Look At Me Once

Anisa's Request

"W-what did Brother do?" Lathifa pushed Zidan's body but did not affect the young man in the least.

"Are you sure you want to hear what I'm gonna do?"

"A-pa? Don't fuck around!" sweat then crossed his hands in front of his chest.

"No cil, just one." Zidan grinned.

"ZIDAN!" lathifa shouted in panic.

"Bw. ha. ha. ha." Zidan's laughter filled the room.

"Huh ... Lo's face is very funny Cil. Huh.. Huh.. My stomach." Zidan held his belly, "Oh, I swear I can't stop laughing."

Lathifa who was irritated by Zidan's behavior stood up and forcibly pulled Zidan's hand.

"Get out lo! Not funny to know."

"Sorry Cil, after all at 11:00 lo still delicious snacking. Where's still wearing mukena again."

"So I finished sleeping, brother. There's a spit out! I want to get ready for college at noon." Lathifa pushed Zidan's burly body out of her room.

"Ma's mom said last night you had an accident? Where does it hurt? Sure, you're going to college?" ask Zidan.

"I'm fine, brother. Just a little scratched and healed."

"But you have to rest, Cil! Today is a truant!"

"Where can you, brother! Expensively I pay, hard to know money," refused Lathifa.

"Seha-"

Brakes.

Lathifa closed the door of her room without waiting for Zidan to finish his sentence.

"Woi! Basic bocil do not know politely satun lo ya!" shout Zidan.

"Sorry Brother! Purposely!" lathifa shouted from behind the door of her room.

"I've been waiting downstairs. I'll take you to campus, don't take long!"

30 Minutes later Lathifa came out of her room. After saying goodbye to his mother, he left for campus escorted by Zidan with a red motor sport owned by Zidan.

Zidan stopped his motorbike right in front of the campus gate.

"Wouldn't work?" ask Lathifa after getting off the bike.

"My holiday, my hearty work, males" replied Zidan casually.

"Males maintained. Want to be told what your son and wife will eat."

"Look, I've got a lot of love for them." Zidan blinked one eye.

"Eating the love. How can love make a full stomach?" lathifa replied with bulging eyes looking at Zidan, but only replied with a grin from the young man.

"Still same bokap Brother?"

"Hm."

"Aren't you running away from home again?"

"That's not important, don't talk about it."

"Neither good, later marahan with papa Kakar. Brother should have been more patient" Zidan put his index finger in front of Lathifa's lips.

"Ssttt! His lecture? Boss I heard your talk, I unplug it first yes ... bye," said Zidan.

"Don't touch it, brother!" Lathifa brushed off Zidan's hand that almost touched the tip of his head.

"Yes-yes sorry, forgot me. Take a taxi home! I can't pick up a show with the kids."

"It's okay, brother. Thanks for being taken. Be careful on the road don't be jockeying."

"Each Boss. Bye." Zidan propelled his motor away from the building.

‘Bye brother, hopefully the relationship with papa brother soon improved,’ said Lathifa in the heart.

...*****...

Inside a cafe across from the university building where Lathifa attended, two women with modern gamis complete with long scarves cover their bodies. They sit facing each other.

"Are you really sure of your choice, Nis?" asked Sabrina, Anisa's best friend since Junior High.

"Hm." Anisa sipped the cafe latte in front of her.

"Yes, I support whatever your decision is, may this be the best option for you."

"God willing, I have heard stories about him from some Lecturers, and I have also confirmed it myself" Anisa explained.

"Before you've met him directly? Or just talk?" Sabrina stirred up the glass filled with lemon tea in front of her and sipped it.

"It just so happened yesterday that there was a small accident between us" said Anisa made Sabrina choke.

"Slow down if you drink, Sa."

"Keep you're okay, right?" ask Sabrina worried.

"Thank God, just a little injury nothing serious really."

"Alhamdulillah then. Is he still there long?" sabrina asked impatiently.

Anisa stared at the screen of her mobile phone displaying a photo of her marriage with her husband. The watch is seen in the right corner of the phone screen, at 16:15.

"Perhaps in a moment, the class is over 15 minutes ago" explained Anisa.

Ting .. ting ....

The sound of bells ringing sign someone opened the door of the cafe.

A girl with a black headscarf whose tip is tucked into the back of her neck, a checkered black brown shirt as an outer with a black t-shirt inside, combined with white toad pants as well as black sneakers completes her appearance.

The girl was Lathifa, she circulated her gaze looking for someone. After finding the person he was looking for was sitting at the end table near the park, with a slight limp Lathifa walking up to him.

"Eh you've come? Assalamu’alaikum, Fa!" anisa's Perspiration.

"I'm sorry, Assalamu’alaikum, ma'am." Lathifa said a greeting and smilingly looked at the two women in front of her.

"Wa’alaikummussalam ..." replied Anisa and Sabrina together.

