My husband is not the CEO

Forty

I don't know how long Caramel has been silent since we got in the car on the way home from the police station. Caramel who used to talk a lot now became moody, from earlier he just looked at the raindrops that hit the window to form water points on the surface of the glass.

During the last week I accompanied Caramel, I finished work from home just in case Rama or his wife disturbed Caramel again. I understood how he felt at this moment, it was like an old wound that went wide again after he met Rama. I've invited Caramel to stay at the official house. But Caramel couldn't answer, I knew he liked our apartment so much. This is the second time I've asked her to move, but the answer remains the same.

As long as Caramel can come back cheerful I will do anything, I want to see her smile again. Even now I miss her scolding when I make a mistake.

"Lusa Danu invited us to Indi's birthday." I broke the silence, trying to get Caramel's attention.

"Oh yeah?" Caramel turned to me, and it turned out that my efforts to attract her attention were successful. "Cok you just said?"

"Andu also just told me this morning, how about now we go to Grand Indonesia to buy clothes." Danu said women will come back cheerful after being invited to go for a walk or shop. It's okay a little draining the original bag can make Caramel forget his sadness.

"What's the theme?"

"Always the same, he never used another theme for his family's birthday, always batik."

"Including his children?"

I'm nodding.

Caramel snorted at my answer, am I wrong? or he doesn't like wearing batik but that's not possible, Caramel's work uniform is also batik.

"Why?" I was confused to see Caramel's shocked facial expression.

"So that time .... " Caramel's sentence hangs up, it just makes me curious, "so when we meet at Pigeonhole Coffee you want to go to Danu's birthday?"

I thought for a moment, "yes, it's Clara's birthday, Danu's first child."

"Aah!" Caramel hit her own head and pressed her chest. "I thought strangely about you because I wore batik."

I laughed briefly, "sorry I didn't give you any explanation, because you didn't ask."

Caramel nodded, "i'm sorry for thinking so badly of you." He shifted his seat and leaned on my arm. "Are you in a hurry to leave because you want to go to the show?" Ask without seeing me.

"Yes, you know Danu's chattering for mercy." I chuckle.

"I don't want to shop, we have a lot of batik clothes at home." He said spoiled, my fierce wife turned out to also have a spoiled nature. Danu said a woman will turn weak and helpless when she is with her partner, the woman suddenly can not open the lid of mineral water but when she herself so he can do everything.

It turned out that Caramel did not want to restore his cheerfulness with shopping, "we go straight home?" Manya make sure.

"Yes." Yeah." Caramel nodded faintly.

I increased the speed of the car through the heavy rain that afternoon. Caramel and I had the same idea of wanting to get home and spend some time there. Home is the most comfortable place for us.

Caramel's hand touched the dashboard and found the paper there, she flipped it—it was our baby's first ultrasound photo when he was 5 weeks old. Caramel's finger felt the photo and looked at it for a long time.

"Maybe Adena's real that I can't understand her feelings because I don't have kids yet." Caramel mutters.

"His words don't be too thoughtful." I reply, I don't want Caramel to think too much about what Adena said just now. I just want us to live our lives quietly without the distractions of the people from the past.

Caramel heaved a heavy sigh, he again felt the dashboard grabbing his phone that was there. His thumb moved agilely over the flat screen of the phone.

"I hear that song everywhere." I said when I heard the sound of a song that I did not know the title from Caramel's phone, a song that is very familiar in the ear.

"Let's make it." Caramel straightened her body showing her mobile phone featuring two people holding hands on the street.

"Bikin what?"

"Bikin tik tok kayak gini."

Tik tok's? Whatisit?

"Didn't that tick-tock sound something, a wall clock for example." Plain ask.

Caramel changed position completely facing me, "you really don't know?" Ask.

"What?" What don't I know?

"Tik Tok is the best-selling application this year."

I don't dare in my heart to answer, judging from the tail of my eyes it looks like Caramel is upset because I don't know about the application. I don't know about the present because I'm too focused on analyzing the climate every day. Presenting weather forecasts to the public needs in-depth analysis to produce accurate data so that I can not keep up with the times.

"Kok you don't know, Danu must know." Caramel again.

True too, Danu has the same job as me but he knows things that are popular right now.

"Not to be discussed, lupain." Caramel flicked her hand putting her phone back on.

"Aren't you making tick tok?" I glanced at Caramel for a moment, he shook his head.

He put his head back on my arm, "it doesn't matter if you don't know tik tok, people like you rarely know Ka."

"Is tik tok that popular?"

Caramel nodded. Not finished Instagram I learned now there are more popular applications. Am I the only human who doesn't know about tik tok?

"Let's stop by the herb shop ahead there." Caramel pointed to a sign that read Grandpa Jono's Herbal Potion.

"You can't just drink potions." I said to warn Caramel, she's pregnant where she can drink potions carelessly.

"Just stopped by, I haven't been here in a long time."

I think I pulled over the car in front of the herbal concoction shop owned by one of the customers where Caramel worked. Caramel once told me about Jono's grandfather several times, he said the grandfather was so good to him. Even my grandfather's wife often brought food for Caramel. My gracious wife and her light bearer make it easy for people to like.

A moment later the door opened completely and a middle-aged woman appeared who immediately smiled brightly after seeing Caramel.

