My husband is not the CEO
Lima
It's only fair that you can only get married for an arranged marriage otherwise you might never get married for the rest of your life.
Caramel's words this morning still ring in my ear. I'm not angry that Caramel has a point, we got married because of a matchmaking scenario. But I can't accept that if Caramel says I don't have a stand, I'm a strong-minded person, otherwise I might have defended Caramel for 10 years. Once I choose, no one can change it, so my principles. Even when I heard that Caramel was getting married to another man, I chose her anyway.
"We're going straight home?"
I gasped as Caramel suddenly got into the car, how long have I been daydreaming?
"If Cara doesn't mind, we'll see Apartment ya." I answered while looking at the girl for a moment, she was still beautiful even though it was this afternoon, her hair was still neat with makeup that remained beautiful. How I didn't fall in love with Caramel, he was so sweet as his name. Even though I have to get used to the way he talks.
"Can." He nodded many times with vigor, his smile broadened and rubbed off on me.
My car crawled among other cars on the crowded streets in the afternoon where people were coming home from work. They honked between the jams when it would produce nothing but noise pollution.
"You don't have a boyfriend?"
Caramel's question made me almost choke on my own spit, I shook my head stiffly.
"Why do I have a boyfriend, we're getting married."
Caramel laughed, "you think I'd believe it, we're married because an arranged marriage doesn't hurt if you have a boyfriend."
Why is Caramel laughing?
"I don't have a boyfriend." Honestly, I never had a relationship called courtship. Even when Danu changes girlfriends once a week, I'm just their photographer.
"Oh yeah?" Caramel narrowed her eyes looking at me as if looking for a lie from my words.
"I never lie, I always answer questions honestly." My firmness.
Caramel fell silent, he no longer replied to me. I don't know what Caramel is thinking.
"Indeed, how to have a girlfriend?" I asked back, even though as far as I know Caramel never dated again after failing to get married at that time, I just wanted to make sure. Who knows, Caramel is dating secretly without being known by anyone.
"Have."
"Hm?" I turned my head to see that even my feet spontaneously stepped on the brakes and the car stopped suddenly making Caramel surprised. "Then what about your boyfriend, won't you break up even if you're married to me?" My chest heated up hearing Caramel's confession, it felt like a few years ago when I first learned that Caramel was getting married. The wound came back to the surface, Caramel's words really made me feel like I was losing oxygen.
I opened the car window a little because inside it felt tight, like something was squeezing my chest. The rustling car horn in the back made me realize and immediately stepped on the gas.
Caramel was heard laughing again but this time it was shorter. Why is Caramel laughing in this atmosphere, does he not understand a little of my feelings. Can't he see the look of disappointment on my face? Just because my face is always flat doesn't mean Caramel can't see the change.
"Geez Ka, you are so serious the person can not be invited to joke, play you less far tuh let not plate your life!" Caramel laughs to the punch of the dashboard, am I that funny to him?
"I never played." My reply was honest as always.
"Yes yes!" He shook his hands still laughing. "I had a boyfriend, four years ago."
I swallowed the saliva again, right, as far as I know Caramel has not had a boyfriend since the wedding but why now he is discussing it again.
"Then?" I want to know Caramel's version of the story even though I already know it.
"You must have been horrified by your mother." He said while crossing his arms in front of his chest, his crisp laughter was now evaporating as if carried by the wind that entered through the gap of the car window.
"Yes," I nodded, "Mama said you were null and void a week before H, but the preparations were ninety percent."
Caramel smiled bitterly even her mouth was shaking, I wanted to rub Caramel's head to calm her down but I was driving.
"I'm honestly traumatized about marriage." Finally Caramel made a sound after taking a deep breath and exhaling her. "I'm traumatized about dress fittings, prewedding photos, wedding halls, invitation cards, souvernir." Caramel shook his head faintly many times, he seemed to rub his cheeks. I could see the soft melted tears on her smooth cheeks.