"Please sit down, Fa." Anisa told Lathifa to sit next to her. "Oh yeah, introduce this Fa to my best friend Sabrina, Sabrina this is Lathifa the child I told you about."

"How are you doing?" anisa asked opening the conversation.

"It's hard, Mom."

After getting acquainted and exchanging news, the three of them talked and looked very familiar like they had known each other for a long time.

"Oh yes Fa, there is something I want to say," said Anisa.

"What does Miss want to tell me? If you have a problem with your car damage, I'm sorry, ma'am. I promise I'll replace it but can I take it, ma'am?" Lathifa clasped both her hands under the table.

Anisa glanced at Sabrina who just silently listened to the conversation of the two people.

"Huuft ...." Anisa exhaled a rough breath. "First, if we are outside the campus area just call my name Anisa can, right?"

"I-iya Bu uh Sister Nisa. But is it okay for me to call Miss Princess with the call of Mbak Nisa?" ask Lathifa in doubt.

"No problem, I asked you to call me that. From now on, let's just say that I'm your sister. Understand!"

"But is that polite, ma'am? Uh Sister Nisa." Lathifa covered her mouth with her hands. He felt awkward to have to call the Lecturer with the name Mbak.

Anisa and Sabrina smiled at Lathifa's playful behavior when she felt wrong.

"No problem. Let's be serious, listen carefully, Fa. I won't sue you and won't ask you for damages." Anisa paused her speech waiting for a reaction from Lathifa.

"Seriously ma'am, uh sorry to mean Miss Nisa?" lathifa asked to make sure she didn't hear wrong.

"Yes I'm serious. Even I'm willing to finance your college and help pay off your family's debt."

Deg.

Lathifa was fixated, where did the Lecturer find out about the matter? Even willing to help him. Is clear! It would be easy for Anisa Putri Akbar to find information about her, considering that the Lecturer was the only child of the main donor of her University. Is Lathifa dreaming?

"Are You okay?" Anisa patted Lathifa's shoulder gently. Awakening Lathifa from her shock.

"Eh i-iya, Ma'am. I'm sorry did Miss Nisa say what?"

"If you want, I'm willing to finance your college and help pay off your family's debt" Anisa repeated.

"Mak Nisa's not kidding, is she?" lathifa asked still doubting her hearing.

"There's no reason for me to make our conversation a joke, Fa."

"But what's the reason Ms Nisa wants to help me?"

"Because I want to!" anisa answered briefly.

Lathifa stared fixedly at Anisa's pretty face, researching in as much detail as possible to look for lies in the look on her face.

"Thank you for the intention of Mbak Nisa to help me, but I think this is excessive. I don't know how much my family owes me. Maybe Ma'am Nisa just felt sorry and sympathy for me," said Lathifa felt bad with an offer from Anisa.

Who her? Just yesterday Lathifa met with Anisa, even their meeting was in a bad state. Why did the woman in front of him suddenly want to help him?

"I'm serious, Fa!" Anisa pulled Lathifa's hand that was on the table and held it.

"I'd like to ask you a favor, Fa. You want to help me, right?" anisa Pinta.

"If I am able to without being asked, I will do it."

"I want you to marry my husband, Fa."

"CRAZY MOM!" lathifa shouted while pulling her hand that was in the hand of Anisa.

Some visitors stared at them, some were whispering some were cool to focus on their food.

Lathifa stood up from her seat about to leave the table, but Anisa quickly pulled her back to sit down.

"Listen to my explanation first, Fa! I beg!" said Anisa with teary eyes.

"What to explain, Mother? Sorry I can't help. Excuse me."

"I just want my husband to be happy, Fa. Help me, Fa! Whatever I will do for her happiness" said Anisa amid her sobs.

"Anything is that?" lathifa asked with a nod of her head from Anisa.

"Even if you have to share your love with another woman?" Once again Anisa nodded her head.

"If the woman asks Mbak Nisa to leave her husband, what will Mbak Nisa do?"

Anisa fell silent, feeling something that was breaking her heart, pain, tightness, pain mixed into one.

"L-yes I'll do it!" anisa said loudly but there was a hint of doubt in her voice.

"Why? What reason? Doesn't Nisa's mom love Mommy's husband?"

Anisa shook her head, tears kept flowing down her cheeks.

"Because I'm handicapped as a woman. I cannot give offspring to my husband" Anisa explained as she lowered her head.

"But this is not the way, Ma'am. Mbak will be hurt by the desire of this Mbak," said Lathifa staring Anisa with a sad feeling.

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep up with Ma'am's request. Excuse me, Assalamu’alaikum." Lathifa stood up and walked away from the table they occupied.

"Fa, wait! Don't go, Fa!" prevent Anisa.

Without listening to the call from Anisa, with wide strides regardless of her painful legs Lathifa opened the door of the cafe stepping her feet out of the place.

Sabrina hugged Anisa's body, hoping to make her best friend feel a little calmer.

"Well, I want to help you."

The two women who were hugging turned their heads towards the source of the voice.