Les Laches
49.
“Vin, why not pick up your phone?” A voice coming from behind the stairs made Alvin almost drop his mug. “You do not forget that tomorrow there is a dinner appointment with your mama client, right?”
A tall female figure emerged from across the spacious room dominating the entire part of the house on the first floor while carrying a large map full of paper. The room can be regarded as a private ballroom in the Petra family's main house. The maps carried by the women themselves contained documents that Alvin had identified as files that were prepared to be included in the business-laden talks that would be held in a few hours.
Alvin cursed in his heart. That was the reason he had never come to the main house building for the past few days. He does not want to be involved in any form of professional cooperation initiated by either his father or mother. Yes, the woman who was talking to him was his mother, Yima.
“Ma, I told you I can't come!” sergeant Alvin is upset.
“Why?” yima replied without changing his expression and soft tone, but full of firmness.
“No special reason. Just dont wanna.”
Alvin closed the refrigerator door after pouring enough water into the mug and took another large bottle of mineral water to bring back to his residence in a different building. True, the only reason that made him finally forced to appear in the main house was because of running out of mineral water stock. Her dry throat, not drinking any liquids since last night, could not wait until she filled up her mineral water stock in the nearest minimarket.
“So, you just want to be lazy at home?” Yima again asked in his gentle tone, but Alvin could feel an ice-cold gaze that seemed to be piercing his back.
Alvin tried to strengthen his heart by not responding to the question and quickly passed. However, as before, Yima never gave up.
“Then it's next at home. Don't go to college, don't work. You keep playing around. Mama's money with your father is enough to make you live comfortably to death. How's it? Need all mama share allotment mama in papa company for you now?”
Alvin turned around quickly. He wanted to scream, but his mother was not a person who could be spoken to in an emotional state. In addition, a Yima was not a person who liked to utter empty threats. Inevitably, Alvin did have to say honestly the reason that made him have to refuse his mother's request.
“I have an appointment with Hera, Ma,” said Alvin finally.
“Hera whose youngest daughter is Freddy Cho?” asked Yima with her eyebrows raised.
Alvin breathed a tired sigh. It wasn't the first time her mother had given such a look while she was talking about Hera. Alvin knew very well that the question was not thrown by his mother just because he did not know that Alvin was in a relationship with Hera, who was not, but rather because he questioned the reason his youngest son could survive for years with the girl.
Yima did not like Hera very much. In her eyes, Hera was just a spoiled girl who was raised with affection and her abundant family possessions, as for Yima, the most important thing about a woman is the ambition to be a person who has meaning with his own efforts. Not with anyone's support.
“Feddy is Marita, Ma.” Alvin corrects Yima's memory which of course only ends with the abandonment of the shoulder-haired woman.
“Well, the promise you made is not something that concerns the lives of many people like the appointment of the meeting you made, right? Mama asked you to be wise Alvin. Think about which one you should prioritize? You know my mom never asked me much. If there is a Dominiq here obviously mama will not ask you to attend. You understand?” yima Cecar.
“Fine. But Mama can't interrupt my time again for the rest of this holiday.” Alvin stared intently at his mother's eyes.
“Come on, Vin! Even though you are negotiating with your mother, you must give a balanced offer. The rest of your vacation is still over a month away and you want mama to agree to let you free for that long with just one business meeting?” Yima smiled meaningfully.
Arriving at his home, Alvin walked to the kitchen in an open area at the back of the building. In the backyard is also spread green grassy land and rows of trees and ornamental plants that are not known by Alvin himself. The mini-park is just a small part of the world that Alvin's parents created for him.
As Yima had said before, Alvin could always rely on his parents to live comfortably without doing anything. Things that are not free of course. In exchange for all the luxury presented to him, Alvin must be willing to be a puppet on the stage of the drama in the media as if always thirsty with any news involving his family.
Of course, many are curious to “watch” the perfect life like a fairyland owned by the Petra family because there is almost nothing that the Petra family lineage does not have. Rich, accomplished, has a reputation without reproach, has influence in the political and economic field of the nation, not to mention taken into account by cross-border business people.
Alvin sat in a rattan chair on the back porch of his house building while downing the contents of his mug. He then grabbed the phone he had placed in his shorts pocket and dialed Hera's mobile number. He intends to change the schedule of his meeting with Hera to that night because tomorrow he must obey his mother's request to attend his family business meeting.
“Iya, Vin?” greeting Hera's soft voice on the other end of the phone made Alvin's feelings slightly improve.
“Where else are you?” ask Alvin.
“Em.” There was a short pause on Hera's answer, “aku again at home Tian.”
“Ngapain at home Tian? How come you don't want to go outside the house?” Alvin's mood soon deteriorated.
“Yes, I would like to meet Tian. I haven't talked to him in a long time. Want to know also the state of him.” Hera answered quickly because she could feel the change in her lover's feelings.
“Can be by phone!”
“Udahlah, Vin. If you're angry because I didn't know you, okay, I'm sorry. It will not happen again like that. If necessary, I will ask permission to eat, shower, exhale, breathe,” chirped Hera annoyed.
He could not understand why Alvin's emotions are getting harder and harder to control. Though Hera was also being confused by the problems that befell his friends because he was too busy devoting all his attention to Alvin. If this is the case, Hera so want to blame Alvin for the limitations of his movement space to help his friends who are in trouble.
Alvin himself was not unaware that he was venting his frustration at Hera. Hence, he hurriedly adjusted his breathing and began to lower his tone back. “Come to meet.”
“Make what?” asked Hera in a still slightly taut tone.
“I'll have an appointment with you.”
Hera scrunched her forehead. “Not tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow mama took me to the company event,” replied Alvin with a sigh of fatigue, but not an hour has passed since he woke up from his sleep.
Hera himself can only resign to accept Alvin's decision. He really wasn't in the mood to argue too much. Sapphira and Afgar's separation did little to make him cautious of his own relationship with Alvin.
