Hot Couple: Inara's Love Story

Lara

"You want to go back to the hospital? Let me drive," Alfi asked me before he said goodbye to Mayra, in a long-sleeved white shirt suit, he looked like a perfect priest.

I'm shaking. "I'm gone, tomorrow I'll be there again" I said. Actually, I was still confused about where to go, stay at my aunt's house or go home to Reza.

"Magrib soon. You take a shower first. Then put on my shirt" Mayra said.

I nodded my head and thanked a woman as beautiful as that angel. I went to the bathroom near the kitchen.

At about eight and a half, the time had passed by about twenty minutes, I was about to say goodbye to Mayra. I thought - and I guess - I didn't feel good that Alfi came home from the mosque but I was still there. That's why I decided to leave immediately, I also planned to order a taxi online and meet Mayra in the kitchen. He was accompanying Tirta to dinner.

"Ma, ask Papa to come home tomorrow, yeah. Tirta wants to go for a walk."

I immediately stopped my footsteps when I heard that little Tirta was chatting with her mother. At that time my brain immediately thought the possibility of Alfi from the mosque going straight to the hospital to accompany Reza, and I felt more and more uneasy because I thought Alfi was too busy taking care of Reza's affairs regarding the hospital, and I felt like I was too busy, the stabbing problem, to reconcile Reza and Alvaro. Especially when Mayra was silent, she did not immediately agree with the wishes of her son.

"Ma.. can, right? Please...?"

"Son...."

"This time... Just please...?"

"Lusa, yes, son. Papa is still at Mama Dinda's house tomorrow. Later Dede-Dedenya sad that his papa came back here."

Prangs!

A tray plus glasses slipped out of my hand, falling apart scattered on the floor. Mayra and Tirta were shocked to see me frozen there, at the kitchen door. Well, just as shocked as I was to hear that fact - the fact that Alfi's love for Mayra that I'm always proud of was not as perfect as I had thought.

"Darling, you continue eating by yourself, can you? Mama wants to talk to Aunt Nara."

Tirta nodded and obeyed what Mayra had told her.

"May. ak. i. i. i.e.," arrrgh my voice choked.

Mayra touched and squeezed my shoulder gently. "Sit down first" he said. He grabbed me but my feet were so weak that I fell with my palms and knees landing on the floor. Yep, my left palm was injured by a broken shard. Mayra panicked and grabbed me. He told me to sit on the dining table chair, but he was confused about what to do first. I knew he was afraid that Tirta would stand up and step on the floor filled with broken glass, on the other hand he would have thought of my bleeding wounds or could even be infected.

"Let me clean up" I said.

"But your wounds..."

"I can treat it myself. You take care of Tirta."

As much as possible I try to regain control of myself. I stood up to clean the floor, and then I treated my wounds. When it was all over, Mayra took me to the couch, she was about to tell me the story of polygamy in her household. Earlier he told me to drink a glass of warm water and asked me to catch my breath so I could calm down.

"What do you think about Alfie?" Mayra started the story by asking me that question first.

I'm shaking. "I can't think of anything, May. I was obviously surprised, I was shocked. I'm...."

"It was like an earthquake, and you were stuck in the middle of the rubble, you were afraid, you were panicking, and you could only just step back and flow there, where you stood. Like that, right? That's how I felt first. Even more than that, Ra. It hurts so bad in here."

I know, May. I know it must have hurt a lot.

Exactly Reza, without saying a statement of love, he was immediately affectionate: holding me, hugging me, kissing me, then acknowledging me as his future wife.

"It was during college that we introduced each other to each other's families. My family likes Alfi, so does the Alfi family, they like me, they love me. After I finished college, I went straight to work, while Alfi continued S2 abroad, but before Alfi left --we decided to get engaged. Until then everything was fine. Even though we are LDR, our communication is still good, Alfi always goes home every semester break. After two years, Alfi successfully completed his education, he returned to Indonesia, then we decided to get married."

