The Rich Widow

The Trial is Not Over

"Mara, eat first, yeah." Nadira brought a small plate containing rice complete with side dishes and pauk for his daughter.

He began to feed Amara little by little while occasionally glancing outwards, hoping Arman would come home.

"Where to go, Mom?" ask Amara with a typical child voice.

"Dad's still working, son. Maybe you'll be home soon" replied Nadira with a wry smile.

Amara nodded and accepted a bribe from Nadira. Just a few minutes after Amara questioned his father, suddenly the sound of a motorbike entered the front yard of their house.

Drrttt ....

Amara rounded her eyes. His face looks crisp and he is very confident that the sound of the bike is the sound of his new motorcycle Arman. Nadira rushed to catch up with the man while holding the little Amara. Nadira smiled with relief after seeing Arman return home in perfect condition and nothing less.

"Thank God, I finally came home. I'm so worried about you that I can't sleep all night" Nadira said as she approached Arman, who still had a matted face.

"Last night Mrs Ira had an activity and inevitably, I had to accompany her until the event was over."

Arman grabbed Nadira's shoulders and took her into their humble home.

"Then, is Mas Arman going back to work today?" nadira asked again, while watching Arman's face that was still tangled.

Arman shook his head slowly. "It doesn't seem like it, honey. I need to rest because last night I didn't sleep either" he replied with a heavy sigh.

Arman was forced to lie and hide the matter from Nadira. He did not want his relationship with Nadira to fall apart due to the embarrassing incident.

"Then we have breakfast, Mas. I've cooked your favorite dishes" said Nadira.

"Later on, Dira. You just eat first, because Mas is sleepy," replied Arman while stroking the cheek of Nadira.

Nadira looks disappointed because again Arman refused breakfast with him. However, he did not want to show his disappointment to Arman. He smiled and then nodded small.

"All right then, Mom. Have a good rest" he said.

Arman went into their room to rest. While Nadira continues his activities, feeding Amara.

In the room.

Arman took off his shirt and threw it on the side of the bed. He lay down in a position to the left. His eyes suddenly turned watery after recalling the incident last night.

"I don't know if I've done that with Mrs Ira or not. But I'm pretty sure that woman set me up. I should have known and realized that the woman was after me. It was only fitting that he was willing to buy me various kinds of gifts, it turned out that there was bad intentions veiled behind all that."

Arman tries to close his eyes and hopes to forget the incident for a moment. However, it turns out that God is still not satisfied to give a test for his household.

Arman's phone rang. Someone with a new contact number is trying to reach him. Arman grabbed the flat object then fell silent while staring at his screen with a astonished face.

"Whose number is this? Is this Mrs Ira's new number?" arman muttered. He was confused whether he should accept or reject the call.

"If I refuse, I'm afraid it's someone else's number who really wants to talk to me about something important. However, if I accept it, I'm afraid this is Miss Ira's new number and that woman will definitely come back to me to hold me accountable." Arman scratched his non-itchy head violently.

Arman was silent for a long time until he finally decided to take the call.

"Yes, hello?" Arman put up his ear and hoped it wasn't Mrs Ira's new number.

"Yes, I'm Arman."

"Hey, Arman! Have you forgotten, huh? Today you should have handed over the deposit to me. However, until now you still have not deposited it. Don't pretend your amnesia, Arman!" chirps Juragan Bahri from across the phone.

"Ju-juragan Bahri?" Arman was confused as to where the middle-aged man got his mobile number. He never shared his phone number with anyone. Just a few close friends and lady Ira of course.

"I'm sorry, Juragan. I forget. Alright, later in the afternoon I will go to Juragan Bahri place and hand over the deposit money," he replied.

"Well, I'll wait until 3 p.m. Remember, if you are a little late, you have to pay more for it. Because time is precious, Arman." Juragan Bahri grinned.

"Ba-good, Juragan. I must have arrived on time" replied Arman.

Juragan Bahri disconnected the call and now lives Arman who is still silent staring at the screen of his phone.

"Yes, geez! People just don't want to deal with this guy. Just look, the debt that only amounted to a little, even became a hill. Even a little late immediately fine," muttered Arman while putting his phone next to a pillow.

Arman again tried to close his eyes. Expect to sleep for a while to forget all his problems for a moment.

A few hours later.

Nadira watches the wall clock hanging inside her room. He then approached Arman who had been soundly asleep on their bed since noon. The man's face looked so tired that Nadira could not bear to wake him up.

"Ehm, Mom." Nadira stroked the soft face of Arman.

Several times Nadira called his name, Arman still did not respond. The man was still asleep in his dreamland. Nadira had to start shaking the man's burly body while calling his name.

"Mas. Arman?"

"Hmmm," muttered Arman with his eyes closed. The man stretched his body and turned around while hugging the bolster with his back to Nadira

"It's late in the afternoon, Mas" said Nadira again so gently.

Arman gasped in shock after hearing the words from Nadira just now. He remembered his promise to the Bahri loan shark that he would deliver the deposit money to the loan shark.

"What time is it?" asked Arman who suddenly got up with round eyes.

"Four hours, Mas. He has an appointment, right?" ask Nadira back.

"Yes, God! Die me, " cried Arman as he got out of bed and rushed to the bathroom to wash his face.

While Nadira was only speechless with a confused face staring at the gloomy Arman. After washing his face, Arman returned to the room and put on his shirt in a hurry. His face panicked and he did not even care about Nadira who had been confused to see the action.

"Where else are you going? He said to rest first" asked Nadira.

"I have an appointment with my friend, Dira. I should have told you so you could wake me up in time," he said, combing his bushy hair with his fingers as a comb.

After his performance looks neat, Arman rushes out of the room and immediately props his motorcycle somewhere. The man even forgot to say goodbye to Nadira.

"Whether his friend is more important than us, until he forgets to say goodbye to me" Nadira murmured inwardly.

***