Sharing Love: The Suffering of the Second Wife

Meet Old Friends II

As the exegetes say, "Ikhlas is like the letter of Al-Ikhlas. His name was Al-Ikhlas, but in it the word Al-Ikhlas was not found." Sincere is in the heart and appears on behavior, not on verbal alone.

The silence came to a halt as Nadia's phone ringtone teased. He smiled at Ain and reached into his bag.

"Who?" asked Ain when he saw Nadia who was just staring at his phone. He looked and smiled.

"Mother!" he said, "i picked up first, brother," he continued. Ain nodded his head giving permission.

"Hallo, assalamualaikum! What's up, Mom?" Nadia was listening.

"What, Mom? Mom's calm, yeah. Don't panic!" nadia said again. Ain who heard it frowned confusedly. He didn't know what was happening, but from Nadia's expression he knew something was happening.

"Now, I'm taking him out. Find an ojek or anything else take it directly to the Hospital. I wait there, don't think about any costs. You just come to the hospital, I'll wait!" pinta Nadia ended her phone call.

"What's up, Nad?" ask Ain with his frown.

"There was a child with a fever. Mother said she's step, sister. Seizures," replied Nadia.

"Astaghfiullah! How then?" Ain was worried to hear it.

"I've asked Mom to take her son to the hospital. We go to the hospital together? Is Big Brother still some business here?" take Nadia while standing up.

"Actually want to, but Big Brother has an appointment with a friend here," Ain replied with an uneasy feeling as well.

"Yes already, I'm leaving, brother. Assalamu'alaikum!"

"Wa'alaikumussalaam!"

Nadia hurried away leaving Ain alone. He intercepted the ojek want to get to the Hospital immediately. Waiting restlessly in front of the Hospital gate.

"Mother!" Nadia welcomes the arrival of a nanny mother and a sick child. Rushed to take him to IGD for treatment. The boy was unconscious, his body temperature was high which caused him to have a seizure.

Nadia waits anxiously with the nanny's mother. The boy had a seizure again, but soon received a doctor's treatment. The doctor had to insert the medicine through his anal canal, give him oxygen to regain his breath. Lucky not long, he slowly cried out loudly and called out to Nadia.

"Mother! Mother!" call him with closed eyes.

"Darling! Mother is here!" sahut Nadia while sitting on the brangkar and holding the child. Feeling Nadia's embrace the child hugged her body tightly until she fell asleep comfortably.

"Already, Mom. Don't cry, it's okay, really," said Nadia when she saw the mother's nanny who kept crying. Slowly subside on its own.

While Ain was still sitting in Balong thinking about every word his mad brother said. Not that he was not anxious at the state of the child that Nadia told him, but he still had to adjust his heart which was suddenly overwhelmed.

"Well!" reprimanding someone was enough to make Ain flinch in shock. He looked back with a frowning forehead. Trying to remember a woman his age who stood up smiling.

"Yuni?" Ain smiled after recognizing the woman, "how are you?" he continued, standing up and hugging the woman.

"Alhamdulillah, I'm good." The two sit together.

Yuni is a woman of Ain's age who is married but has no children. Her look is always glamorous with thick makeup polish that always adorns her face. He was Ain's friend for a long time. They differ in fate and destiny.

"I accidentally saw you sitting alone with a woman. Who was that woman? Is she ...?" ask the hanging Yuni. It feels bad if he says it.

Ain smiled bitterly. He then nodded confirming what had been written in Yuni's heart, but not spoken.

"Patience, yes. I'm sure you can get through it all" Yuni said in support of Ain.

"Yes .. if it is like this how else but be patient and accept," said Ain while turning his face to the water that continues to ripple.

"But your life is still so much better than mine, Ain. You are only being cheated on, but Ikram blatantly asks permission from you. He did it in a respectable way though I know, it still hurts when we have to share love with other women. I'm sure Ikram is still being nice to you even if he remarries," Yuni said with a bitter smile just like Ain.

Ain who heard was quite surprised, he turned his head in disbelief to his best friend. Because, all this time he was married to a regional official and lived in luxury. He did not deny what Yuni said was true. Ikram always treated him well even though there was Nadia.

Ikram complied even more and spent more time with him than Nadia. However, still the pain felt piercing his heart.

"Why did you say that? It's as if your life is much more miserable than mine. In fact, you always look happy," asked Ain with a confused look.

Yuni laughed heartily. Laughing at his fate which he felt was much more miserable than Ain.

"My husband married secretly to another woman. He even has a stash of teenage children, children still snot in school uniforms. Holy hooch! I hit them, but my husband prefers them over me. He continued to torture me with his harsh treatment, hitting without hesitation. You see this!" said Yuni while rolling up her sleeves to reveal bruised scars.

"Astaghfiullah! Your husband has gone too far," cried Ain in disbelief. He touched the bruise. Large enough and a bit loud, Yuni grimaced as Ain pressed down on her.

Ain looked at Yuni with pity. He hugged his best friend feeling they were on the same fate with a different destiny. Ikram still treated Ain well even though he married another woman. He also asked for permission before marrying Nadia.

Ain finally realized, the marriage happened because of his permission. Had he been more resolute at the time and chosen not to allow Ikram, then the marriage between Ikram and Nadia might never have happened. Or, Ikram could have married Nadia secretly. It'll hurt even more.

"Why did you stay alive even if you were treated like that?" asked Ain after taking off his embrace.

Yuni lowered her head, before long she again raised her face to look at Ain.

"At first I did survive there because at that time I was pregnant. However, since the miscarriage I decided to divorce her. I realized, for what reason I remained there while present I was not considered at all. He did not even hesitate to bring his lover home and fornicate there," Yuni said with a look of face engulfed in the flames of burning anger.

"Astaghfirullah al-adhiim! How outrageous is your husband, Yuni. You are right, you can ask for divorce from your husband because the reason is very logical. I can't bear to hear my best friend being treated badly like that" Ain said sympathizing with Yuni.

"I'm done, Ain. I'm no longer his wife now. I can live quietly without any shadow of fear or jealousy. What about you?" yuni asked Ain.

Ain smiled then replied, "I can't just take off the Ikram. You know how I struggle to get it, don't you? It won't be young for me to just take it off. I just want second wife Ikram to feel the pain that I feel when the husband asks permission to marry again" Ain said with fiery determination.

He jumped up suddenly while looking at Yuni sharply, "How about ...."