To Mutia

Pretend Deaf

Along with the judge knocking his hammer, Mutia momentarily closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was the end of her struggle as a wife for the past two years. Sitting at the trial to hear the judge's verdict that from this moment on he and Haikal officially parted ways.

"Mutia,"

Mutia's lips forced a smile as her dark bead caught the figure of a middle fifties man walking up to her and looking at her with an affectionate shady look.

Moving on from her seat, Mutia greeted the man's arrival with a warm embrace. "I don't think Dad will come."

Recalling how angry the old man was a week ago, Mutia said she wanted to divorce Haikal and gave reasons that they could not force themselves to continue together. Mutia said, they have tried to bring love, but the feelings that grow are only limited to affection between brothers. Haikal considered him to be nothing more than a sister, and vice versa.

Honestly speaking, Mutia felt that she could not bear to lie to the man she already considered her own real father, but Mutia had to do it anyway. He didn't want to bring chaos to the Haikal family. Also, Mutia did not want to make the old man feel guilty for what happened to him because of Haikal's jerk.

Although now the old man has status as his former father-in-law, but Mutia's affection for him is still intact.

"There may be Father letting Father's daughter face this hard day alone." gently the old man that Mutia called Father, landed a warm kiss on the top of his head, before creating some distance.

"Son, even if you are no longer Dad's daughter-in-law, you will still be Dad's favorite daughter. So. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask Dad. As long as I can, I'll give you what you want."

"Thank you, Dad." Mutia smiled sincerely. Then his gaze was shifted to the figure of a tight-knitted woman who was at the back of the courtroom. The fifties woman was standing there with Haikal and Sonya. Staring at him with a cynical look and lips turned a mocking smile.

Ignoring the woman's dislike, Mutia approached her. Politely grabbed the hand of a woman who was none other than Mother Haikal, for he kissed the back of his hand.

"Mother is coming."

"I'm coming for Haikal." Karlina roughly pulled her hand from Mutia's grasp. "You're finally divorced too. Two years so long and sickening."

Mutia did not respond, only commenting on a small smile. He will not be offended, because knowing from the beginning Karlina did not like it. Even the woman was strongly opposed to the arranged marriage made by her husband, Hartono.

"Mom, watch your talk!" Hartono rebuked while throwing a sharp look at his wife.

"Loh, why? I was just telling the truth." then nonchalantly Karlina waltzed away. It was followed by Haikal and Sonya, who had no intention of talking to him at all, even if it was just a stale base.

"Where are you going, son?"

Mutia turned to her former father-in-law. "Go home to my parents, Dad."

"Dad told Haikal that the house you once occupied will give you and Haikal agreed. So you don't have to move, stay there, because the house is yours."

"Thank you, Dad." Mutia smiled widely, trying to look cheerful. "But I still want to go home. I miss the memories in my parents' house."

"Alright, Father understands." Hartono's wrinkled hand rubbed Mutia's black mane gently. "Doubt if Dad drove you?"

"Of course not."

* * *

Mutia's forehead frowned when she did not find the figure of the perpetrator who had just made a noise, only the door was still open and a single sofa near the door that had changed position, only to be seen, like he just got hit hard.

It was not the answer that Mutia heard, but the sound of objects thrown before then falling hit the floor, and the sound of broken glass that made Mutia immediately approached the room of her sister.

"Astagfirullah, Sal."

Mutia exclaimed in shock when she found her sister's room that was like a broken ship, while the figure of the sister was sitting on the floor, leaning on the side of the bed, her hands covering her face, and her, still in a white-gray uniform.

"What's up, Sal?" stepping carefully so as not to get pierced by the broken glass, Mutia approached her sister. "Why did you get a room like this?"

Just as Mutia arrived at the end of the bed, Faisal moved from his seat and looked at Mutia with red eyes. From Faisal's tightened jaws and grinding teeth, Mutia was sure her sister was being enveloped in anger. But those red eyes also looked teary, as if holding back tears, holding back his sadness. But because of what?

"People are talking about you, Yuk! My ears hear it."

Mutia tried to refrain from being provoked by the high tone Faisal let out. "What talk?"

"About your divorce and Haikal."

"Then? Why should you be angry? They talk about me, not you. Oh.. or you are ashamed to have Ayuk a widow at his age who has not even reached a quarter of a century. So, Faisal?"

"I am not at all ashamed to have you as a brother, even though you are now a widow. I just don't like hearing them talk bad about you, corrupting you as the guilty party, like they know everything. In fact, it was Haikal's bastard who should be blamed!"

For a moment Mutia closed her eyes, as Faisal slammed the lightning-fast alarm clock he took from the top of the nightstand.

"I care about you. Loved you. That's why I don't want people to talk bad about you. Ayuk should tell the truth, there is no need to cover up the rottenness of Haikal, so that Ayuk will not be the material of the gossip of the holy-sentient humans."

"I'm thinking about Dad's feelings, Sal. I would be devastated and feel guilty if I knew the truth."

"Why do you bother thinking about his father's feelings, while Haikal himself doesn't care? Before making others happy, you must make yourself happy first, Yuk. Stop thinking about other people's feelings."

"Can't, Sal. Dad's been so good to us. If it wasn't for Dad, you wouldn't be able to continue school after graduating Junior High. I don't know when I can repay all of Dad's kindness, so at least all I can do is keep his feelings."

"Oh my God..." Faisal groaned and rubbed his face violently, before dropping the body on the edge of the bed. "Why do you have to go through all this, Yuk? You're a good person, but why is everyone doing you bad."

Approaching Faisal, Mutia hugged him. Making the seventeen-year-old man's face stick to his stomach.

"When I hear them talk bad about you, I want to crash and squeeze their mouths. But I remember your message and that of Mother, who asked me to glorify women, because women have a soft heart and are so fragile that they should be treated with special care. So. I tried hard to hold back my emotions and vent my anger by slamming things. Sorry, Yuk. I promise I'll get it fixed soon."

Mutia who was now crying in silence, nodded her head repeatedly. After wiping away the tears, Mutia smiled sincerely while landing a kiss on the top of her sister's head that had grown up.

"Pretend deaf, they'll be tired themselves."

...****************...

Info: Yuk/Ayuk is the call of the Prabumulih/Palembang people for older sisters. Ayuk has the same meaning as Ma'am and brother.