The Hate That Ends Marriage

Completion

Not until finished Radit said, Widya had moved from her seat with a face look very angry. Snatching his wrist, Radit threw Widya back into her seat.

"Take me off!" in revolt, thrashing to escape.

"You haven't listened to me until it's over!" Radit grabbed Widya by the shoulder and turned her body to face her.

"There's nothing more to listen to!"

"Don't be stubborn, Widya! Didn't you promise me you'd listen to me quietly."

Snorting furiously, Widya snorted. "I never promised you anything. You're the only one who misinterprets my words like that."

Shaking Widya's body to wake her up, Radit stared fixedly at his wife's eyes. "This time listen to me carefully, Widya, it's all over. Stop letting emotions take over you. Wreaking your anger at them will only make things worse."

Widya threw a sharp look at him. "Telling it with your mouth is easy, but I feel all the hatred from the citizens here, can't act cool-headed like you."

Understanding Widya's hurt feelings, Radit slowly lowered his hand back from Widya's shoulder. He was at a loss to respond to how he saw the scarred radiance in his wife's eyes.

"Now I'm beginning to understand the strange behavior of some of the people I met this afternoon" Widya continued, clenching her hands together in her lap. "I think... I think it's their new way of showing dislike for me, in fact...." Widya snorted, her upper lip curving into a sneer. "Who would have thought they behaved like that because they felt guilty to me? If they feel so guilty about me, they should just apologize to me instead of ignoring me."

Radit gently touched the back of Widya's hand, trying to calm her down. "I understand how you feel."

"You don't understand it at all" Widya exclaimed, brushed off her rough touch. "If you had a little understanding of my pain, you wouldn't have asked me to just forget about all this shit!"

"Widya," he called, chasing after Widya who ran to lock herself up in her room. "Widya, Widya, open the door! We have to talk about this until it's over."

There's no answer. For a while Radit stood looking at the door of the room that was closed. Sighing tiredly, he sat leaning against the closed door of the room.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that my request would hurt you any more" he said, turning to the closed door. "But if only you knew, when I found out about this, I was just like you, so angry that I wanted to shout wrath in front of everyone. But, as you know yourself, I can't possibly do that."

Only silence could be heard from behind the door. Still no response whatsoever. It seems that Widya is currently covering both ears with a clot or is covering her head with a pillow.

Not knowing what his wife is doing now in the room, Radit continues his words. Even if he knew, everything he said would not be heard by Widya a word.

"I can't do it not because I care that this will be heard by my father or it will affect everyone's view of me. Maybe this will sound like a bitch to you, but I'm doing this for you." Radit. "I don't want to make matters worse, Widya. I just want our house to run quietly. Although this is only a grandiose hope, I want to see you live your days happily here."

Standing up, Radit no longer wanted to bother Widya more than this. He will wait patiently until Widya is willing to leave her room of her own accord.

"How can I be happy if everyone here never likes me?"

Radit looked over his shoulder quickly. He did not expect to hear that answer from Widya's mouth. The assumption is wrong, it turns out that since then Widya was behind the door listening to his words in silence.

"Let me see you, honey," Radit asked, turning the doorknob, trying to get inside.

"I'm not in a state of being able to see you directly" Widya declined. "Talk from there."

Radit leaned his forehead against the door. "I can't guarantee it, but slowly but surely, I'm sure all the people here will accept you. They just need time to get used to your outspoken nature."

"You're so naive, my husband," scorned Widya, laughing mockingly. "alright. For now I will listen to your advice. Even though I doubt time will change everything."

"And if I'm right, what are you going to do?" tantangnya, could not resist hearing Widya's pessimistic attitude.

"Now this is not the time to bet, my Husband," Widya said.

"You're right too. I'm sorry."

"By the way, are you sure that Betadin and his parents will leave this village? Mana knows 'that's just their prank for the sake of getting sympathetic to the people here."

