Short Stories Romance
My Daughter's Choice Wife Candidate
Author : D. Naveen Kenan
This morning, the first day of being a single parent, for my daughter Quina Anastasia. Actually, today is a day of mourning for us because yesterday, Marina has passed away.
Marina is a godly wife. He was willing to leave his workplace when he married me. Although, the achievements in his office were quite calculated at that time. We try to always be happy, even though the heart feels lost.
“Papa! Quin forgot to bring a towel!”
That's my daughter's scream, she's thirteen. Quin is very spoiled. No doubt, almost all of his needs depend on others.
“Papa! Towel!” screeches again.
“Patience! Papa again made fried rice,” I shouted from the kitchen.
As Quin continued to shout, I finally relented, taking the towel from inside the closet and delivering it to the bathroom.
“Thank you, Papa ...” he said with a smile from behind the bathroom door.
“Hem ...” I answered cleared my throat as I passed leaving her.
Cooking fried rice for breakfast. Honestly, this is my first time making fried rice. Today, too, I started working in the kitchen.
“Huff! Finally done too!”
While wiping the sweat on the forehead.
“Papa!”
I turned the eyeball, “What else?”
“Quin uniform clothes have not been ironed!” his screams echoed back in the ears.
Oh, my God, Gusti!!!
I went to his room. All Quin needs, I'm the one doing the work.
Rin, I'm even more proud of you being able to arrange a home and give some affection for our daughter. May you be calm in nature.
There was no clear water on the cheeks, remembering the beloved wife who had been gone forever.
“Pa!”
“What else!” peeking annoyed at Quina.
Quin was silent on the bed. Maybe he was jolted with my screams just now. Looking at his face that was sluggish. I walked up to him and sat down next to Quina.
Silent.
Quina refused to look me in the face. I went down and knelt in front of him, clasping the fingers.
“Sorry Papa, yes?” my words looked at Quina's bowed face.
Quin did not answer, even to look at my face he did not want to. His eyes kept looking down. Until I saw clear water falling on the floor.
“Hey?” I cupped his face, “Sorry Papa, huh? Papa didn't mean to snatch Quina.” I wiped the tears on my cheeks.
Quin was still mute, his tears were getting louder. His lips did not speak, only a cry that described his frustration to me. I regret.
“Breakfast, yuk? You're hungry ‘kan?”
Quina nodded.
Quin walked over and I tailed while carrying a wet towel from Quina that was placed on the bed.
He sat down and began to take the fried rice that had already been served. While I passed to the bathroom to clean the body that already smells of sweat and the aroma of fried rice attached to this body.
“Pa!” there was a voice Quina called out, but with a voice that seemed to hesitate. Maybe I was afraid I would scold him.
“Iya! Wait, Son! Papa's having another shower!” peek at me from the bathroom.
Silent.
Rushing to clean the body of soap foam and immediately wear a shirt and towel that covers the navel to the knee.
“What's up?” ask me when I'm at the dinner table.
“The fried rice is not good,” said Quina with tapered lips, without seeing me.
Hadeh ... I was tired and said it was not good.
“Masa, anyway?” I scrunched my forehead.
Quin nodded, “Try!”
I took a spoonful of rice and put it in my mouth. My eyes were round when I was chewing my own fried rice.
“Enak no, Pa?” quina asked as she covered her mouth with both palms, it seemed like she was hiding the laughter behind those palms.
I smiled, reluctant to comment, because indeed the fried rice only tasted salty. It's very salty even.
“Yes, just eat vegetables in front of your school, huh? It's still early in the morning too,” suggested.
“Iya.” Quina chuckles. “Pa, sorry Quin, yes?”
These eyes looked at his face.
“Quin is wrong, Papa rumbles on.”
I drowned his face in a trap. Tears fell and the embrace grew tighter.
“Mafin Papa also yes, Son?”
I kissed Quina's head. He nodded, as the answer.
