Look At Me Once
Unilateral Agreement
Geck! Geck! Geck!
Lathifa heard the sound of knocking on the door that made her undo the intention to lay down her body.
Geck! Geck! Geck!
Lathifa looked at the door and grabbed the hijab she had put on the bed and then put it on.
Geck! Geck! Geck!
The beat is getting faster. Lathifa looked at the wall clock that showed it at 23:30.
"Yes for a minute!" his yell.
"Who the hell is midnight knocking on the door so impatient? Don't know what time people sleep." Lathifa ran small towards the door while mengedumel.
"What's wrong" Lathifa was surprised when she opened the door to find the person standing in front of her bedroom door.
"Eh Mr Al, what's wrong?" tanya Lathifa was still holding the door leaf.
Without a word, without excuse, Alwi barged into the room leaving Lathifa glued to the door.
"Come in and shut the door!" alwi glanced at his young wife and walked towards the sofa.
"Huh? Why should it be closed, sir?" Lathifa furrowed her brows in confusion.
"Quick! Don't even dumb at the door," said Alwi slightly raised his voice because he was annoyed to leave Anisa sleeping alone in his room.
"Eh i-iya, sir." Lathifa stuttered in shock at Alwi's tone of voice.
"Sit down!" alwi's orders.
Lathifa sat on the edge of the mattress, without making a sound and kept her head down. Somehow Lathifa who is usually chatty and brave is now silent not in front of Alwi.
"Look fine, yes, I married you not because of my wishes" Alwi said without looking at his interlocutor. "I'm just following Anisa's request." she continued.
Hearing Alwi's heavy voice made Lathifa's eyes glaze over. Is this pain not considered? Was he wrong to make this decision?
"Don't ever expect me to do my duty as a husband. And I will not claim my rights to you!" alwi.
"I will only give you a living in the form of material, nothing more" he added.
"Don't try to go in and ruin my household with Anisa, let alone hurt her heart, understand?"
Lathifa remained silent without a sound, desperately holding tightness within her chest.
"Hey! You understand no?" tanya Alwi was still reluctant to look at his young wife.
Lathifa bearded in shock at the tone of Alwi's voice that rose again. "Me-understand, sir."
"I'm not your father! Don't call me Sir!"
"I-iya Sir, uh Om," said Lathifa confused what to call her husband.
"What's? Om? What do you think I'm om-om?" Alwi hardened his jaw to stifle emotions.
"yes-yes."
"You yeah!" Alwi undoes his intention to scold Lathifa when he sees the girl in front of him sitting quietly on the edge of the mattress by lowering her head.
"Remember one thing! Don't you ever tell Anisa about our conversation tonight!" Alwi got up from his seat and walked towards the bathroom inside Lathifa's room.
"Oh yeah, go to sleep! Tonight I will sleep in this room" Alwi said before closing the bathroom door.
Lathifa dropped her body onto the mattress and pulled the blanket over her entire body.
'O Allah, deepen my patience. Expand my gratitude, strengthen my heart and shoulders. Make me sincere in Your plans. I believe everything that happens today, tomorrow and later is Your best will for me.' Lathifa said in her heart before she fell asleep.
Alwi came out of the bathroom to find his young wife curled up in the blanket. He took a quick glance and took a pillow and walked towards the sofa to lay down his body.
...*****...
Lathifa woke up when she heard Azan's voice from her phone. He hurried up from his sleep, circulating his gaze throughout the room.
"Huh, sir Al eh om Al last night sleeping on the sofa? I didn't realize when he took the pillow, did I? Maybe I fell asleep while exhausted from crying last night." muttered Lathifa.
Lathifa stepped towards the sofa to wake her husband up. But he hesitated and undoed his intention when he remembered the words of Alwi last night.
Lathifa took a bathrobe and a change of clothes and rushed to the bathroom, she wanted to soak in warm water, relax her body that felt sore because of last night's event.
30 Minutes passed, but when Lathifa came out of the bathroom, she did not find Alwi in her room.
"Where did the refrigerator go? Bodo time, it's none of my business."
After fulfilling her duty, Lathifa came out of her room, who knew she could help make breakfast in the kitchen.
Lathifa walked towards the kitchen and sure enough, Anisa and Mbok Ijah were seen busy preparing breakfast.
"For Mbak Nisa, morning also Mbok," said Lathifa.
"Loh, why are you here? It's still too early, Fa?" Anisa raised her head when she realized Lathifa's presence.
"I want to help you cook, Ma'am. Time has been sleeping continues to not help. That's a brash name, Ma'am." Lathifa chuckles.
"Don't say that, Fa. Think of this as your own home!" anisa's orders, her hands are busy cutting vegetables.
"But Ma'am"
"Udah does not need to be discussed, come here he said to help us," said Anisa diverted the conversation.
"Mas Al is awake, isn't he, Fa? Because Mas Al if the sauce is very difficult to build."