"Before I go home I have confirmed it" replied Radit confidently. "By the way, until when do we talk like this? It's really uncomfortable."

"Just get used to it" Widya replied indifferently. "The more I think about it, the more I think that the troublemaker's family would do well to apologize to me first before leaving this village. Admitting their guilt and leaving this village has not forgiven them enough for their vile deeds."

Radit only mumbled in agreement. He did not want to respond too much, such as taking part in denouncing the attitude of the Nadin family as well. Not because he sided with them but he did not want to further fuel Widya's anger.

What Widya said was true. Rather than apologize to him or to the villagers, Nadin and his father owe Widya an apology. Because it is Widyalah who is harmed by all this false gossip. Looks like he has to do something.

**

In fact, before Radit had taken any action to meet Nadin's parents, they had come directly to his house. The expression on Nadin's father's face looks very regretful when he conveys an apology to Widya.

Although for a while there was no response from Widya, but eventually she accepted the apology. Perhaps the sincere tone in Nadin's father's voice had touched his wife's loud heart. And unlike before, this time Widya accepted Nadin's apology. Widya confesses to him - as Nadin and his parents go - that this time she feels the sincerity of Nadin, different from her previous apology.

Widya also revealed that she has not completely forgiven them. However, he realized, there was no point in rejecting someone's apology just because of his sheer ego. Widya believes, if she rejects their apology, she will regret it one day.

How Radit was pleased by his wife's wise thinking. He held his tongue telling Widya that slowly his wife was starting to change. Saying that to him would only get Radit a cynical look from Widya. Because his wife always believed that it was Radit's delusion. And he would say, no one or anything can change his attitude.

"Why do you see me that?" widya asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"This is just a look of admiration" whispered Radit, embracing his hand. "You are very suspicious."

"Why, I feel like you're lying to me. I know it's not a look of admiration from you."

"No need to bother him. We'd better get inside, it's getting dark" he asked, closing the door behind them.

∞ ∞

While relaxing with Widya watching television, suddenly there was a knock on the door from outside. They exchanged glances, then Radit moved from his position on the sofa. He walked up to the door to see who came to his house last night.

Behind the door, Radit was rather surprised to find there standing Gilang while looking at him with a very serious look.

"What did you do last night at my house?"

"I heard you were looking for me this afternoon."

"That's why I'm here. I want to talk to you."

"This evening?"

"It's not too late yet" said Gilang.

"But late enough to come visit people's homes" Radit responded flatly.

"Who's coming, Dit? Why are you so long...." Widya stopped her speech when she saw who their guest was. "Oh!"

"Good night" Gilang said, then turned his attention back to Radit. "So, you want to talk to me or not?"

Radit didn't answer that question. He walked over to Widya, and asked her to come back inside. After that, he went back to Gilang and closed the door of his house.

"Follow me!" tell him, invite Gilang to talk in a quieter place.

Gilang did not protest at all. Maybe he realized that their conversation should not be heard by anyone, even Widya. There are so many things that they have to talk about alone.

After arriving at the venue, which Radit said was suitable for their conversation, he immediately turned his back on his old friend. The bookstore is the perfect place to give privacy to both of them. Although being here evokes old memories of Radit being trapped with Widya, who has now become his wife.

Just the thought of that scandalous night almost softened his facial expression. Given Widya's frenzied behavior while trying to open the door that was suddenly closed - it was still a mystery to her, why the door at that time could be locked from the outside - and also the action of the frenzy jumping to and fro when found there was an insect into his shirt.

Radit desperately held back the sound of laughter that almost spewed out of his mouth. At the moment he is not in a position to remember the times when he and Widya hated each other.

"Look at you in a good mood" said Gilang, observing himself closely.

"Well or not, it has nothing to do with what we're going to talk about right now" Radit said. "I'll go straight, is the rumor about your departure true?"

"That's right," Gilang replied, smiling obliquely at him. "Why? Are you happy with my sudden departure? Surely you are now very happy, because nothing else will disturb the peace of your household."

