Paper Dove

JENI'S TRAUMA

The following week we spent our date together by going to the place Jeni wanted to be. I never tried to do anything like a picnic with him. We just held hands, kissed forehead and hugged. I tried to restrain myself as much as I could, if only I wanted to burn the contract we signed back then. 

One day when Jeni and I were at a restaurant, we met her foster parents. Unabashedly they came over to us and I could see how Jeni's face was flat and cold. 

“ Wah Jeni dear how can we meet here?”, Mrs Hartanto reprimanded. 

“ Aunt”, Jeni who was shocked to see her aunt immediately stood up from the chair. 

I'm pretty sure 100% of this is no coincidence, they must have tried to arrange this accidental meeting because I turned down their dinner invitation. I can only smile kindly towards this couple. 

“ You are getting beautiful huh and is this your husband?”, Mrs Hartanto pretended not to know. 

“ Yes.. He's my husband. Juan looks like we have to go home, you have an appointment with a client right?”, Jeni sees me hopefully anxious. 

I smiled “ Should we go back now?”, I asked back. Jeni tackles fast. 

“ Why rush. You haven't introduced your husband to us, we are your family”, Mrs Hartanto spoke softly while looking at Jeni a little upset. 

“ Family? My family is only one, grandfather Darmawan”, said Jeni bravely. 

The couple fell silent and smiled awkwardly. “ You're still mad because mom let you out of the house? Sorry mom at that time I was so angry with you for not following “, Mrs Hartanto hugged Jeni gently. 

“ Can we join you? “, Mr. Hartanto speaks this time.

I haven't been able to answer, Jeni has already snatched. “ No, we are in a hurry om. My husband has an appointment, forgive us for being disrespectful. Next time if there's a chance I'll invite you guys to dinner”, Jeni speaks quickly with a smile. I saw a change in Madame Hartanto's face. 

I stood up and smiled towards them kindly. “ Sorry, we paid first”, I clasped Jeni's hand. 

When going away Mrs Hartanto speaks in a cold voice “Your art does not change, is still stubborn and does not obey like your mother”.

Jeni was silent she held tightly to my arm then turned and smiled towards Madame Hartanto. 

“ I changed aunty a lot. Right now my heart is as strong as steel, my hard rock-like head has melted away because my husband and I are now obedient wives only to my husband not to others”, Jeni replied coldly.

After that we left the restaurant. Up in the car Jeni was more silent, her face was pale and I did not ask. When in the middle of the road, Jeni asked that the car be stopped on the side of the road. 

He got out of the car in a hurry, I came out because I was worried about him.  Jeni had a great vomit on the side of that lonely road. He vomited while crying, looking like a person with a severe anxiety disorder. I approached him but he raised his hand telling me to back off. 

“ Don't come here and don't look. It's bad Juan, it looks like I caught a cold because I was late to eat. Go, leave me alone”, Seruny to me. 

I stood glued, my heart ached to see him sob like that while occasionally removing his entrails. In the end I just stood waiting for him and watched. Long enough I stood there and Jeni kept crouching until the sound of her crying disappeared. When she calmed down, she stood up and wiped her tears. 

He turned and looked at me. “ I'm sorry Juan, it looks like I caught a cold. It's disgusting, get in the car. My mouth smells bad, I'm afraid you're uncomfortable. I won't say much in the ” car, he said with a smile. 

I looked at him in silence, how could he still try to smile. Not leaning on me, crying in my arms but instead standing up straight with both feet and pretending everything was fine. If he had asked me to destroy the family, I would have done so. 

In the end I just sighed and nodded. We got into the car and kept quiet until our hotel room arrived. There was no conversation between us until the moment we got on top of each other's bed and I just noticed his movements. 

At midnight I heard Jeni's voice coming down from the bed. I opened my eyes and found Jeni walking out of the room. Half sleepily I got out of bed and followed him. Jeni walked straight towards the refrigerator, she opened the refrigerator door with great difficulty. The dim kitchen lights made my half-drowsy vision appear blurry. I turned on the light, Jeni looked startled and turned towards me. 

“ Juan, you why come wake”, he said in a raucous voice.

“ You have a fever? Why don't you wake me?”, I was worried.

“ No Juan is only a short time, Later also cured”, he said while holding a bottle of cold mineral water. 

“ Remove the bottle. Come back to bed, I'll take care of you. If necessary I will call doctor”, I say firmly. 

Jeni smiles with her pale lips “ No need Juan. I'm fine”, he said. 

I pulled his hand and he followed me but suddenly stopped walking making me stop. I turned towards him. 

“ Juan...”, he spoke softly then the next second he fell and I quickly caught him. Jeni fainted, I carried her and took her to the room. Put it on my bed and quickly call Doni. 

“ Hello tuan”, heard the voice of Doni who was half sleepy in the open. 

“Jeni fainted, quickly bring the family doctor to kari”, I said half-screaming. 

“ Well tuan”, Doni replied to the ambush.

***

Jeni was given fluids through an infusion like a vitamin. I looked at him sadly, had I been lacking in guarding him all this time.

“ Currently madam is fine Mr. Juan. We've already taken blood for lab tests, the results are coming out soon. Did the mistress have any complaints lately?”, doctor Brata asked me. 

“ At about 10 p.m., he had a great vomiting after meeting some old acquaintances. Is he exhausted?”, I asked curiously. 

“ Maybe madam is tired, we will see it from lab” results, replied the doctor calmly. 

“ Doc, lab results already out”, Doni give Tab contains lab results to doctor Brata. 

The doctor read for a moment and smiled at me. “ Lab results mistress is fine. Sir has the mistress experienced this before?”, asked the doctor. 

“ After marriage I just saw it like this”, I answered honestly. 

“ Is there something that triggers the mistress to experience severe vomiting?”, asked the doctor. 

“ Yes, it seems so. Will an anxiety disorder make someone like this even if it only appears once? ”, manyu. 

Doctor nodded “ Yes can sir. It could be due to an old trauma that makes a person go into shock. Excessive fear of something that has passed, fear of it reoccurring can make a person become anxious.  Madam will wake up soon. If you have a fever again tonight, you can give me the heat-lowering medication I prescribed. Every 4 hours if the heat does not fall. If there is no change please take the mistress to Hospital”, explained the doctor. 

“ Good doctor Brata, thank you”, I smiled at doctor Brata. 

“ Well I'm sorry sir Juan”, pamitnya. 

I nodded, after which I turned towards Jeni and noticed her sleeping quietly with an infusion in her hand. 

***