Three Years Different

Section 24

Day by day passed. Unbeknownst to Mardiyah it has entered the last week of this month. Hopefully there will be no more bad days that he has to live, at least today. He wants to go back to childhood, where Umma Sarah always said, that he held Sunday together to be together and happy.

The words sounded foreign to each other in the ears. It is okay, if the feelings he has for Jafar are divided. Its alright. But not for the love and affection of Umma Sarah, because until the age of 23 years. Still not willing to feel, to share.

Except, with Lutfan.

Yeah, just Lutfan.

Because just as Umma Sarah said before, that he loved her more than Lutfan, the child. Mardiyah did not know what the reason was. But having the affection of Umma Sarah is her luck in life.

"Bak Mar, can I ask you to please put these plastic cups in the kitchen?"

Mardiyah nodded. "Can."

Arriving at the kitchen door. His intention wanted to step in one big step, but foolishly he did not realize that then the kitchen is sometimes slippery. Finally everything he carried including plastic cups scattered on the ground.

"Bak here I ban .. it."

Mardiyah knew that voice. Even the next second the female footsteps approached.

"Oh God, Mar. Come on slowly."

Yes, Alma, the inner Mardiyah by gently jerking Alma's hand. "Delivery."

The new golden boy helped pick up the splattered plastic cups. Mardiyah was sitting in the wooden kitchen chair.

"What do you want, Mar? I'm helping you, okay?"

Mardiyah. "No need to."

"Why the hell, Mar? You are why ketus? I can't relax, keep going. You're the-"

Mardiyah smiled blandly and refuted, "Sorry. I forgot, if soon you will be his son-in-law Umm Salamah. I'm supposed to be man-made in front of you, right?"

In Umma's office, I had heard a conversation which was about Jafar's matchmaking with this woman, Mardiyah's mind with a sharp look at Alma.

"A-i---"

Mardiyah refuted, "Married a mute man. Aren't you ashamed?"

Then me? Don't I feel ashamed to insult Jafar? inner Mardiyah by looking at Alma who raised one of her eyebrows.

"No."

"Oh. No? Obviously, anyway. Who wouldn't want to marry a man whose legacy-"

Alma suddenly refuted, "Stop twitching, Mar. I know you like Jafar, right? So, enough. Don't insult the person you like yourself."

This woman knows? Instantly Mardiyah let out a bland laugh. Then he looked at Alma who was still crouching and picked up some plastic cups. "If I like Jafar, what's your business, Alma?!"

"Nothing. So, my advice is to meet Ummi Salamah as soon as possible, maybe you can enter the candidate to be his son-in-law. And this marriage will be nullified--"

Mardiyah spontaneously got up, pulled Alma's arm to erect and stopped taking the few remaining glasses. "Your advice will never work. Umm Salamah just wants to have a daughter-in-law like you, who has a heart and comes from a good family."

My chest ached, the inner Mardiyah further said, "So stop giving me advice, Alma!"

"Mardiyah, wait!"

"Mardi!"

Mardiyah cared about her hearing. Alma managed to pull his arm. "What's? You want to know more?" mardiyah.

Alma. "No, Mar. I don't mean--"

"Try your mind, Alma. Every child ends up in an orphanage, not all because their parents died. There's also a dumped one, because the presence of a fucking fetus is shrunken by his mother's sudden."

Hearing that Alma shook her head. "Not Mar. Never sum up--"

"Conclude what? Summing up if not the name of a fucking fetus or an illegitimate child. That, you mean? Ada, Alma. There are. Me!" sentak Mardiyah's.

Damnit. My eyes were suddenly blurry, the inner Mardiyah who felt that her neutrality had been glazed over. The moment he never realized, those tears were flowing. "By Allah, Alma. But ... but why did you suddenly come and seem to take away all the property of others, Alma?!"

"What did I take, Mar?" ask Alma slowly.

You still ask?! It was like Mardiyah was yelling at this woman in front of her.

"Everything" said Mardiyah.

If this evening there is no Sunday event together, the great debate with Alma will be thunderous, obviously will be known by people.

"Jafar?"

"Not just Jafar. Everyone, Alma! You take Umma Sarah, you make her seem to love you enough as an orphanage's only child." Mardiyah soared a hollow laugh, with the remains of her tears. "What's your life lacking, Alma? From birth to fourteen years you still have parents. All your attention can be unsolicited, and you may come to take it all ..."

