To Mutia

No Call It

Not usually Lamia came home on time, but today she was at home, even when the clock has not shown five o'clock. Impatiently Lamia pressed the bell attached to the door frame, waiting for a while until then the door of her house was opened from the inside and revealed the figure of Mutia.

"You got any more work?" todong Lamia stepped inside.

"No one, Tea. It's all done. Need something?"

Lamia shakes. "Sit. I want to talk to you."

The two approached the living room sofa and sat facing each other.

Not without reason Lamia came home early today. Since the morning, or rather since she heard the doctor's diagnosis that Mutia was pregnant, when she accompanied the twenty-three-year-old woman, Lamia had wanted to ask for an explanation from Mutia. If she had not had an important meeting today, Lamia would have chosen to take a day off just to satisfy her curiosity.

"I want to see your e-ktp again."

Mutia frowned for a moment, but when her brain managed to reason from Lamia's request, her lips turned a smile. He believes this must have something to do with the results of the doctor's examination this morning. Because it's... Mutia immediately took her e-ktp, then gave it to Lamia.

"You... are married?" lirih Lamia, when looking at the relationship status on Mutia's identity card.

"Steh thought, I went all the way from the island of Sumatra to Bali, because I was pregnant out of wedlock, huh?" shoot Mutia, making Lamia look at him with regretful look.

"Sorry, Mutia." handed over Mutia's e-ktp, Lamia again leaned back. "When the doctor says you're eight weeks pregnant, I'm in shock not playing. And I did think as you said."

"No pa-pa, Tea. But I didn't expect Teteh to be this surprised, considering that Teteh had already seen my identity card."

"I only saw your name and date of birth, because I was in a hurry to get back to the office."

Mutia nodded in understanding.

"By the way, where's your baby's father? Have you told him?"

Mutia hugged her stomach, as if she was protecting the fetus in her womb. The memory of when Haikal blatantly admitted that the man loved Sonya and asked her to be willing to be pitted against him, incised a deep wound in his heart.

The pregnancy news will make their divorce illegitimate and inevitably he must return to Haikal. That means Mutia's efforts to break away from Haikal will be in vain.

No. gabe. I don't want to go back to Haikal. If he can't love me, how can he love my son. Haikal and Sonya will soon have children. I don't want my son to feel neglected one day, because Haikal will definitely care more about his son and Sonya. The result of their love, not like my son whose presence was from an accident.

"My husband..." Mutia paused, dissolving with her thoughts. Then his mouth spoke without him noticing. "Had died."

"Innalillahi wa innalillahi rojiun." Lamia's black bead highlighted pity. "Died because of what?"

Mutia flinched, as if freshly drawn back from the subconscious. She seemed dazed at Lamia's question, not remembering her telling her that her husband had died.

While Lamia who saw Mutia's spirit, actually felt increasingly concerned. She assumed that Mutia was sad at this time, because she was reminded of her late husband.

"Died?" Mutia.

"I'm sorry, I made you sad again." Lamia looked bad. "I just want to know, so there's no more misunderstandings. And also... considering that your gestational age is only eight weeks, I'm sure...Your husband recently died, right?"

Wet bitch, just melt all over, her mind whispering. "Yes, Tea. He died one week before I went to Bali. Work accident."

Mutia begged God for forgiveness for lying. He did not want to lie to Lamia, but he did not want to go back to Haikal. It is true that he still loves the man, but he is not a stupid woman who will stick with Haikal, when the man says he will marry again. The love he had for Haikal was not that million, until he let his heart be trampled.

"Then..your parents and in-laws? You didn't tell them either?" pause for a moment, Lamia quickly added. "Don't think I'm asking this question, because I want you to go back to your town Mutia. I'm not going to ask you to leave."

Mutia smiled slightly, then nodded in understanding. "My parents are dead, Tea. If my father-in-law only accepted me, while Mom, from the beginning of our marriage, did not agree. After the death of my husband, I stayed there for a while, but I often heard their quarrels. Not wanting them to always argue over my whereabouts, I decided to leave."

This time Mutia did not completely lie about her two in-laws.

"Oh Allah, Mutia." Lamia felt even more sympathetic towards Mutia. "You have to be strong, yes. Especially now that you are pregnant. I'm sure God has prepared happiness for you."

Mutia smiled sincerely, inwardly confirming Lamia's words.

"But no matter what, you have to keep telling them. I'm sure your father-in-law would have been happy to know that he'd be a grandfather soon."

"Yes, Tea. I'll tell him soon." I'm sorry, Dad. This time I won't say anything to you, because I don't want Dad fighting for me to get back with Haikal. I was quite relieved by the choices I made.

"What... After Teteh finds out I'm a widow, Teteh... will fire me?" she said carefully, making Lamia frown.

"And why would I fire you? As I recall, you worked well and made no mistakes. Then for what reason did I fire you?"

"Because I'm a widow?" sahut Mutia in a questioning tone, full of doubt.

"I don't understand anymore, Mutia."

Breath came out from Mutia's lips. "Being a widow is always in one eye, Tea. People assume that a widow is a seductive woman. This status, makes many women in ostracized and even harassed. Is it okay to hire a widow?"

