The Woman Behind The Scenes

Chapter 10 - Not the Dream Son-in-law

Marriage is not just about two people being one, but about two families being together escorting their pair of children. Of course, that was an exception for Dara and Tomi.

Obviously, the mother of Dara did not approve of the marriage because Dara sacrificed her trust. After all, you could say almost all mothers will not willing their children to enter into a love story like this and become honey for other women.

In the eyes of Tomi's family, the woman he had made his second wife, was very disturbing to them. A few days before the wedding, Tomi's mother was busy calling her son many times. Dara could clearly hear the woman's scream on the phone, asking that the marriage be annulled. Some auntie from Tomi also roared in tears on the phone, asking that the marriage be annulled.

They ... These women are polygamy tasters. Dara didn't try to interrupt the phone conversation. For him it was a natural thing to happen when these people did not know about him.

Not only through Tomi, all opinions objection was also conveyed directly to Dara through various media such as short messages, and emails. Dara read all of that with a little annoyed feeling, but decided not to go long and reply. He remained silent until the wedding.

Tomi's family looked so arrogant a few months after the wedding. As a husband, Tomi certainly tried to tell about the figure of Dara to his family, although sometimes. But not until they find out, Tomi has gone abroad with his new wife.

On several video call occasions, Tomi tried to show Dara who was busy doing housework. His mother did not make any comment, nor did Dara try to say hello and so on. She knew enough to stay away from her husband's family.

Attacked a few days before the wedding took place, it certainly became an incident that struck. That was her first impression of her husband's family. In his heart, he never grandiosely hoped that it would be well received. She knew very well, in some posts, Farah tried to show her closeness to her husband's family.

Dara knew very well, before she was present, Farah had never posted such a thing. All that he did when he heard Tomi's plan to marry Dara, and when he had followed each other on social media. The intention was clearly visible, and Dara seemed to be able to make Farah's irritation even more so.

With the instinct of a woman, she also deliberately posted her closeness to the man who had married Farah. Like being in a competition, young Dara's soul does not want to be easily considered unable to reciprocate something that others do to her. Especially when he knew that this man really wanted to be with him. That's an advantage for Dara ...

At this stage, after becoming Tomi's wife, Dara was already not too concerned about her husband's family judgment, or Farah's family judgment. They have been legally married religiously and legally ... Whatever opinions come, they are just sparks of fireworks.

He was not blind, and deaf about what was happening around him. She knew very well that her husband kept their marriage secret from some of his relatives, but in other countries, they always introduced themselves as a newly married couple.

With anyone who met in the country, Tomi introduced herself as the legal husband of Dara who had just met her soul mate at the age of who was not young anymore. The opposite is true with Dara ... She asked Tomi to tell everyone she met that she was the only wife in her husband's life. This certainly makes Dara comfortable, because the status as a second wife is not something that is easily accepted by others, let alone people from Indonesia. No matter how good you are, no matter how fair, the public eye will mostly not see you in one piece. Cap as a pest for other couples, it is commonplace to be affixed to most second, third, and so on wives.

In the Philippines ... in this country ... Dara can attach her identity as Tomi's only wife. Of course, by keeping everything Tomi's family said about her.

Like sea water, Tomi nature is often tidal and receding. It sometimes wreaks devastating waves, but sometimes gives small waves that are calm, beautiful, with a gentle breeze.

At a lunch at the age of Dara's pregnancy in the fifth month, Dara's eyes were stunned to see her husband's WhatsApp profile photo, which changed instantly. Usually he would put a portrait of himself. This time, he posted a photo of the two of them with a friendly hug a few days when they arrived in Manila.

Dara had never demanded such a thing. She is not a woman who cares too much whether she is in each of her partner's posts or not. Dara kicked her husband's leg in the opposite seat. The man returned the smile, then returned busy with his phone which sounded to have some incoming messages.

‘I began to be recognized’ thought Dara in heart, while continuing to pay attention to her husband's profile photo. When he came out of the fast food restaurant, his hand was held by Tomi until they arrived at the apartment.

Today, Tomi is becoming a shady ocean. It was commonly used by Dara to exchange ideas with her husband. In such conditions, Tomi will hear more, and give opinions that are acceptable to common sense.

