Two Rings

The Severe Decision

Dion was still waiting for news of his wife, Dion was aghast when a medic walked up to him, his face so panicked.

"Sus, how's my wife doing?" Ask Dion.

"Sir, your wife should be in surgery soon. The lump in his uterus is increasingly threatening the safety of your wife and child, we must immediately remove the baby. It's likely that your wife's uterus should also be removed" the medic explained briefly.

Dion pursed his lips, his gaze blank. Anna's mother tried to strengthen her son, and acted as calmly as possible.

"Yon, relax. A time like this only you can decide, think well." Anna's mother suggested.

"How, Sir? If you agree, sign the letter immediately. We don't have much time" the medics said.

Dion opened his heart, trembling his hand, reaching for the letter that the medics had brought.

With great force, Dion signed a letter of approval for the removal of his wife's womb.

"Sus, save my wife's child. I beg you," asked Dion as he gave the letter back.

"We will try as hard as we can" the medic replied and immediately returned to the room.

Dion and his mother could only give up, they could only pray for the best for Melati.

***

It took Dion a few more hours to figure out his wife's condition, and it weakened Dion's body.

"Yon, eat first." Anna's mother offered food and drinks to her son.

Dion shook his head, his appetite gone instantly.

"Yon, don't be like that. If you are weak, how will Melati? He needs you to strengthen him" asked Anna's mother.

Dion fell silent, slowly reaching for the food his mother had prepared.

Just a few bribes, Dion stopped his activities when the doctor who handled Melati came out of the room.

Dion immediately approached, and scolded him with various questions.

"Dok how my wife? My kid? Are they safe?" Dion asked with a panicked face.

The doctor sighed, and removed the mask that had covered his mouth for several hours.

"Your wife survived, her condition is still weak. He needs enough rest to recover his condition" the doctor said.

"Alhamdulillah" said Dion with his mother.

"Then our son, what about him Doc? Is he healthy?" Ask Dion.

The doctor was silent, his facial features seemed to hint at a condition that was not okay.

"Dok, why silence? How's my son?" Dion asked again with a pleading gaze.

The doctor looked at Dion, preparing to report the condition of Dion's child.

"I'm sorry, we've tried our best. But the fetus has a still birth, where the fetus has died since the womb. This has been discussed since the beginning, the cause can be caused by the disease that your wife suffered," said the doctor with a heavy voice.

Dion cried, his body collapsing again. He felt the pain he was in, even though from the beginning he knew something like this would happen. His heart refused to accept the truth.

"Yon, patience. We've all arranged, maybe it's best for us." Anna's mother tries to give her son strength.

"Why Ma'am? Why should it be my son? What's my fault, don't I deserve to be a father?" Dion was stirring, his cries becoming more and more.

"Dion, don't talk like that. Maybe it's not time yet, patient darling." Anna's mother hugged her child tightly, she understood her son's feelings very much at this time.

From a distance, two middle-aged men came to Dion and Anna's mother.

"Dion, how's Melati?" Ask Melati's mother.

Dion turned his head, and rested at the feet of his mother-in-law.

"Mum forgive me, I can't be a good husband to Melati. I failed to save my son, Mom." Dion cried with guilt.

Melati's mother bowed, and aligned her body with Dion.

"Son, don't be like this. Wake up" asked Melati.

Melati's father helped Dion to stand up, he also grabbed her daughter-in-law's shoulder.

"Yon, you have to be strong! For your wife's sake," asked Melati's father.

Dion nodded his head, he tried to be as firm as his mother-in-law asked him to be.

***

They were now walking towards the room where Melati was in the care, Dion was stepping heavily.

He who was exposed by his father-in-law, walked through the hospital hallway.

At first glance he looked at Rissa, who had been standing a few meters from the ER room. Dion's gaze was so sharp, as if implying anger.

Rissa just looked down, she did not have the courage to look back at Dion.

"Sa, wait here, yeah. I'll see Melati first" asked Anna's mother.

Rissa nodded obediently, she was unable to say a word.

***

His condition is indeed weak, and it takes time for Melati to recover.

"Darling, open your eyes. I'm here" Dion's pinta rubbed his wife's forehead.

"Yon, patience. Pray for Melati so that she will get better soon" Melati's mother asked her daughter-in-law.

Dion nodded, and looked back at his wife with guilt.

"Yon, we'd better bury your son. When we're done, we'll just get back here." Melati's father suggested.

Dion sighed, weakly moving from his place.

Dion, accompanied by his father-in-law, is now away to attend his son's funeral.

With a heavy heart, Dion held his son tightly.

His tears did not stop dripping, his face looked stifled.

Slowly Dion put his son in the burrow, he also accused his son for the last time.

In his eyes was that sinless face, pure white without a stain.

Dion's voice was heard softly, with all his might he chanted the adhan in his son's ear.

Dion returned to the surface.

Slowly the ground began to fall, hoarding the body of his little angel.

Dion's cry broke again, he could not see the child he could not see anymore.

"Son, I'm sorry. Forgive me, Father."

Only that word could be said from Dion's mouth, the chanting of prayers and tears accompanied his son's departure.

***

After he finished burying his son, Dion returned to the hospital with his wife.

Arriving there, he saw Melati who had just regained consciousness.

His heart was so happy, seeing the condition of his wife who had improved.

"Mel, honey, you're conscious." Dion hugged his wife, and several times kissed her forehead.

"Mas, where's our son? I want to see him" said Melati still in a weak voice.

Dion was silent, he glanced towards his mother-in-law as well.

Melati's mother walked up to her son, trying to strengthen her only child.

"Son, come here I want to hug you." Melati smiled, and leaned her head on the mother.

"Son, in life there is a thing called destiny. And sometimes destiny is not always in accordance with what we want" said Melati's mother.

It made Melati wonder why her mother talked about fate.

"Mom, why are you talking about destiny? What's that supposed?" Ask Melati.

No one answered, as soon as the atmosphere turned silent. Melati is increasingly confused, somehow her feelings are now suddenly agitated.

"Mom, Mum? Why are you quiet? What's the matter exactly?" Ask Melati again.

"Darling, actually our son..."

"What's our son? Where's she? Where is he, Mas?" Melati asked as her tears began to drip, her heart was made even more careless.

Dion looked down, and was about to hug his wife. Feeling unanswered, Melati pushed her husband's body.

"I asked where is our son? Answer!" Melati exclaimed with a rising voice.

"Darling, your son can't be saved." Mother Melati gave an answer.

Melati fell silent, the tub was struck by lightning. He could not say anything, his heart stopped beating.

"No way, our son is fine, isn't he, Mas? It's a lie, isn't it? You all lied to me!" Shouted Melati.

"Darling, I'm sorry. I can't save our son" Dion said.

"No, this is impossible. This is impossible, Mom. My boy..."

Jasmine's cry broke, she thrashed. Melati could not accept the fact that her son was dead, she shouted to her son.

"Give me my son, give him back. Mas, bring him to me! I beg you," Melati asked as she roared in tears.

"Where were you then, Mom. I was in pain, but you didn't come either. If you came on time maybe my son is still there, where are you, where are you?" Shouted Melati, her mind was in chaos. He spoke without thinking first.

Hearing his wife's words, Dion was devastated. He recalled his mistake, if only he had come on time maybe nothing would have happened.

Dion stepped back away from his wife, his weakened body staring at the weeping Melati hearing the harsh reality about his son.

"O Allah, so much of Your trials. Strengthen me, O God, strengthen my wife."

Dion dropped his body on the floor, lamenting the terrible fate that befell his little family.