Neighbor Husband

Episode 42 - The Traces of Samar the Star

"Hello, Luke? Tumben you called?" flora asked amid the busyness of recording reports of incoming letters and outgoing letters.

"Do you know how our high school friends are doing?" asked Luke after teaching non-regular students.

"School Friends? You mean who is this? High School Friends are there many?" ask Flora. This time he stamped some outgoing mail files.

"Goddess, Kiki, Shilla et al" Luke replied.

"Are they called friends? Tumben you want to know how they are doing? Not meant for revenge, Neng?" said Flora.

"Hmmm... It depends," said Luke, giggling.

"I don't know much about them. All I know, Dewi has not been married until now, since she was left pregnant by her boyfriend. No man would accept it" continued Flora.

Flora paused her speech for a moment, typed something on her worksheet, then in print.

"If Kiki works in a suburban minimarket, because she doesn't finish college. School money from her brother runs out for the hurrah," Flora tells.

Luke was surprised to hear that. Luke thought all along, they would be the ones sitting with the other upper classes. Have your own socialite group, and never think about finances.

Not to mention the level of those who are above average beauty, it will certainly not be difficult to find a partner.

"Hello? Luke?" flora asked after not hearing Luke's words.

"Yes, Flo. Actually, I saw Shilla yesterday in the hospital," Luke said.

"really? Then what's his attitude?" ask Flora curiously.

"Eitherway. It seems he doesn't recognize me. Yesterday I accidentally bumped into a wheelchair when I was going to the cashier. But the woman just apologized. The condition is arguably very far compared to High School before," Luke's story.

"Hm... Good though. If he lives happily after doing evil to you, then I will hate him even more" Flora said with a satisfied laugh.

"Flo, how can you laugh so cheerfully like this, hearing your friend's bad news?" Luke protest.

"I think he deserves it, Luke. But indeed I never knew the last news of Shilla, both from the alumni group and social media," continued Flora.

"Ah, I see," said Luke.

*****

Medika Nusantara Hospital, Raflesia treatment room, number 4. Special care rooms for lupus patients. Luke's chest is pounding. What would he say if he met? Can he do as Flora and her sister suggested?

Last night, Flora called back. He said, if the last few years Shilla suffered from osteomyelitis and lupus. For more than two years he went back to the hospital for treatment.

Luke surfed in gugel last night to find out what osteomyelitis and lupus are.

Based on several sources he read, osteomyelitis or Bone infection is inflammation in the bones that is generally caused by bacterial infections. This bone disorder often occurs in people who have injuries or open fractures, or have a weak immune system.

While lupus or lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation in several parts of the body, such as the skin, joints, kidneys to the brain.

Lupus is not a contagious disease. But it is more often experienced by women of productive age and cannot be cured.

"I'm sorry, who did you want to swipe?" ask the nurse in front of the room.

"Shilla Buchari" Luke replied.

"Thank you" Luke replied, rushing in.

"Hi" said Luke to the twenty-eight-year-old woman who looked older than her age.

His entire skin looked wrinkled and dark brown. His body was so thin that his bony curves were visible. His eyes were sunken and his lips dry cracked.

The woman stared at Luke for quite a while. He looked at the woman in front of him with a frown.

At that time, Luke was wearing a long-sleeved shirt made from kashibo. The right part of his shirt is plain with light brown color. Then there is a wrinkle model strap that makes her clothes look really cool. Combined with white straight model fabric pants. Luke also polished his face with natural makeup to make it look brighter and fresher.

"Who, huh?" ask the woman.

"We met yesterday, when your wheelchair collided with me" Luke replied.

"Oh... Excuse me. I was completely unintentional yesterday" he replied.

"Not only that. We met a few years ago in High School. You used to call me the red-haired snake woman" Luke said.

"Ah... Ye.... Luke?" he said, covering his face with a blanket. "How did you find me here?"

Naturally, if Shilla did not immediately recognize him, Luke's current appearance is very much different from the old High School days. Luke also accidentally covered his hair with a hijab.

"Bu Nanik, our old high school teacher, told me this" Luke replied. More precisely Bu Nanik said psda Flora, anyway.

"Don't meet me like this. I'm ashamed, " replied Shilla.

"Why should you be ashamed? Isn't this what you should have accepted? I'm not gonna ask you why you got here like this. But I just wanted to show you, if my life is okay even if you bullied me first" Luke said.

"Luke. Ii'm sorry. We were still in High School. Can't think clearly yet" Shilla regretted.

"You're saying high school kids can't think? Then how could he devise such a heinous plan of bullying? How long do you think I've been suffering from your treatment?" Luke let out all the anger he had stored up over the years.

Although Luke knew, all of his sentences were too much to say to the sick, but his heart and mind did not want to stop talking.

"Luke, I know that none of this can be forgiven. But I really want to apologize. I don't know when the rest of my life will end. After college, Restu left me. I was frustrated, taking all the drugs to get rid of it. But in the end..." Shilla could not finish her sentence. Her tears fell down her sunken cheeks.

"I'm not your friend. You said it yourself, didn't you? So I didn't come here because of friendship" Luke said. He placed a bag of mangoes and a stick on a small table.

"From now on live well, don't regret the actions you won't be able to fix again" Luke continued.

"Oh, yes. Are you now neighbors with Dede and his wife?" shilla.

"Know where you are?" Luke frowned. Just being sick he could know all the news circulating? Justjust wonderful.

(Connected)

Thank you for reading. See you around...

Come on, stop by also in the author's new Novel Mystery and Fantasy. Probably likes... 🙂