"Sir, look who's coming!" He said half screaming.

"How's Grandma doing?" Caramel gave a warm hug to grandma.

"Caramel, long time Grandpa didn't see you in the bank." Grandpa followed, alternately hugging Caramel. I was awkward to see their interactions because I had never met a grandparent and grandmother who already thought Caramel was like a grandchild. I smiled faintly, sometimes strangers who are not members of your family can be so good that your relationship exceeds family. Conversely family relationships that are not harmonious will feel like strangers—like papa and me.

"Let's go in." Grandma took us in, "this is your husband?" Finally after a few minutes Grandma and grandpa saw me.

"Yes, this Caramel's husband is Rafka." Caramel touched my shoulder.

I shook both hands they introduced themselves politely.

"So you quit your job?" Grandma took us to sit in a chair in the middle of the room. This store looks more like a house, only there are many packages arranged in the storefront. Once inside the room, the distinctive aroma of herbs instantly greeted my sense of smell.

"I've been on leave for a few days." Answer Caramel.

"Why?"

"There are some things I need to do at home." Caramel.

Caramel decided to leave at least until the video that has now been spread everywhere slightly subsided. Caramel also needed time to heal herself, behind her cheerful face, she kept such a deep pain in her heart.

"I'll drop by whenever I get a chance." Caramel comforts grandpa and grandma, she is so good at doing that.

"Have you had lunch?" Grandma looked at me and Caramel took turns.

"Oh, Grandma, don't bother making us food." Caramel smiled widely, she already knew that grandma would definitely prepare food for us.

"If so, let's go with Grandma to the kitchen, Grandma again try to make a cake .... " Grandma saw grandpa with a hanging sentence.

"Nast." Sahut Grandpa.

"Well, let's go Cara." Grandma moved from her seat followed by Caramel.

"You were here first." Caramel said before following Grandma's steps towards the kitchen.

"Would you like to take a look?" Grandfather asked, it seems like he knew that I was curious about the herbs that grandfather sold in this store. They have different colors, shapes and aromas.

"Do you want male-only jamu?" Grandfather lowered his voice even he brought his face closer to me.

"Hm? m... I mean Grandpa?" I scrunched my forehead.

"I mean Grandpa's special male potion to be strong on the bed." He whispered.

I gawked at Grandfather grinning after saying that sentence, I was already strong on the bed without having to drink any potions. Even me and Caramel can do it all night, ah don't I need to tell you such a thing?

"Oh no need for cake." I rubbed my neck which suddenly felt cold.

Grandfather reached out his hand to take out a pack of paper that was on the display case and put it on the table, "don't be ashamed, many newlyweds are here and buy this potion." Said.

"I'm not ashamed, but I don't need it."

Grandfather laughed for a moment then returned the potion which he said could make a mighty man on the bed.

"Did Grandpa also sell craft equipment?" I went to see colorful paper, markers and various neatly arranged in one part of the storefront.

"Yes, usually young people who come here looking for anti-mainstream gifts for their partners."

Anti-mainstream? I remember that vocabulary, it seems like Danu once told me. Ah right, it's something that not many people do. Apparently my vocabulary collection lost a lot to Grandpa but fortunately I have a strong memory.

I tilted my head, strange if this place sells potions as well as handicraft equipment but—ini actually gave me an idea. Soon Caramel's birthday, I'll give her an anti-mainstream gift too.

"Came in!"

I turned to hear Caramel's voice, he came carrying a tray containing a small round cake in golden yellow with cheese on it.

"Take a shot, it's delicious." Caramel put one cake in my mouth before I got ready, but I could handle it and chew on the cake.

"Yes." Yeah." I nodded a few times.

"This is for you to take home." But Grandma, he put down the nastar setoples for us to take home.

"Grandmother why bother anyway, I'll be good, uh." Caramel sniggered shut her mouth.

"It can be you." Grandma laughing.

We decided to go home after enjoying nastar with warm tea made by grandma. Not ordinary tea but tea with the addition of various herbal plants that are very beneficial to the body, said grandfather. I wish there wasn't a male potion that Grandpa said earlier in my tea. I'm afraid grandfather will harm me, if that happens then I will only make Caramel tormented—not tormented but overwhelmed.

"Who doesn't eat that much nastar?" Caramel leaned her head against my shoulder as I started running the car at a moderate speed due to the heavy traffic.

The rain has subsided leaving wet roads making the riders have to be more careful not to slip. Something I love after the rain is that the air feels cleaner and fresher like the atmosphere of a rural morning. Therefore, even though Jakarta is often rained on by rain, I will not complain. Moreover, the government has improved city planning so that flooding is not as frequent as it used to be.

"You full?" I asked back because nastar will not make me full, I like Indonesians in general— is not full if you have not eaten rice.

No more answers from Caramel, her hands falling down my thighs, I also felt her head more heavily leaning against my arms. I fixed the position of Caramel's head against the seat rest next to me, he was asleep. Like a baby, he fell asleep after being full and tired of crying. My smile puffed up just looking at Caramel's calm face while asleep.

I stopped the car when I got to the red light and grabbed the jacket in the back seat to cover Caramel's body and then gave him a brief kiss on his forehead. Soon she will give birth to our child, meeting Caramel is the most beautiful miracle I have ever had in the world.