My husband is not the CEO

Eighty One

Rafka stayed up all night because Caramel suddenly had a fever and was shivering. The whole night Caramel was crying without a sound but Rafka knew. Rafka was confused, he just stuck a pack compress on Caramel's forehead hoping to reduce the heat of the wife's body. But it only lasted a while, after the compress effect was lost then the body Caramel back hot.

"Come to the hospital." Rafka whispered hugging Caramel's body lying on his back. Since Rafka arrived, he had not heard a single word from Caramel's mouth. Whatever Rafka said Caramel didn't respond. Rafka goes awry, he runs out of ways to console Caramel. "At least you have to sleep for a while so that your fever is not severe."

Caramel closed his eyes, he tried but did not fall asleep. He thought of Arnesh's fate now alone without him. Caramel's feelings are mixed between sad and angry but he does not know what to do whereas Arnesh will never return forever.

Caramel put away Rafka's hand which accidentally nudged her chest until it hurt. Caramel's breasts are swollen because she hasn't breastfed since this morning.

Rafka turns around misunderstanding thinking Caramel doesn't like it if he hugs her. Looks like Caramel really needs some time alone without Rafka.

Rafka had never felt this devastated before, even when she saw her papa cheating was not as painful. If in the past Rafka could vent his anger on Bayu and his mistress, then now he can not do it. Rafka can only be angry at the injustice he cannot expose to anyone.

Rafka gets off the bed out of the room to fetch some drinking water for Caramel. Maybe by drinking a lot of water can make Caramel fever quickly down.

"Drink a little." Rafka sat on the floor thrusting a glass of water at Caramel. Rafka uncovers a blanket covering Caramel's body and helps the woman sit leaning against the end of the bed.

"It's still cold?" Rafka looked up at Caramel.

Caramel nodded in answer to Rafka's question, he put down the glass after drinking a little— very little.

"I'm looking for socks first." Rafka heads to the closet looking for Caramel's socks. He will do anything as long as Caramel does not hurt and returns cheerful as before. Rafka misses the talkative Caramel and the demand.

Rafka returns after finding a pair of socks in the bottom drawer of the closet, she immediately pairs the socks on Caramel and justifies the blanket.

They went through the long night with silence and sadness that increasingly gripped the hearts of each reluctant to leave quickly. Caramel didn't find any words to say. While Rafka who is basically not a person who is good at talking has run out of words to talk to Caramel. Sadness so hugged the two that silence dominated the atmosphere that night.

******

"Caramel shivered all night, Ma." Rafka said to her mother-in-law who was stirring the porridge in the pot bag.

"That must be because Caramel suddenly didn't breastfeed anymore, now her chest is fittingly swollen and sore." Mama Caramel bowed, no less devastated after hearing that Arnesh was gone. Their first grandchild had to leave so quickly before he even saw the growth and development of the little one. He is also sad but must still look strong, however Caramel and Rafka are much more injured. So from as much as possible, Mama Caramel comforted Caramel and Rafka.

"It's just worth it." Rafka remembers Caramel getting rid of her hand as she hugged the woman last night, surely because she accidentally touched Caramel's chest. Rafka thinks Caramel doesn't like his arms anymore.

"So soon this anther of porridge is for Caramel yeah, he just wants to be with you."

"But Caramel still can't talk to Ma." Rafka stepped closer to her in-laws, turning on the water faucet to help wash the dishes.

"Well, what are you doing?" Mama Caramel patted Rafka's hand slowly. She used to do her own housework, Caramel rarely helped her because she was busy working so she could not let Rafka touch the dirty dishes.

"It's okay, I'm helping Mama do the dishes."

"No need, just sit there wait for Mama to cook porridge." He pushed Rafka away from the sink.

"At the same time Caramel is still sleeping, Ma."

"Take a container in the top cupboard, the porridge is almost ripe." Mama Caramel pointed at one of the closet doors above the sink.

