Love Does Not Come Too Late

The heart that has gone back is gone

"Mother why Lea?!" Erik who just got off his bike immediately ran into the house because he heard his wife's cry.

"Kaak ... toloong, I don't know why this is mom." Lea fell on the floor hugging her mother, who had been seen limp when Erik entered the house.

Erik immediately ran back out towards the house of Mr. Setyo their front neighbor to borrow a car.

Before long Erik returned with Mr. Setyo and one of Mr. Setyo's teenage boys.

Erik immediately lifted the body of his mother-in-law and brought her into Pak Setyo's car.

In the car heading to the health center, Lea cried and wailed to call her unconscious mother.

Erik who was sitting next to Lea could only calm down while Mr. Setyo and his son, only occasionally looked towards the back seat where Lea was holding her mother with concerned gazes.

The 10-minute trip to the puskesmas was very long for Lea.

Arriving at the puskesmas his mother was immediately taken to the IGD room for follow-up.

On the front bench of the waiting room Lea was still crying, occasionally standing in front of the door of the IGD room and trying to peek through the glass to know what happened to her mother.

But all that seemed was the backs of the nurses and doctors who were examining her mother.

"Sit on Leah we wait for the doctor." Erik pulled Lea's hand gently to sit next to him.

"I'm afraid brother." Lea's memory of her father leaving for good is still very clear, as if only yesterday she was in the hospital room of this puskesmas crying as father breathed his last.

Although the father had been treated for almost a week because of high stomach acid disease, Lea was still not ready to accept the reality when the doctor said the father was not there.

"We give our best to mother, pray from here to make mother strong. You fidgeting back and forth like this won't help either." Erik kept forcing Lea to sit down because he didn't want Lea to see what the doctor was doing to his mother in the IGD room.

Lea also complied with Erik's request because he was already very tired, a lot of crying apparently requires a lot of energy.

"Mom already knows about what happened between me and Mr. Beni." Lirih Lea's voice while staring at Erik for a moment and then looked down again.

"Why are you telling stories? Didn't we agree there wasn't a need for anyone to know?" Erik exhaled loudly and changed his sitting position to face Lea. Now he knows the reason why his mother-in-law is now in the IGD room.

"Mom got a picture of me at the hotel, I was sleeping .. don't wear clothes, but still have a blanket." Lea quickly added the last sentence because she saw the look on Erik's face that changed immediately to hear a photo of him not wearing clothes.

"Where's the picture from?" ask Erik.

"Ga know, but the mother said the photo was spread .. I'm ashamed of you sister." Lea leaned over drowning the face in her own lap.

"Some of them won't accept you marrying me." Furious Erik.

"Sir Beni?" ask Lea. Erik just nodded

"So how my brother, I'm ashamed that the photo is really circulating and people think I'm selling myself."

Lea frantically shook Erik's arm.

"Look at Lea, that photo is just you in it, right?" Lea nodded.

"If anyone offends or asks, say it's a photo during our honeymoon, why can it spread yaa .. say a friend is a prank, sort it out." Erik smiled broadly feeling he found a reason that sounded very reasonable.

"Yes, too, say that, brother."

"From now on in front of people you don't feel ashamed or like frightened, just plain. Like nothing happened." Erik rubbed Lea's back giving her strength.

"The Rosidah Family". The middle-aged male doctor came out of the IGD room with a tired face.

Lea and Erik suddenly stood up, "How did my mother's doc come to my senses?, can I see?" Lea impatiently asked the doctor before her.

"Mba the son of Rosidah's mother?, and the mas? ..." The doctor pointed at Erik.

"I'm doc's son-in-law."

"Oh well .. ehhmm this way earlier we apologize, we've tried our best, but we lost Rosidah's mother about three minutes ago." After reporting the sad news, the doctor still stood silent, because the couple in front of him looked so shocked that they could only be stunned looking at him in disbelief.

The doctor just nodded weakly. Erik swiftly embraced Lea's shoulders trying to channel the power.

"We're sorry, we're sorry again."

"The corpse of the deceased is being cleaned, the mas can finish its administration first .. excuse me to go back inside first." The burden of a medical personnel when giving bad news to the family of patients like this, is quite difficult but already the obligation of their noble duties.

After the doctor left the room, Erik led Leah to sit down.

Lea was still speechless with a blank look only her tears continued to flow silently, a sign that she was in a very fragile phase.

"You wait here yeah, I take care of the payment first so that mom can be brought home quickly." Lea was still silent.

From far away Erik with his hand language called out to Mr. Setyo and his son who was still waiting in the car.

"Sir, I ask you to please accompany Lea for a while I want to take care of the administration." Erik said as his eyes occasionally watched Lea.

"Ohh yes son .. How has my mother improved?"

"Bu Rosidah no longer exists sir." Erik said half a whisper.

"Inalillahi Wainailaihi Rojiun." Mr. Setyo rubbed his chest while looking at Lea softly.

...🔹️...

Quite a number of people were present at Lea's mother's funeral that afternoon. The hot weather did not reduce mourners to escort Rosidah's mother to her final resting place.

Several pairs of eyes stared at Lea curiously, occasionally they whispered to each other.

Leah who was still dissolved in grief was not aware of it, another with Erik who repeatedly found the eyes of the people looking at his wife sharply.

Among the mourners were also Mr. Beni and his wife. Although it feels heavy for Mr. Beni to come to serve but because he is a respected person and also as the owner of the place where Lea once worked, then the reason that he is now here.

One by one the mourners began to leave the place after chanting condolences to Erik and Lea.

Now comes the time Mr. Beni and his wife approach to say condolences as well.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of your mother Lea. May the house worship be accepted and her sins forgiven." Mr. Beni opened the conversation as his eyes kept trying to look at the face of Lea who was standing behind Erik while bowing in fear.

"My wife and I would like to thank you for your attention." Erik who replied to Mr. Beni as his hands clenched in front of his chest.

Intentionally he said the word wife rather emphasized. His eyes and body were in a cautious manner.

Lea still did not want to lift her face, she felt unwilling to look at the face of the man who was now in front of her.

The man he had previously respected and admired but destroyed overnight, had ruined his future and was suspected of contributing to his mother's death.

"I congratulate you both on your marriage, sorry for not being able to attend." Mr. Beni is still waiting for a reaction from Lea.

"Thank you, it's okay just a simple marriage, the most important thing is that we're both legal." Erik gave a smile of victory.

"Lea, if you still want to work, in the office I'm still ad---"

"No need, we're both pioneering a new venture so Lea won't work back, she'll help me." Erik immediately cut off Mr. Beni's words before he finished his words.

Sedangan bu Devi suddenly gave a warning look at Mr. Beni.

"Fine then we'll excuse us." After nodding politely, Bu Devi pulled the arm of Pak Beni who was still looking at Lea.

His heart was very upset and very sick. While she was still by her side, her husband boldly and openly showed interest in Lea.

Which heart of woman is sick saw the sight.

...💠💠💠...