The Faithful Heart

Russell Van Nero

" Whose house is this?" god's feet were heavy to step into that beautiful house. Suddenly, his feelings were filled with doubt.

What is this feeling? Why does my heart keep beating so fast?

" Come on, don't hesitate. Isn't there always me by your side? You believe me, right?" persuade Hana gently.

" You don't intend to sell or subvert me do you?" whispered the god around deliberately to cover up his gut feeling.

" gr..." Hana rolled her eyeballs.

" Yes of course I will make you a mash so that after coming home from here I can be rich."

" Welkom, wie ben disgusted? (Welcome, who are you?)" greet a middle-aged woman who was slashing flowers in front of her house gently. The woman looks to be in her 50s. Her face still looks beautiful even though it has been decorated with a few wrinkles there.

" Oh, sorry. We are tourists, we admire the beauty of your home. Can we come by for a minute to see?" answer Hana in English.

" Oh, of course, please." the woman allowed Hana and the Gods in English as well.

" Your thanks are very kind" Hana said with a gentle smile.

The villagers of Giethoorn are already accustomed to the arrival of tourists in his house, because the village has opened itself as a tourist spot.

Hana and the God follow the woman into the house.

" Please sit down, I'll make you a drink to warm your body." the woman left Hana and the Gods in the living room simple but beautiful. There are many flower decorations in it, the interior of the house is thick with rustic nuances where all the furniture is made of wood. Even the walls and floors are also made of wood that looks very comfortable.

" What the hell are we doing here, Yank?" The god asked quietly towards the wife.

" Don't ask too many questions, you'll know soon enough. And the answer to your question all this time you'll get." Hana clasped the hand of the God.

What the hell is it?

" Hully....!! Mijn lieverd's...!" shouted a man who was no longer young while barging into the house, making Hana and the Gods gasp and turn towards him. The man carried a lot of fruits and vegetables in the basket he had on his hand.

The man said in English.

" I'm sorry, who are you? Looks like you guys got the house wrong because we didn't open the room for lodging."

" Oh, mijn lieverd. They are tourists, I let them in because they admire the beauty of our home. Let them stay here, will they? I haven't interacted with a stranger for a long time." the woman named Aleena immediately rushed over and whispered in the ear of the man who was her husband in Dutch.

" But you must not be disturbed and must rest. We've agreed not to accept tourist visits, right?"

" Come my dear husband, I am not at all bothered by their presence. I don't know why I feel comfortable with them. Let's quickly bring in the fruit and vegetables. Help me make a warm drink." Aleena dragged her husband's arm into the kitchen to finish the work that had paused before.

" Him......?!" muttered the God while staring at the back of the man who had passed into the kitchen. His slash seemed to be stuck, there were many questions in his heart but his lips did not have the power to speak.

" Yes, he's Russell Van Nero, your real father. The man whom you have been questioning his existence." Hana tightened her hand.

Although God had never seen the figure of his biological father, but in just one look he managed to capture the same color of the man's bead as it seemed. It was like seeing a fleeting reflection of himself reflected within the man. And what makes him sure is the inner voice that assures the figure in front of him is his real father. Suddenly the eyes of God reddened and felt hot because the puddle increasingly filled his eyes and continued to urge to slide down.

" Him..? Hix... He's my dad?" isak Dewa lirih is still trying hard to hold back his tears. But all his efforts failed because now his cheeks are wet with tears that managed to escape from the fertilizer. The man he had been waiting for his lifetime presence was now nearby. There was really no word to represent his current feelings other than with tears in his eyes.

" He's my father, he's my father. Honey, he's my father." The god continued to repeat the remark in between his cries. Even Hana had to take her out of the house so that Aleena and her husband would not hear the cries of the Gods.

" Take it easy, baby. Yes, he is your father. Your real father." Hana carried the head of the God in her arms. Without realizing it, his cheeks were also wet with tears. She could not help but feel the need to see her husband could meet the biological father she had been questioning. Hana very carefully shared the information collected by her father and mother-in-law.

Hana and Dewa's honeymoon trip to the Netherlands is a plan from Rani and her husband. It turns out that Joseph's biological father knew that the son continued quietly once investigated the whereabouts of his biological father. And his search reached a dead end. After negotiating with his wife he also found out the existence of a man who had undergone a contract marriage with Rani. However, he realized that God has the right to know his biological father because even though blood relationships cannot be ignored.

Rani and her husband invited their favorite daughter-in-law to join the two men who have the same bead. Previously Rani and her husband wanted to meet Russell and tell him about the existence of Gods, but that was all they paused when they saw Aleena's condition that seemed very alarming. They did not want to make the beautiful woman sad or disturb Russell's concentration in caring for his wife. And regarding all of this, Hana's in-laws completely handed over the decision to the Gods. Whether the identity of the God as Russell's biological child will be dismantled or kept stored in the heart.

Russell Van Nero is a Dutch businessman. He left the business world and handed it all over to his younger brother Sanders Van Nero. For five years now he has been living in the village of Giethoorn with his beloved wife Aleena, who was diagnosed with blood cancer and is not expected to live long. Aleena refused to undergo treatment at the hospital. He insisted on living a peaceful life in the village of Gierhoorn to spend the rest of his life which would not be long. And Russell could only agree to the last request of the woman who had accompanied him for more than thirty years.

While in the village of Giethoorn, Russell took care of his wife with care and affection. Even though he and his wife were already equally aware that the illness Aleena suffered would not be curable. Aleena has been taking medicines regularly to reduce pain so that she can live like an ordinary person. And Russell always made sure that Aleena was always in a happy state and never let her do activities that made her tired. Every once a week there would be a specialist brought in from the city to check on Aleena's health.

Russell always fulfills all the requests of his wife. He lives the rest of his life with love. The two of them were not blessed with children because Aleena's condition was not possible.

Twenty-eight years ago a storm hit their home life. It was then that Aleena found herself barren and would never be able to give offspring to her husband. She asked her husband to marry again or even leave her. But Russell remained clamorous to defend their household. So Aleena was desperate to do a crazy idea so that her husband would release his imperfect self. She did not want her husband to suffer without children. One day Aleena makes an affair drama in front of her husband's eyes. Russell, who feels betrayed, goes abroad to treat his heartache. At that time he went to Indonesia to do business while trying to forget the betrayal of his wife.

In the midst of his heartache Russell undergoes a contract marriage with a young woman in a small village in Bandung who is none other than Sabila Zahrani, the mother of Dewa. During the wedding Russell tries hard to erase the love and memories of Aleena, but the results are nil. During the six-month marriage contract, Russell slept with his wife only a few times because he was unable to shake off his feelings for Aleena. Even he must be under the influence of alcohol when touching the smooth body of Rani because at that time the figure of Rani will turn into Aleena in his eyes.

During her relationship with Rani, Russell treated her very well. He never committed violence or coercion against her. Long story short after his contract marriage ended, Russell returned to his country to continue his life without ever knowing that there was flesh blood that lives in Rani's womb.

That's when the truth was revealed, that it turns out his beloved wife never really did the affair. He was forced to do it all just so that Russell would part ways and find a companion who was more deserving of him. Russell returns to Aleena's side without ever having objected to his wife's shortcomings. They live happily in love wading through the ark of their household with all the trials that exist.