Rafka complied with her mother-in-law's request to take a glass bowl and place it next to the stove. Mama Caramel makes porridge from rice with the addition of carrots and celery.

Mama Caramel moved the porridge from the pot into the bowl container, lastly he sprinkled Caramel's favorite fried onions and asked Rafka to take him to the room while it was warm.

The sunlight hit Caramel's disheveled face, his eyeballs not moving despite the dazzling sun. Caramel's gaze was blank just like his current thoughts.

"Eat the porridge." Rafka put the porridge and a glass of milk on the table.

Caramel only glanced at Rafka, her lips still tightly clenched.

"Will I go to the bathroom first?" Ask Rafka.

Caramel threw away his face, he did not want to do anything even to go to the bathroom he was reluctant.

"Yes, I'm eating, I'm taking a bribe." Rafka took Caramel to a chair.

Patently Rafka scoops a little porridge with fried onions and blows it and then feeds Caramel.

"Enak right?"

Caramel nodded, although the pulp was bitter when it touched the surface of his tongue, he believed it was because his tongue was troubled.

Caramel took off a piece of paper that felt stuck to her forehead last night, wondering what Rafka had stuck there last night? he is not a child who can heal only with paper like that and his heart is much more painful than other body parts.

"This is where I throw it away." Rafka was about to take the bulging compress but Caramel did not allow it. Caramel squeezes the paper until it is in the form of a small lump and holds it. Rafka relented, seeing Caramel put her in her pajama pocket.

For Rafka it's okay if Caramel does not want to talk as long as he wants to eat, after all he is not a person who talks a lot. Rafka understands Caramel's feelings because he also feels them right now, where they have lost someone very meaningful in their lives. Even they have not prepared themselves for loss, it happens suddenly without they can prevent it because God has outlined.

******

A week after Caramel and Rafka left the apartment, for the first time Caramel issued a short sentence that left everyone dumbfounded. Since a week ago they had hoped Caramel would talk or at least respond to other people's words. But now that Caramel had said something, they were even more shocked.

"I want to go home." So Caramel said in a flat voice that made Rafka, mother and father Caramel and her in-laws who were there that day immediately turned their faces to see Caramel.

"Where to?" Rafka asked in a soft tone as usual.

"Apartment." Caramel is enough here, although this used to be his residence but the apartment is the place to go home with Rafka.

Initially, Caramel's parents did not allow it because Caramel would be alone in the apartment while Rafka was at work. They were afraid that Caramel would do something unwanted on her own. But they finally let Caramel go after Rafka assured them that Caramel would be fine. Though Rafka is also worried, he just wants to fulfill Caramel's wishes.

"You're not sick anymore, are you?" Rafka asked as they were in the car heading towards the apartment.

Caramel shook her head, and it was more painful to stop breastfeeding than she had imagined. Plus Caramel likes to suddenly cry or get angry if Rafka or her parents do something she does not like. Caramel's emotions were erratic, which he clearly hasn't laughed since that day.

"You want to buy KFC?" Rafka asked as the car passed KFC restaurant. Caramel shook her head, she didn't want to eat anything.

The smell of babies welcoming their arrival in the apartment, Rafka pretends not to smell anything and is just plain ordinary. Caramel is also so, actually he tried to make the people around him calm without worrying about his circumstances but he failed, everyone still worried about him.

Rafka opened the curtains and windows so that the air came in, every two days he took the time to come here to clean the room just in case Caramel wanted to go home at any time then he did not need to clean it again, turns out his guess was right.

The first place Caramel went to was walk in closet, he opened the last closet that specifically stores Arnesh clothes. Both those that have been used and those that are new. The cupboard was full because Caramel had bought a lot of baby clothes since she was pregnant. Unfortunately, most of them have not been used.

Caramel takes one blue jumper and stretches it across the air. Caramel smiled wryly then put it back down and closed the closet quickly.