Married Because of Ijbar

Chapter 6. Mood of grief

The atmosphere of the house did not feel lonely because there was still forty days of study. Maula was not far from the lap of her father who was still busy receiving guests. 

In addition to Kyai Abdurrahman, there is Aldi and his father as well as Luthfie doctors who always sit together to entertain Mr. Zul.

“Pak Zul, I have not seen Khayru's presence to date. Was he not informed of this sad news?”

“I have first heard that his father Khayru's illness is getting worse and worse. If I asked him to come, I was worried that he would regret not accompanying his parents until the end of the day. I would be the most sinful person if it happened.”

“At the very least, he was told, even though he couldn't be here. Sorry, if I had known, Sir,” he said politely.

“I understand you mean, Di. I just don't want to make his mind more messed up right now. I'm sure, he'll feel a dilemma if he finds out my wife is dead.”

“Alright, Sir. I understand.”

Aldi was Khayru's best friend who was also the son of Suryadi-lawyer family-Tuan Zul. Since Khayru left for Morocco, it was Aldi who replaced his position in the company.

After forty days, Maula kept herself locked in her room after school, refusing to meet with her schoolmates until her father came home from work and knocked on the door.

“Darling, papa is home. Come out, accompany papa eat first.”

Maula always came out of the room with her face puffy. His father rubbed Maula's wet cheeks and carried her. “You cry again?” said Zul quietly while taking him to the dining table. Maula just rests her head on her father's shoulder. Right now, it's just a father that he has. I don't know what would happen if he didn't exist.

One year later ....

 Unlike usual Mr. Zul who usually had been sitting waiting at the dining table, this time had not come out of the room. Maula immediately came knocking on the door to take him to breakfast.

“Again, Pa ... Papa is up?” mula stood in front of the door.

“Include, dear,” sahutnya from inside room. He was still sitting on the bed.

“Papa not ready? Not going to the office today, huh?”

“Later, papa departs a bit unfortunate. You have breakfast first. Tell Mang Sodik, abis nganter you, tell him to directly ngadep papa here.”

“But how is Papa's headache, is it better yet? Doctor sir said what semalem?”

“Udah does not hurt, really, now. Don't worry papa. Already there, go to school first, put bad luck.”

“Ya, Pa. If Papa has another headache, don't go to the office first, yes, Pa.” Maula left the room after kissing the back of her father's hand.

“Do not forget to ask Mang Sodik to meet Papa, yes, La!”

“Ya,” answered while closing the door.

After taking Maula to school, Mang Sodik immediately reached his master's room. He was welcome to enter after knocking on the door.

“Master calls me?”

“Iya, Mang, please help me. Take me to the hospital. Doctor asked me to do an examination today.”

“Good, Sir. Let me help.”

“Mang, don't tell Maula that today I am going to the hospital.”

“Why, Mister?”

“Because he will be very worried. Maula should not hear complaints about my health. Anyway I'm already used to this headache, it's just that this time the vision is a little impaired.”

“Should have been since the past Mr. doing the checks. So that no wrong medicine, Mr.”

“Just pray for me to be healthy, Mang. I have to live a long life for my only daughter.  Pity he has no one in this world.”

“Master, really, by the way. I'm sure you will live until you have many grandchildren and great grandchildren,” entertain Mang Sodik while holding the hand of his master and bring him to sit in the car.

The car was headed to the hospital. As scheduled, the doctor conducted a complete examination of Mr. Zul related to complaints that he had kept secret so far.

A few days later, Mr. Zul worked more often from home. Aldi and his secretary are the ones who come more often if there is a very important job. Every night, Maula accompanied him to talk until he fell asleep. Although only silent in the room, Mr. Zul never showed up like a sick person. He always laughed in front of his daughter.

“Tell in, Bik.”

The doctor came to see Mr. Zul in his bed. “I just got home from the hospital, then stopped by here for a while. How is Mr Zul doing today?” ask doctor Luthfie while touching the patient's hand. He was slightly stale before conveying something important.

“Maula, can you leave papa with Mr Doctor first, briefly, dear?” pinta the father.”

“Good, Pa.” Maula obeyed her father's orders.

“I'm glad the doctor settled back in Jakarta.” Mr. Zul smiled at Dr. Luthfie who has lived in Bandung for the past few years, served and had a wife there.

“Iya, Sir. It just so happened that my wife wanted to stay here for a while. So I brought it.”

“Doctors really stop by or does anyone want to convey?” Mr. Zul saw some of the objects in the doctor's hand.

The doctor looked at the middle-aged man's face then slowly pulled out something from inside the map he was carrying.

“I ... bring the results of Pak Zul's inspection the other day.” The doctor seemed reluctant to give up the thing.

“What's up, Doctor? Can I see the results?”

The doctor handed everything over while lowering his head. Mr. Zul is like getting a signal. And sure enough, it turned out that the results he read were enough to make him stunned.

“Doctor ... Please explain all this. Sa-I don't really understand medical science.”

The doctor nodded his head slowly. “Sorry, I have to say this. True, that Mr. Zul has been positive for end-stage brain cancer,” he said slowly.

“Doctor, there may be something wrong with the results of this examination. Try to review again. In my family genealogy, there is no history of cancer.”

“If Mr. Zul feels doubtful, we can do a re-examination. However, yesterday we with the oncologist doctor did it through several methods and all the results were the same. We need to know that in addition to genetic factors, cancer can occur due to several things such as exposure to radiation and chemicals, environmental pollution, smoking habits, age and sex factors, and so on, the spread of the virus or even due to collisions in a long period of time without us knowing it can be a trigger for cancer cells.”

Mr. Zul took a breath while closing his eyes. “How much longer is my chance to live, doctor?”

“I do not want to detect someone's age, I just hope Mr. Zul will recover and live longer like my father who got a miracle at this time.”

Mr. Zul was still difficult to accept this fact, he closed his eyes and tried to calm down.

“I'm sorry because we're a little late in detecting the symptoms, Mr. Zul.”

“This is indeed my fault, as it always procrastinates to check.”

“Pak Zul also never told me if so often feel a headache until the vision becomes changed as it is now.”

“I just remember, when Khayru was eighteen years old, I taught her to drive the car I just bought. There was a little accident at the time. My head was bumped, but I pretended not to feel anything, because if Khayru knew, she would feel very guilty. I think also this is just a regular headache.”

“This is a lesson for all of us so as not to underestimate the impact on the head. We do not know if the impact causes trauma to the brain tissue, so that it becomes the cause of the growth of abnormal tissue that can develop into cancer.”

“I am sad to have to leave my daughter who is too small?” Finally Mr. Zul shed his tears considering the only daughter who will live a day at the age of ten years, if he died in the near future.

“My advice, we do not delay treatment. We must keep trying, at least to prevent the spread of cancer cells.”

Mr. Zul follows all the directions and recommendations of doctors, doing various kinds of therapy as a form of effort even though there is little possibility of being able to recover.

 

To be continued ....