Look At Me Once

Gifts from Alwi

“Why are you, Fa? Early in the morning was just pouting,” reprimanded Anisa when she saw her honey cooking with a bent face.

“Nothing, Ma'am. Just feeling annoyed,” said Lathifa while her hands focused on the ingredients in front of her.

“Sebony? Sebal to whom?” asked Anisa curiously.

“Suami Mbak Nisa.”

Anisa knitted her brows in confusion. “Mas Al mean you?”

Lathifa nodded her head even though her interlocutors could not see her, due to their position of turning their backs on each other.

“He is, your husband is too, Fa.” Anisa chuckled and shook her head.

Anisa is amazed by her honey who often refers to Alwi as her husband. He is also his own wife.

It was as if Lathifa wanted to affirm that Alwi was only Anisa's husband. Anisa felt suspicious, could it be that there was something Lathifa was hiding from her? But quickly Anisa threw away her negative thoughts.

“When do we go to the pesantren, Ma'am? Tanya Lathifa shifted the topic of conversation.

“Finished breakfast we leave immediately, yes. Afraid of her studies has already begun.”

“Iya, Mbak.”

“Indeed why do you like Al, Fa?” anisa asked still curious.

“Ih! Anyway, Mother. The fridge! Bummer!” Lathifa poked her lips.

“Hush! Fa, it's not good to grumble behind your husband. What did Mas Al do to you?”

“So he sucks, Ma'am. If you do not intend to give a gift, you do not need to give. Rather than giving but the contents of the goods is unclear.”

“Emang what is the contents of the card?” anisa asked increasingly curious. As far as she was concerned, it was impossible for her husband to give her anything unprofitable.

“Shirt not finished, Mbak.”

“Hah, you mean the clothes are not finished sewn?” anisa is confused.

“Maybe. When I was told to wear that shirt to a lecture later. Crazy what? Thin, round clothes are more appropriately called fishing nets. Want to put where my face is?” lathifa said.  

Anisa widened her eyes. “What do you mean lingerie, Fa?”

“What is Ma'am's lingerie?

“Sleeping clothes.”

“Hahs. Where there is such a model nightgown. Anyone who wants to wear it, can-can catch a cold all night sleeping with clothes like that.”

Anisa and Mbok Ijah laughed at Lathifa's words. Lathifa was so innocent that she didn't know what lingerie was.

...*****...

At the dinner table, the three of them had breakfast quietly. Alwi observed the appearance of Lathifa wearing a gray toad suit with a large white hoodie complete with pashmina whose ends he wrapped around her neck in matching colors with her pants.

Lathifa who felt stared at by her husband felt uncomfortable, as if she was being interrogated by her husband. “You why see me like that?”

Alwi remained silent, his eyes still fixedly staring at Lathifa.

“There's something wrong with me?” lathifa asked, but Alwi was still reluctant to let out her voice.

Lathifa turned her gaze towards Anisa. However, Anisa just flicked her shoulders.

“How difficult is it to comply with my request? Why are you still wearing clothes like that?” ask Alwi.

Lathifa furrowed her brows in confusion. “What's wrong with my clothes?”

“Change how you dress like that!” Alwi crossed his spoon on the plate, a sign he was done with his meal. “Clothes that resemble men,” he continued in a flat tone.

“What's really why? I wear loose pants not tight. There are many people out there dressed like this. This is right, the current trend,” sergeant Lathifa.

“I don't care about women out there, you're my wife! My responsibility! How you dress is also my responsibility.” Alwi looked back at Lathifa who dared to answer his words.

“See your veil!” his orders.

“My veil?” ask Lathifa while observing her appearance. “What's wrong? My hijab is neat, beautiful, and simple.”

“Lathifa!” exclaiming Alwi made his two wives jumped in shock.

“Mas!” Anisa touched her husband's arm, trying to hold back Alwi's emotions that were about to explode. The other hand held his own chest.

“Cantics from where? A piece of cloth that you use does not deserve to be called hijab if it still shows the area of your shoulders and chest,” said Alwi in a tone of voice that is not pleasant to hear.

“Then, do I have to dress like Anisa? I don't have such a gamis and khimar.” Lathifa looked for the reason her eyes began to glaze over.

 Lathifa felt unable to wear the robe and hijab syar’i, because she thought it would be troublesome and difficult to move. Especially with the nature of the tombo. Again, her husband compared her to her honey.

