The Substitute

learn to accept

The heavily drunk Rangga was still in the club. His head was leaning against the table. Dina was still faithfully accompanying beside him.

"A. meee raaaa...! I'm sorry. My depraved papa ruined your life." Mumbles slowly.

Dina couldn't stand to see it. Then call Rangga's mother.

"Hello, auntie, I'm at the club again. Drunk again! Please send the driver to pick up Rangga!"

After she finished calling, Dina looked at Rangga with a face full of sadness. Dina is sad to see Rangga filled with guilt for her father's bad deeds. And also his misfortune because of his love for Ameera that he must forget because Ameera is married.

Dina wrapped her hands on Rangga's shoulders, then leaned on Rangga's body that was already unconscious due to the influence of drunkenness. Her tears washed down her cheeks. He did not know why he loved a Rangga who even only considered it a mere outlet.

***

Early in the day, the air felt extremely cold piercing the bones. Ameera opened her eyes slowly. He was shocked to see a different corner of the room. He wanted to get up soon, but there was a hand that coiled over his stomach. He turned his head and saw Ozan sound asleep beside him while hugging him.

Why did I forget that last night I came back here. Inner Ameera.

Ozan, who felt Ameera move, woke up and opened his eyes.

"Why are you, Ameera?" asked Ozan in a hoarse voice.

"I'm fine." said Ameera, turning her back to Ozan.

"Yes, you're sleeping again." Ozan pulls the blanket up to Ameera's neck as the air gets colder. Then stroked Ameera's hair, and hugged her back. Ameera gets treatment from Ozan.

"Eh. Don't look for opportunities. Swipe there!" Ameera pushes Ozan's body away from her.

"No way!" said Ozan while tightening his arms.

Out of annoyance, Ameera finally elbowed Ozan until Ozan was in pain.

"Aauuwh's sick!" peekkik Ozan while holding his stomach.

"And I told you to slide. Don't come near." said Ameera annoyed.

"Yes. iy.. the barbarians!"

They also ended up sleeping with their backs to each other.

***

At dawn, Ozan wakes up first. It's neat with the sarong and the cocoa shirt. Ameera was still asleep. He immediately woke Ameera up. However, after several awakenings, Ameera did not move either.

"AMEERA WAKE!" Ozan yells in Ameera's ear making her wake up grumbling.

"What the hell is screaming. Sleepy nih.." after saying that, Ameera went back to sleep making Ozan upset.

Patient patient patient he's a little boy. Ozan.

"Born morning prayer, Ameera, let's get up!" As Ameera does not wake up, Ozan goes to the bathroom and gets some water. Then sprinkled water on Ameera's face.

Ameera was shocked and then woke up in a sitting position. "Looks... leaked.the roof is leaking.." said Ameera. He tried to gather his consciousness.

"Build your head? There shower. Fajr prayers...."

Ameera was upset that it was Ozan who splashed water on her face, finally being forced to get up and take a bath.

After that, they performed the early morning prayers with Ozan as the priest. And, when he finished praying, Ozan turned around and found Ameera still prostrating. He brought his body closer to Ameera like he was investigating. Because Ameera never moved, he patted Ameera on the back. And that's when Ozan woke up.

Since when did he sleep...

"Ameera!" call Ozan with his voice starting to rise.

"Eh, yes..." Ameera wake up.

"His sleep?"

"Enak...."

"You think prayer is playful, so you can go to sleep?"

"It's sleepy." said Ameera without guilt.

I can go crazy for a long time to face this boy. His worship is like this. Inner Ozan.

"When did you sleep?"

"Since you prayed. Because it's a long time, so I'm sleeping."

Ozan gave a rough sigh. "True, you don't sleep in the middle of your prayers?" Ameera replied with a nod.

"Lies of sin..."

"Not lying."

"Yes," Ozan stood up and changed his clothes. Ameera continued her sleep.

Usually since long ago, when finished praying, Ozan will do a small exercise with a morning run in the garden behind his spacious house.

After that he went into the house, then took breakfast together to his two parents.

"Ameera hasn't woken up yet, has she?" ask Zarima.

"The kebo, finished praying again..."

"Yes already. Let him sleep. Maybe he's tired."

"Just pray she sleeps, Mah..."

Zarima chuckled at Ozan's words. "It's your job to guide Ameera. You must be patient. Ameera was a teenager, she grew up without a mother" Zarima said.

"Yes, Mah. I'll try."

After breakfast, Ozan asks the waiter to prepare breakfast for Ameera. He returned to his room and approached Ameera, who was still sleeping under the covers. Ozan looked at Ameera's face.

Ozan stared inside Ameera's plain face, making Ozan unable to kiss her forehead. He immediately put his lips on Amera's forehead.

Feeling a chewy object stuck to his forehead, made Ameera wake up. He was trying to gather his consciousness. Ozan's face was very close to his.

"Good morning" Ozan said with a sweet smile.

