Doctor Naura

Chapter 6 The Great Secret

After the Magrib prayer I lay down again on the mattress with the mucus has not been released, my hands are busy fiddling with mobile phones. While the suitcase I had brought from the trip was still open on the second floor picked up some dirty clothes and put them in the laundry room.

"Shall I pray, son?" I spontaneously turned to the direction of the voice and quickly took a sitting position. My mother was in front of me. I took my phone off the bed. My hand grabbed my mother's hand, kissed her politely. One of my habits from childhood. Kissing mother's hand after every prayer. Mom sat in front of me and let go of the face I was wearing. I looked into his eyes and there was no more anger.

"I'm sorry Naura ma'am, Naura still makes me angry when it's this old." I started to shed tears. Mother immediately wiped my tears with her fingers.

"Ssttt.. shsttt. I was just a little disappointed in your sister who didn't heed to pick you up." Mother spoke softly again. The same tone, like when I calmed down at 3 years old. That soothing rhythm still remains the same even after I turn 28 this year.

"Mother...." I remember the conversation my three sisters had.

"Yes dear." Mother fluttered my fine hair child.

"What's wrong? Say it." I spoke again while holding my right hand.

"Maybe mom was wrong. I actually overheard what was really going on. He said that bang Zamy had come to the airport and even called me. But I didn't hear it and even my eyes were only focused on Irwan's hands." Then I told him in detail what I had heard through bang Zamy's bedroom door. Mom looked at me. Those eyes seek the truth of what just came out of my lips. Then the mother rushed to meet a group of men who had just experienced the night and entered the house. They had just returned from the mosque to pray Magrib congregation. When I saw my mother, everything suddenly stopped.

"I'm sorry my Zamy's mom, I was wrong. Turns out you went to the airport, and went home on a bumpkin because you saw your sister being picked up by someone else. I believe you can't possibly subordinate your mother and sister Naura. I'm sorry son. I have mistaken you." Hugging bang Zamy the mother started sobbing. A bit of melancholy at the time.

"This is the title of the soap opera: Mother who is wrongly prejudiced." Dad chuckled as he entered the house. I saw him take off the peci and the prayer mat on the neck. Put it on the family room couch. Then we looked at each other, then laughed together.

****

10 Minutes later my mother called me who was changing clothes to get ready for the clinic. On Saturdays, patients are usually crowded and even come from far away. Many of my patients who come from other districts bring their children to treatment. Grateful Honey Bee clinic even though not 4 years old is already crowded and known to many people. I who wanted to rush to the clinic instantly sharpened my ears hearing the mother's call.

"Yes mother." I'm heading for the kitchen. I saw there were two fried cassava plates and a pot of ready-to-eat sweet tea. When I saw that I had changed my work clothes, my mother immediately spoke.

"Eh! uh! ehhh.., Nauraa.., where are you going, baby is neat like this. Not to mention 7pm. It only took me 1 hour to tell the secret I told you this afternoon. Then wait a minute." Mom sat me in the chair. His hands deftly took a few ceramic glasses in the drawer and put them in a flowery plastic tray with red shades.

"Please take it out, son. We'll have tea together." I immediately obeyed the words of my mother. I brought a teapot with my right hand. While my left hand carries ceramic glasses on the tray. I'm heading for the family room. I saw my father and three brothers watching a show on Tivi. News about the corona virus disease/covid-19 that is rife attacking humans in the world. We who are in the medical world feel the fear of transmission. How can we not worry, in the two months since this pandemic spread, our colleagues have 17 people died. Not to mention the nurses. The lack of PPE is one of the triggers why the medical in Indonesia is recorded in the WHO to be the country most doctors who died from this malignant virus. As I stared at Tivi, I placed the tea on the carpet, then slowly poured the tea into the glasses I brought.

"Here is the warm tea. Wear this ginger isn't it, son?" Dad immediately took out a glass of tea that I had just poured and placed it near him sitting down.

"Wear dong yah, it's the original tea of the Natural Fence that Rahman brought first you know., mother mix it with red ginger brought yuk Maisyaroh this afternoon. She said her husband just had the harvest." Mother replied while putting the fried yam.

"This is this.., the Corona virus control menu...." Bang Rahman joking while plucking a piece of fried yam and ate it.

"Lho how can fried yam be an antidote to the virus?" Mother asked a little cynically.

"Can dong bu...," Bang Zamy chimed.

"Eithhh. Carefully the doctor should not carelessly speak. Later it is thought that serious yams become the antidote to the corona." Mother glanced towards the Zamy bang who casually began to enjoy fried yams.