"If so we'll get married without it all." I replied in a low voice, I don't want Caramel to do anything that brings her back to the bad memories of the past.
Caramel was surprised to turn her head around to see me, she looked at me deeply with clenched lips. Three seconds later she was crying out to my surprise, her emotions changed in a matter of minutes. He just laughed and then he was sad and now he's crying hard, is there something wrong with what I said.
"Don't cry." I grabbed Caramel's arm and rubbed her gently. We arrived at the apartment parking lot.
"Why are you so good!"
I gasped as he suddenly lifted his face. My heart aches to see her eyes blushing from crying.
"I have to how?" I'm confused, right Danu said understanding women is harder than predicting weather and climate.
"Rafka," Caramel held my hand. "Are you sure we're married without all that?"
"Yes," I nodded steadily. "the most important thing about a marriage is that it is religiously and stately legal."
Caramel smiled and nodded, "thank you."
"Not crying." I rubbed his wet cheeks. "What about the wedding ring?"
"It's okay, we didn't have time to exchange rings because he disappeared first."
"When Cara is ready, call me and then we order the ring as Cara wishes."
Caramel's smile widened, it was like the wind that cooled my heart.
"Let's get down." Tukas me when he has released his grip on my hand.
We took the elevator to get to the 20th floor where my apartment is located. I bought the 225 square meter apartment with savings since I first became a member of BMKG, it took quite a long time to get it.
I want to marry the guy who lives in Kempinski, so I can see the HI roundabout every time I wake up in the morning.
I remember Caramel chatting with two of his friends in front of the school that day. Since then I was determined to have one apartment in central Jakarta called Kempinski Residence even though I did not know how much one unit was worth.
"I use the date of birth How to password it so at any time How to get in here even if there is no me." I muttered as I pressed 6 number combinations on the door handle.
"Do you know my date of birth?" Caramel's voice sounded startled, he was standing behind me.
"Know."
The door opened, we were immediately presented with a wide view of the living room and tv room that fused into one. White marble floor gives the impression of clean and neat, it turns out like this dream residence Caramel. Understandably, this is only the second time I've been here since buying it.
"Well, this is a bad fancy anyway." Caramel stepped further towards the balcony. "So much to live here." Caramel slid the glass door that bordered the balcony and tv room, she spread her arms enjoying the wind that blew this afternoon.
"How do you like it?" I followed him to the balcony.
Caramel turned her head to look at me with a flat face. I held my breath in fear of missing a single word that would come out of his mouth.
"How could I not like this luxurious apartment, do not joke not funny." Caramel hit my arm hard enough, but I wasn't kidding.
"i love it, I love it." He said, "let me see his room." Caramel pulled my hand, "where's the room?"
"Rafka!" He screeches.
"Yes?" I was surprised at how many times.
"Please don't joke about this, you don't know." Caramel let go of my hand, she shifted one of the doors near the television. Oh, it turns out that room is there.
"I'm serious but why does Caramel always say I'm kidding?" I said, whether Caramel heard it or not because he had already entered the room to leave me.
"Rafka! that's great, this is the main room, right?"
I caught up with Caramel when I heard him ask a question. As far as I know there are 3 bedrooms, maybe this is the main room because it is closest to the entrance.
My body slightly retreated when I saw that Caramel was already lying on top of the king-size bed with a suit that he had taken off leaving a shirt on his slim body.
"Why stand there, you don't want to sleep on this soft mattress?" Caramel saw me, he patted the empty spot beside her.
"No need to." I shook my head and cleared my throat to neutralize my suddenly hoarse voice.
"I want to take a shower here, all right?"
"Can." I nodded, "this is yours now too."
I turned around to leave the room, seeing Caramel for too long didn't seem good for my health.
"Where are you going?"
Caramel's voice stopped me, "want down, you want coffee or tea?"
"Copies are."
Caramel is a coffee lover whereas I can't drink coffee at all, there are a lot of differences between us.