Mayra was silent for a moment, but not silent, she cried as much as she could. So did I, though not to my delight, but my tears would not stop.

"One month before the wedding, I had an accident. Both my parents died on the spot. I don't know what miracle, I survived. I should have just died with them."

Mayra's hand and I held it tight. "Don't say it like that" I said. There's no good advice I can say. The shock inside me is still enthroned in there.

"When my world was destroyed. The accident was fatal, I had a severe injury that required my uterus to be removed. Since then everything changed, Alfi's parents were directly against our marriage. Well, it wasn't their fault, surely they expected the perfect woman to be a daughter-in-law, who could give them offspring. Aye, right? Aren't you, Ra?"

I was silent with tears flowing. I can't shake let alone nod.

"But Alfi is still Alfi, a man who loves me unconditionally. He never changes. He chose to oppose his parents for my sake, to marry and live with me."

I can clearly guess the continuation of the story. A love story that is often presented in novels or soap operas and films. But who would have thought --in this real world that story happened to my best friend, the one I've considered like my own family.

"You can certainly guess the continuation, right? Especially if you are a writer, you love reading novels and watching movies. A love story like this is no stranger to you." Mayra was silent while wiping away her tears, though they did not stop coming out.

"I told you, didn't I, if I wanted to cancel the wedding? But Alfi is exactly Reza, he will never let go of me, like Reza who will never let you go. I was so confused, Ra. On one side of Alfi is my happiness, nor can I let him live in sorrow if I leave him. But I also don't want to be the cause of Alfi's rift with his family. I also don't want to get married without my blessing. Then. I took Alfi to see his parents, to beg them to bless us."

Mayra smiled, but not a happy smile. I don't know what kind of smile to call it. The smile describes pain, disappointment, or self-mockery. I know, May. I can guess the continuation of your story.

"Alfi's parents were willing to approve us, but they put forward conditions. Conditions...." Mayra shook her head with tears dripping down.

Oh my....

"They asked Alfi -- also to marry another woman?" my guess. That's how I thought.

Mayra nodded. He justified my guess. "Nobody's guilty in this story, Ra. Especially Alfie, he's innocent. He was even willing to leave his family. He even threatened me, if not with me - he wouldn't want to be with anyone, including his family. He wanted to go far away leaving everyone behind. Yeah, well, we're both making sacrifices, I want to be with him as long as he wants to meet his parents' requirements."

"May.you will have a choice with Alfi without having to sacrifice both of you. Wh why? Why is your heart so good? His parents are selfish, right? Just for the sake of a grandchild to have to sacrifice his own son?"

Mayra smiled again, the same smile as before. He made me speechless. "I told you, I don't want to be selfish. I have a deficiency, not Alfie. Alfie has the right to have his own blood of flesh. His parents - his mother - who gave birth to Alfie. He's entitled...." Mayra shook her head while enduring the tightness. "His parents are completely innocent. Alfi's only child, they want a successor to the Wijaya family. That's not wrong."

"OKAY. I get it," I said.

Mayra also told about Dinda, a young girl who had just finished her education in high school, but to repay the services of Alfi's parents to her family, Dinda is willing to marry Alfi who is almost eight years old with her. "Dinda's parents were bankrupt at the time and almost went to prison for debt. Alfi's parents helped solve their problems. Even the cost of Dinda's education was borne by the Alfi family. Before they were married, Dinda regarded Alfi as her brother. So did Alfi, from the beginning he considered Dinda like his own sister. Who would have thought that in the end they would become husband and wife. They now have two daughters. Now almost three. Dinda is pregnant again. His parents want to have a grandson."

"Stop, May. Please." I said.

Really, I couldn't bear to hear it, especially seeing Mayra being shaken while recounting Dinda's pregnancy-the third pregnancy. I hold Mayra strong. Come feel the pain.

I'm sick of seeing you like this, May. Ii'm sorry. Because of me you have to expose that wound tonight.