"God, Mutia. I don't think that narrowly. You don't have to worry." Lamia tilted a smile, making Mutia sigh in relief.

The two pairs of eyes that were looking at each other instantly shifted attention to the origin of the sound source, only to find Azril with his work clothes decorated with lightning emblems, walking over to the sofa. Making Lamia and Mutia immediately move from sitting down, to welcome the arrival of the man.

"Your tumben was home when the moon wasn't out?" Azril glanced at his watch which showed five o'clock past twelve minutes.

Lamia shriveling. "Aa mah that. I came home late, diomelin. I went home quickly, questionably." Approaching Azril, Lamia grabbed her husband's hand for him to kiss the back of the hand.

"Yes, just curious. You may not be willing to go home on time, if there is nothing important and urgent." at first glance, the black mane of Lamia is still carried tight, before dropping the body on the sofa.

"I'll excuse you to go back, Tea." said Mutia, who got the nod from Lamia. But Azril called out to him, making Mutia's move instantly stop. He turned around and looked at Azril.

"Please make some coffee, Mut. As usual, yes."

"Ready, boss sir." with a wide grin, Mutia left behind a couple who were now sitting side by side.

"So... 'cause did you come home early?" Azril looked curiously at Lamia.

"Mutia had been vomiting for a few days, so this morning I accompanied her to the doctor. And. The doctor said, Mutia's pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Azril turned his back, but there was a twinkle in his eyes that Lamia did not realize.

"Yes. He's eight weeks old. I'm surprised A', keep thinking, because I don't know Mutia's married..."

"Well, haven't you seen his identity card?" Azril.

"Yes, but I didn't see the status of the relationship. And it turns out that Mutia's husband has died, as well as her parents. While her in-laws, who accept she is only a male in-law, women do not agree from the beginning they get married. Poor thing, A'?"

"This is the coffee, A'." Mutia's arrival with a cup of coffee, stopped Azril and Lamia's conversation. The two turned to Mutia who was now serving coffee on the table.

"Sit, Mut." pinta Azril, who Mutia directly obeyed.

"Lamia said you were pregnant?"

Azril could not cover the happy tone in his voice. For Azril, pregnancy is an amazing miracle. Imagine, there is a fetus that grows in the womb, the more time grows, nine months later will be born as a new human. He always felt amazed when he saw a woman with a large stomach because of pregnancy.

"Yes, A'. The doctor said eight weeks."

Azril nodded with a smile adorning his handsome face. "It's still very young, you have to really take care of it. Do not be too tired, do not lift heavy items, do not eat late, must consume a lot of fruit, do not sleep late. Oh yeah, you've bought pregnant women's milk, haven't you? When do I see the doctor again? Continue.. if you crave, say yes. insya'allah I help to give it."

Not only Mutia who gawked, Lamia —wife— was also looking at him with a gaping mouth.

"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked with a frowning forehead, staring alternately at Lamia and Mutia.

"Aa know, Aa said it was like a doctor" Lamia said and got a nod of agreement from Mutia.

Azril scratched an eyebrow. "sorry. I'm too excited about Mutia's pregnancy."

This time Lamia looked at her husband fixedly, while Mutia was clumsy. Feeling uncomfortable with Azril's response, who was already like a husband. So happy to hear the news of his wife's pregnancy.

"Ehm... Tea, I'm going to the room. Take a shower."

Lamia nodded. After Mutia's petite figure was no longer visible, her attention was fixed on her husband.

"A happy with the pregnancy, Mutia?"

The corners of Azril's lips are attracted to form sweet ridges. "You know, I really like children, including their growth in a mother's womb. Every time I see a pregnant woman, I feel a sense of happiness. And now, Mutia who lives in our house is pregnant, her living condition is also concerning, is it wrong if I sympathize with her? I'm sure it's not easy for Mutia to have a pregnancy by herself."

Lamia. Inwardly justifying Azril's speech. How could he have been jealous a moment ago? Azril would never betray him. He knew very well how much love Azril had for him. The man even willingly humbled himself before his parents, only to make her a wife. So. It was not fitting for Lamia to suspect Azril.

"I'm sorry, I can't give Aa a child" she said later.

Azril smiled. His hands moved around Lamia's shoulders, before landing a kiss on his wife's forehead. "That's beyond our power. God does not trust us to have a child... God gives us a chance to enjoy our time together. Don't think too much, yeah." Azril gently rubbed Lamia's upper arm. "I'll take a shower first."

Lamia stared at the back of her husband who was getting away, and then disappeared behind the bedroom door. Leaving Lamia who was sculpting at precisely with her heart in a blanket of guilt.

What if you knew, if we hadn't had a child until now, it was because of me deliberately taking a pregnancy-preventing drug?

As per her life list, Lamia planned to become pregnant when she was thirty, while she is now twenty-seven years old. At the moment he wants to take a career and feel at the top to satisfy his ambitions. And in order to achieve her wish, Lamia must be willing to sacrifice. That is, sacrificing Azril's desire to have children.

"Three more years, A'. Be patient. Three years is not long at all."

But Lamia forgot, that in a period of three years anything could have happened.

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