"You're a fool to think that it's about me" Radit replied.

"What... What are you saying, stupid?" Gilang stared in disbelief at him.

"Yes, stupid. What besides being stupid, you also suffer from deafness?"

Not accepting the words of him constantly, Gilang stepped forward to clutch his collar.

"Stop provoking me! I didn't meet you to start a fight."

"Then why are you coming to me?" Radit removed Gilang's grip from the collar of his shirt. "Say goodbye? Apologizing? Or want to go back to confessing your feelings to my wife?"

She ruffled her hair in frustration. "I don't know since when our friendship has turned this cold."

"Don't lie to yourself. You know clearly, when exactly did our friendship turn out this way."

"You are right" said Gilang weakly as he stepped closer to the window. "It's all because of me. Maybe that's why my father kicked me out of this village. She must be ashamed to have a child like me."

"What do you mean?" tanya Radit, was very surprised by Gilang's confession. "Why do you think that? It's impossible for your father to throw you away. I know he loves you so much, let alone your heirs to continue his cattle business."

"It is actually so. What else could explain his behavior driving me out of the house other than he doesn't think I'm a child anymore?" Looking over his shoulder, Gilang looked sadly at him before turning back to him. "You don't know anything, Dit. My father really dumped me. He thought, I'd rather leave this village as soon as possible than continue humiliating him for my behavior."

"I didn't know the problem was going to be this silent. Maybe I should talk to your dad. However it's a problem for both of us, he doesn't have to take this kind of tough action."

In the blink of an eye, Gilang galloped quickly closer to him. Both of his hands gripped Radit's shoulders firmly while shaking him.

"Don't you dare do that! I'm not saying this to get sympathetic or to ask you for help."

Radit shook his friend's body. "But this is wrong! It's a matter of both of us, our parents have no right to mix it up."

"You are wrong! Our parents have the right to mix it up if it affects the peace of their lives" Gilang said, pushing Radit's body away. "You may have forgotten, my Naive Friend, our father has been friends for a long time. Longer than our friendship. Of course, the strain of our friendship will greatly affect the friendship of the two of them as well."

Oh no, Radit did forget that.

"Again," continued Gilang, "I also felt it was good for me to leave this village. Maybe that way I'll forget my old feelings growing on...." Gilang glanced carefully at him. "This is necessary. You take it easy, my father is not as cruel as you think. He didn't throw me out in the middle of nowhere. For an indefinite period of time, I will stay with my uncle who is in Surabaya to help him there."

"Stay away... This isn't true, Lang."

"If you reflect, this is indeed the right decision, Dit. At least in this way, the bad gossip about your wife teasing me will fade if I disappear from this village soon," Gilang said, forcing a smile on her face. "I've admitted to everyone that I'm the one who seduced your wife."

Radit. "You can't do that."

Gilang shrugged his shoulders. "Yes, I did. There's no point in avoiding it, because that's exactly what happened. I do have feelings for your wife."

"No wonder your father kicked you out of the house."

Listening to the insinuation, Gilang laughed out loud, as if Radit was not touching him, but flattering him. And, just like that, their conversation ended up there. The two of them finally prepared to go home.

However, Gilang briefly stopped on the road when they had walked out of the bookstore. He told Radit something one last time.

"I hope that when we meet again, I'll completely take away my feelings for your wife. Until I make that happen, I will never show myself in front of you" Gilang said, sounding so determined. "And of course, we can start our friendship again. Well, if you want it."

"I'll think about it" replied Radit.

"Ah, I almost forgot. I'm sorry I got you battered that time," he chuckled.

"Not because of the bruises I did to you" Radit said, reminding Gilang of the bruises he got. "See you."

The two of them turned their backs to continue their journey. In his mind, Radit was so looking forward to his upcoming meeting with Gilang. He is sure one day their friendship will return to the way it was before. It was just that he did not know how long it would take when that moment arrived.