Papa for My Baby

9. The Most Avoidable Chapter

An online taxi stopped in front of the TPU. Mita got out of the car.

“Thank you, sir,” said Mita and she closed the door.

Mita walks into the TPU. He went on a pilgrimage to Arifin's tomb. Since her marriage to Hisham, Mita never again made a pilgrimage to Arifin's tomb. This morning he asked permission to go to Hisham for a pilgrimage to Arifin's tomb for the last time. Hisham also let Mita go.

Actually Hisham was about to take Mita to Arifin's grave but he suddenly got a call from the hospital. One of his patients had a rupture of the membranes. So Hisham had to go to the hospital to give action. Mita was forced to go by herself in an online taxi.

Before going to the tomb Arifin Mita bought flowers for him to put on top of the tomb Arifin. After that, he walked to the tomb of Arifin. Mita walked carefully between the tombs. Hisham told Mita to walk carefully when in the tomb, not to fall slipping. Mita noticed what Hisham said.

After arriving at Arifin's tomb, Mita squatted beside Arifin's tomb. He laid flowers on the tomb of Arifin. After that he prayed for the spirit of the Arifin. Finished praying Mita told Arifin everything as if Arifin's tomb could hear his story. He told of his meeting with Hisham and his marriage to Hisham. He also recounted that Hisham treated him well and regarded the child in Mita's womb as his own.

“Oh, so the child in your womb is not the son of Hisham? You have cheated us.” It sounded like the voice of someone Mita knew. Mita looked back. She saw Nella's mother and Bakhtiar standing behind her.

“Mama Papa.” Mita's face immediately changed seeing her in-laws behind her. They heard what Mita said. Mita stood up. He is like a child caught doing wrong by his parents. Mita forgot that Arifin's tomb was close to the tomb of Hisham's wife and child so whenever Hisham's parents came to the tomb.

Nella's mother looked at Mita sharply. Mita could only bow her head.

“Hisham knows that the child is not his child?” ask Nella's mother. Mita replied with a nod.

Nella's mother sighed when she found out the answer.

“The boy is too good. Even to want to marry a woman who is impregnated by others,”, Nella's mother told her husband.

“Already, Mah! Hisham must have had his own reasons for marrying Mita. It's a matter of Hisham's household.  We don't have to interfere! Hisham is an adult,” said Mr. Bakhtiar.

“But Hisham our son, Pah,” said Ms. Nella.

Nella's mother looked back at Mita sharply. Mita is crying.

“You should never again show your face in front of us. You're not our daughter-in-law anymore!” exclaims Mother Nella.

“Mama! Don't talk like that! Poor Mita, she is pregnant,” said Mr. Bakhtiar.

“Excuse Mita, Mah,” Mita said while crying.

“Come, Pah! We're getting out of here! Want to pilgrimage to the tomb of Alvina and Rori not be because of meeting this woman,” said Nella's mother with annoyance. (Alvina was the late wife of Hisham, while Rori was the deceased son of Hisham.)

Nella's mother left the place.

“Ma, forgive Mita.” Mita kneels while crying but Nella's mother doesn't care.

Pak Bakhtiar pity seeing Mita. He couldn't bear to see Mita like that. He approached Mita.

“Im sorry Mama yes, Mit. Let Mamah calm down first. Only later Mita spoke with Mama,” said Mr. Bakhtiar.

“Iya, Pa,” Mita replied.

“Papa!” From far away Della's mother screamed for Mr. Bakhtiar.

“You be careful, yes! Papa comes home first,” said Mr. Bakhtiar. Mr. Bakhtiar is following Nella's mother.

Mita was alone in the tomb crying. When Mita was about to stand up suddenly her head hurt and her eyes twitched. Moments later fainted.

***

Hisham had just finished helping a patient who gave birth. Suddenly the sound of his phone rang. Hisham took the phone out of his pocket. It says Mita callilng on her phone. He answered a phone call from Mita.

“Assalamualaikum,” says Hisham.

“Waalaikumsalam. Is his family father Mita's sister?” Yamg speaking on the phone was not Mita but a man.

“What's with my wife?” ask Hisham anxiously.

“My wife fainted at the tomb,” replied the man.

“Astagfirullahaladzim,” says Hisham.

“Alright, Sir. I will be there soon,” said Hisham.

Hisham immediately ended his talk. Without lingering again Hisham immediately walked towards the parking lot.

Arriving at the tomb of Hisham immediately walked to the tomb of Arifin. He still memorizes Arifin's tomb because Arifin's tomb is close to eating his wife and child. He looked to the right and to the left looking for Mita. He didn't see Mita. He only saw the grave cleaning officer. He approached the officer.

“Pak, did you see the person who passed out here?” ask Hisham.

“Tadi brought to TPU office, sir,” replied the officer.

Hisham walked quickly to the TPU office located not far from Arifin's tomb. Arriving at the TPU office Hisham immediately entered the office looking for Mita. He saw Mita lying on the sofa crying. He was accompanied by a woman. Hisham approached Mita.

“Mita!” Hisham called Mita.

Mita turned to Hisham.

“Abang!” Mita's cry broke when she saw Hisham. Hisham hugged Mita. He let his wife cry in his arms. After Mita was relieved, Hisham let go of his embrace. He tidied the hair that covered his wife's face.

“We go home, yes,” said Hisham gently. Mita replied with a nod.

Before leaving Hisham thanked the people who had helped Mita. Then they left the TPU office. Hisham walked while holding Mita's body. Mita's body looks weak. They're walking towards the car. Hisham opens the door for Mita and helps Mita sit in the car seat. Then Hisham got into the car.

Along the way to Mita's house just silence says nothing. His eyes were out the car window. Hisham asked nothing. He allowed his wife to calm down.

Suddenly his phone rang. He saw on his phone screen Papa calling. Hisham parked his car to the side of the road and answered Mr. Bakhtiar's call.

“Assalamualiaikum, Pa,” says Hisham.

“Waalaikumsalam. Where are you?” ask Mr. Bakhtiar.

“Hisam just picked up Mita. Now on the way home,” replied Hisham.

“Thank God you picked up Mita. Papa is worried about the state of Mita,” said Mr. Bakhtiar.

“What really happened, Pa?” ask Hisham.

Mita turned to Hisham. He was afraid that Hisham was angry with him because of his carelessness Hisham's parents knew everything.

Bakhtiar told Hisham everything that happened in the tomb. Hisham just kept quiet and listened to Mr. Bakhtiar's story. Hisham breathed. What he feared finally happened.

“Good, Pah. Hisham understood,” said Hisham.

“Waalaikumsalam.” Hisham ended his conversation with his father.

Mita looked at her husband with a guilty look. Hisham turned to Mita and smiled. He rubbed his wife's hair gently and lovingly.

“You just calm down. Everything will be fine,” Hisham said gently.

Mita is not to blame. Sooner or later everything will be broken. Hisham is grateful that this incident was revealed from Mita herself not from others. If it came from someone else, surely his mother would be even more angry.

Now the best way is to calm her mother. If the mother is calm, you can talk well. But she also has to calm Mita down and pay attention to Mita's feelings. He was afraid this incident affected the psychology of Mita and the condition of the fetus in the womb Mita.