The Substitute

Secrets about Deniz

"Mas, who is Deniz? I heard you say that name before I passed out." asked Ameera to Ozan.

They were sitting in front of the mother's room waiting for the doctor to examine her.

Ozan let out a rough sigh, "Deniz is my sister... He died 18 years ago. If he's alive, he's your age now" Ozan replied.

"Why haven't I heard his name?"

"Many things happened, Yank... I don't even know where to start to explain it. "

"But why did you cry seeing that locket? The locket has Rangga."

"I also don't know what the locket has to do with Deniz."

"Did Deniz die of illness?" Ameera who kept asking made Ozan dizzy himself.

Ozan just shook his head, feeling heavy telling what he never talked about in the house.

"not yank. It happened 18 years ago, I was a kid. One day we went on holiday out of town. Your father was also there at that time. I was 8 and Deniz was 1. Mama asked me to take care of her, so I took her for a walk. And somehow, Deniz is missing from my surveillance. I looked for him everywhere but didn't see him. "

Ameera is stunned to hear Ozan's explanation, never knowing that Ozan has a younger brother.

"Then what happened?"

"I ended up looking for papa and told him Deniz was missing. They were panicking at the time. And until night, Deniz has not been found. For 10 days the SAR team searched for Deniz, and eventually they found Deniz's clothes floating in the river. At that time they confirmed Deniz was dead and the search was stopped" Ozan said, shedding tears. He was the one who felt the most guilty about the disappearance of his sister.

"Why isn't there a picture of him in this house?" asked Ameera who was astonished because in such a big house, there was not a single photo of Deniz.

"Since Deniz's gone, mama's depressed. I even need the help of a psychologist. For months, my mother was devastated by feeling guilty, not eating, not talking to anyone. Every time I saw a picture of Deniz, my mom was crying, screaming, even fainting. From then on, papa decided to keep all the photos and anything related to Deniz."

Ameera had dropped her tears hearing the story. Didn't expect that such a perfect family would ever experience such a miserable thing.

"Didn't save a single photo?"

"Do you know, there's one room in this house that's always locked?" ask Ozan.

"The room at the end of it, huh? That's a warehouse, right?"

"No, Yank... It was in that room that all the memories of Deniz were stored. It used to be Deniz's room next to Mama's. But since that incident, all Deniz's belongings have been moved there. And papa forbade anyone living in this house from talking about Deniz ever since. That's why you never heard Deniz's name mentioned in this house, right?"

"I understand. Mama must have been through some tough days."

"Open up just mama. But papa too. And i'm... My whole life, I'm gonna feel guilty about Deniz. I failed to look after her."

Ameera wiped away the tears on her husband's cheek.

Moments later, the doctor bursts out of the room and says Zarima is conscious. They rushed into the room.

Zarima who already felt better was sitting leaning on the bed.

"Mama..." Ameera's voice rang out calling out to him. He even cried to see how pale his in-laws' faces were.

"Ozzanines... Deniz.." said Zarima, sobbing.

"Mama why?" Ozan hugged his mother who was crying again.

"That locket, Zan..."

"Why is that locket, Mah?"

"That's Deniz's locket."

"Deniz's locket? Mama. Ameera said the locket had Rangga."

"Ozan, that's impossible. Mama knows that locket. Is this not all Hendri's doing? Did he kill our Deniz?"

"Deniz is drifting in the river, Mah?"

"If Deniz was drifting in the river, then why could Rangga have a Deniz locket?" Zarima raised his voice. "Mama's antar to Rangga's house, Zan. Mama should talk to Aliyah. She must know what happened to Deniz." pinta Zarima.

Ameera who had been listening to their conversation could only fall silent. Don't know what to say.

"But Mama will have to rest" said Ozan.

"Would you take your mom or mama alone?" zarima's voice that sounded like a threat made Ozan not dwell.

"All right, I'll take mama. " Ezan finally gave up and followed his mother's wishes, "yank... I'm going to take Mama with me." Ozan asked Ameera.

"But, Mom..."

"I beg you, Ameera. This time you're going to try...!!" Ameera looked down with teary eyes, lately Ozan scolded her very often. Ozan then let out a long sigh, realizing his harsh tone of speech to Ameera. "let's go, come with me..."

Ozan pulls Ameera's hand out of the room towards the living room. He hugged Ameera there.

"I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to yell at you, "he said, caressing Ameera's hair. "I'm sorry I scold you so much, I don't want you to do anything."

Ameera simply nodded, without a sound. "I'll take my mom first, yes, you'll be home" she said gently.

"Be careful, Mommy."

And that night Ozan drove his mother to Rangga's house. During the trip, Zarima continued to look at the locket with tears.

Not long after, they reached the house. Some house guards greeted them and let them in.

"Zar." muttered Aliyah. The woman immediately took a sitting position on the sofa opposite Zarima.

Without further ado, Zarima immediately asked what his purpose was to come to the house.

"You know this locket, Al?" ask Zarima to Aliyah.

Aliyah rounded her eyes looking at the pendant in Zarima's hand. Like being struck by lightning in broad daylight, his body trembled. Instantly he lowered his head, not daring to look into the eyes of his old friend.

"Zar.. i..."

"ANSWER ME, AL!! " cried Zarima, "why can this locket be your son's locket and he gave it to Ameera? Where's my son who went missing 18 years ago? What did you guys do to him?"

