Blue Rose

Matchmaking Proposal

I always try to open my eyes, but what power if the heart forces it to close again.

- Rey Atmaja

*

It was a bad day for Rey Atmaja. After a whole day of her concentration breaking with a ring, tonight she has to meet the woman Randy has arranged for her. Sixth woman this year.

Rey tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, a little lazy to attend the event this time which she could already confirm the result. The man was still in the car, in a mosque courtyard, the Maghrib prayer had just been completed. There is one prayer that Rey has always prayed these past eight years, may God bring women who are able to make him say yes, for no reason whatsoever.

Although until this moment, no sign of prayer was answered. Rey herself is confused, every woman Randy proffers always has a reproach that Rey does not like. Like Mailina, Minang descent girl with round eyes and clean skin for example. Hijab, graceful, and intelligent. Pediatricians who need not doubt their tenderness.

At their second meeting, Rey was stunned when she saw the girl's laughter. The type of laughter that makes the net squint similar to the crescent moon curve. Like being sucked into a whirlpool, another shadow of the girl who was in front of him. The girl with the expression of laughter was almost similar. From then on, Rey knew she would not accept Mailina completely, as she was overshadowed by a past figure.

Rey rested her hair and rested her head on the steering wheel. Should he disappoint his father again? Should he keep making his best friend worried about being imprisoned by a pseudo-fiction?

The vibration from the phone beside her made Rey grab the flat object. One chat notification from Bagus.

(Lo has no intention of missing, right?)

Checking the timer, another 5 minutes of the appointment is scheduled. Rey looked at the restaurant across the street, then turned on her car engine.

*

“What the fuck is this?” Netra Rey fiddled when she reached the second floor of the dining room.

“Be careful,” Bagas replied, while crossing your arms at the chest.

Rey scrunched up the base of the nose. “Ide lo bedua?” point it at Bagas and its twin, because Alarik who is also there cannot have this ridiculous thought.

Good to raise the corner of the lips, while raising the eyebrows. “Lo right, like the strange terms of the bin candidate, so we are ready for the facilities and the target.”

Rey snorted, he saw the area upstairs restaurant that changed completely because of the actions of two friends. On the right side, right next to the glass wall a round table with two well-appointed chairs. Decorated with white roses and candles in the center. Suddenly Rey feels nauseous, it's like a romantic dinner for lovers, while they've never even met before.

The most interesting, but also ridiculous thing was the equipment on the left. It consists of five tables with different objects on them. At the end of the table there is a prayer hall, then next to the vegetable cutting equipment, complete with vegetables, Rey remembers once rejecting Aulia who could not hold a kitchen knife. The third table has a set of cooking utensils, so after cutting the vegetables of the prospective wife this time will cook? Why does Rey feel like she's on the jury of a culinary show now?

At the next table was a sink, which made Rey frown. “What is this?”

“Aja after cooking lo requires your wife can wash dishes, well we are ready, nih.”

Rey's lips twitched at the Good answer. Has Rey gone so far? He didn't drag it actually.

“Then this treadmil?” Rey pointed at the thing next to her.

“Lo forgot to ever refuse Pure?” Good one answered. “With this you can measure the running speed, and this ...” He pointed to a red carpet that was titled elongated, similar to the walking facilities of the models. “Lo can also mastiin tu girl the road is not counted, or if you want to try to take a run together can also.”

Rey let out a laugh, already unable to bear it any longer, while the three other men looked at her with questioning looks.

“Lo think I'm a sports coach, anything at all, you guys,” protest Rey after her laughter subsided.

“Once you know bini all sports athletes,” chirps Bagas. “During this term lo weird btw.”

Rey exhaled. “Fine.” He looked around, where there was no sign of a woman. “Only are you sure, this is the perfect girl? Is he late?” said Rey while looking at the timepiece on the wrist.

“Kata Bokap lo, ni girl who will make you bend your knees,” replied Alarik steady.

Rey raised an eyebrow. “Well, we'll see later.”

