My Love is Blocked by the Holy Promise

Chapters. 2. Meeting Bride Candidates Without Love

(POV) Dewanta

This morning was the first day, I decided to live my life as a villager. As the sun shone on the earth where I stood, I stepped on the hills that spanned the oil palm plantations. This is where I spent my old age with my children and my wife Zahra, a woman I had no idea what her face looked like, let alone her nature and personality.

Tomorrow is the first day we are met before the sacred promise of marriage. All sorts of flavors, all kinds of questions continue to fill the niches of my heart.

As the sun began to show its rays increasingly stinging the skin, I saw my watch showing at eleven o'clock in the afternoon. I don't know how many kilometers I walked, past oil palm plantations, past rubber plantations until now I arrived at a rice field that stretches as far as the eye can see. It just so happens that the rice harvest is over, the rice fields are left without crops, there is only wild grass among the kale plants that grow without anyone planting them.

A group of village virgins went hand in hand carrying baskets. They want to cut wild kale for vegetables later in the afternoon. A girl in a wide headscarf with such a shady gaze was among them. He looked at me and nodded with a smile so sweet.

"Sister, look out for the snake" he pointed at my feet. A snake as big as my arm was coiled with its head raised as if it wanted to pounce on me. I was very shocked and immediately I ran towards her and then held the tip of her hijab hidden behind her. Their laughter also broke.

The shady-eyed girl also took a tree branch by using her clean white and fluffy hands.

Slowly he drove the snake away and some time the snake was away.

"Thank you deck, it turns out to be brave as well" I told the shady-eyed girl. However he just smiled and passed away followed by some of his friends.

I went back home because my stomach was hungry.

At home it turns out that the mother is preparing souvenirs to be brought to the house of Pak Sasmito my future-in-law who is in the next village, Padang Gatah village.

This morning we were preparing to visit the house of Zahra's future wife who I don't know yet how she looks.

"Your daughter is wearing the shirt and trousers that I bought yesterday, that I have prepared, "said mom, I only replied with a nod.

"God, let's hurry, you're wearing old clothes like a girl, do you wear mike up too," mom kept nagging.

"Mommyuuuu," I shouted as I hurriedly raised my window by accident it turned out that my precious asset had been clamped in a zipper, it was very painful.

What's up God, how about yelling, "my mom came to my room, I showed her my assets were stuck in a zipper. Good thing you have used a CD so it is not injured, next time be careful, mother continues to nag and take pliers then damage the zipper so that the clasp is released.

"Mother.sick mom...

The zipper clasp finally came off, but the pants could not be worn anymore. In a hurry I changed my pants, because my father outside had called - called my name, he could not wait for us. The three of us took a car to Padang Gatah village.

"This time if you want to go anywhere is always long, use noisily everything in the room," father continues to nag while driving the car.

"Where do you make a fuss, your son wears his pants until the zipper clamp. Because he was not careful the pants that you bought yesterday damaged can not be used anymore" said the mother with lips dimony-righten. Dad laughed out loud.

"Maybe his junior is nervous about running his errands soon," along the way my father kept making fun of me.

Only about twenty minutes we have arrived at the residence of Mr. Sasmito. Mr. Sasmito and Ms. Markonah welcomed our arrival very kindly. After we all sat down, my father made it clear that he wanted to introduce me to their daughter Fatimah.

Ms. Markonah immediately stood up and went inside, a few moments later she returned with a young woman dressed in Muslimah. She greeted my mother and kissed the back of her hand, while to my father and I she just cupped her hands together while nodding. When we stared at each other, I was very surprised that she was the shady-eyed girl I met yesterday in the rice fields. There is a sense of happiness because it turns out he is the candidate for my life companion.

"Now you know each other, Dewanta, after you know Zahra, are you still willing to marry Zahra, " said the father, looking at me and hoping for my answer.

"If you are how Zahra is" said the father and this time the father asked Zahra .

"Yet Zahra's answer was to nod with a smile. Everyone present in the guest room took a deep breath and exhaled slowly along with a happy smile.

"Because Dewanta and Zahra are willing to accept this match, how about you two talk to each other in order to get to know each other more closely.

It may be sideways or in the back garden" Sasmito said and was approved by all family members present.

"Oh yes, please taste this earlier I made a favorite cake awug-awug mother Wajirah, you also Zahra bring these awug-awug for chatting friends," said Markonah's mother while pointing towards the awug-awug cake.

"Almost I forgot, I also had brought souvenirs for Markonah's mother, it was still in the car, let's eat the same cimpedak iwak samu typical food of our region, homemade. Coincidentally yesterday Dewanta's father was fishing downstairs," said my mother.

Then the father stood up and headed to the car to pick up the souvenirs.

Zahra then took a few pieces of the awug-awug using a plate and a few glasses of mineral water. We walked to the back garden.

It turns out the place is cool and comfortable. There are two chairs and a table, it seems that this place is commonly used for relaxing. Zahra then placed a plate filled with cakes and a few glasses of mineral water on the table then she sat on one of the chairs and I followed her.

For a moment we kept quiet, until I took the initiative to talk first.

"Fatimah Azzahra, oh yes, what are you usually called," I began the conversation.

"If at the school where I teach, I'm called Zahra, but when you're at home, you call me Zahra, too" she said, smiling.

"What do you want to call me?" I said trying to ask.

"So far, brother" replied Zahra.

"If home is called Zahra. How about I call Izah," I said as I pulled the tip of my lips to form a very sweet smile. Zahra was smiling again.

"Thank you, diploma, for yesterday. By the way, you dare to also the same snake he..he..," I said while laughing.

"Not I'm brother, who is brave but his brother who is timid, said Fatimah relaxed and I replied with a wry smile.

"This child from earlier was silent, once talking so very," my mind.

"Well may I know, what is the reason you accepted this match, we do not know each other, you are not afraid that I am evil with you or because I am handsome," I said while grinning the horse.

"I accepted this match because I wanted to be devoted to both of my parents. I trust my parents' chosen man.

Life is short, brother, so we must fill it by doing as much good as possible for our provision after death.

Indeed, among us there is no mutual love, but life is not just for love, brother, living to find the pleasure of God and run the test. The absence of love in our marriage is one of the tests in the marriage that we will live. Sis, happy is we who create by being grateful for what we have.

If we know our rights and obligations as husband and wife then sooner or later love will come, God willing," said Zahra at length. I am really amazed by his thoughts. May my household be the same throughout my life. May we be given offspring that will increase our status in the eyes of Allah SWT.