Long River

Deadlines

Aska glanced at her cellphone which was on her desk. Who else is this bothering? He had to put pencils and files in his hands on the table and check the notifications, to his surprise. Monique's?

'Ka, can we meet?'

Damnit damnit! Aska recalled the incident 3 months ago when he was drunk. Must have something to do with it. What ... ah I don't want to think about. I just want Leka in my life, why has he not yet given an answer anyway? How about Monique first? Monique ... is she pregnant? Ck, uh!

Monique looked at her cellphone placed on the bed. He waited for half an hour, but the man did not answer. Huh ....

The woman laid herself on the bed so that she could straighten her legs that she had folded while sitting. He was still wearing his pajamas and was lazy to change because he did not want to go anywhere, he just wanted to wait for a message or a phone call from Aska.

Her memory goes back to a few days ago when her mother made her realize that her body was a little full. Indeed his appetite has recently increased so naturally he is a little fat than usual but he often nausea in the morning. Although he tried to spit out nothing came out other than clear liquid or wind.

But his mother felt Monique's body was different than usual. By relying on his feeling (feeling) he asked Monique to do a pregnancy test. As a result, two lines that reinforce the assumption of Mama.

"So who's she darling." Mama Monique rubbed the head of the child just dipelukan.

Monique sobbing. "I love her but she's not Mama." He hesitated.

"Then how do you relate?"

"Ma's accident, he's drunk. I helped him get rid of the people who got him drunk but he forced me to sleep with him." The woman's crying made her mother hold her tight. On the swab of his son's back was slow until his crying subsided.

"Do I throw this child away Ma, no one wants it" he said sadly.

"Didn't you like your son?"

"It's not so Ma, but if his own father doesn't want to ...."

"If her son wants to live, how? You never asked, did you?"

"Did?" Monique stopped her crying.

"Your son is not wrong, dear, he is innocent. It is the master who sins. Don't add to the sin by killing it."

"But I have to how Ma, if I hold him accountable he will definitely not admit it."

"Can't get a DNA test, he definitely can't dodge."

"If he still doesn't want to be responsible, how's Ma?"

"We're going to his family. Maybe if the parents do the talking, we might get the word deal."

"Are we going to pressure his family to take responsibility for me?"

"Even if in the end no deal is okay, you still have to give birth to him because he is the sole heir to the Le Blanc family-owned company. We'll raise her together, do you understand?"

Monique looked at her mother who was so encouraging. Her tears rolled back down her cheeks. "Mama, you're the best." He hugged his mother tightly. His mother's embrace was no less warm.

Kenzo just finished Friday prayers at a mosque in Rome, Italy. The largest mosque in the world outside of this Islamic country is designed with great grandeur. The design of the building follows the design structure of the Arab building with a European touch.

Although the religion of Islam is not yet recognized there, the Muslim population is very much and most of the immigrants.

Kenzo is very comfortable lingering in the mosque because they are very friendly to the immigrants. He was able to meet and make friends with some immigrants there.

"Eh, Pedro. How you doing?" said Kenzo greeting his best friend who came to his side after the Friday lecture was finished. Pedro is of Indonesian-Portuguese descent who is married to a Russian.

The tall, burly, white man sat next to Kenzo on the carpet folding his legs. His wavy hair and sharp nose further strengthen his Portuguese face.

"Why are you still here, huh? So comfortable. Someone else is starting to go home." Pedro is very fluent in Indonesian because he still often visits his relatives in Indonesia.

"Yes, that's it." replied Kenzo weakly, devoid of spirit.

"Mmh .. must be a woman's problem? Why don't you want a story?"

"Complicated problem ...."

"Hey, why fear complicated? God is with us."

Finally, unable to bear to hold him alone, Kenzo began to tell stories. His friend listened carefully.

"You and your father are different people" Pedro later said.

"I know that."

"What's the problem then?"

"I didn't want to get married because I was traumatized by my parents' past, but since I met her, I've wanted to marry her. Then I found out later that she was still married to someone else."

"Oh, is that woman someone's wife?"

"Have been divorced ...."

"Well, if that's all right, right?"

"You are Muslims, you know the laws of marriage in Islam well, and they separate right from wrong. Not feeling but sure. If the woman is divorced and past her iddah period, you can already propose to her. It is justified in Islam."

