The Hate That Ends Marriage

Preparation

Her grandmother's house was so crowded by the arrival of the neighboring mothers who were busy helping her grandmother prepare all kinds of things for her wedding tomorrow. Being time-hunted, they were all busy going back and forth to her grandmother's house carrying groceries.

Before her grandmother's place was filled with many people like this, her grandmother told Widya, that this afternoon her parents will arrive in the village.

Ever since the villagers came to her grandmother's house to congratulate her and help, Widya just kept quiet in her room. He did not want to go out of the room or receive congratulations from those who had ensnared him into this marriage he did not want.

From the window of her room, Widya can see Radit's house which is only 3 houses away from her grandmother's house is also filled with many guests who come and go.

During her confinement in her room, Widya heard a lot of talk about herself from behind her bedroom door. It seemed like the mothers were deliberately speaking at his door so that he could hear her. Their sighs were so exaggerated when expressing their concern towards Radit.

They talked about how unfortunate Radit could get a wife like himself who had a bad temper. Very humorous. What they forgot, it was not he who wanted this marriage, but rather them, the fools in this village—who only cared about what he saw was not the actual fact— forced the marriage on both of them.

Widya's hands were so itchy that she wanted to open the door and express her opinion to the annoying gossip about their silly conversation. However, he held himself back from not wanting to draw any more attention to himself.

It is free to express his opinion regarding their stupid discussion, nothing will change. Tomorrow he will remain married to a man he just met and known not for a week. Miris is, but this is her destiny.

Not long after, he heard the sound of the people's welcome on his parents who had just arrived from the city out there. Widya fluttered in her room, not wanting to welcome her parents. He was heartbroken at the attitude of his parents, who never once contacted him during his time here. So he concluded, if both his parents had forgotten him.

But look at it now. Both of his parents soon came to him here, only to hear the wedding news from his grandmother.

A knock on her bedroom door tells Widya if her parents want to see her right now. Opening the door to her room, she let her parents enter her room. Then shut the door to the curious people out there. The people in this village really want to know. Really sucks.

Her mother immediately hugged Widya after she closed the door of her room.

“Mama misses you, Wid.” Her mother's voice broke due to sobs.

Releasing her mother's embrace, Widya could see her mother's eyeballs in tears. “I think, Mama has forgotten me,” he said sulking.

His mother took Widya to sit on the bedside with him. “That's really stupid thinking, Widya. How can you forget the only daughter you have?”

“Then, why during my time in this village Mama never once tried to contact me?” ask Widya astonished.

“Mama is afraid, if you hear your voice mama will immediately follow you here. Your father feels the same way, Wid.”

Widya turned her gaze to her father who was standing facing the window with the position of hooking his hands back, just like Radit's father's position last night. Even when he went inside earlier, his father did not hug Widya at all. So, Widya is not sure if her father feels the same way, as her mother said just now.

Judging from his extremely stiff posture, his father instead looked like an angry person. How strange. Isn't this what her father wanted? He told Widya to get married as soon as possible and gave her a granddaughter for her father to show off to his employees at the office. Why is his father angry now? This really confuses him.

The words his father spoke answered all the questions he had in mind. It was as if her father could read Widya's mind.

“Papa did want you to get married, but papa didn't expect that it would happen so soon. Even this marriage happened because of the excitement you did last night. Your grandmother told papa about all the gossip about you during your stay here.” Reversing his body, his father stared intently at him. “Maybe the decision to send you here was a big mistake. Instead of taking care of your grandmother, you're causing trouble everywhere.”

“If Papa doesn't want this wedding, Papa can cancel it,” Widya's smile is sweet.

“That made this marriage happen to you, not papa. So you have to account for the problems you created yourself.”

As if not hearing Widya's words, her father continued.

“Thank God the man you married his son Mr. Benny, papa's friend during school first. At least papa is relieved you get a good husband like Radit.”

Squeezing her eyes, Widya suspects the person who locked her in the bookstore with Radit is her father. It's possible that his father had a spy here to observe his every move.

Exhaling deeply, Widya was tired of suspecting everyone around her. Right now only one thing Widya wants, is to run away from this ridiculous wedding. The problem is, how?

Dropping tears from her eyes, Widya cried in her mother's arms. “I don't want to get married, Ma. It feels so painful to have to marry a guy who is so foreign to me.”

“My poor son.” His mother hugged Widya while muttering soothing words.

“Stop that fake cry of yours, Widya. Papa knows something like this won't make you cry,” chirped his father right on target.

Removing tears from both her cheeks, Widya looked at her father in annoyance. He underestimated his father by using such cheap tactics. Of course his father knew his lie. His father's words were also true. Things like this will not make her cry, but instead make her angry.

“Let's just take off the miss, Ma. Now we have to go to Benny's. There are a lot of things we have to talk about with her,” asked her father, pulled her mother slowly to release her embrace from Widya.

“Papa first, mama's coming. There's something you have to talk to Widya about,” rejects her mother, takes her arm out of her father's grasp.

Although he refused, his father finally complied with his mother's request, then left them both in the room to speak with four eyes.

”Well, Widya, now tell mama, is it true that you have no relationship with Radit?”

“I think the important thing is what Mama wants to talk about. It turns out something not important. Let me be clear, Ma. I don't have any relationship with that shitty guy,” Widya replied, stressing on every word she said.

“Good. Mama understands. Mama hope someday you will be happy with this impromptu marriage.”

“I doubt it,” chirps Widya skeptical. “From that, does Mama have any secrets?”

“Hass secret? What secret do you mean, Wid?” asked his mother, astonished by the sudden change of topic.

"Do I have a twin brother out there that I don't know about?”

“Yes, Widya! Why do you think like that? Of course nothing,” his mother's laughter.

“Perhaps, Mama hid it without my knowledge. I need someone to take my miserable place.”

“You're all there is. Already, ah, mama wants to go see your dad first. She will definitely nag if mama is here any longer with you.” His mother got out of bed. Suddenly his steps stopped when he remembered something. His eyes suddenly glazed over. “Oh yes, Wid, almost mama forgot. Mama packed all your things at home. Maybe in the afternoon the car that transports it will come.”

After delivering the news, his mother went straight out of the room. Widya put herself on the bed, her head was dizzy thinking about her wedding tomorrow. The transfer of all his goods from town to village is a reminder for him, if tomorrow he no longer belongs to his parents, but belongs to a man named Radit. Tears came out of the corner of Widya's eye.