stopped his eating while trying to catch Laila by touching the woman's hand. However, Laila brusquely brushed him off and hid her free hand under the table.
“Sorry, I didn't mean to open the old wound. It's just that I kept thinking about it all this time and I felt like I was the worst father-to-be. How he must have hated me so much because at that time I abandoned his mother and himself. Lai, I know that even a thousand apologies will never be enough to make up for all my past mistakes, but please allow me to fix everything. Please give me a chance to show you that I'm really sorry for everything I've done in the past. I still love you, I can't find another woman out there to take your place, because forever you are my wife and mother of my children.”
Heck!
Laila slammed her spoon onto the table and stared at Nathan sharply. A tear seemed to be shedding down from his fragile clear eyes. It was clear that Laila had been enduring a lot of pain in her heart. Although he had tried to cover it with his indifferent attitude and looks fierce, but in fact he was fragile. He hides a lot of sadness in himself that he cannot share with others.
“Honest? You think I'll be that easy back to you after what you did to me first? You dumped me, Nath, you used to ignore me and put more importance on your career so you could prove to my adoptive parents that you were a successful established man. Wh why? You surprised? You're surprised that I know all the things you've been hiding from me? From the very beginning my adoptive parents told me they only wanted to test you before you were given half of my family's assets to manage, but you were acting out of line with our expectations. Just so you know, my adoptive parents never minded your status coming from a simple family or your job just as a regular general practitioner back then. What they are looking for is a kind man who is considerate and also responsible for his children, but just because of the ridicule from them a little you immediately turned into a foreign man that I do not know at all. I was stressed and miscarried because I kept thinking about you all day. I think of you who are too thirsty for materials and honor. What good is honor if you're not happy? Are you happy with all this? Answer me Nathan! Answer!”
Laila gasped for breath in between her heartbreaking cries. Meanwhile, Nathan is trying to control his emotions after he hears all the things he has not known. If only he had not been consumed by the words of Laila's adoptive parents, maybe he would have lived happily with Laila and her future children. But he thinks all of this remains the fruit of Laila's father and adoptive mother's fault because they have
the mind is so colossal only to prove that he is a good man and also responsible.
“I was indeed unhappy after I got all these materials and honors, but you can't just blame me for all the things that happened in the past, a few of your adoptive mothers and fathers also contributed to the destruction of our household. Had they not provoked my patience with their hurtful words, I would not have been able to behave like that. Imagine how my heart aches when they trample my pride. You think I'm a weak man who will relentlessly let others trample on my pride? If I have a chance to save my pride, I will definitely come forward to save her.”
“You are a selfish man. When all the evidence of your guilt has been plastered before your eyes, you still want to avoid and blame others? You're petty, Nath, you're the bad guy and the most selfish guy I've ever known.” snapped Laila full of emotion as she stood up leaving Nathan with her overflowing emotions.
Brakkk
The sound of the door slamming loudly, was heard shortly after Laila decided to exit the dining room. While Nathan who was still left there looked so chaotic and wanted to spill all his anger by hitting the table in front of him. But fortunately he still had some common sense lodged in his head, so he immediately decided to leave after he shouted loudly in front of the woman's room.
“Until anytime I won't give up on getting you back. Although I have to play dirty, I don't care!”
Drrt drrt
“What else is this? My God!” eden's grunt was upset when his phone shook again while he was listening to an exclamation from Laila.
“I'll pick up a call from Aciel for a bit. Don't try to continue your interesting story.” Eden's thoughts before he picked up the phone and started talking to Aciel across the street.
“What's up, Ace? You interrupted my show of fun.” grumbled Eden was upset. Threw a glass of lemonade his remaining half to wet his throat that feels dry. While drinking the lemonade, Eden grimaced a little towards Laila who was drinking the drink greedily.
“He must have been very thirsty after telling a fairy tale his magical love story with Nathan.” Olivia giggled. Unknowingly Eden also laughed until he ignored Aciel who started screaming across there.
“Eden!”
“What? I'm still here, Ace. Don't shout.” reply Eden riled.
“You haven't heard my words since. Home now!” aciel's orders were loud and loud to the point that Eden had to keep her phone away from her ear because of Aciel's thunderous voice. Olivia who heard Aciel's loud voice was only able to grimace a little to see the annoyed face of Eden.
“Yes God, I still want to chat with Laila.” complained Eden was upset. “What time is it? Why did you tell me to go home. It's still..” Eden glanced at his watch at a glance. “Gosh! Four o'clock!” peekik Eden can't believe it. He then looked at each other with Olivia and also Laila who looked so relaxed in front of him.
“I don't want to know, you have to go home now because Louise is getting fussy. I'm waiting for you at home in fifteen minutes.” the end of Aciel before hanging up his phone unilaterally.
“I have to go home.” says Eden heavily on his two friends. Olivia who had come from the beginning with Eden also had no choice but to come home with Eden. Although Sian did not tell him to go home like Aciel, he realized that now it was time to go home.
“Badahat I am not satisfied with your story.” complains Eden heavy while putting his things into the bag. Laila who was also preparing to go home only smiled slightly in front of Eden.
“I'll continue my story when we meet. My story's still long, Ed.” Laila gave a light pat on Eden's shoulder several times. “I will definitely tell you my story again when we have free time to chat like this.”
“Alright, thanks for today. Your story is very inspiring.” seductive Eden with ignorant flirting. While Laila seemed not affected at all by the temptations of Eden. He casually flicked his hand in front of Eden's face. “You just wait for my next story. You will definitely be surprised when you hear it.” said Laila mysteriously before she got into her own car.