“Loh. I was, asked. I replied, Time should be quiet. Not polite,” Lathifa replied without looking at her husband.

“Lathifa! Is it difficult to wear syar’i clothes? Last night I told you to wear clothes from me. So, do not wear the excuse that you do not have the syar’i.” clothes

Lathifa raised her face, her eyes wide open staring fixedly at her husband's face. He tightened the grip of the spoon that was still in his hand.

“Just you lectured on the clothes I was wearing, and now still tell me to wear clothes from you?” Lathifa looked at her husband's face with giddiness. “Ck, have you gone crazy?”

“Lathifa!” Alwi hardened his jaw, his eyes reddened. If only her hand had not been held back by Anisa, perhaps her emotions had already exploded from earlier.

Lathifa placed her spoon a little hard, making a pretty loud clanging sound. “I'm full.”

Lathifa stood up and took care of her dirty dishes. He bit his lower lip and took his plate to the dishwasher.

Anisa quickly prevented her husband who was about to scold Lathifa from returning by tightening their hands.

“Mas ... relax first, drink up!” Anisa grabbed a glass of water in front of her and gave it to her husband.

“Look at that girl of your choice!” Alwi looked at Anisa's face, her free hand pointing towards Lathifa.

“Minum, Mas! Are you sure you want Lathifa to wear a gifting outfit from the mas?” ask Anisa slowly.

“Ya,” replied Alwi briefly, then grabbed a glass from Anisa's hand and drank it.

“Yakin?” repeated Anisa, Alwi just nodded.

“Did Mas tell Raiyan to buy a gift for Lathifa?” looking at Anisa, once again Alwi nodded.

Anisa smiled at a glance, she began to understand the point of trouble between her husband and her honeymoon. Just a misunderstanding of both.

“Mas sure I told Lathifa to wear it at the recitation later?” search for Anisa again.

Anisa wanted to make sure that her guess was correct. That, her husband did not know the contents of the gift he gave to Lathifa. And again Anisa got a nod of the head from her husband, Anisa increasingly widened her smile.

“Mas, if Lathifa wears it on the show later .. I think, Mas will lose.”

Alwi just glanced towards Anisa as if asking ‘what does that mean?’. Alwi still sipped a drink from his glass.

“Mas wants Lathifa to attend a lecture wearing lingerie?”

“Uhuk! Uhuk!” Alwi patted her chest, her eyes watering as Anisa's speech managed to choke and coughed.

Anisa patted her husband's back, while Lathifa who heard Anisa and her husband's conversation only caught a glimpse, she wanted to laugh but also felt sorry to see Alwi in pain.

“You don't know the contents of the card?” anisa asked after her husband's cough subsided.

Alwi nodded her head making Anisa chuckle and Lathifa curled up from not being able to hold back her laughter looking at her husband's reddened face.

Alwi stared intently at Lathifa making the girl instantly stop her laughter and run into her room.

After feeling good, Alwi pamit went to the office. Anisa approached Lathifa in her room and offered her’i syar clothes to wear Lathifa and of course still new.

After saying goodbye to mbok ijah, they left for the boarding school by driving Anisa's car.

While Alwi, when he arrived at the office he asked his secretary to call Raiyan to immediately face him.

“Wan, sir Alwi called me what is it, yes?” raiyan asked Alwi's secretary who was at the front desk of Alwi's room door.

“I don't understand, Sir. Mr. Alwi just told me to call you to his room,” replied Iwan, Alwi's secretary.

Alwi does not hire female employees whose duties are directly related to him.

‘Ck, What's wrong? Tumben really early in the morning Alwi called me. Is there an important issue?’ raiyan muttered in front of the door of the owner of the company where he worked.

Geck! Geck! Geck!

“Log in!” a cold voice came from inside the room.

Chequek.

“Excuse me, Sir. Father call me?” asked Raiyan politely.

Alwi sat in his great chair, his eyes focused on the papers on his desk, reluctant to turn his attention towards his assistant.

Raiyan was getting more agitated, especially long enough he stood in front of his superior table. They are friendly, but if they are in the office and still in touch with work, they agree to be professional.

Alwi raised his head. Staring intently at his assistant. “You know what your mistake was?” asked Alwi in a cold voice.

Glug.

Raiyan gulped down his saliva, let alone seeing his boss putting on a cold face with a murderous look towards him