Marrying a Rich Bum

Forced Marriage

Mariana looked at Bima in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"We're in trouble."

Mariana immediately got up from a curled up position in Bima's embrace, pulled the blanket higher and stared in fear.

"Why are they back?" ask Mariana scared.

"No they didn't come back. But this is more complicated than facing them."

"What's wrong?"

Bima stood up, grabbed a shirt on the floor and put it on.

"Wear my jacket. Maybe it can still cover your bottom even without a skirt," said Bima, without looking at Mariana.

Confused, but Mariana kept moving. Bima's right. His hooded jacket is able to cover Mariana's body perfectly up to the thigh.

"What's going on, Bima?" mariana asked, as Bima prepared to open the door. Bima. After all, Mariana had to know first what they were going to face.

"Listen. I don't know how to defend you or myself later, but we're really in big trouble. The village elders found us sleeping hugging in an undressed state."

Mariana's mouth was gaping wide, her face looked horrified.

"Are they going to punish us?"

"It seems so," replied Bima flatly.

"W-what are they gonna do to us?"

"Well, the best thing we can hope for is that they will marry us in the hamlet hall with all levels of society watching."

"What?!" Shouted Mariana held back. His head shakes in disbelief.

"Are you expecting something worse than that?" Bima asked expressionlessly.

"No-no. I obviously don't want any worse. But marrying you would definitely cause even greater trouble in my family."

"Ooh, okay. We can think about that later. The most important thing now is to prepare yourself to meet the village elders.

Bima opened the door, stepped out. Mariana followed behind.

"Stand up, Bima." One of them, whose beard is the longest and white, touches Bima's elbow gently.

"Hurat nuwun, Syah Sinaro." Bima nodded politely then stood up.

Sinaro itself is a term for the traditional elders in the hamlet where Bima lives. And the name Shah Sinaro is the name for their supreme leader.

Although she did not understand what Bima said, Mariana knew that these old men in front of her were distinguished people here who deserved to be highly respected.

Mariana stood at the door, her head lowered politely. Afraid that if he makes the wrong attitude, it will make the atmosphere worse.

"Sit down and bring the woman here."

Bima nodded again then turned around and brought Mariana to sit next to him on the sofa.

"Well. So, how are you going to explain this situation?"

"Before, I really apologized to Sinaro Agengan all of them, because indirectly, I had indeed violated the customary provisions of this village." Bima. Mariana looked carefully at each of Bima's words. Although he could not understand some of the words that Bima said, but he could feel how much he appreciated them all by still using Indonesian instead of the regional language that was completely incomprehensible to Mariana.

"Continue."

"As Sinaro Agengan all know, I cannot explain exactly how I found Mariana. For now, I just want to do a little self-defense and convince Sinaro Agengan that I did not bring Mariana here to perform. Even if we were found undressed and sleeping together, it was because Mariana had a high fever last night and I couldn't find any cure here. Therefore I used the traditional way to keep his body temperature stable."

"Can you prove what you say?" ask one of them.

"Mariana's clothes were torn from being forcibly removed. If I were to take it off forcibly, there's no way Mariana would be willing to sleep quietly in my arms, I'm sorry I have to say this, Sinaro."

"So far I can understand. But why don't you try to contact the elders to get it done."

"Hamba apologized once again, Sinaro. But the journey from here to the hamlet hall takes more than 30 minutes by running. It had not counted the time to gather the elders at such a hour, as well as the travel time back to this place."

"Is your life in danger, Miss?" The man sitting opposite Mariana asked.

Mariana looked up slowly.

"Maybe not only life, but I also threatened to go crazy if Bima did not help me. They did it both and still prepared four men to scavenge for my lucky remnants."

The faces of the five people paled, then looked at each other.

"I know Bima is innocent. But the law is still the law. Bima has touched the girl."

Bima looked surprised. "Grandfather.." he muttered, to the oldest man who had been staring silently from the corner of the sofa.