Kenzo fell silent. He still doubted his steps.

"What else?"

"My father. Why do I have the same way of life as him?"

"Kenzo, I told you, you and your father are different. It's been 3 months we've been friends I can see you're a polite young man away from your story about your father. I don't know how far your father's crimes go, but I'm sure you're not the same as him. You marry a widow instead of marrying the wife of the one you took by force. What is the status of his widow that makes you doubtful?"

"Not that."

"Then what?" Pedro saw this man seemed to blame himself for having a life story similar to his parents. "Kenzo, our destiny was written before we were born and if he was destined for you then what? You want to reject God's destiny?"

Kenzo raised his face. He looked at his friend's face with more open eyes.

"Sooh is like death. If he is your soul mate, how much you refuse him he will still come to you and vice versa if he is not your soul mate how hard you hold him he will still go away from you. Why don't you try your luck, maybe you're fooling around with him. Effort and prayer are important, because it is possible that God sees our efforts and prayers and changes his destiny. Regarding the similarity or not of your life story with your parents, what can you do? It was his destiny, just accept it. The more we are calm, the more we are calm. Maybe you can write a different story even though your fate is the same as her. Maybe that's where your blessing lies. Fixing a storyline that your father had ruined. You may be able to clear your parents' names by being a better person and be proud of both of your parents. Even alot of almsgiving on behalf of parents or praying for them, it can also clear their names let alone you son."

"Will my parents' sins be forgiven?"

"Thank you, we try. The rest is a God who has power."

Kenzo was listening to his friend's advice, there was a speck of bright light from behind his net that began to clear.

"Maybe you want to try praying istikhoroh to make sure your intention is , mmh?" Pedro patted Kenzo's shoulder.

"Thank you." Kenzo touched his friend's hand on the shoulder.

--------------++++-------------

Kenzo stared at a small box in the palm of his hand. He then grasped it tightly, then put it in his pants pocket. That night Leka had not returned home from her workplace at the restaurant. He gathered the determination to give a surprise (surprise) to the woman by proposing to her. Hadn't the 3 months had already passed and Leka's signs returned to Aska seemed to be non-existent. He had just arrived this afternoon and no one knew about his arrival yet.

But in Arya's house there was a crowd. Didn't his father accompany Leka to work at the restaurant? The man then went to his father's house.

Sri opened the door for Kenzo.

"Accoland ...."

"Waalaikum greetings, Jo?" Arya surprised.

"Mmh?"

"Sir ...."

"Oniichan!"

"Kenzo kun ...." An old man smiled when he saw his face.

"Ojiichan ...(grandfather ...)" Yes, Mariko's father came to see his children and grandchildren. He was so happy to find Kenzo also in Jakarta. Although Kenzo is not his grandson, Kenzo's polite attitude makes him finally able to accept the man's existence.

Kenzo came to Mariko's father. "Ojiichan, or genki?(Grandpa, are you in good health?)"

"Genki desu yo.(hate)"

Aiko and Tama came hugging her Brother from the side while Mariko's father rubbed the tops of her head.

Mariko and Arya look very happy with the sudden return of her son. They hoped Kenzo would have recovered his heart.

"When did Oniichan come home?" ask Aiko from the side.

"So late afternoon."

That night, the conversation got more and more crowded. Three generations meet and talk to each other about the past and present. Actually Arya felt there was something strange about Kenzo coming to her house because the man often looked towards the outside window and glanced at his watch like waiting for someone to come. Could he be waiting for Leka to come home? What does he want to do with that woman? What ... I hope for some good news. Arya smile.

"Do you want dinner?" ask Arya.

"Ah, then Well."

At first he saw the car coming. Rush Kenzo to his feet. "Ah, I'll go home first." Soon he left the house and walked pretending to be going home.

Coinciding with that, Leka got out of Aska's car. "Sister?"

"Oh, hello Leka." replied Kenzo a little nervously.

Aska who was in the car actually intended to go home but saw the arrival of Kenzo, he felt tired. 3 months Leka's iddah period had passed and the woman was still evasive to give an answer. He just wanted to make sure no one could have Leka but him. He immediately came out to Leka and took her hand. "Hey, don't bother the fiancee?"

"What?" Kenzo.

"Noritas ...." But before Leka finished talking, Aska had already pulled Leka into the house.