Instant Match

Epilogue - Mermaid Princess

Once upon a time, in an underwater kingdom, there lived a mermaid who lived in peace. One day a huge storm occurred on the surface of the sea and hit the ship that was sailing carrying the royal family entourage.

The mermaid who was swimming saw a creature without fins, floated, and slowly began to sink. The mermaid realizes that the finless creature is a beautiful human male figure who immediately makes the mermaid fall in love at first sight.

The mermaid brought the man to the surface of the sea, saving the man from the death that would have taken him.

The mermaid then left the man on land, returning to the sea. Love makes mermaids think of ways to live with their hearts. Mermaids ask for help from the greatest underwater witch who is said to be able to grant anything.

"If you really love that man, you must be human too!" the witch said to the mermaid.

"What can I do to be human?" ask the mermaid.

"Sure you must have a pair of legs" replied the witch.

"How do I get a pair of legs?" ask the mermaid.

"I can help you get a pair of legs, but instead you have to give me your beautiful voice as the price you have to pay" the witch replied.

The witch gave a small bottle of potion that the mermaid had to drink when she arrived on land. The mermaid lost her beautiful voice because the witch took her voice and exchanged it for the magic potion.

"Bring this dagger to get rid of anyone who knows your true identity! Our nation cannot be known by man! Because humans are evil and greedy creatures," the witch told the mermaid.

The mermaid carried the potions and daggers that she slipped behind her long hair towards the mainland. Arriving on the mainland, the mermaid immediately drank the potion. The heat seemed to melt all the mermaid bones, gradually the mermaid's fins changed into a pair of beautiful legs.

The mermaid was so happy, her desire to meet the man who had made her fall in love grew bigger. The mermaid searches for the man until one day she learns that the man she fell in love with turns out to be a prince of a kingdom.

How heartbroken the mermaid is when she learns that the prince she loves is about to marry another woman who has reportedly saved the prince from a storm.

The mermaid could not accept that reality. He felt that he had made such a great sacrifice for his love. A mermaid who does not accept the man she loves will marry another woman intending to kill the prince with a dagger tucked behind her hair.

But the love of mermaids to the prince was so great, that he could not afford to kill the prince he loved so much. The mermaid returned to the sea, plunged herself into the sea, frothing with all the love she had for the prince.

"Finally," said Velan as he closed the mermaid fairy tale book he read.

The two little girls looked at Velan who wiped away her tears.

"Why are you guys carrying such a pathetic fairy tale book?" ask Velan.

"Alika does not know, Aunt, the picture is endless beautiful princess," replied Alika.

"Beautiful fish" replied Aliza.

"There's Cinderella and the Beautiful and the Ugly One whose story ends happily!" velan.

Alika and Aliza shook their heads quickly.

"Alika likes fish!" answer Alika.

"Like fish!" Aliza.

Velan commented on his smile, Lita's children loved fish so much, making him so reminded of Voren who also kept seven fish that he had even considered his own son.

"Lita, Lita! You shouldn't let your kids read a sad story like this! The story should have ended happily! If it ends bitterly, it's real life!" gerutu Velan's.

"Tante, read this story again!" alika Pinta.

"Tante won't read it again, Auntie will cry again" Velan said, declining the five-year-old's request. 

"Read more, Auntie!" pinta Aliza, Alika's three-year-old sister.

Velan grinned, children are indeed more interested in fairy tales whose images are good even though they do not know the true meaning behind the fairy tale.

"Alika, Aliza," Lita immediately got out of her car with many grocery bags in hand.

"Mama," Alika and Aliza welcome Lita with pleasure.

"You're all right with Aunt Velan, right?" ask Lita to her two children whom she entrusted to Velan.

"They are obedient and smart children, Lita," said Velan.

"Velan, thank you for taking care of Alika and Aliza, this is a gift for you!" said Lita thrusting a paper bag for Velan.

