The Malang Widow

Attention Brother Arif

This morning I looked at the calendar to calculate my gestational age. Exactly 8 months is my current gestational age.

"Well, we'll see you soon, son?" I rubbed my stomach gently.

I found the condition of my stomach is getting swollen and my legs are slightly swollen because I have to go back and forth to walk while working. I can't keep walking that far enough. Instantly I tried to contact Arif to agree to stay in his house.

"Just.tut..." My contact tone contacted him over the phone.

"Assalamu'alaikum Arif's sister?"

"Walaikumsalam, what's the matter with Bunga calling in the morning?"

"So my brother, because my content is getting heavier, it seems I want to stay in a shophouse, how sis?"

"Oh..good if so, later I pick you up in the contract yes, I help bring your things so as not to be heavy"

"Ah don't brother, any of my goods are not much kog, just a suitcase, later the others can also be prickly, at least twice back already finished" said I refused his offer.

"But you're pregnant again, mosuk want to carry a suitcase all alone, walk again, I'll pick it up later"

"But....Brother Arif my boss, cook will you pick me up the employee?" tanyaku.

"Udah, you do not hesitate, do not take me too much as your boss, consider me a partner of your work, so let me just say" he replied immediately made my heart melt but very reticent.

"Is it really not a hassle?"

"Yes it's okay, this time you send your location only through chatt, later I find your contract, you are now ready".

"There are many, brother, sorry for the inconvenience, both if so I permit my host mother first to leave".

"Okay, wait for me to pick you up, as usual at 8 o'clock, huh?"

"Okay, brother, thanks again, Assalamu'alaikum?"

"Goddessalam".

I rushed to pack my not-so-much stuff. Just a suitcase and a bag of curtains and a thin mattress left by the hostess of my helper at that time.

Soon, I took a shower and got ready as if I was going to work. Don't forget before that I let my hostess.

"There's so much, ma'am, sorry that during my stay I've done something wrong" said I as I handed over the keys.

"Together with the Flower, oh yes, her pregnancy is getting older, her husband has not come home yet?" asked the hostess when I was asked about my growing stomach, I lied that my husband was away working on a cruise ship so rarely came home. Although he is not very trusting, but for me he can muffle all questions of himself and the neighbors around.

"Eeeee..." I'm not done talking, Kak Arif's car was seen in front of my boarding house. I rushed to him.

"Sorry mom, I said it first". I left the hostess who was standing at the door of her house while observing my movements with Brother Arif.

"Sir Arif is here? really spit?"

"Yes, intentionally I got here first, let you not wait too late, all you know there are things that have not been cleaned, I want to help". He said himself as he exited the car door

"Oh..all is done, brother, that's all my stuff". Obviously, I pointed at some of my stuff that I had put in front of the boarding door to make it easy to carry it.

(That's a flower, even sleeping only on a mattress this thin without a pillow). Arif murmured in his heart with a pushy look.

"Yes, let's just go!" He cried while helping me put my things in his car.

Then I got into his car immediately. My heart felt like it was beating fast, plus when Brother Arif was sitting next to me about to drive. The feeling of shame mixed with shame at that moment. But as much as I could hide at that time.

Shortly after, Arif also drove his car, passing in front of my boarding mother who had been standing in front of watching me.

"Well.it's her husband!!!". Shouted himself loudly. Spontaneous made me even more embarrassed in front of Brother Arif. My cheeks turned red and my behavior became even more awkward.

"Sorry Brother Arif, sorry. because of this Brother Arif so I guess my husband is with my rather cool host mother." I said while embarrassed.

"Yes, no papa kog, people here are like that, understand me...heheheh" he told me.

While Kak Arif's car was speeding away, it looked like the hostess was still in a huddle with my boarding neighbors. It may also be reported that I no longer live there.

"That's the Flower, picked up by her husband with a car turns out, the rich man apparently, mosok want ya kost here quite a long time, you know? bring nothing but pakean." Said the hostess gossiping with 2 of my neighbors.

"Once her husband was the driver, it was probably her employer's car to pick her up". Said one of the sisters.

"Ah, no kog, it's her husband working on a cruise ship, a lot of money for sure, just returned home immediately buy a car, so immediately picked up his wife". Said mother kost chimed.

"But strangely yes, he has a family but lebaran kemaren kog did not come home home, instead choose his own loneliness here loh bu, kasiannya, even though the lauren at homecoming, even choose his own loneliness, I told her to go home but she said alesan did not travel far because she was pregnant again, afraid of vomiting she said". Said the hostess again excitedly gossiping.

"Yes too, a bit strange, but let's not say we have to think too much about people, let's continue cooking again!" exclaimed a dark purple veiled mother ending their chatter.

As soon as I remembered my mother, I had not contacted her for a long time because I was busy working, plus when I came home I was very tired. Even Lebaran yesterday I did not go home to see him. Long before my pregnancy grew, I had asked her permission not to go home this year, because I could not let her know my current condition.

Although I had to enjoy the Eid so nestapa, sitting pensively lamenting the reverberating takbir echoes without relatives, I was only able to sob sadly. Imagining that time some relatives and relatives were happy to gather with their families, but at that time I only stayed in the old room alone.

Regret was so deep back then, but I could no longer do what I was doing. I can only strengthen myself in my tears. At that time I did not know Rianti, not even a woman migrated, only my stomach had begun to bulge with nausea that I felt at that time. "Check my mother's kiss. "my mountain in my heart in my daydream stared at the window of Kak Arif's car that was speeding leisurely.

"Flower....kamu why? is kog nglamun?" ask Arif who immediately disperse my daydream. He looked surprised to see my eyes glazed over.

"Oh, no brother, no papa I kog" I said nervously while correcting my rigid sitting position.

"That's your eyes like crying, what are you thinking?" ask him kindly which makes my heart want to tell a story, but I immediately leave.

"Nothing kog sis." My words reassured me with a little smile so that he would not be suspicious of the sadness I was hiding.

"Oh yes if you don't want to tell a story... Oh yeah, you've had breakfast yet?"

"Emmm not yet" answered me spontaneously who just realized my stomach was hungry because since this morning I was busy preparing my transfer to Kak Arif's shop, while he also arrived earlier than the promised hour, as well, so I didn't get to buy breakfast.

"Yeah yuk we eat soto chicken in the corner yuk, you want right?" ask him to me while pointing at a soto stall in front of the car we are riding this speeding began to slow down.

"Yes, I want a kog". I said with a smile. Since I was pregnant young wanted to buy soto ayam, until now has not been delivered because I have to hold my money as frugal as possible in my condition that has not been able to work as long as I set this Jakarta City, Jakarta, I finally met Rianti.

Shortly after Kak Arif's car was parked right in front of the shop, we immediately went down and ordered two bowls of chicken soto. We sat facing each other with my feelings so awkward. Every now and then Arif invites me to chat or joke to melt the atmosphere.