"Less what, Alma?" mardiyah, again.

Alma breathed a heavy sigh. His tears have been flowing more and more. Yeah, let's say that he's evil now, that's okay.

Mardiyah shook her head quickly. "No. Don't you need to apologize. I'm not asking you to apologize! I asked, what less is your life until all the attention Umm Sarah you take?!"

"Nothing. My life is nothing less" replied Alma quietly.

Again Mardiyah shook her head. "No. Your life must be lacking, to the point that you can't take away all the property rights of a child in a parlour-"

"Enough, Mar. I understand your life is suffering. But please stop talking as if I am not an orphan, who deserves pity. My mom and dad died, Mar. W-what do you think ..." Alma seemed to take a breath for a moment. Once in a while rubbing tears and saying, "A fourteen-year-old can live alone without relatives? Did you also think before meeting Umm Sarah my life was all right? No, Mar! No!"

With a reddened netra, Alma looked at Mardiyah deeply. "All Mar .., all the people who live here, have a fate as painful as yours. So, please ... please stop, Mardiyah."

Much talk, Inner Mardiyah.

Three seconds later, Alma said, "You want everything? Take, Mar. At least I don't intend to marry Jafar and I don't want to live in a parlour-"

Mardiyah rebutted, "Lie! You lied, Alma! How ...? What it's like to be the son-in-law of a family whose heir-"

"Enough Mar, Enough!" refute Alma with a snarl.

"Astagfirullah. Alma, Mardiyah! What's up, son?!"

U-ummas? mardiyah's mind immediately turned to look at the arrival of the brothers - Umma Sarah and Ummi Salamah.

"Alma" said Umm Salamah.

"Mardiyah" said Umma Sarah.

Mardiyah quickly rubbed both of her cheeks. His right hand was suddenly pulled by Umma Sarah, carried by him to the orphanage office.

"Sit you, Mardiyah."

Mardiyah according.

"What are you fighting with Alma, son? Umma was really disappointed, Umma heard for yourself what you said to Alma. What the hell is it? Until you get like this, Mardiyah?" ask Umma Sarah.

Mardiyah was silent for a moment. "Umma heard everything, right? Then why is Umma still asking?"

"You took Jafar with Alma?" Umma Sarah shakes her head in an inexhaustible manner. "Don't, Son. Do not take something that has been set well. Because Alma and Jafar's marriage is the trust of their parents."

Trusteeship? What kind of trust, Umma? inner Mardiyah with bowed in.

"Please Mardiyah .. stop."

Mardiyah. "Mardiyah's quarrel with Alma wasn't about that, Umma!"

His gaze was blurry again, tears had gathered again in his eye sashes.

"Keep about what else, son?"

Mardiyah was silent for a moment. "About Umma too."

"U-umma ... " Mardiyah looked at Umma Sarah inside. "Why ... Why does Umma look so fond of Alma?"

Mardiyah bowed again. This time his hands were raised covering a pitiful face, which he had not shown to Umm Sarah for a long time.

"Mardiyah doesn't like Umma..." Mardiyah. "Mardiyah did not feel the heartache of Jafar in a match with Alma."

"But ... Mardiyah sick Umma ... Mardiyah was sick when she saw Umma was closer to Alma."

Umma Sarah approached, rubbing the head of Mardiyah covered with a veil. "What are you talking about, son? You think Umma doesn't love you anymore?"

Mardiyah nodded.

"U-umma also promised to find Mardiyah's husband. But Mardiyah waited until .. one year more Umma did not tell who was the person ..." Mardiyah paused by rubbing her eyes. "And these past few months, Umma's been busy with that new foster kid."

"Umma's busy with Alma. Umma forgot about Mardiyah, right?" coined.

Umma Sarah shook her head. "Not for a second did Umma forget about you, Mardiyah. Umma inget, Umma also love you. Babe .. very."

Mardiyah.

"So you want to know who the man Umma chose?"

Mardiyah nodded slowly.

"Nurse ... Umma's own son," said Umma Sarah.

^^^

Note:

Part 13 I changed should have waited for a year. Not three years. When in part 13 Lutfan was 18th street 19 less than a few months. And now after I skip one year Lutfan's age is 19 more which is less than two months closer to 20 years.

Understand, right?