"True mother, what Zamy said was true." Bang Fathur seriously replied. His hand is still busy answering whatapp messages from yuk Vioni who did not come to Bangka. She is in Yogyakarta because of her pregnancy condition. Bang Fathur said actually did not want to go home if not the mother who forced.

"Why can it?" Mother asked again.

"Terms and conditions apply mother." I chimed in.

"What are the terms and conditions, son?"

"Eat the yam in the house for 14 days without going out in the least. God willing, we can be free from corona." I'm explaining. For a moment we looked at her and Mom pinched my right arm.

"Awh's sick ma'am."

"Everything so doctors do not like to digress ah.." now my cheek is the target of the mother's hand. I've got to pinch again. We laughed together. It feels happy to enjoy this moment of togetherness, a moment that since we grew up has rarely happened. I don't know what mom's agenda is, why we're re-collected today. The room was momentarily silent, suddenly father stood up while pulling his scabbard up. His hand grabbed the remote tivi on the shabby table. Press the off button. We fixed our sitting positions. I saw my father and mother looking at me, and then both of them nodded slightly.

"Why are you the same mom? How serious it seems to be." Bang Rahman put his hape on the sofa back. He was on the floor with us. Silent for a moment, only seen two lizards romp out of the family picture frame at my graduation first. I saw my father coughing a few times and then I gave him a glass of water. Dad swallowed a few gulps.

"Okay, my children, we stay relaxed. I'm also confused where to start." Mom looked at us alternately and long stared at me. I just smiled at him. Then I saw my mother blink her eyes again as if she was telling me to continue.

"Yes father talk, there must be important things that you need to convey. We're ready to listen." Bang Fathur represents us.

"True son, this is indeed an important thing and you should know." Father continued.

"A few days ago, doctor Nina's parents went to see the two of us in Mentok. They were not just ordinary silahturahmi, but from the direction of the conversation, they hoped that Nina's relationship with Zamy would soon lead to a guarantee." For a moment Dad stopped, his eyes taking turns staring at us. I immediately imagined the face of Doctor Nina. He's a very beautiful doctor. His face is thin, lashes flattened, with slightly rounded elongated eyes. Almost like a berby. His body is white, tall and slim. When her hair was ponytailed as if she still looked elegant. Especially when several times he visited the mother's father's house in Mentok while on leave. Perfect beauty. At first glance his face looks like the artist Jihan Fahira. I know that bang Zamy has been close to him for a long time. They're an alma mater. Both from Bangka Belitung made their meetings become more intense during college and continue until now. Doctor Nina ASN is like me. He is also in the Department of Public Hospital Depati Hamzah Pangkalpinang. Same as me. I know him well too. Hearing my father's explanation I saw bang Zamy just silently pecking.

"How's Zamy? You guys planning on getting married?" Dad asked.

" Hemzzz is actually dad. Zamy...." Bang Zamy answered a little.

"Goodoo. Mom and Dad look like you don't like it...."

"Not so is dad. It's just that Zamy still needs time. Nina is indeed a good, beautiful girl, a doctor, the only child of a distinguished family in this city of Pangkalpinang, but for now, it is, making her a daughter-in-law in this house feels like you need more time to think about it." Bang Zamy spoke seriously.

"So I mean just get us together to discuss that?" Bang Fathur looked less than pleased. Maybe because he left Yuk Vioni alone in Yogyakarta.

"No son. There's more to it than that." Father spoke again while looking at mother, and mother only gave a small nod. They're re-installing codes I don't understand.

"Actually, Zamy won't marry Nina or any other girl later." I'm talking seriously. We're aghast. I don't know what you mean this time. Father is a very wise man. It is impossible to be authoritarian like this.

" Yes son, you will not marry any woman, except...." Dad stopped for a moment. Staring at the mother who returned.

"Except what dad? Do mom and dad have another girl for Zamy?" Bang Fathur asked. He stared hard at Dad.

"If you only discuss that, right, I'm actually quite rumored over dad's phone. This coronavirus season I've been fighting to go home because it's not that important." Bang Fathur smiled a little cynically.

"No Fathur. Not just because of that. Dad and mom want to be open about a big secret that we've kept tight shut up until now."

"What is it dad? Just say it." Bang Zamy spoke while glancing at his watch. Seven o'clock past. We should have been at the clinic since 4pm. The patient waiting.

"You Zamy, you're not going to marry another woman, because you and we are already bound by a promise to marry you to someone."

"someone? Who?" Bang Rahman put on a serious face. So do I. Like in a soap opera. Father and mother had apparently betrothed bang Zamy to someone.