***
Not felt, we have been two years, living alone in this minimalist house. Without a mother figure for Quina. Sometimes, he protested me to find Mom for him. Either, it was from his heart or it was just pity to see me living unaccompanied.
Quina has transformed into a beautiful ABG girl. He's more mature. All my needs too, he who takes care and takes care of.
“Pa, don't Papa have any plans to remarry?” quina asked while she was in the dining room.
“Why? You're tired ‘ya, take care of Papa?”
“Not!” Quin.
“Then?”
Quina approached me and grabbed the fingers on the table. His gaze was so intense looking at me. For a few seconds, time stopped.
“Quin knows, if Papa is lonely!” His eyes were very close to looking at my net.
“Dih ... Papa's son knows!” elakku pinched his nose and turned my eyes away, not wanting him to know that I really feel lonely.
“Papa!”
Quina covered both cheeks and looked back at me with a stern look. Quina seems to know what I've been feeling in the last two years.
“Quin know, if Papa likes to tell Papa longing same photo of Mama. Pa, Mama's dead. Papa must move on! Quin asked Papa to get married again, Pliss, Pa!” her door.
I smiled at it.
It's time, find kek's wife to buy bakwan? Wherever someone is selling.
“Papa no candidate yet, Quin. Can find a wife is not easy,” elakku. “Lagian, the other children do not want if the Papa marries again,” connect me.
“Quin wants! Quin wants to see Papa happy, someone takes care of and loves Papa. Not that Quin isn't, baby. But, during these two years, Papa has lost a warm smile after Mama.”
Again, I just smiled. Funny at my daughter's request, I don't know what's in her heart.
“Anything in one month, Papa has to propose to someone!”
My eyes are round, shocked.
“One month?”
“He’em, if in one month Papa has not been able to propose a woman. Later Quin will find it and Papa must obey, agree?”
I turned my eyes and turned my eyes away.
“PAPA!” pekiknya upset when I saw me turn my eyes.
***
Quina has left for school. I also went to the office, there are many files that I have to take care of. The work has piled up, the files on the table are already very much.
I started working on the files one by one on the table. Start checking and separating the finished ones. Not felt, the break time has arrived. I went for lunch and left all work that was quite draining of my mind and energy.
“Why muke, lu?” ask the dawn during mealtime.
“Pusing why?”
“My son asked to find a new Mama,” I said while feeding rice.
Bhahaha ....
A crisp laugh sounded in my ear this afternoon.
“Ssttt! Your laughter provoked everyone to notice us, Jar!” i whisper.
“Sorry, sorry! Afterwards, it's so funny your son.” The dawn is still chuckling.
I continued eating with an unknown feeling. A month passed very quickly. How can I get a companion alive in such quick time?
“There is a candidate?” ask Fajar who started kepo.
I'm shaking.
“Hah? Davin Keenan period that is loved by many women can not have a candidate? Pan many like you, Vin?”
“Siape?”
“Tuh, the Ani, the widow of one's son. Si Hera, the widow of flowers. Si Wida, who's been liking you for a long time. Or the Miss, as the name implies she always misses you, still single again!” said Fajar who is either literate or giving advice.
“Nothing is suitable!” my dispute.
“Ck! What do you want it to be like? The marina? Nothing will be the same, Vin! You move on, napa?”
I'm just smiling. Lazy to answer such questions. I love Marina very much, she is a godly wife to me. She was also a good mother to Quin, our daughter.
Her beautiful face and good manners, made it difficult for me to move on from her. Many are approaching me at this time, but not a single woman has been able to seize this heart.
***
Time kept turning, I had not yet gotten someone to be the female candidate to be betrothed. While Quin, always ask me that. He always reminds me of the time that continues to spin and only a few days the deadline runs out, he said.
Shit! What am I supposed to do? Resignedly. Maybe that's my last word when that time comes.
I'm still trying to get the right woman as my wife and mother from my daughter. I'm so selective as to look for it in this fast time.
**
Until finally, the deadline given by Quina was over tonight.
“Papa already got a wife and mother for me?” ask Quina.
