The Love of the Unknown Man

11. Third Option

It's been two weeks since Lisa missed a day without Juna. The house feels quiet and cold. So did the fields that started to go unkempt.

Often Edgar finds Lisa daydreaming alone in his room. She can also feel the sadness Lisa experienced.

Indirectly, Juna is killed also because of his presence in Lisa's life and makes Roy jealous.

Edgar and Lisa are now picking up chili plants that have been dry because of the prolonged dry season.

“This year is the worst dry season,” muttered Lisa staring at the fields owned by her father that are not how wide.

The absence of rain makes the soil dry, crops die and farmers lose due to crop failure.

Lisa took a deep breath, frowning, because this year she had a big loss.

Just then, there were three villagers, two women and one man. Incidentally they walk through the fields and see Lisa with Edgar.

“Eh, look! Lisa like shameless alone, live one house with a foreign man,” whispered one of the residents.

“Iya, right. Especially now that they are both at home. Don't-don't they already..”

“Shhtt. Don't be here if you want a gibbah! Sounds the same as tuh.”

The three citizens turned their heads towards Lisa and Edgar who were also glancing at them. The man cleared his throat, forced a smile, and passed away.

“All residents talk about us,” said Edgar staring at the backs of the three residents who were slowly away.

“Ignore it. They don't understand our condition,” Lisa replied indifferently.

“And we'd better go home.”

Edgar. He follows Lisa who walks hand in hand towards the house without bringing any produce from the fields.

Arriving in the yard, there were already men wearing box glasses waiting for them at the door.

The man smiled at the return of Lisa and Edgar. It was obvious that he was waiting for the two of them.

While Edgar only frowned, leaning over and whispering to Lisa.

“Who is he?”

“Pak Erlangga's. He's the village head here.”

Edgar lowered his head just as he stopped before Erlangga.

“Pak Erlangga, long wait for us huh? Please enter,” said Lisa turned the house key and let the village head in.

“So this is a guy named Edgar. Coincidentally there is something I want to convey the heads of the two of you,” said Erlangga after they sat on the living room sofa.

Lisa and Edgar looked at each other for a moment, then turned back to Erlangga.

“After your father's departure, now you are alone with Edgar, and the two of you are starting to become gossip by the villagers.”

“I know, Mr. Erlangga,” Lisa squeezed the end of her shirt. Now he knew the meaning of the village chief's arrival to his house.

Erlangga smiled at a glance, looking at Lisa and Edgar in turn.

“Then I want you to get married. How?”

“Married?” Edgar seemed to flinch, immediately straightened his back, and rounded his eyes.

Edgar seemed to not believe the request from Erlangga. While Lisa shows a normal facial expression because she has been able to guess.

“So we were forced to marry?” Edgar asked.

Looking at the gasping Edgar, Erlangga hurriedly added.

“I will not force but rather want to give a choice.”

“What is the choice?” this time it was Lisa who asked with a frown.

“Police Edgar can stay in this village as long as you two get married so as not to be a citizen conversation and to avoid things that are not desirable.”

Erlangga was silent for a moment. He looked back at Lisa and Edgar, examining the look on their faces waiting for Erlangga to continue his sentence.

“But if you don't want to get married, I give a second option that is, Edgar must leave this village.”

Lisa turned to Edgar who was sitting next to her. The man was silent a thousand languages, seemed to be weighing the decision he was about to take.

Then Lisa looked back at Erlangga.

The village chief nodded.

“Yes, I understand it. It does require careful consideration. Therefore, I will give you two days.”

Then Erlangga stood up from his seat. He said goodbye because he came just to convey that.

Lisa and Edgar are still sitting in their original place.

Lisa is still waiting for Edgar's decision. He resigned because now he no longer has a purpose in life.

If Juna were alive, Lisa would have asked her father for advice. However, now the best advisor in Lisa's life is gone.

Edgar swallowed the saliva before he spoke. His mind was composing the words that would come out of his mouth.

“Do you think we should get married?”

Lisa threw away her face so that Edgar did not see her cheeks that met as red as tomatoes.

“I agree whatever your decision.”

“I am a person suffering from amnesia, we should not be married right?”

Lisa's forehead shriveled and turned quickly to Edgar who was staring straight ahead with a blank look.

“What do you mean?”

Edgar turned to Lisa. Their gazes met and moments passed they fell silent to each other.

“What if I already have a wife?”

Edgar's words brought Lisa to her senses. He examined the face of the man in front of him.

Lisa does not know the exact age of Edgar but she estimates Edgar is 28 to 30 years old. A mature age for a man to build a household.

“Yes, you are right. Maybe now in another hemisphere, there is a woman who is looking for you,” said Lisa while turning her eyes out the window.

“So, you will choose the second option? Get out of this village?”

Lisa's neck seemed to be stuck in something. If when I first found Edgar, I'd love Lisa to throw out the man who had hitched a ride in her house.

However, now Lisa feels her heart being crushed from within if Edgar chooses to leave.

“Entahlah. I'm comfortable living in this village and if I go, I don't know where to go. But more makes me want to stay here because..”.

Edgar took a deep breath. He felt his tongue turning stiff to continue.

Edgar stared hard at Lisa and after a few seconds, he said honestly.

“Because I've fallen in love with you, Lisa.”

Lisa gasped, throwing a glance at Edgar to see the seriousness of the man.

There was no doubt implied on Edgar's beautiful face made Lisa slightly smile shyly. Lisa opened her mouth to express the same feeling but, Edgar first added her speech.

“T-but I know this is wrong. Before I know myself, I shouldn't have said this.”

Lisa closed her mouth again. He nodded his head in light of Edgar's misguided state.

Want to start a new page, afraid if there is a woman who is very meaningful in the past. But on the other hand, he cannot go back to the past because his memories are gone.

Lisa doesn't want her to be the third person in a relationship.

“So which option will you choose?” asked Lisa to raise her eyebrows.

“I will choose the third option. I'll go to find out my true identity.”

Edgar could see the disappointment on Lisa's face. Then he grasped Lisa's fingers to give a little confidence.

Without Lisa saying, Edgar knew the girl also had the same feelings as him.

They love each other, but Edgar's problem is amnesia. He just wants to make sure if he's not married so that no one gets hurt.

Edgar's hand moved gently rubbing Lisa's hair.

“But you are calm. If it turns out I haven't got a family, I'll definitely come back to ask you.”