"Who's dad? Is he a doctor like bang Zamy and me too? Do I know him? Beautiful isn't dad? Cie.. cie..cie...." I tried to melt the already serious atmosphere. Tease bang Zamy who looks at me dislike. I looked at me sharply. So did dad.

"Ufttt! Sorry dad, sorry mom, I was just kidding." I feel guilty.

"I'm tied up? Already betrothed? With who? O Allah ayaaah.., ibuuu. Be patient father and mother, I can bring the best daughter-in-law in this house, but not yet. There's a time later. Could be a doctor, lecturer, architect, policewoman or father mother want me to marry who? I could've hooked someone up with a profession that mom's dad wanted. But later. Now Zamy still really enjoys work." Bang Zamy seriously half jokingly spoke at length.

"No Zamy, you're going to marry the man we agreed to." Mom started talking. While we were silent again.

"Who should I marry?" Bang Zamy looked at mom. He can't wait for my answer.

"Ah done. I'm going to the clinic first. This officer Ella said there were chronic hypertensive patients with preeclampsia. Coming from Mentok too." Bang Zamy bagged a hape after reading whatapp's message from the nurse who became his assistant. He stood up ready to leave. But she seriously pulled his hand.

"No Zamy, wait a minute. It's your secret. The secret of everything we've covered has been 28 years." I'm talking very seriously. Bang Zamy stop. He sat on the back of the sofa while twirling the phone with his hands.

"What secret is mother?" Bang Zamy asked again.

"It's time you got married, son. Married the man we agreed on decades ago. It's a final decision, it can't be changed anymore." Mother spoke out. Bang Zamy looked at mother and nodded.

"Well mother, you know that I never denied motherhood. For this, I will not dispute you. I will obey the wishes of my father and mother. Now let me go. Patients need immediate treatment. I'll just tell you who the woman I have to marry is." Bang Zamy speaking flat. Seriously nada. If he has spoken it means he really agrees and will not easily change his mind. I understand his character. This smart doctor from childhood is always consistent with his words.

"Who should I marry mom?" Bang Zamy asked again.

"It's hard for me to say that, son.... But, I have to say it right now. The longer we cover this secret, the more tormented we become."

"All right, ma'am, just tell me, I'll obey your father and mother's request. Which person is she, ma'am? Do I know him?"

"Yes, you know him well." Mother replied.

"I know him? Who's mom?" Bang Zamy holds mom's shoulder. Their eyes meet.

"Yes, you know more than just him. You know him better than he knows himself. You're more than aware of each other." Mom spoke again. We all listened while looking at Mom. Only you pretend to relax. But his eyes could not lie, his heart was agitated.

"They know each other?" Wh who? Zamy's been betrothed to who the hell?" Bang Fathur looked at my mother.

"Yes son. Zamy's getting married to...."

"Who's mom?" Rahman cut impatiently.

"Naura!" Mom spoke while looking at me. The deg! My heart seems to be falling out. We all gasp.

"Naura ma'am?" Bang Zamy pointed at me in confusion. The wrinkles on his forehead became visible. Bang Zamy shocked. All shocked. Only father and mother would occasionally look at each other with small nods.

"Yes son, you're getting married!" Father answered. We're getting confused.

" What are you and Dad talking about? Aren't you guys ashamed of joking around too much? It's so absurd talk of this father's mother. My very good, educated parents went crazy talking about incest marriage. Just kidding without thinking..," I vented my emotions directly. My eyes shed tears. My face pias because of my anger went up to the crown.

"No son, no Naura. Fathur, Zamy, and you and Rahman. This is the secret, son. It was so hard to start explaining. We know you guys need some time to digest it. Naura. Naura.., not our real son." Father explained. And as struck by lightning I stupefied. Sometimes I clench my forehead until my eyes narrow. My voice was stuck in my throat. I can't believe what I just heard. I pinched my own arm, the race hurt, the artimya I was not dreaming. I'm standing. My tears are flowing. Can't believe all my hearing this time. How could I not be their son. If the foster child how could I have felt not the least bit suspicious all this time. If I'm a foster kid why don't they hurt me once. If I am a foster child why not in the least I am distinguished from my three brothers. I'm dizzy. I ran to my room. I have to find something. Birth Certificate! Birth certificate and Family Card. I went into my room and closed the door.

"Ohh!" I screamed, my bloody right big toe clamped to the door.

"Naura!"

"Naura!"

"Naura!"

"Naura!"

"Naura!"

They call me. I don't give a shit.