First Love of Ustadz

Chapter 20 Awaits certainty

Rhea choked on her food hearing the words Ustad Fariz. Umi immediately gave a drink to Rhea and patted her back to quickly subside.

Rhea was still shocked by what she heard. And now he was confused as to how, whether he should pretend not to hear and continue eating, or if he should leave the dining room, all those questions twirled in his brain.

Until a voice shocked him again.

Prangs...

The sound of the plate being slammed by Mirna shocked everyone, and made Ustad Fariz even more furious. Mirna came straight out of Umi Sarifah's house after slamming her plate on the floor.

Ustad Fariz cried apologetically on her knees before Umi Sarifah who was sitting on the dining chair.

"Umi, forgive Fariz for failing to educate Fariz's wife" Ustad Fariz said in tears.

Umi Sarifah stroked the top of Fariz's head to calm him down.

" Here, it's okay Le, it's not entirely your fault either. Maybe she really didn't want to change," Umi Sarifah calmed Ustad Fariz down and told her to eat again.

Ustad Jaki had been silent since she was holding back her frustration at Mirna. She does not like if Mirna against Ustad Fariz who is already considered to be her brother and she also does not like Mirna brash on Umi Sarifah who has been considered to be her own mother because her mother has died some years ago.

"Why is not the wife like that? His work makes people high blood mulu," said Ustad Jaki while continuing to eat.

"Ustad" said Rhea, glaring her eyes at Ustad Jaki.

"Udah should have been divorced before, the attitude of Mbak Mirna increasingly became, never able to respect her husband let alone Umi," said Ustad Jaki.

Ustad Fariz just bowed while stirring his food. He was deeply ashamed of his wife's attitude towards his family, especially when they were eating.

Rhea who felt awkward about the situation, she stood up and said backwards reasoned if the meal was over.

Deliberately Rhea lingered in the kitchen so that she finished fitting them all had finished eating.

"Zahra, can we talk? Umi was also waiting in the living room" Ustad Fariz surprised Rhea with her voice.

Rhea tiptoed in shock, then she turned her head,

"Eh U-ustad, emm... What's wrong?" rhea's tongue seemed mute and her mouth seemed stiff to move.

Ustad Fariz smiled looking at Rhea's expression in shock. It feels like getting a cure from his pain, now Ustad Fariz is no longer sad about Mirna's actions.

"Let's go ahead, Umi's been waiting" Ustad Fariz told Rhea.

"Huh?" said Rhea who was like a dazed person.

"Udah yuk there, just stay it, later to be helped by Mbak Atik who sorted it out," Ustad Fariz first left the kitchen and inevitably Rhea followed him from behind.

"Rhea, here Nduk," Umi patted the seat that was nearby.

Rhea sat on the chair shown by Umi Sarifah. Suddenly the atmosphere became silent, before anyone let out his voice.

"I'm sorry for all Mirna's attitude towards you" Ustad Fariz looked at Rhea's face.

"Father Ustad," Rhea briefly replied awkwardly.

"Bismil was bornrahmanirrahim, Zahra do you want to marry me?" ustad Fariz asked Rhea with an intense look in her eyes.

Rhea gulped her saliva, she was shocked by the question of Ustad Fariz asking her as his wife. It seemed like Rhea's esophagus was choked, she was speechless. And his eyes are glaring funny. He never imagined being in a situation like this.

"Where's Nduk?" asked Umi Sarifah by holding the shoulder of Rhea who was next to her.

"Huh? Uh.. i-iya why?" rhea's answer didn't lead anywhere. He just spontaneously said those silly words.

"You ready, right Nduk? Umi is very happy if you can unite," said Umi who according to Rhea as if Umi does not want to hear the word no.

"I'm sorry if this seems sudden and pushy. But really I do not mean you, Umi also does not force. It's all up to you. If you agree, I will be very happy. If you refuse, it's okay, maybe we are not a match," Ustad Fariz said with his head bowed because he realized that maybe Rhea rejected him because he had a wife.

"Umi just told you to ask carefully to your heart Nduk. And do not forget, ask Allah for guidance," Umi gave her smile so that Rhea was not burdened with her words.

"Alright, will Rhea think about it. Emm... can Rhea continue Rhea's work now?" asked Rhea hesitated.

Umi Sarifah nodded and smiled at him.

"Mother, later if there is anything to meet Umi directly yes. Any question will definitely be answered by Umi," said Umi Sarifah before Rhea left the place and was taken by Rhea.

