The Secret Marriage of the Teacher

The Painful Facts

“Daddy where, Mom ?” martin asks when he arrives at the hospital following mommy and Maya.

“Mommy also does not know, daddy is not in his apartment. Leo already knows about Gavra ?” Martin just nodded.

Maya has just come out of the PICU room, her eyes are a bit puffy like crying but neither mommy nor Martin ask the cause.

“Sister Martin knows where Leo is?” Martin was silent.

“Kak, please let me meet Leo or at least have Leo unblock my number, I want to talk to him.”

“For what ? Tell him to come home because your son is sick ? He is no longer my assistant because of his status as an inmate who still has to account for his actions 3 more years for a woman who does not even appreciate him as a husband.”

“Martin,” reprimand mommy.

“I'm just talking facts, Mom. Leo's decision is unanimous, he will divorce Maya and return to prison to be a regular prisoner. There was nothing else he needed to fight for except his own life. He's sick of Maya, Mom. It's ridiculous that you don't want to acknowledge Gavra as your flesh and blood when for 9 months she's been living in your womb.”

Maya is silent, neither refuting nor fighting Martin's slightly sarcastic and cynical remarks. Her feelings are chaotic but Maya did not tell that earlier for the first time she gave ASI to her son. It felt strange at first but as the tiny fingers moved touching Maya's skin, there was a warmth that was hard to describe with words.

“Mommy just go home with Brother Martin, I'll wait for Gavra here. If you can please bring me a change of clothes and toiletries when mommy gets back here.”

Martin and Anita were both surprised to hear Maya's words until they both looked at the woman with their eyebrows.

***

Leo stared at the pictures of himself with Maya stored in the mobile phone gallery.

After Martin left, he decided to return to the rented house to rest.

His heart has not been moved to ask Maya's condition when in status they are still a legitimate husband and wife. Leo has given everything to the Maya family but according to Martin, daddy Harry still has not processed it.

Leo's hand still shifts his photo collection even he has a photo of Maya who is still wearing a blue white uniform. Still looks innocent and adorable but since childhood Maya is very spoiled by her whole family including Leo himself.

Growing up with an abundance of excess love makes Maya's life almost never come into contact with the word difficult, impossible and less concerned with the surrounding. There's always a scapegoat to cover up his mistakes and Leo's in charge of clearing them up.

Leo put his phone on the nightstand. The temptation to unblock Maya's numbers is stronger because in her little heart Leo loves Maya very much. Hearing his wife is in trouble it feels like Leo's feet are itching to run to meet and accompany through everything.

“Halo,” Leo raised the call from Martin's number.

“Halo, Tin, what's up ?”

Leo knitted his eyebrows while looking at his phone screen. Martin's call is still connected but no voice answers Leo's question, only a sigh is heard.

“Tin, what's up ? Hello ? Hello Martin.”

Leo disconnected Martin's phone because he thought the signal of one of them was not good. His hand was ready to press Martin's number but void, his feelings said another. The breath was heard well, meaning there was no response from Martin not because of signal interference but anyone who contacted him via Martin's mobile phone did not want Leo to hear his voice.

*****

At 9 am, Harry woke up and checked his phone, reading a number of messages sent mommy Anita, Maya and the last of Martin.

Daddy Harry sighed and went from the bed to the kitchen, enjoying a bitter cup of coffee. It still feels like she wants to teach Maya a lesson, but her little heart can't lie that daddy Harry is a little worried about her granddaughter's circumstances.

Two hours later, Harry was in Gavra's in-room. The baby was released from the PICU.

“Thank you for coming,” mommy Anita said awkwardly.

“Maya my biological son means Gavra is my grandson too. Don't overdo it like that.”

Mommy Anita smiled bitterly at the sniffling answer from daddy Harry. Not long ago Maya who had just returned from breakfast looked happy when she saw that Harry's daddy was in the room.

“I miss a lot, Dad.”

“How is your son doing?”

“Make it better, Dad. Indigestion.”

Maya smiled bitterly as she looked at the face of an ordinary daddy, not even a smile on that face.

“Then how next ?”

Maya breaks her embrace and looks at daddy with a brow.

“Daddy Mean ?”

“If indeed you refuse the presence of Gavra not even want to admit it as your flesh and blood, Daddy will look for adoptive parents for him.”

“Mas !” mommy Anita was shocked to hear her husband.

“Rather than Gavra growing up without love and will only make him a wounded man better if Gavra is given to people who can give him attention and love like a parent.”

“Dad.”

Maya is as surprised as it is difficult to say a response to the choice given by daddy Harry, who has been pampering her all this time and has never said no when Maya asks for something.

“It is difficult to forgive yourself daddy because it has been wrong to educate you. Originally Daddy hoped Gavra's presence could make you change but your selfishness's siphaf got worse even you let Leo off your side.”

“Dad, I'm sorry,” watered Maya with tears beginning to drip from both corners of her eyes.

“There is no point apologizing without a change in attitude. Tell Daddy you've made up your mind.”

Daddy Harry approached Gavra's bed and rubbed the baby's head with mixed feelings. The innocent baby was fast asleep and squirming for a while as Harry's daddy's hand rubbed his cheek.

“Mas Harry !”

Anita called her husband who had just left the room. Harry stopped because Anita's hand was holding her arm.

“Why did Harry make such a decision ? We can raise her if Maya isn't willing to take care of Gavra.”

“And we finally got Gavra hurt when Maya remarried, had a child and forgot about it. Is that what you want ? The boy is still hardened and has chosen his own way of life. We will only repeat the same mistake if we keep Gavra in the family.”

“Didn't Mas Harry say he's our grandson too ? I'm not willing to give up my own grandson to someone else.”

“No more bargaining, this time I decided and made a decision for Maya. I don't want her to be a girl like you.”

“What do I mean by Harry.”

Harry rubbed his face then smiled sinisterly, looking at Anita who was furrowing her brows.

“Nearly 25 years I live in guilt feelings for Anna. You know why ? Not because I still expected Anna to come back to life but because of what you did. Don't think I don't know that your father has made a mess in Anna's company and your hatred has killed Anna !”

“All of it has nothing to do with Maya !”

“Of course there are !” snapped Harry. “I know that you're the one who told people to get Anna's car brakes loose. You just wanted to teach him a lesson and a little bit of a minor accident, but who would have thought that your intention was fatal. No evidence points to you but I know your paid people well.”

Anita's eyes faded, not expecting all the facts revealed by Harry.

“If you're not Maya's real mother, I've been looking for evidence that could put you in jail for a long time. Now you know the reason why I could never be a husband to a demonic woman like you. I am so sorry to have done the same thing as my father, avenging my daughter's heartache without finding out the root of the problem. Anna never tried to take me away from you Anita, but your own fears kept that thought haunting your life.”

Anita fell silent with her face down, her hands already being violently flung by her husband. Harry continued in his footsteps, not caring about his wife who was still crying at the door