I Want to Be Loved

Felicia Aourora Ferdinand's

The clock shows at 2 pm, Gio's sleep is disturbed by the sound of whining. Gio who was sleeping on the sofa started to move his body then rubbed his eyes using the back of his hand.

Gio blinked his eyes several times and then circulated his gaze to Flora's ward to look for the source of the sound. His eyes stopped on the baby box, Gio saw the baby moving inside the baby box.

Gio got up from the sofa, he stepped over to the baby in the baby box.

“Papa's son why cry?” said Gio.

Of course the baby only responds with his whining voice.

“You why cry, Son?” ask Gio again.

Want to be asked hundreds of times the response from his son is still just a whimper.

Gio bent his body, patting his son's body. Gio's hand suddenly felt wet under his son's body.

“Kok wet?” inner Gio. “What does he pee on?”

Gio was confused as to what he should do? His wife is still sleeping, and his mother-in-law? He had come home, because he had asked him to go home.

Gio had not been able to change his diaper, so he had to wake his wife.

“Honey, wake up dong.” Gio patted Flora's arm trying to wake his wife.

Several times Gio called out and finally Flora woke up as well.

“What's up?” ask Flora.

“Baby cry. I think the diaper is wet,” replied Gio.

Flora turned to look at the baby in the baby box. She asked her husband to move her to bed.

“Wait!” Gio stops his wife while changing her diaper.

“Me,” said Gio.

Eh?

“Indeed you can?” ask Flora.

“You just tell me what to do,” tell Gio.

“Alright,” says Flora followed by her faint smile.

Flora starts telling Gio how to change his diaper. Flora's admiration increased in the figure of her husband. Although from outside her husband seemed to be unable to be serious and impatient with something, but that night Flora saw her husband was very dexterous in taking care of a baby.

“It's true, right?” gio asked after he finished changing diapers and putting bedongs on their child's body.

Flora gave her smile and then gave a kiss on her husband's cheek.

“I didn't think you could do this,” Praise Flora.

“Iya dong's. Time yes I can only take off his name doang,” Goda Gio.

“You ...” Flora gives a pinch on her husband's stomach.

“But next time let me. This is my job, your job is work, looking for a lot of money for us,” Flora said.

“Iya, My dear,” says Gio. “Same by you too,” whispered Gio.

“You already have children ... still like to pervert,” Flora said.

“Mesum same wife is okay dong,” said Gio. “But dear ... I have to fast forty days.”

Gio clucked which instantly made Flora laugh.

“Now you sleep again gih,” tell Gio.

Flora nodded, then she moved her little baby body to the box. But the baby was back to whining. Flora raised her son's body again, holding him in her arms.

After the baby fell asleep, Flora again put the baby's body into the baby box, but again the baby whined.

“Looks like he's more comfortable near you, sweetheart,” Gio said.

“Mau bobo same mom, hmmm.” Flora kisses her little baby cheek over and over again because she feels anxious.

There was no other choice but to lay the baby's body in bed. Flora also returned to her body beside the baby.

Gio was still sitting on the chair that was beside the bed. His head he put on the bed, his hands moved to pat his son's body.

“Papa's son doesn't want bobo again?” gio asked as if the baby in front of him could answer his question.

“I'm not sleepy anymore, Papa.” Flora said mimicking the voice of a child.

Gio chuckled at what his wife was doing. The two new parents looked at each other, then both looked at their child.

The rays of happiness radiated from the eyes of the two, they did not stop looking at the miracle of God. From a speck of white-colored liquid turned into a small, lifeless creature.

“We have not chosen a name for our child,” said Flora.

“I have chosen it,” said Gio.

“Really? Who?” ask Flora.

“Declaration,” replied Gio.

“Tomorrow I will announce that everyone is here,” said Gio.

“Alright,” says Flora.

Flora and Gio both patted their child's body. Both hope that their children will quickly sleep. However, both of them fell asleep first.

*****

The next morning, a beam of sunlight entered Flora's inpatient room through a curtain gap. The sunlight hit right into Gio's face and made his sleep go on.

Gio's eyes blinked a few times so that his eyes could adapt to the light that was in the room. Gio's eyes narrowed at the room. Gio was shocked when he did not find his wife and child.

“Flora,” call Gio.

Gio got up from the chair and stepped towards the bathroom. Gio knocked on the bathroom door and called his wife.

“Flora, are you inside?” ask Gio.

“Ya,” sahut Flora.

Hearing the words of his wife, Gio was relieved. Not long after that the door opened from the inside and Flora appeared from behind the bathroom door.

“Honey, where is our son?” ask Gio.

“There's in the bathroom. The nurse was bathing him,” Flora replied.

“Huffff, I we where you were,” said Gio.

A nurse came out of the bathroom with their finished baby bathed.

“Darling you better take a shower first,” tell Flora.

“OK,” says Gio.

Gio went into the bathroom when his son was dressed by a nurse.

Gio came out of the bathroom when his son was done wearing clothes. His eyes saw his wife having breakfast. Gio immediately approached his son who was in bed.

“Child papi is already beautiful.” Gio kissed her cheek repeatedly to make her baby cry.

“Yes papa, his son kok made cry,” scolding Flora.

“Finished papa gemas same this baby.” Gio continued to kiss his son's cheek regardless of his son's cry.

When the child screamed, Gio stopped kissing his cheek.

“Yes pardon papa ..” Flora's been fretting Gio's ears. Flora is upset that Gio made her son cry. “I haven't finished breakfast.”

“Iya, sorry. After I gemes the same baby,” said Gio.

Luckily, Seruni, Mariana, and Daniel arrived. Makes Flora feel relieved. Mariana who saw her granddaughter crying directly carried her.

“Goodoo why cry?” mariana.

“Tuh equals papa,” on Flora.

“Papa you are naughty yes,” said Mariana.

Mariana held her granddaughter until the little baby stopped crying.

“Oh-oh these are his eyes, how rich is his papa? May not be flirtatious rich papa,” taunted Mariana.

Gio was silent to the taunts of his aunt and his family who were laughing at him.

“This lips are also rich papa! Don't like your papa rich mongrel yes, dear.” Mariana taunted Gio again.

Mariana's taunts of Gio rekindled the laughter of her entire family including her wife.

Gio was only able to be silent and resigned when his family made him a laughing stock.

“Not satisfied mocking him, Auntie?” ask Gio.

“Not yet,” replied Mariana. “Tante seneng tease you. Usually aunty who is always mocked by you, now it's aunt dong's turn to tease you.”

“Hmmm.” Gio muttered before pursing his lips.

“If the ugly just looks like me,” protest Gio.

“Revelation,” said Daniel who immediately replied to Gio's sneer.

“Have you guys determined his name?” ask Seruni.

“Already, Mom,” replied Flora. “Gio who will name our child.”

“What's the name, Gio?” ask Seruni.

“Felicia Aurora Ferdinand,” replied Gio.

“Beautiful name,” said Mariana followed a nod of agreement by everyone.

Gio looked at the clock that was coiled around his wrist. The time has already shown at 9am. Gio asked permission to take care of the hospital administration, so that his wife could go home soon.