Canticles

238. Tomb Pilgrimage

In one room, a girl dressed in red was crying. Tissu who was wet with tears seemed to be scattered around him. As she looked up her face were her eyes swollen from crying too much.

The girl is Aksara, a former lover of Rex who also works as a doctor.

" Why Rex. Why don't you give me a chance. I thought you forgave Me and would accept Me back. But it turned out..," the cry of Aksara broke again.

Aksara recalled Rex's refusal at the opening of his clinic earlier.

Lucky when Rex expressed rejection, there was only their family there. Aksara could not imagine if at that time there were other people who listened to the sentence Rex said rejection. Perhaps he would bear the shame of a lifetime for being rejected by a man at his big event.

Aksara wiped her tears as she remembered the invitation card that Rex had handed over earlier.

Aksara grabbed her handbag and opened it immediately. Aksara breathed a sigh of relief from finding both of Rex's invitation cards there.

" Who is the girl who has managed to make Rex move on from Me..," murmured Aksara while opening the moss green invitation card with golden motif.

" Shezi...?!" aksara with a stifled voice.

Aksara closed her eyes while tightly grasping the invitation card. He recalled the figure of the girl named Shezi. Aksara did not expect that Shezi was the girl that Rex chose to accompany her.

" So I was defeated by an uneducated and contemptible girl like Shezi ?. What advantages does Shezi have until Rex is willing to spend the rest of his life to marry and live with him forever...?!" muttered Aksara while tearing the invitation card.

After being satisfied to make the two invitation cards into small fragments, Aksara laughed out loud. Laughter that sounds discordant, because Aksara not only laughs but also cries.

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Shezi appears to be resting next to a pair of tombs that are the graves of his parents. Shezi was not alone at the time. She comes with Rex whom she will introduce as her future husband.

" Dad, Mama. I'm coming..," Shezi said in a trembling voice.

Then Shezi sprinkled flowers over the two tombs. Shezi also placed a white rose on each headstone.

Rex also leads prayers for Shezi's late parents. Done solemnly to make Shezi moved. Rex turned his head as Shezi's voice guaranteed his prayer to be heard softly.

After finishing praying for Shezi's parents. Rex grabbed Shezi's fingers and clasped them tightly.

" Dad, Mama. My name is Rex Aldan, a TNI Army Captain. God will rise in the ranks soon. My arrival here wanted to..," Rex's speech was interrupted because Shezi cut fast.

" Seriously dikit dong Captain..," Shezi protested while nudging Rex's arm.

" Yes yes. Your abis is very tense. I'm saying that let you relax Zi." said Rex in self-defense.

" Ck, let me just talk to my Mom and Dad." Shezi said with a frown.

Then Rex gave Shezi a chance to talk to her parents. Shezi says nothing to the point of confusing Rex. The girl just kept quiet while lowering her head. Not long after, Shezi got up and asked Rex to drive him home.

" You're going home anyway. Ease of pilgrimage...?" rex didn't understand.

" Us.e.," Shezi said casually.

" But I don't hear you say anything to both of your parents Zi.", said Rex.

Rex's words made Shezi laugh. Rex who did not understand was just shaking his head at the behavior of the future wife.

" I'm sorry Captain, but this time you're really funny" Shezi said.

Shezi stepped first to leave the graves of her parents and Rex was forced to follow from behind.

" Wait Zi..," called Rex while grabbing Shezi's hand.

" You haven't answered my question yet." Rex said quickly but made Shezi smile.

" I'll answer your question later, in a comfortable place while drinking ice must be exciting right.", said Shezi.

" Oh that. Ok, we go now..," said Rex while starting his bike.

Shezi nodded and sat behind Rex. Just sitting around without hugging Rex's waist like Rex's previous ex-girlfriends. But Rex who understood how the character of his future wife was just smiling understandably.

A moment later Rex took his motorcycle off the cemetery to a place like Shezi wanted.

Rex stopped his bike when Shezi patted him on the shoulder. At that time they were in front of an ice cendol stall that was quite crowded with buyers.

" You're embarrassed if we stop by...?" ask Shezi.

" Why should be ashamed. Halal and clean why not. We're here to buy instead of debt, right...?" rex asked with a smile.

" Yes dong..," Shezi said as he got off the bike and stepped into the shop.

Because the cendol shop was crowded with buyers, Shezi was looking for another seat. He chose to sit a little away from the store.

While enjoying the ice cendol Shezi began to talk.

" I used to come here with Mama every time I finished my pilgrimage to Dad's grave" Shezi said.

" So your father died first. If you can figure out why...?" ask Rex carefully.

" My father died of being slandered" Shezi said in a stifled voice.

" Who is slandering...? " ask Rex.

" His sister Mama..," Shezi said, looking down.

" Nato's mother...?" guess Rex.

" yes. At first I didn't know why Bude hated Dad so much. But later I found out that Bude deliberately got rid of my father because I knew Bude's secret, '" Shezi said.

" What secret...?" ask Rex curiously.

" Bude took Mama's inheritance ration and sold it. My father was trying to fight for Mama's rights and that made Bude angry. Bude slandered Dad and said that Dad had an affair out there. Mama who ate Bude's words finally asked for divorce. But before the divorce occurred Papa Keburu died because he was beaten by Bude's men. My mother died three years later. And since Mama died I've been living with Bude because all of Mama's possessions are under Bude's control. And then you know how the story goes..," Shezi said with teary eyes.

Rex just nodded without saying anything. Then he ventured into Shezi. And Rex smiled as Shezi put his head on his shoulder.

Rex let out a long sigh because he was saddened by his future wife's past. In her heart Rex promised to give Shezi the happiness she should have.

" So what did you say to your Mom and Dad about me...?" ask Rex a few moments later.

" I'm just saying that you're my future husband. It's a doang..," Shezi said, raising his face.

Although surprised by Shezi's answer, Rex is happy because he is recognized as a prospective husband by Shezi. Rex also kissed Shezi's forehead quickly to make the girl's face blush.

" I drank the ice. We go home now yuk..," Shezi asked as she got up from her seat.

" Ok..," Rex said with a smile because he knew Shezi was trying to hide his blushing face.

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