Not Intentionally Cheating

Chapter 18 Football Club

"Ma, why didn't you want to be delivered with Om Devan? It's good we don't walk" Calista said on foot and joined hands with his mother.

"He's been good enough to us, honey. Ponder if we have to trouble him again," Nayla said with a smile remembering Devan's kindness to them.

"Om Devan is good, Ma. Keyla always told me about her papa. Surprisingly, he never told me about his mother. Just like I always told you about Mama but never told you about Papa," Keyla said with a big smile when telling her.

"Did you really tell Keyla Mama?" nayla asked intending to switch their conversation.

"Yes Ma. Key often asked about Mama. But strangely her face always looked disappointed when I told her about Mama" Calista replied as she pictured Keyla's face at the time.

Nayla recalls the hostel mother saying that Keyla's mother never visited or contacted her. Only Papa Keyla always comes and every day asks about the state of his son.

Even he did not want to know about his son's grades and achievements. All he wanted to know was the state of his son.

Nayla stopped her steps. She crouched down in front of her son to align her height. Then she smiled and hugged her son's body while saying,

"Now he's happy there. So, Caca has to be happy here, too, so Keyla doesn't feel guilty about leaving you."

Calista nodded her head in her mother's arms. Unknowingly, Nayla's tears dripped down her cheeks.

Somehow she felt a deep sadness hearing Keyla's story. She felt that the sadness Keyla felt could be felt by her as well.

Immediately wiped his tears and wiped away the trace of his tears so that Calista did not know.

"Let's go in" said Nayla, holding Calista's hand.

They also entered the house of Mrs Ratmi which is now a place to live for them temporarily.

"When did you start Nayla's work?" asked Mrs Ratmi who saw her granddaughter and daughter-in-law walking to her room.

Nayla stops her steps and tells Calista to go inside her room.

After that she approached her mother-in-law and said,

"I'd like to see Caca's development at her new school first ma'am."

"You've been on vacation too long. You better be working tomorrow. Let Caca be just like Mom," said Ms Ratmi who was focused on seeing the television show without looking at Nayla.

"Well Mom, tomorrow I will work" Nayla said.

Then he turned his body to walk towards Calista's room.

Suddenly Miss Ratmi remembered something and she immediately looked back while saying,

"wait. You didn't forget our deal, did you?" 

Nayla turned her back to face her mother-in-law. Then he said,

"No ma'am, give me Mom's account number. I'll transfer the money to Mom's account."

Ms. Ratmi smiles happily because she now gets a transfer of money every month. Then he said,

"good. This is not a coercion, but a deal. And you're sincere about giving me rations every month?" 

Nayla smiled forcefully while nodding her head. Then he walked into his room.

Today Nayla spent cleaning her mother-in-law's house which was larger than her house. She couldn't just stay at her mother-in-law's house.

At night, he was on the porch. His mind wandered far into the fate of his family.

Then she took her cell phone out of her dress pocket and sought her husband's contacts to contact her.

"Hello, where is Mas Bayu?" nayla asked her husband over the phone.

Home, replied Bayu briefly while drinking a soft drink from his can.

"Don't Mas Bayu have a flight schedule today?" ask Nayla to investigate.

The flight is delayed tomorrow, Bayu replied.

"Mas Bayu isn't here?" nayla asked her husband.

We agreed to meet once a week. It's for the three of us. Not for one of us. You chose this to happen. You know that, right? answer Bayu from across there.

Nayla sighed, very heavy. He had thought that Bayu would not want to live with his mother. 

"Yes, I know. It's all my fault for bringing Calista home" said Nayla.

Nayla then hung up without waiting for her husband's next words.

At his house, Bayu stared strangely at his phone because his wife first hung up.

But he won't take a headache. He continued his activities, feeling freedom at home alone like a bachelor.

...----------------...

Days pass. Now Calista and Nayla have been living with Ms Ratmi for almost three months. They live their day as usual. Nothing special about their days.

Bayu really kept his promise. He only once a week visits his mother's house to meet with his son and wife.

Nayla can't change her husband's decision. She could only accept her husband's decision with great courage.

"Nayla, why did you let Caca join the school's football club? She is a girl, she should follow the dance club, sing or paint, just like that" said Ms Ratmi, who reprimanded Nayla when she returned home from work.

"Sorry Mom, Calista is just a hobby. He won't make football the main thing. And she keeps her school first" Nayla said, looking at her mother-in-law pleading.

"Sir, tomorrow Caca will be soccer practice after school. Tomorrow Grandma try to see Deh Caca play, surely Grandma is proud of Caca," said Calista proudly.

Ms. Ratmi sighed to hear her granddaughter boast about her football game. He looked at Nayla as if asking for an explanation from Nayla.

However, as quickly as lightning Calista pulls Nayla's hand so that her mother survives her grandmother's scolding.

"It's safe Ma" said Calista, smiling broadly at his mother.

Nayla smiled as she gently rubbed her daughter's hair. He was proud of his daughter who was tougher than a child his age. Thanks to Bayu's strict upbringing and discipline, Calista can become independent and courageous.

It's just that Nayla can't bear it when her daughter whines and cries for being bullied by her friends.

"Are you at school now?" ask Nayla when they're going to sleep.

"Setah Ma. Caca has a lot of friends now. Caca's friends all men. They're friends of Caca's football club" Calista replied proudly.

Nayla smiled again, she was so proud of her very brave daughter. At his current age he has felt the school abroad and out of town alone without his family by living in the school dormitory.

"If there's anything at school, Caca has to talk to Mama. Mama does not want if later you are bullied again like before, just like when you were abroad," Nayla told her daughter.

"Ready Mom!" calista said firmly, after which he smiled broadly at his mother.