"Zahra, can we talk together. There's something I want to tell you," Ustad Fariz stared fixedly at Rhea's bead.

Rhea as if hypnotized with the look of Ustad Fariz's eyes, she immediately nodded without a second thought.

"You guys just talk here, Umi is in the next room, so as not to be slandered," Umi Sarifah reminded Ustad Fariz because they are still not halal to be alone.

"Well, we'll just talk here" said Ustad Fariz, who was standing, now sitting back down.

"It's not that Umi forbids, it's just that Umi does not want Rhea to be blamed and said that no-no if anyone sees you two," Umi explained her words earlier.

"Yes Umi, thank you for being reminded," Ustad Fariz gave a sweet smile so that Umi Sarifah did not feel sorry for them.

Umi Sarifah left them to finish their talks.

Ustad Fariz told Rhea that her decision to marry him was not for any other reason. She said she had been attracted to Rhea ever since they met, and that feeling changed with love growing more and more until it was hard to forget. He admitted that all efforts had been made to forget Rhea, but the effort did not bear fruit. Even the name Rheina Az Zahra was etched beautifully in her heart, it could not be removed even though distance and time had already separated them.

Unable to be dammed anymore, Zahra's tears escaped just so wet her cheeks. It is unexpected that the person he loved all this time, who was also his first love, felt the same as himself.

"But what about Mirna?" the question just came out of Rhea's mouth.

"I was very angry at Mirna before because she always insulted you, but everything I put up with, but a few days ago she herself asked me to marry you as long as she wasn't divorced. At first I was worried, but God always gave me the same instructions. And it turns out a lot of people supported me to marry you. Emm... How about you, do you want to marry me?" Ustad Fariz explained by looking at the face of Rhea who always looked down listening to him speak.

"Later Rhea think about Ustad, and Rhea will ask Mom and Dad first, too," rhea answered looking up at Ustad Fariz's face as she replied and looked down when she saw Ustad Fariz smiling at her.

"For Mom and Dad, let me tell them. Because honestly, I asked them for the address of your house in this village and they asked me to take care of you" Ustad Fariz spoke with concern for Rhea.

Rhea was shocked and raised her head when she heard that her Father and Mother had spoken to Ustad Fariz.

Because Rhea was feeling very confused and awkward at the moment, so she did not want to linger talking to Ustad Fariz. Rhea immediately decided to study with Umi Sarifah. Ustad Fariz told Umi to return to the cottage.

That night, Ustad Fariz contacted Mr. Adrian and Mr. Ratih, who were actually Rhea's father and mother. Ustad Fariz announces his desire to marry Rhea. Mom and Dad gave everything to Rhea.

Actually Father and Mother are very hard to release Rhea to be a second wife, unimaginable to them if his favorite child will be blasphemed and treated badly for being a second wife. But Father and Mother no longer want to make the wrong decision and they no longer want to force their will on Rhea.

Ustad Fariz promised them that they would protect Rhea no matter what, because as they knew, Ustad Fariz loved her very much.

Mr. Adrian and Ms. Ratin will visit Rhea soon because they want to ask Rhea directly. And Ustad Fariz also said that it has been a few days Rhea stayed at Pondok Pesantren Al-Mukmin to deepen his religion.

Of course, the news made Mom and Dad very happy. They promised to meet Rhea soon at Pondok Pesantren Al-Mukmin.

In the other room was a woman who was thinking hard. Rhea was very confused to answer Fariz's Ustad request. It was undeniable that Rhea was very happy if the two of them could come together. But he was very afraid of the risks. He was afraid if he was referred to as an actor. And he really didn't want to make a fuss with Mirna.

Rhea closed her eyes hoping that tomorrow she would find the answer. But at 3 o'clock just right, like an alarm, his eyes suddenly opened wide and did not want to be closed again. He remembered that he had promised Umi Sarifah to ask Allah for guidance.

After waking up in the morning, Rhea vividly remembered her dream. She sees the same figure as her clue before she marries Andri. A man wearing a white cocoa shirt and a gloved smile sweetly at him and Rhea calls him a gloved Prince. Rhea was convinced that it was Ustad Fariz long ago. But he was afraid of being wrong in interpreting his dreams and he was afraid of wrongly seeing the person in his dreams.

In the afternoon after Rhea and Umi Sarifah learned the book, they took time to the lake to refresh their minds.

"So how, do you have an answer?" tanya Umi Sarifah opened the conversation when she was sitting by the lake.

"Emmm... Rhea, " said Rhea hanging in doubt.