Husband, If Your Father Is On Your Mother, Your Sins Are On Me

Episode 28's

"Destiny is a provision of God that man cannot avoid when man has made many plans. As far as man goes, destiny will lead him back to the path he should be." - Author

***

The rain is pouring down on this town. Something I have rarely seen since I first moved. The coldness of the air made me and Dre fall asleep. When I woke up, it was late afternoon.

I hurried to prepare Dre's toiletries. Ma'am Tinah who has finished ironing was allowed to go home.

After that, while breastfeeding Dre while sleeping, I only realized if I had not seen my phone. Turns out my phone ran out of battery. I got out of bed after waiting a while later until Dre was completely slumbering.

***

Nearly 30 missed calls came from Mas Yandri, Mother and Lita numbers. Immediately, I pressed the phone button to make a call to Mas Yandri. Not lifted. I then tried to call Mom's number, Ana and Lita. Same. No one picked up my phone.

I don't know why I feel worried. Mas Yandri didn't call me many times. If I can't pick up the call, he'll usually send a message. But these? There was no message from him.

I decided to send a message to Mas Yandri after thinking for a while.

[Mas, what's wrong?]

Looks tick two but gray. I put my phone on the table and got up to the kitchen to brew coffee. Drowsiness that had approached, yawned somewhere.

It seems I fell asleep on the sofa room as my phone shook over and over again. One call from Mas Yandri was ignored. When I almost called back, Mas Yandri called.

"Assalamualaikum, Neng."

Wait, what's with Mas Yandri's voice? Is he sick? This morning I remember she looked healthy.

"Waalaikumsalam Mas, sorry I just picked up Mas's phone."

Silent at the end.

"Neng, Ana doesn't exist." Mas Yandri's soft voice made me have to concentrate.

"Where the hell does that mean?" I'm curious. My heart was pounding erratically and a chill ran down my back. Something has happened.

"Ana died Neng.., It was after the flush...." Mas Yandri's voice was heard further and further away.

"Innalillahi wainnailaihi.... Mas, Neng went there, huh?"

There was a commotion across there, not long after, the mother-in-law's voice sounded.

"Re.., Ana Re, Ana died this afternoon...." My mother-in-law sobbed. The loud calls calling my mother-in-law's name sounded. And the phone line suddenly disconnected.

[Later to call again.]

The incoming message from Mas Yandri I read with a bated cry.

***

After dawn, Mas Yandri called me. His voice sounded calmer than before. After asking Dre who was still sleeping, he also told me.

"Just yesterday right after the lecture and watering event, Ana pamit want to go to Alfamart. Some people have prevented him from leaving. Pamali said. And a few more offered to replace him buying what he needed. However, the boy was still desperate to leave for a reason just for a moment.

We're here again busy cleaning up after the event when one of my mom's neighbors ran and reported that Ana was in an accident. We thought he just fell off the bike as usual. But when Mas went there to see for himself, the first thing that Mas saw was his motorbike that had been destroyed, Neng.

And Mas saw Ana lying covered in newspapers. Some whispering voices were heard by Mas's ears. They said Ana was dead on the spot."

Mas Yandri was silent for a moment.

"After the ambulance came and checked. They say that Ana died instantly. Some eyewitnesses said that Ana was seen coming out of the alfamart parking lot. When crossing the road, from the back there was a car that drove fast and directly hit Ana. Ana bounced quite far from Alfamart, Neng...."

I held tightness in my chest. My tears flowed again remembering the times I still lived with Ana in my mother's house.

"It should be a happy day for him today. But how else, the day he was going to have a marriage contract became the day he had to be buried," Mas Yandri sobbed.

I can't stand it. I couldn't bear to hold back the crying. With a sobbing I spent the rest of my tears, hoping that the pain in my heart would improve a little.

***

No one can be blamed for the fate that befalls humans. All of this has been established long before we were born. Everything that happens is the best way. Perhaps we think destiny is too cruel. But no, fate is not cruel. We're the only ones who don't know anything. We don't know what happens to what happens to us.