"Don't bother, Lita! Besides, I'm glad that they're with me here" Velan said. "So what have you got from your discount hunt?" ask Velan.

"Oh, it turns out that seventy percent discount is only for certain items! Things that are almost expired! Others charge thirty percent discount," lita complained as the mothers of discount hunters.

Lita even left her two children at the Velan kiosk upon hearing the news that a shopping center located not far from the Velan kiosk was holding a goods sale of up to seventy percent.

"Where is the ice cream?" alika asked to unpack her mother's grocery bag.

"Oh, I forgot my dear!" Lita patted her forehead.

"Mama promised, loh!" said Alika.

"Yes sorry, sorry, mama completely forgot, yes already, we bought it for a while," said Lita.

"Mama's lying" Alika sneered.

"No, dear Lika, suer," said Lita.

"Let's get some ice cream, Mama," Aliza said.

"Yes, let's buy ice cream, but before that, say goodbye to Aunt Velan, let's salim first with Aunt Velan," said Lita.

Alika and Aliza take turns kissing the back of Velan's hand. Velan stroked the long hair of two Lita girls who liked to wear those princess dresses.

"See you soon, Aunt Velan," said Alika.

"Drug, Aunt Velan," said Aliza.

"Yes, see you soon, beautiful children," Velan replied to them.

"Velan, I say yes, again thank you for looking after Alika and Aliza," Lita hugged Velan before leaving.

Velan waved at Lita and her two children who entered the car and disappeared from Velan's sight.

Velan commented with a smile, in his mind he imagined two young boys running towards him as soon as they got off the luxury car with her husband. Two boys who are expected by Velan is the fruit of his love with Voren.

But apparently fate said otherwise, Velan and the husband he loved so much turned out to have to separate. A short marriage that has not felt at all Velan where sweet because he only felt the bitter taste of married life.

Ironically, Velan had to separate from her husband while he was having fun because he had a husband who was so handsome, kind, and rich. It's just that the man who is so perfect does not love Velan even though Velan has done many things that according to Velan would have been maximal.

Velan recalled the first time he came to a psychic who could help him to get a soul mate instantly.

Velan even visited another psychic named Mbah Bucin who she believed could help her get her husband to fall in love with her instantly anyway.

But it was all a waste and it made Velan feel so guilty and sinful because he dared to get entangled in the circle of sin due to associating God. Perhaps this is a rebuke given by God as a form of God's love for Velan.

Everything that starts with the wrong path ends with the wrong one. It seemed that was the wisdom that Velan could pluck.

Velan, who chose marriage as a solution to solve his problems, now adds new problems.

The divorce became the end of Velan's short marriage.  The shame that Velan had to endure was obviously so great. Velan who had felt so proud because he managed to get the perfect husband in the end had to be divorced.

Can Velan imagine how everyone who would mock him would react. Laughing at Velan who eventually had to wake up from his beautiful dream.

Velan looked at the mermaid fairy tale books that Lita's children had left on the floor. Opening the sheet by sheet of the illustrated fairy tale book with a slashed heart.

Doesn't Velan have the same life storyline as that poor mermaid?

Doing everything for a man who doesn't love him.

However, Velan realizes that he must not have the same fate as a mermaid who ends up becoming a foam by bringing all his love.

"Don't be a pathetic mermaid!" Velan patted his chest repeatedly.

Trying to strengthen himself with tears that returned to drip, crying over his life that was completely messy.

There was a koplo dangdut song played by a refill water depot kiosk keeper next to Velan's kiosk.

What is my fault and my sin, my dear

My holy love you're wasting

Look at the style I gave you

Jaran bouncy jaran...

Dam du on my dam to you

I love you

I can't stop loving you oh darling

Jaran rocking waiting for you...

Velan smiled bitterly, enjoying the chants of dangdut song lyrics that satirize his life story.

"Haha," Velan laughed at her, laughing at her stupidity.

Love can be lost, but debt must still be paid off.

...~...