There was private elevator access for every apartment dweller so I didn't have to wait my turn. There are free drinking facilities to take on the ground floor, but before that I will buy clothes for Caramel. Just now Caramel said he wanted to take a shower when he didn't bring a change of clothes so I had to buy some clothes for him.
"Father!"
I saw a man who also came out of the elevator, behind him there was a woman of the same age and a small woman about 4 years old who was calling the man.
"Mas Rama, carry gih." Said the woman wearing a knee-length floral dress.
"Let's take Papa here." The man raised his little child's body and kissed his fat padlocked cheek.
They step out of the building first. Who her? why do I feel so familiar with this man. I'm sure I've met him but where. Ah, maybe just someone similar to my schoolmate.
******
Ting!
The elevator was open, I took the trouble to step up because my hands were full of plastic bags filled with fried chicken from one of the fast food restaurants near here, coffee and tea and some soft drink cans. I also bought plain linen pants and a sweatshirt for Caramel.
I put a plastic bag of food on the dining table and stepped into the room where Caramel was. Tumben Caramel didn't make a sound, was he in the shower?
"Cara–" I stopped continuing my words when I saw Caramel sleeping with her hair down. I could not feel the corner of my lips raised to form a smile looking at Caramel's beautiful face while sleeping. I put the clothes on the bed so that when Caramel wakes up he will find her immediately.
"Why do you sleep so fast?" Lirih I while getting rid of the child's hair that covers part of Caramel's face. The sound of Caramel's subtle snoring, it meant that he had been asleep for a long time.
I picked up a suit with Caramel's nametag lying on the floor and hung it near the bathroom door.
The purplish-colored sky is visible from the full-glass door that is directly connected to the balcony. The sun began to sink leaving very little orange tinge in the western horizon. I pulled the curtains and covered all the doors and windows.
"Hello, why Rafka?"
Mama Caramel's voice greeted me shortly after I dialed her phone number.
"I'm the same Caramel again look around the apartment, now his Caramel is sleeping Tan ... Ma." I stammered a little because I was not used to calling her Mama.
"Tuh son emang kebo ya."
"Mm I can't bear to wake up Cara Ma."
"Yes it's okay, the important thing is that Mama knows that Caramel is the same as you so Mama can calm down."
"Next time after Caramel wakes up we'll be right home."
"Yes Rafka relax, you guys are almost married nginep is also okay."
Stay on? here? just the two with Caramel? ah that's impossible even if the parents allow it, I have to take good care of the girls instead of even undermining their trust.
"Yes, thank you, Ma."
"Have a good time, you have to spend a lot of time together to get to know each other."
"Yes Ma." I smiled clumsily, but my interlocutor wasn't here but I was nervous.
Mama Caramel's voice laughed before she disconnected.
Caramel was still in the same position when I checked her back into the room. Seeing him I thought of the man who came down with me in the lobby. Who was that man, why was his face so familiar?
******
"Gue wants to marry the guy who lives in Kempinski, so he can see the roundabout HI every time he wakes up in the morning." Caramel looked up at the clear sky that afternoon on her way home from school.
"Dream height if you fall ill!" Kayla nudged Caramel's ear.
"If you want to marry the same guy, mending find om-om rich there is a lot." Jane chimed.
"What the hell are you all, should be guaranteed the dream of your beautiful friend this beaming."
Rafka stands in front of the gate of his school which is directly opposite the Caramel school. It was Rafka's activity every time he came home from school, watching Caramel from a distance. Admire the beauty of Caramel who can dazzle Rafka's eyes.
"I'm going to make that dream come true." Rafka murmured while strengthening the handle on his backpack.
"Samperin if you dare, don't just eat from far away." Danu grabbed Rafka's shoulder from behind.
Rafka smiled bitterly when he saw Caramel was riding a motorcycle with a man who wore a uniform exactly like Rafka.
"She's dating that IPA kid." Rafka pointed at them with her chin.
"Before the yellow janur curls you can't blush!"