All of this turned out not long. The next morning after the happy thing, Dara accidentally found a message from her in-laws to her husband. The message he accidentally saw when Tomi asked him to translate a message in a foreign language to his office group.

Mama: [What are you doing with that photo in your WA? How humiliating! Aib! ]

Mother: [ Yes. A wife who is ashamed. Just shame on mom, you. Replace it! Such a crazy woman need not be profiled. ]

Then .. her husband did not reply to the babble of the mother again.

Crazy woman? Aibs? It was as low as Dara in the woman's eyes. Suppose he knew how much hard work Dara had done for his son.

Dara shed tears. He certainly has no power to endure heartache. It felt torn, ripped, and burned with all the words of a woman he could have called ‘mama’.

This is not the first time ... Dara had indeed been sent a direct message by Tomi's mother, a few days before their wedding. He showed the message to Tomi, and the man asked not to reply. It was the first wound incised by Tomi's mother, and now it's open again.

“So what's in the group, Ra?” Tomi appears suddenly from behind Dara. In his hand was a cup of iced tea for his two-bodied wife. Dara quickly wiped her wet eyes, she was afraid her husband would turn back into a big wave if she knew she was reading a message between him and her mother.

“I. We have an exchange of schedules. But you and I stay on the same schedule,” Dara replied as necessary. Because of what she read, the interest in using this good moment to tell a long story with her husband, was instantly lost.

She was expecting a baby, the granddaughter of the woman who had given birth to her husband. But why was he so demeaned like that? Dara could not lie to her, she also knew that she was not so liked by her in-laws that she had never met.

“Why you?” Tomi tried to see Dara's face looking down at the wardrobe. The neat cupboard, kept tinkering with it.

“Nothing ..” he now likes to lie to his feelings. A family like this is enough. Some pebbles that might hurt his leg, he doesn't care anymore. Crying like this helped him to relieve the feeling that stuck, let out his sadness so that half could yawn along with the crying.

“What hurts? Kasitau” Tomi knows his wife is hiding something from him. Those puffy eyes couldn't possibly be nothing.

Dara sat down and cried. He could no longer continue to suppress his hurt feelings. He crouched down hugging his knees, and cried like he had just lost an old man.

“Ra, why?” worried, Tomi embraces his wife. He was not always so to his wife, but today he is trying to behave well. Aside from having no friends accompanying her out of the house, Dara had just finished tidying up the messy apartment, and cleaned all the corners.

“I'm not the person your mama's expectations are. But please don't insult me like that ... I've done a lot of this for you, so that you can also present this to Farah and her children. I'm not a crazy woman. I also have the right to be the wife you post, and admittedly,” sobs Dara more and more so as she catapulted all her head. This heartache is different. Her pride had just been trampled by the mother of her husband. While Dara himself always tried to be the most patient to face Tomi, and support her in any way to succeed in her work.

“Sabar ... Mama doesn't know you yet. Naturally he was so, this” was the most fitting response for Tomi. He certainly could not side with Dara, or with his mother. He could only control his wife so as not to be too inclined to be hurt by what his mother said.

“Korazar? Is it natural that one day my mother will be like that to you? Do you like being dyed like that? You covered all my efforts. In your mama's eyes, I must be the woman who profited from you. Didn't they? But what is the truth? Wasn't Farah the one who benefited the most during my time?” boiling Dara's entire brain powerlessly held back the anger that gagged out through her words. Tomi was silent for a moment. The atmosphere that had been so calm, and a couple who tried to spend time together peacefully, changed just like that because of a message from an in-law.

“I'm definitely not a dream. Farah will definitely look better in your mama's eyes. At least I married you not because I was pregnant first. I got married because I wanted to be married, not to take responsibility for a mistake!” her pregnancy hormones are on her side. He became so bold as to bring out all the contents in his mind. His entire hand trembled, eager to throw an object into all corners of the room.

He had gone through quite difficult days, and the incision scar on his arm still looked fresh. It felt so hard that he was beaten by sadness, that he had to read something beyond his expectations.

At that time, his grief multiplied because he imagined the biological mother he had betrayed. His mother was still the one who loved him the most.