The Third Party

48. Phone Not Expected

I'm preparing a rice box for a private school. This order must be delivered before twelve noon. While other orders wait to be delivered at three and five in the afternoon. Today was really busy.

I ignored my phone that had been ringing since I focused on preparing this order so that it could be delivered on time.

"Mad Emma's phone rings, don't you want to pick up first, who knows the important phone?" Lasmi reminded me.

"I'll help you finish this first. It's almost twelve o'clock, don't be late delivering this order." Today was a bit of a disaster because there was an employee of mine who was licensed. It made me think of adding an employee again because lately orders are getting more and more.

I kept ignoring the important voice of my phone that this job was done first I could call back the person who called me, I thought.

After everything was done and ready to be delivered to the destination address then I took my phone to see who had called. A foreign number came in, I didn't know him. I ignored that, not wanting to call back because it went to my personal number instead of a business-specific number, so it was definitely not a person who wanted to order food. Please be aware if my mind is just a cuan and cuan.

The one who called me my personal number is usually just Mbak Eka or Mbak Rina. Besides it might just be Damar's school teacher. And this is not all of their numbers.

I put my phone back because I still have work to do. I haven't gotten up yet, my phone is ringing. The number came back.

"Hello ... "

"Emma ... It's me, Heni."

For a moment I stared. I didn't expect Heni to call. After a few years of no news, why did he contact me again?

"What's wrong?" ask me without further ado.

"Mom asked me to call you. He was very sick and wanted to meet Damar. I beg you to bring Damar to visit my mother."

I was silent and could not answer. Heni's voice sounded serious and not contrived. There was no arrogant tone and provocative tone that usually always managed to get me into a fight with him. Even he sounded so desperate that I doubted if this was really that arrogant Heni.

"I beg Emma ... Take Damar to visit mom's house. I'm not going to ask for anything else, I just want you to bring Damar to see mom. That's all."

"I'll think about it, but I can't promise. You remember, don't you? Me and Damar are no longer part of your family. So why would Damar visit a person who is not who and never consider him to be?"

I heard no reply from Heni. "Is there anything else you want to say?"

"Emma ... Ii'm sorry. Forgive my attitude to you first. I'm sorry mom too. I really said it." Heni's voice sounded hoarse as it held back a cry. But I still doubt if this is serious or just their trap for me to return to that house. Is the pain serious? Or is it just pretending like it used to be?

"If there's nothing else I hang up. I'm doing a lot of work."

"Emma ... Will you forgive us?"

I can't answer, so I'll just hang up from Heni.

Forgive me?

I closed myself off from the men who approached me because I was afraid to have a serious relationship. I was afraid that the family of men who approached me could not accept me like the Handi family used to. So before it's too late, I better not start any relationship. You could say I haven't fully moved on.

I'm not continuing my work. My mind could not focus and instead went back to the times when they made my life suffer.

Is it true what Heni said? Is it true that my in-laws want to see Damar? Did they really apologize to me? After a few years, why did they apologize now that my life was calm?

Ma'am Eka, I have to talk to Mbak Eka. She was the only one still communicating with her ex-husband's family. So he must know something.

I took my phone back and called Mba Eka.

"Is mom really sick?" I asked after a while we chatted here and there via phone.

"Didn't I ever tell you that you're sick? Now I'm sick pretty bad."

"Did Ma'am Eka visit her often?"

"Rarely. Why indeed? Why are you suddenly asking mom? Not usually." I don't know why Mama and I still call her mom.

Then I told you if Heni had just called me and asked me to bring Damar to visit mom.

"Yes ... It could be that Heni really wished you were coming. They are not like before. You wouldn't believe me if I told you how they are now."

"What are they doing now, Ma'am?" Usually I never wonder like this about the Handi family. I never even asked them how they were doing. I became like this after getting a call from Heni.

Then Eka started telling stories.

So Hasan and Aaron asked for the house that Heni lived in. Then they sold it on the grounds that the house was bought using their money and they now need the money. Hasan needs money to play women while Aaron needs money to gamble. Aaron has even sold all the assets he got from Mbak Eka after the divorce. And it's all over for gambling. So they drove Heni out and sold the house.

Now, they're all back at home. Mother, Hasan, Aaron, Heni and her husband and also her in-laws.

"Last thing I know like that. Don't know now that Heni and her husband have contracted the house or what." Ma'am Eka ended her story.

"Is that their condition?"

"You won't believe it until you see it for yourself. I feel sorry for my mother's condition now, despite what Aaron did to me. After all, she's still the grandmother of my children."

Ma'am Eka can say that because she has never felt the heartache of the mother's attitude. I can not immediately pity despite having heard from the story of Mbak Eka. The fact that they all had the heart for me, why now should I feel sorry for them? They did not want to know about Damar at all, but now when everything had turned around it was only Damar they wanted?

"I'm not asking you to forgive me, it must be difficult for you. But if he only wants to meet Damar, please grant him. If you don't want to meet them, you can wait outside the house. Or you wait in my house, let me take Damar to my mother's house. How's it?"