Look At Me Once

L.A.S.S

Abi Husein closed the small mushaf in his hand when he heard the sound of the door opening from outside, he saw his wife enter the room.

“Umi finished what? Almost an hour Abi waited alone,” said Abi Husein pretending to sulk.

“Then Abi considered what Abi's son was there?” umi Hanifa asked and pointed at the still loyal figure lying on top of the gurney without moving a bit.

“He was his work sleep only, when Abi chatted with people to sleep,” reply Abi Husein then put the mushaf on the table near where he sat.

“Abi just tell him to wake up, so his work lazy guy sleeps only!” Umi Hanifa looked at her son who had not yet awakened from his long sleep.

Lama Umi Hanifa stood pecking beside Alwi's gurney, dry her tears to cry over the condition of her beloved son. There was still regret and guilt in his heart for making his son experience this calamity.

“Don't drag on in grief, Mi. God does not like that, and stop blaming yourself.” Abi Husein embraced his wife's body and pulled her into his arms.

“When Alwi wakes up, Bi?” asked Umi Hanifa softly, the same question and I don't know how many times it was thrown from her mouth.

“Pray only the best for Alwi, Mi. Honor and appeal to the Supreme Giver of All.”

“Iya, Bi.”

Abi Husein led Umi Hanifa to sit on the sofa. “Where is Abi's most beautiful wife, hmm?” asked Abi Husein to melt the atmosphere.

“Umi went to the bank near the hospital, Bi,” replied Umi Hanifa after sitting on the sofa.

“Bank?” abi Husein asked by raising his eyebrows and then he sat down next to his wife.

“Those mothers, Bi. He needs money for his daughter's operation.”

“Umi knew the mother earlier?” abi Husein asked, though he knew the answer.

“No, Bi. But ... It seems like Umi had seen the mother, but forgot, Bi,” replied umi Hanifa lirih.

“Already, Mi. Maybe Umi once passed with mom earlier somewhere.”

Umi Hanifa lowered her head. “Sorry yes, Bi.”

“Sorry why?” abi Husein asked confusedly.

“Umi took money without permission first with Abi.”

“Why should I apologize? All the money that Abi has given to Umi, all of them have become rights and full property of Umi. Abi meridhoi umi's good intentions, Abi will not ask for what money umi use, Abi allow it as long as Umi does it for good.”

“Still yes, Bi.” Umi Hanifa hugged her husband reciprocated with a gentle kiss on her head by Abi Husein.

“Who was the mother's name, Mi?” abi Husein asked Umi Hanifa in surprise.

“Astaghfirullah, Bi .. umi forgot not to ask the name of the mother earlier.”

Abi Husein smiled looking at his wife's adorable face in his eyes. “Padahan umi left Abi almost an hour loh..”.

“Umi preoccupation with telling stories so forgot to ask her name, Bi.” Umi Hanifa smiled shyly.

“But he gives this same umi.” Umi Hanifa took out a small box and opened it, then thrust it into her husband.

“What is this, Mi?”

“He does not want to receive money for free, Bi. So the mother left this pendant to umi, even though she told me that this object was the only valuable item she had and the dowry of her late husband first.”

“It is better if umi keep this locket, who knows someday if a match he will definitely find this locket, Mi.”

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

“Assalamualaikum,” said Bram when opening the door of Lathifa's nursery. It was Hana's mother sitting on the side chair of the gurney where Lathifa was lying.

“Wa’alaikummussalam,” answered Hana and Lathifa's mother together and then invited Bram to enter.

Bram goes into the nursery which happens to contain only one Lathifa, one gurney in the room happens to be empty uninhabited.

“How are you doing, Fa?”

“Alhamdulillah has gone quiet, Mas,” replied Lathifa.

“It's okay, Mas. Thank you for coming here, Mas Bram must be busy with work Mas,” said Lathifa sincerely, he felt happy to know Ayu and Bram who were very good to him and his mother.

