The Exchanged Princess

trapped in rain

Happy reading ...

Raydita's wedding day with Judah is approaching. The family of the bride and groom are very busy preparing everything. No exception Annisa who got a mandate from the bride and groom to invite some of their High School friends once a class.

“Nis, you call Yuli yes,” pinta Raydita who is admiring Annisa's pastel brocade kebaya.

“Yes you dong, his sister-in-law.” Annisa landed her ass on the sofa carrying a box of UHT milk and an empty glass. 

“Lo just now. Yes?” 

“Iya-iya. Who invited Viola?” asked Annisa while pouring milk into the glass.

“Lo also,” says Raydita briefly.

“Eh, seriously?” Annisa knitted her brows, looking at the nodding Raydita while putting down the milk box.

“My males, Nis. Could-could they ngetawain me because married the same Yuda,” kilah Raydita.

“Yes not pa-pa. In fact, you want to marry Yuda ‘kan?” timpal Rianti's.

“Ngak ah, Ma. Later in the building. So ‘kan them not freely ngetawain If now …. They chat or call also I cuekin,” said Raydita.

Rianti and Annisa just gave a smile hearing it. Without waiting, Annisa calls some of her schoolmates, who are also Raydita's friends. He also calls Yuli, his best friend in the village.

“Yul, again where?”

“I'm again in the village, Nis,” says Yuli on the tip of Annisa's phone.

“I thought you were in kostan. Coincidentally dong, mother also invited your parents to the wedding day after tomorrow. Don't forget to come. Nginep here can also.

“I don't think you can, Nis. I mean, my parents. My grandfather died in Java. Today they want to go there,” explained Yuli.

“Innalillahi wa innailaihi. When do you want to come here? I picked up yes,” bargained Annisa while looking at Raydita who asked silently about who died.

“Neventless. This afternoon Kak Raka wants to pick up.”

“Oh. Just come straight here. Nginep here.”

“Iya, New. I'll go straight there.”

“Be careful yes. Greetings to your parents. Assalamu’alaikum,” concluded Annisa.

“Iya, I'll tell you. Wa’alaikumsalam.”

Annisa closes the call, and immediately answers the question mark on the face of Raydita and her mother.

“Yuli's grandfather in java. So they can't come here,”.

“Yuli to pick up Raka?” ask Raydita.

“Iya,” nod Annisa.

They could do nothing but wish that Yuli's parents could attend Annisa's wedding with Ghaisan.

**

Raka drives her motorcycle to the village where Annisa came from. Her memory goes back to a few years ago when she and Ghaisan caught up with Rayhan and Annisa. Who would have guessed, his joy at Yuli was reciprocated, and they had planned to catch up with Raydita and Judah soon even though there had been no family talks.

Raka arrived in front of Yuli's house. The house was deserted because Yuli's parents had already left using the carriage about an hour ago. Raka's smile expands when she sees Yuli coming out of the house and greets her with a friendly smile.

“Go now?” asked Raka while walking closer to Yuli.

“Kak Raka do not rest first?” Yuli raised her face to look at the sky this afternoon. The sky began to shade and it seemed like it would soon rain, or maybe in other areas it had already rained.

“So on what road, brother? Cloudy no?” ask Yuli slowly.

“You now?” ask Yuli. “If you want, I want to digunci the door and give the key to Bi Titin,”.

“Bring a raincoat, Yul. I only brought one. There's ‘kan?” ask Raka.

“Iya, Brother. Ada.”

Yuli returns home to pick up her raincoat and sling bag. After locking the door of the house, they went to the house of the late Asih who was none other than Annisa's house. 

The house has now been renovated. Even so, the well and furnace were deliberately not dispensed with at Annisa's wishes. The house even though it looks simple from the outside, the inside is very comfortable. In that house lived Titin and a relative.

“Back now, Yul?” ask Titin.

“Iya, Bi. Nitip yes. Father and Mother came home after seven days Eyang.”

“Iya. You just calm down. Greetings to Nisa.”

At Titin, Yuli gives some money as a wage to feed her parents' cattle. After saying goodbye, Yuli and Raka left the place.

The further away from the village, the originally bright sky began to gray. Until then the water point began to fall and forced the lovebirds pulled over to wear raincoats.

Between the raindrops, the two look friendly even though only alternating helps pull the zipper on the raincoat. Raka who was currently wearing a helmet stared at the wrath of Yuli's face. He even had a chance to pinch the tip of Yuli's nose which felt cold and also paled.

“You waiting to pause?” tanyakanya.

“Lanjut aja. Still drizzling,” said Yuli while staring at the rainwater speck.

“Sambil nyari a good place to make shady yes,” said Raka who was taken quickly by Yuli.

Both are back to driving. A few minutes later, they inevitably pulled over. 

The rain was getting heavier, and it was impossible to continue the journey. Lucky Raka directs her motorbike to a coffee shop. Both enjoy a warm brew of coffee that is deliberately purchased.

“Need lodging, Mas?” ask a middle-aged man at the coffee shop.

“Ngak, Sir. Thank you,” reject Yuda.

“Kali aja need. There is one empty room anyway, not expensive kok mepek (one hundred) a night,” he said, and again got a rejection from Raka. The man passed by accompanied by a flat gaze of Raka. “Snap? Heh, that's right. Where there is only one room,” muttered Raka.

It's only six in the afternoon. But the atmosphere of the dark sky was like it was nine at night.

Yuli looked straight ahead. The rain is getting heavier, it could force them to spend the night there.

“Aah, what the hell? It's ‘kan still six o'clock. May soon rain subside, her inner”.

“Yul. Wagging what? The coffee is cold, darling,” scolds Raka.

Yuli smiled faintly, then took a sip of her milk coffee.

“The rain is getting bigger, brother. How's dong?” tanyanya while looking at Raka.

“We'll wait a minute. It's still afternoon, Yang,” said Aris while removing a cigarette and pecking it.

A moment later cigarette smoke billowed in the air. The two stared at the rushing rain falling from the precariousness of the shop. Yuli who was getting cold also wrapped her hands in Raka's arms while leaning her head on the upper arm of the man.

Raka turned her head, then clasped Yuli's already very cold hands. Realizing her lover is cold, Raka starts to feel bad. 

Raka stared for a long time at the rush of rain, then turned to the terrace of the coffee shop owner's house. He began to worry, will they spend the night there and continue the journey tomorrow morning?

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