Look At Me Once

Arrival of Guests

Two months passed, since the incident that night, Lathifa never again saw the existence of his motorbike. I don't know where her husband hid his bike.

Alwi is initially indifferent to Anisa's plan to buy a car for Lathifa. However, the next day and without the consent of his two wives, Alwi himself chose and bought a luxury car for his young wife.

Alwi called the private tutor to drive for Lathifa and the main condition must be a woman.

As long as Lathifa has not been able to drive her own car, Alwi told Ahmad to always take Lathifa wherever she goes and report it to Alwi.

"Sir, please tell me the same husband, Ma'am. Let me use the bike for a while" said Lathifa.

"Your husband is also a time, Fa."

"Ah, Ma'am Nisa mah that ... Can you see I'm always the center of attention every day?" pissed Lathifa.

"Enjoy it, Fa! When will you be like Cinderella? Every time someone takes you." Anisa chuckles small.

"Mr ...."

"Have not frowned, the beauty will run away from your face because of fear."

"Mbak Nisa mah, keep joking. I'm ashamed Ma'am, always teased friends." Lathifa arranged the dishes she had just washed on the shelf.

Lathifa felt upset over her husband's treatment, because she felt that she was always being watched and could not be free to do her activities.

But not for Anisa, Anisa was happy about her husband's change to her honeymoon.

Alwi has since gone to Egypt on business for a week. Of course accompanied by Raiyan who always faithfully accompanied him every time Alwi made a business trip.

Although his father could still handle the company in Egypt, Alwi regularly visited the pyramid country at least two or three times in one year.

"It's over, Fa?" tanya Anisa is busy putting in some stuff to bring to the restaurant.

"Already, Ma'am. What did you bring?"

"This is a gift for mothers and children, the Fa."

After breakfast, Lathifa and Anisa prepare to go to Hana Resto to spend the weekend by helping Hana at the restaurant.

"We're just using your car, Fa. All right, I want to see your driving progress" said Anisa.

"But Ma'am, I'm still groggy."

"Slow down. Kan, there's me next to you, Fa."

"Alright Ma'am," said Lathifa pasrah.

Lathifa was sitting behind the wheel, she looked focused, occasionally Anisa gave Lathifa a little direction. Anisa tells Lathifa to relax her body.

Arriving in front of Hafa Resto, they immediately got out of the car and rushed to get inside the restaurant.

"Your driving skills are getting better, Fa. Maybe soon Mas Al will allow you to bring your own car," praised Anisa.

"I still have a lot to learn, Ma'am."

"Don't give up, you've tried. Remember that! Efforts will never betray, Fa."

Anisa insists on wanting to help at the restaurant, she does not want to just sit and observe.

Lathifa did not want to make her honey exhausted. Therefore, he asked Anisa to keep him at the cashier table. There's no way he'd tell her to be a waiter.

The restaurant looks so crowded, making Lathifa and all the employees busy serving the visitors.

"Sorry, Ma'am. Can I meet the owner of this place?" ask the figure of the man standing in front of the cashier's desk.

Anisa stared fixedly at the person in front of her, a tall, dashing, firm jaw with a slightly bushy sideburn adorning her face.

The man in white with a suit of cocoa and black cloth pants. Next to her stood a woman in shar'i clothes complete with a veil covering her face.

"Sorry, what is the need for you to find the owner of this place?" asked Anisa politely.

"There's something important I have to talk to him about, Ma'am."

"Sorry, Mas. Have you made an appointment with him?" ask Anisa.

"Not yet. Just tell him that Rusdi's niece wants to meet."

"Please wait a minute, Mom."

Anisa called out to Lathifa who happened to pass near them.

"Fa! Here!" anisa said a little loudly.

Lathifa turned her head and approached towards the cashier's desk. "What's up, Ma'am?"

"This is someone looking for a mother. He said, the niece of the owner of this place," said Anisa pointed at a couple in front of her with her thumb.

Pyars.

Lathifa dropped the tray along with its contents after seeing the person's face. His jaw hardened, memories of several years ago flashed before his eyes.

The sound of falling objects distracting everyone inside the restaurant staring at them.

"Would you come here? Go!" scream Lathifa.

"Fa!" Anisa panicked at the change in Lathifa's face that was flushed red from restraining emotions.

Hana came to them because she heard a commotion.

"What's this?"

"Budhe," call Rusdi.

Hana looked towards the voice that called out to her. "Ru-rusdi."

Hana's body trembled, she took two steps back. A glimpse of the bad memories of a few years ago that he wanted to bury deeply flashed filled his head.

"Buddy." Rusdi approached to shake his budheya hand.

"Stop!"

Rusdi stopped his steps, his heart ached to see his bud reject him. Either the mistake as big as what Rendi his sister has done to her budhenya family, so that makes them traumatized just by looking at it.

The face of Rusdi and Rendi is very similar, like a betel on the two sides. What distinguishes is the skin of the face Rusdi is cleaner and more well-groomed.

Anisa who saw the state of Lathifa and her mother who was not okay, told some employees to take them up to the second floor.

"Sir, please clean this broken glass! Be careful not to hurt your hands" Anisa told one of the employees.

Anisa invites Rusdi and his wife to sit at one of the tables and order a drink for them.

"Sorry, Mas. You better come next time!" said Anisa.

"Sorry, if our presence causes chaos in this place" Rusdi said regretfully.

"Sorry before, is this Mas Rendi's brother?"

Rusdi surprised. "Do you know my sister?"

"Hmm, actually I only know Rendi from the story of Hana and Lathifa. Again I apologize, it is not my intention to interfere in your family affairs. It's just, it's best to talk about this another time after Hana's mother feels calmer."

"My mother was only briefly in the country, the day after my wife and I had to return to Dubai. Because I was only granted leave for a few days," explained Rusdi.

"Sorry Mom, I interrupted. If you can, please persuade budhe Hana yes, we want to solve this problem before returning to Dubai" said Rusdi's wife.

Anisa seemed to think for a moment. "Awhile, Ma'am. I tried to talk to Hana's mother first, I hope Hana's mother wants to see you."

...*****...

The room with an area of 9 m² it feels hot even though the AC has been turned on with the lowest temperature. They sit on the floor just covered with a stretch of green carpet with a size of 2x3 meters.

Room with no table or chair in it. There is only a television attached to the wall, a room that is usually used to gather employees at night after finishing work.

Hana sat in the middle between Lathifa and Anisa, opposite Rusdi and his wife sat next to each other holding hands to encourage each other.

After 30 minutes they sat quietly without any discussion. Rusdi decided to start opening his voice.

"Buddy. Rusdi apologizes on behalf of my sister and mother." Rusdi looked at Hana.

Hana turned her face away, she did not want to look at Rusdi's face for fear of not being able to control her emotions.

'How big was the wound that Rendi had scratched in Budhe's heart? To make budhe reluctant just to see my face, ' Inner Rusdi.

"Bhude, where's Pakdhe Hadi? Rusdi wants to see mr. dhe."

Anisa glanced at Lathifa at a glance, then she looked at Hana whose face was increasingly pale with teary eyes.

"Why do you want to meet my father?" ask Lathifa.

"Om apologizing to your father Thif, where are you?"

"Mr is not here!" ketus Lathifa's.

"Then where's your father, Lathif?" asked Rusdi impatiently.

"Until any time, Om will never be able to meet you!"

Hana clasped Lathifa's hand, hinting her daughter not to get carried away by emotions.

Rusdi knitted his brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"