The Chased Heaven

Ingkar Promise

At dawn Zulfa went home to her husband because of orders from the mother, Aulia was afraid that Joseph's daughter-in-law would not eat breakfast because her daughter was here. Aulia thought no one was cooking her daughter's husband because they lived together, oh yes the Zulfa family also did not know if she lived in a house with Salsa Joseph's second wife.

And finally Zulfa was only obedient let alone the condition of the father who began to improve. Zulfa stretched her muscles before opening the gates of her husband's house she momentarily enjoyed the cool air in the morning.

The house was so dark, there were no lights on except for the bedroom lights Salsa occupied. Zulfa had thought that her husband was sleeping in Salsa's room because the upstairs room was also dark.

The knock was heard several times but not a single one came out. "Joseph is Joseph inside?" he said while knocking.

"Mas.sar Salsa!" call her again and from there the voice of her husband who screamed.

A few minutes Zulfa waited for the door to open and pulled out the figure he had missed all night, but the smile engraved on his face instantly disappeared. Zulfa threw away those bad thoughts all the way holding back the puddles of tears that were ready to slide.

Joseph came out bare-chested and wearing only shorts up to his knees. "Mas.." call Zulfa to look at her husband who is still leaning on the door frame while collecting his life.

"You've gone home to the Fa".

Zulfa pushed her husband's strapping body into the room, and the parcel she was carrying fell when she saw that Salsa's body was not wearing clothes, only covered in blankets to her chest.

Her tears fell, her heart ached. Zulfa covered her mouth withholding sobbing, her husband breaking his own promise of tearing his pride as a wife.

"Fa why are you crying" asked Joseph puzzled.

"I'm disappointed in you"

As Joseph chased his wife upstairs, he once shouted to call Zulfa until he got Salsa up from her sleep. The door closed and Joseph knocked several times and pushed the door open but could not because it was locked from the inside.

Zulfa cried from behind the door, she leaned against the whitewashed door. Resisting any pain he was in, hitting his chest several times relieved the pain.

"Hiks. hiks. mas" he said slowly.

"Fa..! open the door, why?"

"Darling don't cry, I don't know why you baby. Come out we're talking good".

"Speak about what you are!" zulfa shouted from within.

"You have broken your promise, you will not touch Salsa without my permission but what I see today you renege on the promise we made".

"I did not break the Fa's promise, said Salsa. I'm telling you the truth, please open the door, baby".

"He lied, he lied, he lied. hyks".

As soon as the defense that Joseph made collapsed, he took one step back in shock to accept the reality. The knocking of the door stopped but Zulfa's cry was still heard to Joseph's ears.

Joseph scrambled his hair in frustration and left Zulfa's room looking for someone to ask for an explanation. Joseph's steps stopped as Salsa was on the lower floor waiting for her to descend.

"Pardon me" he said, but Joseph ignored his wife.

"I was forced to do this because I also deserve what I have to get".

"I love you, too, but why are you ignoring me!" his yell.

Joseph stopped and looked at Salsa "You are wrong Sal and as a result of your selfishness Zulfa's trust in me is gone, are you satisfied?. After the prayer we talked about this and I'm going to send you home to my parents, in the meantime and fix my relationship with Zulfa I hope you understand".

Salsa stared at her husband's departure as she clenched her hands firmly withstanding the hatred towards Zulfa, her tears coming out from the painful words of Joseph.

°°°

The house seemed deserted after Joseph drove Salsa to his parents' house. His wife Zulfa had not yet come out of the room and Joseph set his foot in her room and Zulfa.

"Darling out we need to talk".

Silence has no answer.

"Salsa I've delivered to my parents' house, I need to talk to you alone we'll sort this out".

"Please come out, forgive me" said Yusuf leaning against the door.

The door opened and Joseph retreated to look at his wife. The red eyes from crying made Joseph even more guilty, "I'm sorry" he said again but Zulfa ignored and walked towards the living room.

Sitting face to face with his own thoughts, Zulfa only looked straight from his eyes if he was hurt.

"Fa, I'm sorry".

"Tell me what to say, quickly I'm tired" he said coldly which made Joseph feel guilty.

"I don't know if Salsa lied to me, I trusted her when you allowed us to have a marital relationship because she looked so honest to me".

"Are you interested in him?" zulfa asked but no answer came out of her husband's mouth.

"I think your silence is yes".

"I'm a Fa man"

"Yes.I know that"

Silent again there was no conversation between the two, Joseph clenched his hands. He did not expect that his wife had this cold nature, if he knew from the beginning Zulfa behaved like this he would not accept to marry Salsa.

"Bag.."

"Yes Fa?"

"Will a wife sin if she asks for a divorce from her husband?, will a wife be hated by God" she paused for a breath of air to strengthen her heart "for asking for divorce from her husband?"

Joseph heard it round his eyes he approached Zulfa who was still staring straight out of nowhere, Joseph turned his wife's body and hugged the tiny body into his arms.

"Don't talk like that, I'll hate myself for guilt".

"I'm sorry Fa. I'm sorry"

"Please don't go away from me, I love you so much" Joseph said in tears, honestly he couldn't hear the words coming out of his wife's mouth.

Zulfa heard every beat of her husband, she just silently stared at the ceiling. It felt like the hug was getting stronger, but his heart was too sick to accept all of this. He was patient many times when Joseph broke his every word and promise.

He was lulled by the sweet attitude and said, from the beginning he should have rejected this marriage and tried to persuade his father. But the more she marries and dissolves into it the more she loves her husband.

Maybe I should give it one more chance, inwardly.