Look At Me Once

One Lie

Anisa went into her room and her crying broke unbearably. Anisa sobbed to vent all the tightness she had been enduring since coming home from the hospital yesterday. As long as no one is home, he can freely spill all his grief.

Anisa cries out loud and rem@s her diagnosis letter. With tears still running down, Anisa promised herself that she would never again be jealous of her husband's friendship with her honey. Honey that she herself chose for her husband.

‘Yes Allah, if this is the path that You have destined for me, I sincerely, Yes Rob, give me a chance to make sure that Mas Alwi and Lathifa will live happily together, so that I can calmly leave them both.’

After feeling calmer, Anisa walks into the bathroom to pick up the wudu. He carried out his routine facing the Creator of nature and its content.

Anisa performs Dhuha sunah prayer before leaving for the pesantren to return to help the needs there.

“Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullaah ..”

“Issthhh, Astaghfirullah ... Yes Allah!” Anisa felt her head throbbing pain right after she said the greeting, her upper abdomen feeling so painful.

Anisa curled up to endure the pain in silence, not a single person knowing of her illness. Whether it's her husband or her parents.

Anisa doesn't want to make everyone feel sad and worried about her, it's quite the calamity that made them all sad. His family only knew that if Anisa had ever been convicted of having a benign tumor, it had been treated and declared cured.

Trudgingly Anisa tried to get up and reach for the medicine bottle she had hidden in the bottom nightstand drawer and drank it. After feeling better, Anisa wiped the remaining tears that were still wetting her cheeks and folded her face and tidied it up.

“Bism...”.

Anisa steadies herself, she must not be fragile and must look fine in front of her family.

Anisa sipped a glass of water in front of her in one drink. ‘Yes Allah, strengthen this heart always above Your religion.’

...****************...

In the afternoon, as he said, Alwi had an appointment with his client at one of the restaurants near the campus where Lathifa attended.

Alwi intends to make it an opportunity for him to start the first steps to improve his relationship with Lathifa, he wants to pick up Lathifa as an excuse so that they have more time for both.

But Alwi was disappointed before his plan could be realized. After his affairs, Alwi decided to follow and pick up his first wife to the boarding school, he hurried to walk to where his car was parked.

Drrr.

Alwi's steps stopped right next to his car when he felt a vibration in his pocket, it turned out that his phone was vibrating because there was a call coming into it.

“Anisa?” Alwi looks confused when he sees that Anisa is calling him. “Why did he call me?”

Alwi raised the call. “Assalamu’alaikum, Darling.”

‘Wa’alaikummussalam, Mas,’ replied Anisa from across the phone.

“What's up?” ask Alwi

‘I can stay again in pesantren yes, Mas.’

“Tonight?”

‘Iya, Mas. There is still a lot of work to be done soon.’

“Kan there are many santriwati who help?”

‘As long as we can do it, why should we rely on others, Mas?’ talk to Anisa from across the phone.

“Huft.” Alwi sighed softly, he could not if he had to argue with his first wife. “Ya already, but remember not to let you get too tired, yes!”

‘Iya, Mas. Thank you yes, already allow me.’

“Sama-sama, Darling. Tomorrow morning I pick you up at the boarding house ya.”

‘No need, Mas.’ Anisa quickly rejected her husband's good intentions.

“Why?”

‘You must be tired if you have to go back and forth to the pesantren, Mas. You go to the office and deliver Lathifa lecture.’

“But-” Alwi hangs up his sentence.

‘No need to worry about me, Mas.’

“Alright, be careful there!” alwi's orders.

‘Iya, Mas. You are also well at home, do not scold Lathifa too often.’

“Hmm.”

‘Why just hmm?’ asked Anisa chuckling.

“It's okay, I will definitely miss you a lot, Honey.”

“Alright, remember my message!”

‘Iya Mas Alwi my dear, my love, my soul mate .. already yes, I hung up the phone, assalamualaikum,’ said Anisa.

“Wa’alaikummussalam,” replied Alwi then he turned off his phone.

Alwi put his phone back in his pants pocket, he was looking for the whereabouts of his car keys but he did not find it in his pocket or in his bag.

“Where is the key?” alwi was confused.

“What might be left inside the restaurant?”

Alwi turned back his steps towards the restaurant he had visited, he stepped towards the cashier and asked about the key to the restaurant employee.

“Excuse me, Ma'am. I lost my car key, could anyone find it in this restaurant?” ask Alwi politely.

“Please wait a minute, sir. I ask my colleagues first,” replied the employee is no less friendly.

Alwi stood in front of the cashier while waiting for the employee who was busy talking to his colleague via telephone. Accidentally his gaze was directed towards the extremely familiar female figure in his eyes.

“Lathifa? What is he doing here?” Alwi wondered for himself, which he knew his young wife had an appointment to do chores with her friend.

Alwi sharpened his eyesight ensuring that he did not misrecognize people. ‘I'm sure she's Lathifa, her clothes are also the same as the one worn by Lathifa this morning.’

Alwi was about to approach the table where Lathifa was sitting alone with a young man, but it was not because the employee had called her.

“Pak, you are told to come to my manager's office on the second floor to see if the key you mean is the same as the key we found some time ago.”

Alwi looks worried, he wants to approach his wife, but also does not want to make the restaurant manager wait for him too long.

“Pak!” call the employee because Alwi just fell silent not responding to his words.

“Eh, yes Ma'am, sorry. I will go to the second floor soon.”

After finishing her sentence, Alwi decided to go to the restaurant manager's room first. And then he will approach his young wife.

Alwi glanced at Lathifa who was seen chatting comfortably with other men, it managed to pinch Alwi's heart.

After Alwi's departure, a young woman walks over to Lathifa's table and joins them.

“It's done?” lathifa asked the woman who was her college friend who had just returned from the toilet.

“Already, let's go,” take the woman after cleaning the goods.

“You go straight home? Together with us yes,” invite the man to offer a ride to Lathifa.

“No need, Han. I take public transportation only, anyways the direction of our house is also opposite,” reject Lathifa politely.

“Yes already, you are careful on the road yes, Tif. Call me when you get home!” pinta the woman.

“Ready!” Lathifa answered him excitedly making the three of them laugh together.

“You guys go straight home don't date!” ledek Lathifa's.

“Ya .. yes, ma'am guru,” answered the two in unison to make Lathifa pout her lips.

They passed by and left the table, the lovers walking towards the parking lot, while Lathifa walked towards the highway to wait for public transport to pass.

Alwi walked with wide steps down the stairs after successfully regaining his car keys, he wanted to immediately approach his wife, but Alwi was a little late and disappointed to see the table had changed others.

‘Where did they go? Who's that guy?’

Elsewhere, Anisa sat leaning behind the wheel with her eyes closed. He had just finished his medical examination.

Anisa is really not ready to meet her husband, she does not know what to say and does not want to make her husband feel sad.

‘False leads to evil, and evil leads to hell, Nis!’ anisa's debate in her heart commemorates herself.

Whatever it is, a lie is a lie. But there are times when the lips accidentally stay away from honesty because they do not want to add to the situation becomes increasingly uncontrollable.

It could also be because not everything about ourselves does not need to be known by others. So, is this a sin? If so, may Allah forgive those of us who are forced to live in a lot of secrecy.

Anisa was forced to lie to Alwi, actually since the morning she was in the hospital, she made boarding school as an excuse so that her husband did not suspect her. But about him going to stay at the boarding school is not a lie.

“I'm sorry, Mas. I had to do all this.”

Anisa opened her eyes and after feeling calm, she turned on her car engine and began to gas her car to go to the boarding school.