“I brought food for mom, surely mom hasn't had dinner yet right?” tanya Bram then handed the paper bag containing food to Hana's mother.

“Thank you, Son. You came alone?” ask Ms. Hana.

“No, Mom. I'm with Ayu,” replied Bram.

Lathifa and Bu Hana look confused to hear Bram's answer while they do not see Ayu's presence with Bram.

Bram who caught the confusion both explained. “Sorry we just stopped by the NICU room first, and Ayu is still in the NICU room looking at baby twin,” explained Bram feeling bad.

“Always can visit baby twin huh, Mas?” ask Lathifa moody.

“Just being able to see them from the outside glass window alone, Fa,” Bram replied making Lathifa even sadder.

“If you want to see them tomorrow, let Ayu deliver you. Tomorrow he's off and tonight he wants to stay here,” Bram said trying to cheer Lathifa up.

“Oh yes Ma'am, have you paid the administrative cost of Lathifa's operation? I wanted to take care of it but the officer said that everything was paid off,” said Bram made Latifa surprised.

“Mommy paid it off? Money from where, Mom?” ask Lathifa in wonder.

“Ehm, i-tu .. in fact the mother met a good woman, she offers help for us and gives money for free. But I don't want to take it for granted, so mom gives mom's pendant as her guarantee.” Hana's mother explained the chronology of her meeting with her helper figure.

“Who is that guy, Mom? Lathifa wants to thank him,” said Lathifa moved.

“If you don't remember wrongly, her name is Hani's mother, only you forget not to ask her address. It's just that he told me if his son was affected by a disaster and coma in the hospital, while his son-in-law died but his son did not know the truth if his wife had died.”

“Innilah..,” said Bram and Lathifa condolences.

“We pray that his son will soon be given health and soon be aware of his coma, and may his wife be accepted by Allah SWT's side, and his family given patience and sincerity, aamiiin.” Lathifa prayed for her family of helpers and was guaranteed by Hana and Bram's mother.

“Sorry if I'm presumptuous, Mom,” said Bram paused for a moment his sentence. “Indeed he gave how much money to Mom?”

“Twenty-five million, Nak.” Answer Hana's mother was able to make Bram and Lathifa widen their eyes because they did not expect there are people as good as that who gave money with enough nominal to his mother, even they did not know each other.

“Then from that, mom felt bad. So I just give you the pendant your father's only legacy, Fa. Although the price of the pendant is not much if sold.”

“Sorry yes, Mom .. because Lathifa, mother had to lose the pendant, whereas the pendant was dowry from the father first,” said Lathifa in a soft voice, she felt guilty for inconveniencing her mother.

Seeing her daughter grieving, Hana's mother grabbed Lathifa's hand and held her. “Why apologize, Fa. Sincere mother, anything I will give to the mother's daughter and also the grandchildren of the mother.”

“The money can be saved to pay off the care of your children during treatment in the NICU later.”

Geck! Geck! Geck!

Chequek!

Ayu opened the door and said hello. “Assalamualaikum.”

“Wa’alaikummussalam,” everyone in the room replied.

Ayu went in and kissed Hana's mother's hand, not forgetting she hugged Lathifa's body slowly. “How are you, Fa?”

“Alhamdulillah is out, Mbak.”

“Oh yes, Fa. I asked the nurse to take a baby twin picture, look!”

Ayu pulled out her phone and showed a few portraits of tiny babies in the incubator, Ayu looks enthusiastic and sparkling when telling Lathifa about the baby twin.

While Lathifa looked at the photo of her baby with teary eyes, there was a sense of pleasure, sadness, mixed in her heart. He was happy because his children could be saved, but Lathifa felt sad to see many hoses and medical devices attached to the tiny body of his daughter's son.

“This guy, Fa,” explained Ayu while showing a photo of a baby with a body larger than the other baby.

“They are girls, funny are they.”

Lathifa continued to observe the photos of her children, while listening to Ayu's story. While Hana's mother chose to spend the food Bram brought for her.