Heart Thief

Give Time

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"Mom, tea, what's the talk? Aska is still married to Rein. Why should I marry Asti too? Asti came here for a vacation, he was invited by Abian." Aska denies her mother's question.

"Huh, thank God, if that's what it is, mah. You're calm now." Ranti let out a sigh of relief, but not with Rein. The woman was surprised by the words of her husband. Don't they want to get divorced? Aska certainly did not want to if married an inmate, because soon Rein will go to prison.

"What about Bian's school, if you move here?" ask Randy again.

"Yes, you have to move too" said Aska.

"Ehm ... Mas, I don't mind if you marry Asti. In a moment, right, we—"

"Diem! Who told you to talk?" Aska glared at Rein, making her words hang on the tip of the tongue. Rein swallowed the salivary. The fear was so obvious on his face.

"Come, comein!" Aska pulled Rein's hand back to her room.

"Eh, uh, wait a minute, Mom! Why are you making sure I get into your room?" Rein restrained his body from following Aska into his room, "if you don't want me to leave. Let me sleep with Asti in the guest room," Rein's great-grandson hesitated a little. Both of his eyes blinked nervously, when he saw Aska's piercing gaze.

"Sleeping with Ambu is okay, Aska. Let your brother sleep with his fish." Ranti gave the proposal.

"Heh, this Ambu if you like the origin of nyeplos. Should you sleep in a pond with fish? Unless the fish are sleeping in the bed, then you want to sleep with them" protested Bahar who objected to his wife's proposal.

"Him, sarena mah in saung, atuh, Abah. Lainna Abah tos used to saree in dinya?"

(Yes, sleep in a saung, dong, Abah. Didn't Abah sleep there?)

"Sleep, Ambu. That's a nap." Bahar emphasized his tone, "if daylight is good, the wind is cool. Lah, if malem, Abah's blood can abis become a free blood donor. The mosquitoes in the pond were sadistic" Bahar said, shivering in horror.

"Udah, ah. Why are Abah and Ambu so noisy? Rein is not going anywhere. As long as he's under house arrest, he'll sleep in Aska's room."

"Well, how could that be, Mom?" Rein interrupts.

"What's? Yeah, whispers. You're, right, still my wife. So we'll be in both rooms." Aska's gaze turned to his wife again.

Rein pulled his lips in line, while scratching his head which was itchy due to confusion with Aska's attitude. Aska who was always tough on him, actually invited him to sleep together.

"Well, if that's Abah also agrees, As. You guys stay one room better. Yeah, right, Ambu?" chirp Bahar while nudging his wife's shoulder.

"Yes, Ambu agrees to the gravestone," replied Ranti with a fluffy smile. It seems he understands the Aska game. His son did not want to be separated from his wife. As a mother, Ranti knew that her son must be holding back longing.

*****

The night grew thick as Aska returned to her room. He had just finished talking to his parents outside. Just exchanging stories, because it has not been home for a long time to his parents. Rein did not speak. The woman was saying she was not feeling well.

"Still sick?"

Rein suddenly opened his eyes as he felt a touch on his forehead. Aska immediately asked, and Rein answered him with a headband. His body sat up, leaning on the head of the bed, while Aska sat beside his wife.

"Yes" said Aska.

"It's just gonna be that soon." Rein moved and stuck his foot on the floor. He intends to get down from there.

"What do you want?" ask Aska confused. The reason, the wife stood up while carrying a pillow and bolster.

"I want to sleep downstairs. I had pinjem mats together."

Aska stood up to Rein. His gaze looked sad, very different from his gaze last afternoon. Rein stared back at the legume bead that was able to make him drown, until without feeling the pillow and bolster fell in his grasp. Both of them flinch with each other, until Rein who first averted his eyes. He was afraid that his love was deepening.

"Why are you always avoiding me, Rein?" ask Ask.

"Sorry, Mas. I was just anticipating that you wouldn't be too sick of seeing my face at close range. Mas must hate me, because of the robbery case that befell Mas Dhana. I'm just trying to take care of your heart, just like me, too" said Rein. His head was getting bowed deeply, feeling ashamed of his dark past.

Aska raised Rein's chin until now their faces faced each other. Rein's two eyes blinked stiffly, looking into my eyes that would be missed.

"Originally you know, Rein. The death of Aa Dhana was closed a few months ago, after Daren was declared dead. I've let my brother go, just like Bian did. That little kid can have a big soul to forgive, why can't I follow him, hem?" Aska's speech made Rein moved.

Aska brought her face closer to Rein's. Both of his eyes aimed at the reddish lips that had not been given a touch for a long time. However, Rein quickly dodged. Pushing Aska's body, until the man took a step back.

"So .. You're sorry about me, Mom?" ask Rein a little doubt. Aska nodded with a smile.

"I'm sorry, I was a little rough with you this afternoon. I'm just emotional, because you always want to run." Aska stepped forward again, eroding the distance between them.

"But I can't be your wife anymore, Mom."

"Why?" Aska frowned in confusion, because again Rein rejected her.

"I don't deserve to be your wife, Mom. You're a cop. What if someone else knew about my past? It'll just embarrass you."

"Enough, Rein! Until when do you keep thinking like that? Everyone has a past. Whether it's the dark or the proud, it's all just a memory. Now all we have to think about is the future, and how we can fix things."

Rein's chest felt claustrophobic hearing it. A warm urge also slid from the eye patch. Rein had been ashamed of himself all this time. It was enough for him to feel the inner war every day.

"I can't, Mom. I'm sorry!" Rein covered his face with a palm. His weak body sat on the edge of the bed. His body was shaking from the crying. Aska sat down next to his wife, then gently removed the hand from Rein's face.

"I'll give you time. Until you bury your guilt deeply," said Aska, then grabbed Rein's body to get into his arms.

Rein was stunned in Aska's arms. She should be happy because she was forgiven by her husband. That means Rein won't go to jail. However, his guilt was not easily forgotten. Rein felt ashamed of himself.

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...to be continued...

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