Out of shock, Ameera reacted quickly. He reflexively floated his fists and hit Ozan's right cheek.

"Awilch..." Ozan grimaces in pain. Ameera instantly became aware of his behavior.

"Ameeraaa.. so barbaric are you! " call Ozan.

"Huh? I'm sorry, I'm reflexing, unintentionally, sorry yes.this hand has no eyes" he said, showing his right fist.

The blow hurts too. I just kissed his forehead, got a fist prize. What if I asked for my rights as her husband. I could have been skinned by him. Inner Ozan.

"It's okay. It doesn't hurt either. " while smiling bitterly. His right cheek felt pulsating.

Mama, I need extra patience facing these bars.

Tok tok tok tok

A waiter knocked on the door to deliver Ameera's breakfast.

"Lake in!" Ozan.

"Excuse me, I brought your breakfast" said a waiter.

"Put it there. "please ask Ozan while pointing at the table in the corner of the room.

After putting down the tray, the waiter immediately came out.

"Take your breakfast!" ozan said as he ruffled Ameera's hair.

***

Rangga had just woken up when his mother walked into his room with breakfast for him. He held his head which still felt throbbing due to most drinking.

"Mama, who's taking me home?" ask Rangga.

"Dina phone mama, ask the driver to send you to pick you up because you are drunk" replied Aliyah softly.

Rangga grabbed her hair. Trying to remember last night. He only remembered while drinking, Dina came to him. Suddenly he remembered his father.

"Well, papa was arrested by the police" Rangga told Aliyah.

"Let's! Let your father repent and reflect on his mistake. "Aliyah's face looks sad, but she tries hard in front of Rangga.

Do I have to tell Mama that you're likely to be in jail for life. But my mom would be very sad to know. I'm sorry mah, I can't continue to let papa commit crimes. Papa must be stopped. Inner Proud

"Papa made his father Ameera die. I'm feeling worse in front of Ameera. I was embarrassed to even look him in the eye. What if Ameera finds out I'm the son of the man who killed her father. He must hate me, Mah."

"Patience, Son. Even if Ameera finds out someday, she won't hate you. He knows you're innocent. All this time you've been looking after Ameera very well." said Aliyah calming.

"I'm sick to see Ameera sweep it away without me being able to do anything about it. Now she has a husband. I don't even have the right to wipe away her tears anymore." Rangga's words sounded so sad.

"Rangga, you're done with Ameera. Relieved Ameera with her husband. Which you must now take care of her heart, it's Dina. You can't keep hurting Dina like this."

Rangga also remembered Dina who had been faithful beside him. How hurt her heart Dinah because Rangga had never looked at her all this time. In Rangga's heart there was only the name Ameera could never have.

***

Ameera was having breakfast when Ozan came out of the bathroom and only had a towel wrapped around his waist. As if deliberately showing off his field chest in front of Ameera. Ameera was willing to set her sights on Ozan. Ozan approached him and gave him a drink. Ameera grabbed the glass that Ozan gave her and then downed it, as soon as she saw Ozan's sixpack stomach, drinking water that had not been swallowed, back he sprayed and right hit Ozan's stomach.

"I'm sorry... Excuse me... I was really on purpose " said Ameera.

Ozan frowned, "Inadvertently?"

"Well, no, I didn't intentionally! "

Early in the morning she had stained my virgin eyes. What is this sight? Inner Ameera

Ozan takes the tissue and gives it to Ameera. Ozan then wiped his wet stomach from Ameera's spray with a small towel.

"When you want to eat read prayer first. If you do not read the meal prayer accompanied by the devil, then your mind is slovenly. I just saw this as well. How 'bout..." Ozan hung up his words to see Ameera's already unfriendly face, "already" he said later.

Ameera grunts resentfully at Ozan's accusations of slovenly thinking.

Who is a slobber minded person. You were the one who deliberately showed off in front of me.

Ozan immediately switched to the wardrobe. Withholding a smile, she chose clothes. Deliberately linger so that Ameera increasingly misbehavior.

"Stooopp!" Ameera shouted, "just put the clothes on in the bathroom, not there!"

"Indeed why? There's no one here, is there?"

"Am I not a person?"

Because he was happy to judge a plain girl like Ameera, Ozan approached Ameera. And intend to wear his clothes in front of Ameera.

Ameera reflexes standing at Ozan's feet. Ozan grimaces his feet. Then Ameera again hit him with a chair cushion, suddenly the towel wrapped around Ozan's waist fell. Ozan only wears boxer shorts.

"Yes..." Ameera shouted loudly making Ozan's ears buzz. He covered his face with both palms.

"I don't see, really! I don't see your boxer shorts " said while covering his face with the palm of his hand.

"really? He said he didn't see, but knew what I was wearing!" ozan said later.

Ameera who realized her stupidity felt very embarrassed. His face was even flushed, yet he continued to cover it to make it invisible.

"So quickly get out of here."

****