Not a Choice

38

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...~Sometimes a mother's heart is not willing if her child's affection is divided. Especially when the child is an adult.~...

...Arunika Pramesti's...

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Dusk featuring orange light in the western horizon so spoil the eyes. Khan who was still playing in his yard turned to his mother, who called him from the terrace of the house.

"Yes, Bun. What's up?" khan asked after running to get to his bunda. A bright smile always emanated from her innocent face.

"Udah afternoon, dear. You don't want to take a shower?" runa asked as she ruffled Khan's hair furiously.

"A minute, my, Bun. Khan still wants to play" said Khan spoiled.

Runa snatched, pretending to put on an angry face to Khan. "Khan's already starting to cry, huh, now?"

Khan instead smiled at the pouting sight of his bunda, then waved his hand as if telling Runa to bring her face closer to the face of Khan who was shorter than Runa.

Runa did as Khan wished, then smiled as Khan gave a warm kiss on his cheek. "I'm sorry, Khan, yes. Khan wants to take a shower, but Khan has one question for Mommy. Would you like to answer Khan's question?"

Runa frowned hearing Khan's words. "What do you want, honey?" tanyanya.

Khan thought for a moment. Both eyes blink innocently while looking up at the mother.

"Ehm .. actually Khan is still curious about the same om-om who ever came at that time. Why did he suddenly come and claim to be Khan's real father, when Mommy used to say that Khan's real father had died? Then if it's true that he's Khan's real father, why has Mother lied to Khan?"

Runa caught up to hear that line of questions. He had admitted to Khan, if Ata was his real father. However, he forgot that he had lied and said Khan's father was dead. Runa did that, so that one day Khan did not have the desire to meet his father.

Sometimes a mother's heart feels unwilling if her child's affection is divided. Especially when the child is an adult.

"I'm sorry, Mother! Mother had to say that, son." Runa also grabbed Khan's body into his arms. His tears had been flooded and prepared to slide when the group was unable to accommodate again.

Khan's head looked up in Runa's arms. Looked at the face of her mother who had shed tears. "Mother don't cry! If you don't want to answer, that's okay. Khan does not want to see Mommy cry anymore" said Khan. Making Runa break her embrace, then bend her knees to align their bodies.

"Mother will be clear, Khan. You're good, yeah." Runa took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, before she began to explain, "your mother did not know where your father was, dear. Your father went long before you were born. So, Mommy deliberately said that the father is dead, because Mommy is afraid that if one day Khan is big, Khan will look for father and leave Mommy. Mother does not want to separate from Khan. Only Khan is the only family Mother now," explained Runa still accompanied by crying.

Khan wiped away the trace of tears on Runa's cheek with his tiny finger. "Khan won't do it, Mother. Khan also loves Mother. Khan just wants to know. Why is it only now that the man has come, after long abandoning us?"

"Mother doesn't know either, Khan. Maybe now he's sorry. Does Khan want us back together?"

Khan just fell silent not responding to Runa's question, but Runa again added her sentence. "Mother hope you don't think like that, yeah. Because your mother and biological father are no longer able to unite. Khan was a kid, it wasn't time Khan knew about everything. Understand, right?" clearly Runa was slow.

"Is Khan angry that Mommy has been lying all this time? Sorry Mother, yes. Mommy is really afraid that Khan will leave Mommy" added Runa again, while rubbing her child's cheeks gently and looking at her with sadness.

Khan held Runa's hand, then kissed her affectionately. A sweet smile flashed on her tiny lips. "Khan is not angry, Mother. Khan will not stay in Mother. After all, Khan does not know the om-om who has been my father Khan's birth. Khan only has Mommy, and Sandy's dad is too. Sandy's father has taken Khan as his own father" Khan said wisely.

Runa was moved to hear that. He brought his son's body back into his arms. Happy tears mixed with pride flowed by themselves. Runa feels like she is the luckiest mother in the world, having a child like Khan.

"Ekhem .. I think there's a father's kiss, right." Sandy's new voice distracts Runa and Khan. Both of them immediately broke down the embrace.

"Dad ...." Khan smiled widely and immediately poured into the arms of his adoptive father. Sandy lifts Khan's body for him to carry.

"Hello, Honey. Dad's kid hasn't had a bath yet, has he?" sandy asked as he pinched Khan's nose slowly.

Khan shakes his head in shame. "Not yet, Dad," he answered.

"Eh, the kisses up there smell," Sandy joked.

"Ih, Khan doesn't stink, Dad!" Khan. Her chubby cheeks were increasingly bulging due to pouting.

Sandy chuckled at Khan's anger. Looks funny and adorable.

"Yes, already. You take a shower, Khan. Mother also told you to take a bath" said Runa while helping Khan down from Sandy's sling.

"Yes, Mother. Khan wants to take a shower" Khan said. Then switch to Sandy again, "Dad waitin Khan, yeah. Don't go yet!" the door to the man.

"Yes," said Sandy as she ruffled Khan's hair in a fit of anxiety. Khan left with a carefree face.

"What's up, Run? You seem to have cried?" Sandy asked when Khan had entered the house. Runa also invited Sandy to sit on the terrace chair.

"Khan's grown up, Mas. I must always prepare myself to answer every question he asks. Especially the question about her real father," said Runa, looking at Sandy with a glare.

"Khan asked what? Does he want to see Ata again? Or ... does he want you to unite with his real father?" The overwhelming worry immediately disturbed Sandy's heart. He was afraid that Khan would want a full family after hearing that his biological father had returned.

Runa shook her head, "No, Mas. Khan never expected that. He just asked me why I lied to him that his real father was dead. But I'm clear, really. Thank God, Khan knows and isn't mad at me."

A sigh of relief was ejected from Sandy's respiratory tract. At least the man still has a chance to fill the position of his father Khan. Sandy is looking forward to proposing to her parents. Sandy didn't want Ata to go first.

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...To be continued...