Friend Bed

Accepting Matchmaking

"Devano?" asked Dea while frowning.

"Yes, his name is Devano. He's the son of Aunt Viona and Om Roni, the owner of the Rach Building."

"Oh."

"Why Sachi? Don't you like it when you suddenly have a fiance?"

"Oh no, I'm just surprised. Sorry Ma, this all feels so fast to me. I, who had been living in an orphanage, suddenly had a well-rounded and well-respected family. Then, it turns out that I already have a fiancee. It feels like a dream."

Delia then grabbed Dea's hand. "I know, I know it's Sachi. It's not easy for you."

Dea nodded her head while smiling at her lips. "Mama, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course. What do you want to ask, Sachi?"

"Ma. Why should I get engaged and marry Devano? "

"Why are you asking like that? Do you mind? Do you have a boyfriend and are afraid to disappoint your girlfriend?"

"Oh no, Ma. It's not like that."

"Then?"

"I just want to know why, Ma. Don't I have the right to know the reason when I'm engaged to someone? Especially one day I'll marry him."

"Yes Sachi, I'm sorry that Mama thought nothing of you."

"It's okay, Ma."

"Then, what's the reason?"

"Oh well, Sachi. In fact, this is an old agreement between our family and the Devano family because since long ago, their family was close friends with Opa and Oma. Actually the matchmaking was supposed to be between Papa Dimas and their son, but Papa Dimas once raped a woman who had been his first wife, so they decided the match. One day, the family of Devano went into bankruptcy, which was so bad that they almost lost all their assets. Then, the grandfather of Devano asked Oma Fitri to help their finances. Of course Oma Fitri would help them, but on condition that the matchmaking was resumed in memory of the late Opa. However, not with their son but with their grandson, and their only grandson is Devano. While the grandchildren of our family are you and Shakila."

"Oh, so it's like that."

"Yes." Yeah."

"Once again forgive us, Sachi. You have to come to reality like this when you've just met your real family."

"Oh it's okay, Ma."

"But you take it easy, Mama's sure you like Devano too. He's a nice guy, and very handsome," Delia said. He then took his cell phone and showed a photo of a handsome man on Dea.

"It's Devano, how is it?"

'He's handsome, ' Dea's inner.

"How's Sachi? He's handsome, right?"

Dea then pulled the corner of her lips. "Yes Ma, he's a very handsome man."

"Are you interested in him?"

Forced, Dea smiled. "Good, Mama'll arrange a meeting so you can meet Devano."

"Yes Ma" Dea answered briefly.

"Then, rest again, Dea. Just down the street, Kenzo said you weren't feeling well, were you?"

"Yes, Ma."

"Emh, what are you sick of?"

"Heart, but it's not so bad. Mama don't worry about me."

"Since when have you had heart disease, Sachi?" delia asked with great concern.

"According to Mother Panti, since I was a baby I've had congenital heart disease, Ma."

"Gosh, really?"

"Yes Ma. But Mama take it easy, the disease is not severe. It only relapses when I'm under severe stress, and that's very rare."

"Oh, thank goodness. Then you just take a break, honey."

"Yes, Ma."

Delia then walked out of Dea's room. While Dea again laid her body on the bed while smiling wryly.

"Devano's? So my fiancee's named Devano? Ah, yes Devano, he is indeed a handsome man. But, to establish a relationship or fall in love with someone is just relying on the physical alone? Seems not. Yeah, I admit that Devano is good-looking. But, to me he wasn't attractive, it felt very different when I saw Kenzo with all the authority attached to him. Ah Kenzo, remembering you does feel so soothing to me," Dea said.

While Delia who came out of Dea's room seemed to be saying slowly. "So, all this time Sachi suffered from heart disease? I really don't know if my daughter has heart disease. Too bad. His life hasn't been easy."

***

On a beautiful morning, when the sun was still shyly hiding behind the clouds, Dea was playing her posel while sitting in the garden in front of her house.

"Good morning, Sachi," said a voice beside him. Dea then raised her head, and looked to the side.

"Oh Brother Shakila" said Dea.

"Am I bothering you?" shakila asked as she served a cup of late coffee on the table.

"Oh no, Brother. I'm just relaxing, just calling Kenzo if I'm gonna quit his office."

"Oh. Drink it, Sachi. I made this drink for both of us."

"Thank you very much, Brother."

"Either. Sachi, so you're gonna get out of Kenzo's office?"

"Yes. Mama told me to get out of Kenzo's office as soon as possible, because I need to focus on my marriage."

"Oh, did Mama tell you about Devano?"

"Yes, Mama told me about Devano."

"What do you think? Isn't he a very handsome man?"

"Indeed, but in relationships and cultivating love, what is only based on looking at physical appearance? No, Ka?"

Shakila then nodded her head. "You're right, love isn't just physical."

"So you realize that, brother? Aren't you lucky to be married to someone you love? Not like me who has to accept an arranged marriage like this?"

"Sachi. I'm sure, Devano is a good man, you can live happily with him."

"You can say that because you didn't have this match, brother. You've always lived happily, unlike me! Even though we are brothers, our lives are very different. Sometimes I feel like life is really unfair!"

"Sachi, please don't say that."

"Don't you say that? It's easy to say, brother. You haven't had a life of suffering like me until you can say that, have you? Life is really unfair, Shakila. Since childhood, you lived happily with Aunt Aini's family, while I? I live in an orphanage with all its flaws. All this time you never lived hardship, never looked for extra money for living expenses, and also always got what you wanted. It's so different from me, right? However, it is not enough to just get there. When I feel the happiness of being able to meet my family, at that moment I have to accept the fact that I too have been betrothed to a man whom I do not love at all, I do not even know."

Dea's breathing now looked so irregularly holding back the emotions in her heart. "Sachi" said Shakila.

"What else, brother? You want to laugh at me for the injustice I've always been through?" snapped Dea as it passed leaving Shakila still pensive.