SECOND BRIDE

Episode 4: The ties made to be decided

It has been about a week Shinta is absent from Campus, of course all understand the sorrow that Shinta experienced. However, today Shinta chose to return to her routine. He was active again in several organizational and social activities on campus after a few months back had to be temporarily stopped because he was busy with his father's treatment. In addition, he hopes that with his return he is active in the busy organization makes him a little forget about his sadness and loneliness.

"It's sad yes, Shinta" said Ve (Vebi Atmaja), Shinta's only female friend because even though she is actively organizing she is quite difficult to relate to others, moreover, make a lot of friendship networks.

"Yes, Ve. Thank you" replied Shinta who looked still very pale and weak.

"Are you sure you want to join social service today ?" Ve asked who was aware of Shinta's condition which was still not completely recovered.

"Ve! I'm Ok." Shinta tries to convince her best friend not to worry about her too much.

Shinta's phone suddenly vibrated indicating there was an order message.

Sender: Andre

Don't forget to eat, and don't get sick ! Because no one will take care of you later

The message was from Andre who was still in Bandung with his wife and child. After reading the message, Shinta immediately deleted it and re-saved her phone back in the bag.

“Who is it?” Ve was very curious about who had sent a message to his friend because he knew not many people knew the phone number of his friend, even he could stall anyone who was in his phone contact.

“Carrier” only.

All seemed busy putting various items in the pick up car to be immediately delivered to their destination later. No exception Shinta who looks pale but forced to help, but all have told her not to do anything heavy. Shinta is like a robot, working endlessly to make her forget about her grief. He will continue like this until his empty heart is no longer felt. Ikmal, the BEM chairman at the college, noticed Shinta, who seemed to be falling down from her heavy footsteps and her increasingly pale face. He managed to catch Shinta when Shinta tried to take a heavy item but he bounced because he failed to lift it.

“Mending lo now rest, your face can not be conditioned. Mails! Ambilin drink water angel!” Her screams at the person closest to her still kept Shinta in her arms.

Shinta who was aware of her position like that immediately tried to stand up properly, as she was uncomfortable enough to come into contact with a man, she said, especially considering his current status which is the wife of people even though her husband is not really hers, he just wants to maintain the honor of the husband only with conscious status now.

“Nih drank” Mail back with a glass of warm drink proffered on Shinta.

“Makasih” Shinta received it, and immediately sipped the water.

“Shin, we know you are still in a state of grief, but there is no way to vent it. Not by torturing yourself” Ikmal's advice to Shinta who keeps sipping the water, his gaze straight ahead like he doesn't care who he talks to.

“Shin ! Lo listen to me!” Ikmal raised her voice, as she judged that Shinta had not listened to her.

“Denger.” The answer was short, without staring in the slightest at Ikmal.

“Lo is not alone, Shin ! I am the same, including the kids. They care about lo”

“What the hell do you guys know about me!, why does everyone say that ! Not thinking. As long as you know yes, Kindergarten children can also say rich like that but they understand more with those words than lo!” Shinta immediately ignited her emotions when she heard the words thrown by Ikmal who had been trying to encourage Shinta.

“Lo really even bandingin same kind of kid! Do you think this is a playgroup ? Now it's up to you Shin, you want to kill yourself I don't care ! There's a mosquito repellent in the BEM room. If you want to take it ! if I need later I take the glass specifically for lo!” Ikmal was emotionally involved because Shinta started it. He did not think, which he had just wanted to help encourage the girl, even got spray rampage. Ikmal moved with emotion leaving Shinta.

When Ikmal leaves, Shinta's phone is bedering. He saw who was calling him when he was this upset. The call came from Andre, Shinta long enough to look at his phone that was still ringing until it finally stopped. Before long his phone again rang back, making Ve who saw him quite curious about who the figure who called Shinta.

“Why not lift anyway?” Ve approached Shinta out of curiosity.

“Hmm... nobody” replied Shinta

“Kalo is no one can not he call until many times”

The phone is still ringing for the third time. Ve understood that his best friend needed his own space and left while patting Shinta's shoulder a sign he fully supported what Shinta was doing even though he did not know exactly what Shinta was going through.

“What's up?” asked Shinta, who finally received the call.

“Assalamuaikum first dong”

“Waalaikumsalam”

“Why not lifted from yesterday ? and sms was not bales”

“There's business” kilah Shinta

“O yes, Is there alright ?”

“Ya.. just like that there is no different”

“I'll be back in Jakarta on Wednesday”

“Ya, Okay.”

“Take care of yourself, eat regularly, sleep on time, and don't get too tired”

“Why are you too chatty!”

“Because you are my responsibility” replied firmly, Shinta only fell silent after hearing that.

“Yes already, that's all I want to say. Wassalamualaikum” Andre

“Iya, waalaikumsalam”

After the call, Shinta moved from her place to Ve who was gathering with other BEM board members who were meeting about the charity event today, after finishing with her show. Eventually, Shinta returns home to her very quiet home, only Bi Inah a housekeeper who has been working with her family for 12 years. Shinta, the only daughter of the Wijadja family, certainly with the departure of her father yesterday makes her now only live alone, regardless of Andre as her husband. He couldn't expect too much from her, because he knew Andre wasn't his.

Thursday, as usual Shinta entered the class with Ve who was very loyal to accompany him because as a friend, Ve still felt deep sorrow in Shinta and he did not have the heart to leave her alone. Today is Andre's class schedule, Shinta does not realize it and just remembered about it when Andre entered the class with a bag containing a laptop and some books.