“Rey ...” Bagas patted his shoulder. “Lo does not intend to be a weathered bachelor, right?”

“Damn lo!” Rey elbowed Bagas' stomach, then sauntered to the table beside the glass. Sit there looking out. Towards the sky that had turned pitch-black, and the rows of vehicles below that were twinkling were overtaking each other.

“Assalamualaikum.”

“Rey Atmaja?” ask the woman.

“You Na-when?” ask Rey to doubt. The woman in front of him was completely beyond expectations.

Nabila nodded, then sat down in front of Rey. While the man was running his net into a corner of the room, where three of his friends sat with their eyebrows swooping down as if to say, ‘does you not have the wrong person?’. Bagas, Bagus and Alarik replied with a compact motion, relaxed shrugging.

Rey notices the woman in front of her, does Randy no longer have another girl in stock? The person in front of her, Rey, hesitates if she is still a girl, the lines of motherhood imprinted on her face with a round lensed glasses hanging at the base of her nose. Nabila is indeed hijab, also looks alim but still does not she deserve to be called aunty?

Nabila cleared her throat, making Rey immediately stop the action of judging the woman's face.

“So since when did you know my papa?” Rey started the conversation.

“Not too long anyway, just last one month.”

“What?!” Netra Rey is playing, very sure now that Randy Atmaja intends to work on it.

“One month,” replied Nabila again. Then a waiter brought the order. Two plates of steak and two glasses of orange juice and two glasses of mineral water.

“So what reason did you accept Papa's offer?” Honestly, Rey was feeling disrespectful at the moment. He should have called Nabila with aunty greeting or the like.

“Because I feel obligated to help.” Nabila pushed the glasses slightly drooping with the fingertips.

“Majib?” Rey was like a weak brain boy who kept repeating the words of his interlocutor. He then gulped his water with a huff, after getting a nod from Nabila.

“So, what are your advantages so Papa chose you?” Just say Rey is brash, he can't help his annoyance.

“Maybe you mean your future wife?” Nabila is a type of gentle and patient woman, who still serve her interlocutor politely, even though the look of the person in front of her clearly asked to be hacked.

“Yes, what ever.” Rey put her shoulders together, so confident is this woman.

“He is good, hardworking, responsible, and loving,” Nabila said with eyes glaring.

“My friends set it up,” point Rey at a line of things next to them, “as a condition.”

Nabila smiled almost laughing. “Not a problem for him?”

“Dia? Why do you keep calling him?” rey did not understand.

“Of course your future wife Rey,” replied Nabila steady. “Wait, you didn't think that I would be your wife, did you?”

Rey's expression was like saying yes, making Nabila laugh. The woman covered her mouth with a palm. “Rey, I even have children,” explained Nabila in between laughter.

Can Rey curse this time? His friends obviously know but they let Rey get caught up in her own speculation. Just watch out he'll make a calculation with them.

***

Rey flicked her foot down the stairs, growing more curious about the woman she was about to meet.

“She's downstairs, Rey,” Nabila said when Rey asked the girl she should have met a while ago.

On one hand Rey was relieved because the girl she was going to meet was not an old aunt. Rey almost imagined a relationship with the child widow earlier. But on the other hand, he again felt played with. After meeting with Nabila who turned out to be his guardian, the woman who knows who is telling Rey to meet at the restaurant outside.

Rey opened the side door, then circulated her gaze on a row of bamboo huts that partly contained couples or families. The man walked to the end, in a separate cottage, overlooking the restaurant garden.

For a moment Rey stopped, palpating her chest that suddenly beat strangely as their distance grew closer. The woman stood her back to Rey, with both hands clinging to the barbeque. Seemed solemn enjoying the view of the flower garden in front of him.

Rey's plan approached, guessing what a woman with a toska and hijab with an older color would look like. The way the woman stood felt familiar to Rey, perhaps that was what caused her heart to turn abnormal.

Just when Rey was on the steps of the stairs, the woman turned her head, then turned her body, and at that moment Rey's heart slumped to the bottom of the stomach.

“Selly Anandita ..”