"Mama... Be patient. Don't be like this." Ozan.

Aliyah was speechless hearing Zarima's cry as if slicing her heart. He doesn't know what to answer. Rangga who was pondering in a room near the living room was shocked to hear the commotion out there.

"Did your husband do it? Did he kill my son? Answer me, Al... What did he do to Denizku...? Why did he kill my completely innocent son." asked Zarima in a voice that sounded so soft.

While crying, Aliyah tried to strengthen her heart. He had prepared himself if this day really happened. The day Zarima held her son accountable. Aliyah saw that Rangga was already staring at the doorway hearing their conversation.

"Pardon me, Zar.." said Aliyah as she sobbed.

"I DON'T NEED YOUR APOLOGY!!" Zarima shouted once more, "What I need is an explanation about my son. What did Hendri do to her? If it wasn't Hendri who killed Denizku, then why was this locket on your son? You boys make Denizku?!"

Aliyah's entire body had trembled, feeling desperate with every utterance Zarima made. Only tears represented her entire feeling. The woman just looked at Rangga who was in the doorway.

"Your son is not dead, Zar. Your son is alive. I'm sorry, I've been hiding it from you all this time" Aliyah said intermittently. Aliyah then moved her hand pointing towards where Rangga was there. "He is Deniz." he said with trembling hands.

Zarima and Ozan set their sights on where Aliyah was heading. They were shocked to see who was there. Likewise with Rangga who pegung there.

"Ra-Ranges?" muttered Zarima.

Aliyah was crying so much, what she was afraid of all this time finally happened. Rangga's true identity that he had been hiding for many years today was revealed.

"I'm sorry, Zar... I've been separating you from your son all this time."

Ozan who had not fully believed in his hearing was unable to speak a word. Only tears flowed from his eyes.

"Niz... De-niz-ku.." murmured Zarima.

With heavy steps he approached Rangga and knelt before the person sitting in the wheelchair. With his trembling hands, he rubbed Rangga's face and body. Doubtful, Zarima spread the shirt that Rangga wore on his shoulder. And the same birthmark as Deniz's. Zarima's cry became more and more so seeing the sign. Now he is absolutely convinced that Rangga is Deniz.

"Deniz..." Zarima's cry broke out hugging Rangga tightly. "my son... Ozan, he really is Deniz, Denizku is still alive, Ozan." shouts Zarima while hugging Rangga's body.

Rangga who did not believe it just like that just silently froze, staring at the confused Aliyah who was sitting on the sofa.

"Mama... What does this all mean, why does aunt Zarima call me Deniz? Who's Deniz?" ask Rangga to Aliyah.

"It's mama, son... The mother who brought you into this world. He's not... He's the one who separated us." said Zarima.

"Mama... Please explain what all this means?" Rangga again asked Aliyah who was only able to cry there. Rangga then moved his electric wheelchair lever to get closer to the woman he had thought was his biological mother, leaving Zarima still kneeling. "MOM, ANSWER ME, DON'T SHUT UP!" rangga's screams filled every corner of the room.

Aliyah rubbed Rangga's head gently, "Rangga... Sorry mama... We separated you from your real family." said Aliyah in a trembling voice. "You are actually Deniz, the youngest son of Hasan and Zarima, my mother-forgiveness, Rangga" said Aliyah stammered.

And again, Aliyah's speech made Rangga feel like he was electrocuted. He refused to believe everything he heard.

"Mama lied, right?" ask Rangga later. "Come, Mah.. tell me that this is all a lie!!" The sound of Rangga's screams again filled every corner of the room, for the first time, he shouted at the woman who raised him affectionately.

"Ladders..." Aliyah touched her shoulder, but was immediately tepis by Rangga.

"Don't touch me, Mah... You guys lied, right? Are you tired of taking care of me because I'm disabled? So that mommy easily said I'm not mom's son?" Rangga also started crying.

"It's not so, son... You know, your mama's most precious treasure is more than anything."

"WHY DID YOU DO ALL THIS TO ME?" yell Rangga.

Zarima came up and hugged his son. His feelings are mixed. Ozan then came closer and squatted in front of Rangga. With tears in his eyes, he rubbed his sister's head, down to his face. Ozan looked at Rangga's face, and only realized how similar Rangga was to Hasan.

"They're lying, aren't they, Bang?" ask Ozan.

Ozan shook his head slowly, "He really is Deniz... Mama, he's our Deniz." Ozan then hugged Rangga tightly, releasing all the yearning for his sister, and although Rangga tried to take off the hug, Ozan further tightened his embrace. Until finally the cry Rangga broke in his brother's embrace. Zarima hugged his two sons together. They dissolve in crying.

Aliyah, with a million guilty feelings. Because of his love for Rangga, he covered the reality that existed all this time. His fear of losing the child he loved blinded his heart. So choose to cover up the truth.

***

**TO BE CONTINUE

**AWW IS TRUE, YES... BAGANG RANGGA IT, DENIZ...

SO THE WINNER OF YESTERDAY'S PUZZLE ON BEHALF OF****

**TAN MEGA DIAMOND TINA

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THANK YE...

AT THE END OF THE EPISODE, THERE WILL BE QUIZ AGAIN... HEHE

FORGIVE THE LACK OF THIS AMATEUR AUTHOR**.