"So also pray together, Ma'am." Lathifa lied so Anisa wouldn't suspect her.
Deg.
Hearing Lathifa's statement, Anisa couldn't lie to her little heart. There was pain in her chest, moreover she smelled as fragrant as the typical smell of shampoo and looked the hijab that Lathifa was wearing was a little wet.
'Hold Nis, you can't be jealous. Mas Al is also her husband Lathifa. You want this, Nis!' anisa said in her heart.
"Sir, what can I help you with?" asked Lathifa who was standing next to Anisa.
Lathifa's voice shocked Anisa and she accidentally cut off her own finger.
"Akhs! Astaghfirullah," sissed Anisa.
"Astaghfirullah, O Allah, Miss Nisa is okay?" ask Lathifa in panic.
"What's this?" alwi asked with a heavy voice that had just entered from the back garden.
"That's Mbak Nisa's hand getting hurt" Lathifa said, fearing getting a sharp look from her husband.
"I'm okay, Mom. Just a small wound, this is also because of my own carelessness, do not be enlarged," Anisa's injury when feeling the tension between her husband and her honey.
Alwi walked up to Anisa past Lathifa just like that, he grabbed the injured finger Anisa put it in her mouth and sucked her blood.
"You're okay, right? Does it still hurt? Let me treat the wound."
Lathifa's body froze, her teary eyes staring at Alwi's departure who messily led Anisa to leave the kitchen without assuming her presence.
"Mbak Lathif if you want to rest in the room is okay, let mbok who finished his cooking," said mbok Ijah resuscitated his young mistress who looked a little pale.
"No need, I'm fine. Let's finish the cooking together yeah, let's get it over with."
...*****...
The atmosphere on the dining table was very quiet, no one let out a sound. In fact, spoons and dishes also muffle his voice.
Anisa knitted her brows at the face of her husband that looked so cold, and also her honey face that looked uneasy as if she was holding back fear.
'What's with them? Is there something I don't know?' ask Anisa in the heart.
"When did you start going to college, Fa?" anisa's asking broke the silence.
"Lusa Mbak, today I still have a leave of absence."
"Where are you planning?"
"Emh, can I go to mom's restaurant, Ma'am?" ask Lathifa a little scared.
"Seek permission from Mas Al, Fa. He's your husband, he's more entitled to give you permission."
Hearing Anisa's words, Lathifa took a quick glance at Alwi, but she immediately abandoned her intentions when she saw her husband's cold face.
Anisa looked at Lathifa who was just silent, then she stared fixedly at her husband, "Can you, Mas? Let me take him later, and I'll go to college."
Alwi just silently did not respond to his wife's request and then resigned to immediately leave for the office.
"I'm done eating, you just continue eating. I'm in a hurry for a meeting this morning."
Alwi got up from her seat and walked over to Anisa giving her right hand and kissed Anisa on the forehead.
"I'll go first, honey. Assalamu’alaikum," said to Anisa without turning a single look to Lathifa.
"Wait, Mom!" prevent Anisa.
Alwi stopped his footsteps and twisted his body. "What's up?"
"Mas didn't forget, did he? Not only am I the wife, Mas!" firmly Anisa.
Alwi glanced at Lathifa and told her to come closer. "Here you are!"
Lathifa obeyed her husband's orders, and kissed the hand that Alwi had given her. Alwi gave a glimpse of Lathifa.
"It is," he said, and hurried to leave his two wives.
Anisa smiles to usher in her husband's departure and is followed by Lathifa walking behind her.
Anisa takes Lathifa to Hafa Resto, along the way they exchange stories and experiences.
'Bak Nisa is so beautiful, smart, friendly and kind, it deserves the refrigerator so much to love her, he did not even consider and hated me so much that there was nothing compared to his first wife.' Lathifa looked at Anisa who was sitting behind the wheel.
Upon arrival in front of the restaurant, they are greeted by Hana who happens to be tidying up ornamental plants in the restaurant yard.
Lathifa got off the car followed by Anisa. They walked over to Hana and took turns to shake Hana's hand.
"Assalamu’alaikum ... Buk. Lathif kangen," said Lathif hugging his mother's spoiled.
"Wa’alaikummussalam .. you are yes, have become a wife still like a child," said Hana gave a small pat on her daughter's shoulder.
"Hehe, it's spoiled same mother herself no harm, Buk."
Hana shook her head with her daughter's behavior. "It was just last night, Thif."
"Oh yeah until I forget the same Sister Nisa. Meet this Buk, Miss Nisa. Miss Nisa is my mother. You haven't gotten to know me yet, have you?"
"I'm Hana Lathif's mother, Nak Nisa." Hana extended her right hand to shake.
"I'm Anisa, Buk." Anisa kissed the back of Hana's hand as a sign of her respect. "His first wife was Mas Alwi" he continued.
Hana's body stiffened. Did he not hear wrong? First wife? Whatdoes thatmean?