During the class, Andre's gaze was only on Shinta because the girl continued to be in his mind, even while he was in Bandung, Andre continued to worry about the girl. After seeing her in Andre's class was a little calmer because Shinta still looked fine just like the time she left him.

“Simply so for today, do not forget next week essay is already on this table. Assalamuaikum” closed Andre to end the lecture this time.

When leaving the room, Andre briefly looked at Shinta and smiled at her along with Shinta who was watching her. Shinta did not return the smile, she was upset with her own feelings. Seeing Andre was actually a little fun for him, but made him realize the distance between them was very clear. Andre only thinks of him as a foster child, he will only check that Shinta is fine, and his task will be completed when Shinta graduates from college, then he would leave Shinta alone and return to his wife and son to live happily, Shinta thought. Somehow such thoughts just kept haunting him, making himself even more confused.

“Shinta, you why the hell. Dong Shin's spirit do not keep gini, your father also wants you spirit, rich used to not rich gini” advice Ve while waiting for their food delivered to their table.

“Do not know, Ve. There's a lot I've been thinking about lately. It feels cape, want to say stress it feels” confided Shinta

“How if we have a vacation, we just want to go to Jogja. It's a good holiday, Shin. There is a week before UAS”

“Where yes.”

“Saying to say stress, let's go Shin ! there are many discounts, we take the train. If you need another ajakin also to be more exciting” Ve continues to focus on his cellphone, with wide eyes due to various tempting discounts at the end of this year.

Shinta nodded in agreement, without thinking of Andre's permission. Because he thought he was not important in the eyes of Andre, why he needed to ask permission from him.

“Oke, I asked the group chat deh who would like to join, so that directly in pesen keburu abis nih discount”

Again Shinta just nodded her head.

“Only the following turns out, Mail, Ikmal, Beti, Ve, Sama Shinta. Only five people doang, okay.. uh Beti cancel. so only four people nih.” Ve was very serious about staring at his phone screen, like he was talking to an inanimate object.

“Shinta, you do not cancel, I pesenin because. The cost of transport is all the same me, easy aja” Ve patted Shinta's shoulder, while smiling sweetly at her.

“So who's coming?” shinta asked, he didn't really listen to Ve's chatter.

“Mail, same as Ikmal doang so. Everything on bokek”

Shinta just nodded her head.

***

The clock was showing at nine o'clock at night, Shinta was just about to go home because as one of the administrators of the student organization he was very busy. Shinta was offered a ride by Ikmal with his matic motorbike but he refused and chose to use online transportation. The phone died because it ran out of power. He tried to walk a little further to the bus stop to find public transport, but no one passed by. For about thirty minutes he was silent and never found a vehicle to take him home.

“Hey ! why not pick up the phone ?!” a man got out of a silver car that stopped in front of the stop. He was Andre who immediately raised his voice when he found Shinta there.

Shinta did not try to answer Andre's question earlier, because he still could not believe finding Andre here. How could he know he was at the stop, he thought.

“Come in ! it's late, you should have told me that I'm going home, so I don't have to bother looking for you” said Andre, looking at Shinta who was still staring at him as if in disbelief.

Andre grabs Shinta's hand, and pulls her slowly to get her into his car. Shinta did not refuse, and immediately entered the car without protest.

“Your phone is dead ?” andre asked, occasionally glancing at Shinta to wait for her answer.

Shinta simply answered him with a slow nod.

“Sorry because yesterday I did not tell you first” explained Andre, he could guess what Shinta thought in class about him.

“Shinta will go to Jogja” said Shinta with a straight forward gaze, not daring to look at Andre who is still concentrating on driving.

“When ?” ask Andre

“After UAS later. You don't have to worry about me, and can vacation calmly with his wife and children” When you say it, Shinta's chest feels more crowded, his tears feel like they will break but he still tries to hold it.

Andre just nodded his head, Shinta was a little surprised by Andre's indecipherable expression. The atmosphere became awkward because what Andre usually always tried to talk to him became silent.

“Did I say something wrong ? What's up with him, it's not usually that he's silent like that”

Arriving home, Andre parked his car in Shinta's garage, meaning he would stay at Shinta's house. There was nothing strange there, as Shinta was his wife but very awkward for Shinta and she was very confused how to treat Andre as her husband. Without being invited Andre had laid his body on the sofa, Shinta who judged Andre was very tired offered to make a cup of black coffee for him, Andre just nodded his head.

“This is the coffee, Mr.” Shinta put the coffee cup on the table, then passed to her room to clean her body.

“Wait !” Andre began to justify his sitting position, and told Shinta to sit next to him. Shinta complied and immediately sat down beside her.’

Andre makes Shinta's body face him, he looks at Shinta. Like he was going to talk to his wife about something serious.

“What's up, Sir ?” shinta asked, nervous, for sure.

“First, when we both please do not call me by the name of father. You can call me as you like, as long as not too formal mention it. because we are husband and wife now, not lecturers and students.”

Shinta just nodded.

“I don't want to curb you just because I am your husband, I am only in charge of guiding you and taking care of you according to your father's request. On the day of your graduation, I will release you because I assume at that time you can choose where you will choose.”

“That word again! Don't you remind me I understand so well, why wait for my graduation ? you can go now!” it's in the heart.

Shinta simply nodded her head, enduring the tightness within her.

“Shinta wants to take a shower, Mr.. Sorry, Mas Andre if you want to take a shower can use the bathroom in the kitchen and his room can use the father's room. Don't sleep on the couch!” Shinta passed by holding back her tightness as Andre spoke of the breakup. He was very clueless about this marriage bond, the bond that he knew from the beginning would be broken.