ILLUSIANA (CONTRACT MARRIAGE)

CHAPTER 23

A handsome young man wiggled through the glass of his car observing the whitewashed house belonging to the Lusi family. He decided to park his car right in front of the gate. Then go down and step in. Slowly the unlocked white gate. Then approach to the terrace of the house that looks beautiful surrounded by many plants in pots neatly lined.

“Assalammualaikum,” says it's a little tight. But there was no answer from inside the house.

“Assalammualaikum.” He called back even louder.

His eyes were fixed on the black button attached to the porch pole. He called several times to the owner of the house.

Priska came out of the house to find out who was pushing the bell.

“Who to look for?“ He asked the man who was standing on his back.

The man turned his body towards her. And at that instant Priska's eyes were wide open, the look of her face changed and smiled widely.

“Mas Dio ? Haiiii...how are you?” His welcome dissipated into hugging the handsome man Dio called him. But the man was groggy and hurriedly released Priska's embrace from him and retreated slightly away from Priska who looked disappointed to accept the rejection.

“Eehh, my good news. Pris, I want to see Lusi, is he there?” Ask Dio quick.

Priska wove her thick lips with orange lipstick. He was so upset to hear that Dio was looking for Lusi, his half-brother whom he hated so much.

“Lusi does not exist, already do not stay here anymore,” replied Priska Ketus.

“Ohh, where do I live now, Pris?” Ask Dio again.

Priska did not reply, she just put her lips in a fit of annoyance and threw her butt in her patio wooden chair. Dio's gaze followed him waiting for an answer from him.

“Lusi has married Big Boss. So she went with her husband,” Priska replied accordingly.

Like being stung by thousands of bees, Dio felt his heart ache at the answer.

“Bener, Pris?” Dio asked for a more definitive answer. His voice turned limp.

Prika nodded steadily while glancing at Dio who was standing grubby by leaning on the wall pillar.

“Two months ago about. I forgot exactly.” Further Priska again makes Dio's heart hot smoldering.

“Kok he didn't wait for me?” The voice of Dio. Heavy disappointment.

“Mas Dio later in America, yes surely he is lazy to wait. Moreover, Lusi did not feel at home for a long time singles, like not know Lusi aja.”  Syndir Priska her tone of voice was very unpleasant to hear. Full of hate and jealousy.

“I'll only be there a year, Pris. When he won't wait?”

Priska shrugged both of her shoulders lazily, unwilling to respond.

“Who is he marrying? And can I have her phone number or her address, Pris? I really want to meet him. At least yes just say congratulations on his marriage.” Pinta Dio was a little bit pinched.

“I don't know the exact phone number or address. He was married to a wealthy businessman. Yaaa, even if only used as the umpteenth wife anyway.” Nyinyir Priska again, grunting hatefully imagining the face of Lusi.

Dio widened his eyes hearing Priska's words just now.

“Luck wife? You mean, Pris?”

“ Yes, umpteenth wife. That's a lot of his wife's om-om, Mas. The man is old, about 50 years is so deh.“ Priska's answer was very painful to hear in Dio's ears.

“Kok Lusi want the same guy?” the voice of Dio. His eyes fell to the floor while thinking far away.

“Ya Lusi would love to, Mas. What matters is tajir.“ Nyinyir Priska again with a cynical smile.

“Can't be Lusi matre so. I know how Luci is." Dio protested in disbelief at Priska.

“Haduuuhh, Mas Dio's. Which woman does not drool at the love of a lot of money,” welcome Priska and then laugh amusedly.

Yes that's the difference between you and Lusi said Dio bathin hot to hear it

“Yes I've come home first, Pris. If you meet Lusi tell him yes I came looking,” said Dio and stepped gontai leaving Priska.

“OK, Mom. Dio's phone number is the same? Let me give you Lusi" asked Priska from the front porch.

“Still the old one, Pris,” said Dio then directly into his car.

“You're married, Lusi?” whispers lirih. His eyes are getting wet.

“Why don't you wait for me? I purposely returned home from my school in America just for you, but what do I accept now?"

Dio wept for his broken love.

*Flashback one year ago.

That afternoon. Dio waited for Lusi on the city park bench restlessly. The clock in his hand. It had been almost an hour that he had waited alone with a feeling of anxious expectation. Many times his gaze was circulated around the park looking for the figure of the girl he was waiting for.

His smile was sumringah watching from a distance Lusi half ran towards him.

“Hai, sorry to wait so long? I delivered flower orders first to my customers,” said Lusi cheerfully even with his breath still wheezing.

“No papa, kok,” says Dio softly.

Lusi occupies his ass in a long wooden chair facing a garden full of flowers and a view of small children playing there.

“Lusi, this is a drink first, I happened to buy orange juice while waiting for you.”

Lusi received a plastic glass of orange juice from Dio's hand. Then sipped it almost toilet. Dio watched the girl beside him with his dikulum smile.

“Hmm, Lusi. Someone wants me to talk to you.” Dio spoke up.

“Please, by the way,“ replied Lusi lightly. Then sip the orange juice again.

“I really like you, Lusi. I love..” Dio hung up his sentence. The young man closed his eyes for a while then tried to arrange the right words. Susi beside him looked seriously at Dio's nervous-looking face.

“I want you to be my girlfriend,” continued Dio without further ado.

Lusi smiled widely. His eyeballs were twinkling. For a moment she slipped her jet hair behind her ears.

“You want to be my girlfriend, Lus?“ dio asked again this time in a pleading tone of voice.

Lusi stared at the old Dio's face and returned a fleeting smile

“Dio, you have been so kind to me all this time. I like you too, but..” The sentence Lusi hanging makes Dio more curious.

“But I consider you to be my best friend, Dio. I don't want to ruin our long friendship" said Lusi slowly.

He was sure Dio would be disappointed to hear that. Lusi knows Dio has a crush on him since they were both in sophomore High School. But Lusi feels more comfortable thinking of Dio as a best friend because Dio is very considerate and kind to him.

Dio looked down lethargic. His fingers intertwined with each other. His heart is disappointed his love is rejected by the girl he so desperately wants.

“Can one day you change your feelings for me, Lusi? And consider me more than a friend?" Dio asked softly staring at the innocent face of Lusi.

Lusi nodded slowly and smiled sweetly. Then touch Dio's arm gently.

“We never know what our days ahead will be like, Dio. So too with our feelings. It could be someday it will be me who asks you to be my husband,“ said Lusi sincerely.

Dio developed his smile hearing the words of Lusi which he considered as the hope of cooling his disappointed heart.

“Wah, if you later ask me to be your husband must be at that time I bopong you to penghulu.” Dio exclaimed with a funny and adorable mimic. Lusi laughed in response. Dio held onto Lusi's hand tightly and Lusi replied.

*A*I'll come to you again, Lusi. And I'm sure you'll accept me. I promise to go to college seriously and work hard so that I can marry you and make you happy. Dio's determination was solemn in his heart.

That was the last meeting Dio and Lusi before Dio finally sent his parents to join his brother to America and majored in architects at the best university in San Francisco.

But because of his great love for Susi, Dio returned home and wanted to continue his studies in Indonesia, so that he could meet with Susi at any time.

But the reality that Dio received now left him injured for the second time. The girl he had expected was already married to someone else. Dio was very disappointed. But she is determined to have to meet Lusi and hear him directly from Lusi's own mouth.

The Visual Cast Dio