I'm Again My Husband

The Lawyer

The Chief Judge has already knocked the hammer sign of the trial beginning. After being invited by the Chief Justice, the defendant's lawyer stood in front of Ana to ask questions. Ana looked up, her eyes wide open to see who was standing in front of her.

A man in an old grey suit stood firmly in front of him. She smiled looking at Ana. Ana still couldn't believe seeing the man. His eyes did not blink with a rustling heart.

"Hi, An," said the man.

Ana swallowed her hard spit. Shadow 10 years ago again flashed in his memory. How the man before her dumped her for another girl on the grounds that the girl's parents would finance her education to the highest level.

Remembering that made Ana harden her heart not to melt on the male charm. Ana stared intently at the man in front of her hatefully. Pras who sat behind Ana tried to interpret the gaze of his wife and the man in the old ash suit.

Ana says she's just a high school friend, but why is the guy looking so hard at her? Quickly the man changed his suit.

The atmosphere of the trial was silent, the man in the old ash suit who became Niko's lawyer did not also ask Ana questions. All eyes were staring at the two people who were still looking at each other. Pras hardened his jaw to see the man's gaze on his wife. He clenched his hands holding the turmoil in the chest.

"The defendant's legal authority, please ask the victim's witness a question." The Chief Judge reminded the old ash-clothed man to immediately ask Ana a question.

The man in the old ash suit turned to face the Chief Judge and lowered his head in a sign of respect. "I'm sorry, Mr. Judge. I resign from this case. Sorry also to the accused brother, I cannot continue this case," he said after facing the judge and facing Niko.

The man walked to his desk to retrieve the files. Both of Niko's parents immediately stood guarding the man in the old ash suit. "Sir Rafka, you have promised to try to free my son" said Ms Widia who was standing before the man in the old ash suit.

"I'll pay double!" exclaim Pak Bayu offered a higher price so that the old man in the ash suit would continue his son's legal case.

The man turned to look at Ana. "Yesterday I don't know if the woman who was the victim of your child's crime was a friend of my High School. But after I found out, I could not distort the facts and get my friend cornered. So I can't continue with this case. Just find another lawyer. Sorry," said the man in the old ash suit.

Rafca. She is Rifky's twin who met Ana in the waiting room of the trial a few minutes ago. Their difference was in the mole that was on the left chin of the man, and Ana knew it. And it was this man who once broke Ana's heart to continue her education.

"How can it be like this? Rafka sir! Rafka sir!" call Bu Widia repeatedly as Rafka, the man in the old ash suit, steps out of the courtroom.

Ana, who had been looking down, turned to look at her husband. Pras clasped Ana's fingers, giving his wife strength. The courtroom atmosphere became crowded due to the action of walk out lawyers from the defendant. Rafka glanced at Ana at a glance as Ana was being hugged by Pras. The corner of his heart ached at the sight.

The Chief Judge tapped the hammer three times to call attention and assuage the frenzy going on in the courtroom. The situation became silent after the Chief Judge tapped his hammer. All eyes were on the judge who was preparing to open his voice.

"Since the defendant has no accompanying attorney, the hearing is postponed to two weeks in advance. With this, today's hearing I close, "the Judge said, knocking three times.

The police immediately took Niko and Una back to the prison. Widia was roaring to call her son. One by one the people who attended the trial left the courtroom. Pras faithfully embraces Ana leaving the courtroom.

After exiting the courtroom, two men who had similar faces met Ana. The two men are Rafka and Rifky. Both are friends with Ana High School and Deby. An old gray-clothed man named Rafka is Ana's ex-lover during High School. Ana's first love.

"Hi, An. How are you?" greet Rafka with a smile.

Ana was silent, she was still in a daze to answer the question of the man who had already broken her heart first. Not because he still loved the man, but because of an unexpected encounter. Being a victim of kidnapping and almost raped alone has made Ana embarrassed, especially the ex-lover knows it.

"Ana's still shaken, Raf. He was traumatized after the incident. He was hospitalized for three days after we found him. Fortunately Mas Pras was so patient and attentive to him," Deby said.

The man named Rafka looked at Pras while smiling and nodding. "You're very lucky to be with him" he said.

"Come on. Sorry, we went home first" Pras told the twins, who were both nods.

After Ana and Pras return, Rafka and Rifky invite Deby to lunch at a restaurant not far from the court office.

After arriving home, Ana immediately entered the room to rest. Both of her children were taking naps when she arrived. Mom Maya immediately welcomed Ana. "Is the trial going well?" ask Maya Ma.

"The trial is postponed for another two weeks" replied Ms. Lili.

"Why delayed?"

"The baji*ngan lawyer resigned." This time Ana's father answered.

Pras accompanied Ana in the room. His heart was eager to ask what his wife's relationship was with the old ash-clad man in the courtroom. Ana, who caught the gawagat, was less comfortable, and her husband asked. "What's up, Mom?"

"No. You just take a break" Pras replied.

"Mas" called Ana to ask her husband to sit in bed with her. "I know you must want to know what my relationship with Rafka is, right?"

"Rapha?"

"Yes, the man who became Niko's lawyer was named Rafka. While the one who met in the waiting room of the trial was named Rifky, his twin." Ana paused her sentence. "Rafka was my ex-boyfriend in High School. He left me and chose another girl, the son of the one who promised to give him a higher education."

Pras snorted, and Ana heard that. Ana clasped her husband's hand and kissed the back of it. "Rafka is just my past. The present and the future are you, Mom. I put aside my ego and my shame and teased you to come back to me because I love you."

🌹🌹🌹

That Sunday morning Ana and Pras were playing with their two children in the front yard. They saw a luxury sedan car stop in front of the fence of their house. Feeling unfamiliar with the car, Ana and Pras ignore it and continue playing with their two children.

"Good morning" said a man who was at the gate of their house.

"Rafka,"

"Let me open it" said Pras, who headed straight for the gate, holding Arzetta. "Good morning," Pras replied.

"Can we talk for a second?" ask Rafka.

"Please come in." Pras opened the gate and let Rafka in. He called Bi Siti to bring the children inside. They are now sitting on the living room couch.

"What's the matter you came here for?" ask Pras.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your Sunday." Rafka paused his words. "I'd like to offer to be Ana's lawyer."

Cirebon, March 23, 2022