I'm shaking.
“Besok morning join Quin, yes?”
“Where?”
“Mau lamarin prospective wife for Papa.”
“Hem ...” I'm throttling.
“Don't just hem doang, Pa!”
“Iya, yes. Papa recede!”
Quina smiled.
Actually, there is doubt in the heart. I could only pray for a third of the night to be given a good second mate for me and Quina. Eyes reluctant closed, but tomorrow morning I have promised to propose to a woman of my daughter's choice.
“Rin, am I wrong with this decision?” I asked my wife's picture.
“Our son told me to get married again. Do you agree, Rin? Honestly, I'm hard to get married again. But Quina kept pushing. I'm sorry, Rin. May we be united in the Hereafter. You are a godly wife to me. I love you so much.”
I had a small picture frame, which had Marina's pretty face in her arms.
I don't know what time I slept. Until I woke up this morning with an alarm in my phone vibrating on the nightstand.
“Papa!” squealed Quina this morning with a knock on the door.
“Iya, Darling. Sebenatar!”
I got out of bed to open the door that Quina kept knocking.
Chequek!
I opened the door. A smile has been emanated from the lips of my most beautiful daughter.
“Papa is ready, right?” ask with a happy expression.
“Papa hasn't taken a shower!”
“Ya has a quick shower, eight o'clock should be all done, yes?” her door.
“Hem!”
“The habit of throttling continues!” Quina passed away.
Go back into the room and get a towel to rush the shower and pray at dawn this morning. Not to forget, change the clothes with a shirt to make it look neater when the application later.
There is a thump in the heart. How not? I don't know the figure of the woman I'm about to apply to. Can only surrender to Him in order to be given the best mate chosen by my daughter.
Everything is ready. Me and Quina left in a car, not forgetting the ring Quina had bought without my knowledge. I just found out on the way to the house of the woman I was about to go to.
Even in a simple house that has a large yard.
Lohs ... This is Arini's house. I tried to remember, because I had never been to him for a long time.
“Come down, Pa! Even dumbfounded,” said Quina who has opened the car door.
I got out of the car and followed Quina.
Tong!
Quina nibbled the bell of the house.
Chequek!
A woman looks behind the door.
I remember very well, that Arini's sister was wearing a veil. O Allah, what am I going to say is Arini's sister, my ex-boyfriend?
“Please enter!”
The woman opened the door wide.
Me and Quina walked in following this veiled woman. There, we were greeted by Abi and Uminya. I still know him very well. Because of Arini, my first love.
“Assalamualaikum, Abi, Umi? Remember Davin?” let me talk a little hesitating. While Quina did not join us, she went with the veiled woman to the back.
Abi smiled, “Still, Vin. So, Quina this is your daughter?”
“Iya, Bi.”
“Masya Allah ... What a beautiful face and heart,” Abi said that feels like a puzzle to me.
Abi Zaki told me about Quina's desire to ask one of her daughters for me. He wanted to see me happy again after Marina died. Quina also told Abi Zaki much to allow one of her daughters to be edited.
“Abi pleads with Abi's daughter to be guided by you, Vin. Abi trusts you.”
I smiled, “Alhamdulillah, if Abi was sincere. Davin will be interrupting Aruna immediately,” I said asking for permission.
“Aruna?”
Abi scrunched his forehead.
“Yes, isn't that veiled woman Aruna? Sister from Arini?”
Abi smiled and continued to laugh in front of me.
“Astagfirullahalazim! You misunderstood me, Vin. Aruna was married five years ago, she lives with her husband. Your candidate is yes, Arini.”
“What?” Netraku.
“Iya, the wife-to-be proposed by Quina is Arini, not Aruna.”
Abi Zaki was still chuckling, feeling as funny as possible.
I don't know, what am I feeling right now? The thump in the chest was so fast, happiness dominated this heart more. Unexpectedly, my daughter has been waving my first ex-boyfriend to be a companion in life.
.End.
Lampung, September 23, 2020
