We, Without Me

A Real Nightmare

The plain ceiling of the square room looks attractive on Keven's empty eyes. Last night he stared non-stop, distracted by work. Despite a tummy tummy and a dry esophagus, Keven is still riveted with half of his body leaning against a soft sofa, and some hanging touching the cold floor.

Unexpectedly, maybe this is the beginning of the slump. Keven's life passion is like being sucked into a sewer that ends in the ocean, difficult to return because of the breaking down of waves and rotating currents.

Like always stuffing Yuki with junk food that accumulates disease, now when Keven learns to give healthy food studded with sincerity only bland that managed to be recorded. Too much pain hurts Yuki's heart until Keven's love statement is spewed out. Even just glanced at Yuki reluctantly.

Drrt .. Drrt …

Shaking the phone disturbed Keven's hearing, but not with his eyes fixed on the ceiling of his private room in the restaurant. The ceiling decorated with lights that are still on seems more interesting than the busy world that is slowly starting to rise. Keven could faintly hear the roar of vehicles passing through the streets that morning.

Since Yuki left his parents' house, Keven does prefer to spend the night in one of the restaurant branches adjacent to the campus and of course Yuki's boarding house. Sometimes the adult male is even more comfortable sleeping in the car, parked in the range of the viewing radius that can still observe the environment around where Yuki boarding house.

The room that was almost 29 years in his place could not make Keven sleep soundly. Each eye-opening was just a deep sadness and regret that Keven found.

Keven seemed to be living in a nightmare that had come true. No more Yuki's wrapped around a blanket on her back, swaying in front of the dresser or just gurgling water behind the bathroom door that disguises Yuki's discordant singing.

Tests.

Puddles of water in the eyes finally shed. The tightness that lingers overnight with heat in the eye manages to scratch the tired iris that is fixated on the void.

A moment back Keven heard the creeping sound from his phone that returned to vibrate. Forced to move the hinge joint in the neck to turn the face. Listed contact name ‘Mama’ on the screen of the phone that is on.

Poking out with disdain Keven grabbed his phone. Switched green icon with loudspeaker.

“Halo, Ma ...” The hoarse voice of Keven broke the silence. Without attaching the phone to his ear and just laying it on the table, he again observed the lights that were still shining brightly. It seemed much more interesting than something he had been eager to avoid that day.

[Come in neat clothes and makeup. Don't make Yuki more sure to part with you. Mama is already on the road with Papa. My mom has some clothes you can wear.]

Mama Agni's sentence hit a memory that Keven had been trying to forget since last night. True, that sunny day was a disaster for Keven who had to attend his divorce trial schedule.

[Divorce will not happen if you can convince Yuki and the judge at the trial. Don't despair, Mama. The spirit! Mama and Papa are always on your side to defend Yuki.]

Whatever Keven may be remains a weakness of Mama Agni and Papa Leigh who will never have the heart to see her son slump. Just like a bright morning that day. The two elderly parents who strengthen each other, compact will accompany Keven at the first hearing of the divorce lawsuit that Yuki presented.

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“Why should you also experience this, Sa-yang?”

“Ma-ma?” Parroted Yuki by surprise at the presence of Mama Maria in front of her. He never told his parents anything, what else to mention where he lives today.

“Ma-ma ke-napa ..” said Yuki again with stammering. He had not even returned the tight hug of Mama Maria. The mother and child could only be fixated with shock and immortality respectively.

“Huuuu, Huu .. Hiks, Hiks .. Ken-na-pa ha-rus your ka? To-na-pa ...” The words mixed with the cry of Mama Maria broke. The woman cried out in astonishment as she rubbed Yuki's face. Spoons, wounds and guilt were clearly drawn on a pair of eye beads with age-consuming eyelid skin wrinkles.

“Tante, we sit down first yuk there .. Come on, ki!” sela Ara in an interaction that is still very obvious surprises Yuki. The girl shrugs her shoulders and leads Mama Maria towards the car that her parents had borrowed to drive Yuki. Stepping slowly Ara turned her head at a glance while giving a flick of code to Dimas to make Yuki aware.

“Pardon Mama .. Mama guilty .. If you used to be no more concerned with your career and put your anger on your Papa's affair to you, maybe you do not have to suffer the fate of divorce as you experience. All our fault .. Because of us, parents who feel they know what is best for you .. Forgive Mama who did not succeed in giving you happiness.”

Silently digesting, Yuki wanted to cry when she saw the melted tears wet Mama Maria's cheeks. Her heart ached hearing the mother's apology. But he again remembered when he was not given the opportunity to deny everything, even being lied to with pseudo happiness.

A wedding just happens. Not only because of Keven's cunning, but also the coercion of his parents who seemed happy to throw their only daughter in a nestapa puddle.

Yuki used to think because he had tarnished the family's good name. But now when Mama Maria's speech is spoken fluently, Yuki is getting sick knowing that maybe all her assumptions are true that her presence at that time was not wanted by Mama, her father again.

"Mama supports your decision to separate. You don't have to pretend to be happy ... Let go of something that makes you unhappy. Do not force yourself to endure but continue to be hurt ... Mama promised you'd always be with you to deal with all this."

Mama Maria's promise sounds like a lie. Honestly, Yuki is not easy to believe. Various events that hit slowly make Yuki difficult to trust others. It is as if it was forcibly forged to fortify itself so as not to disappear from the face of the earth upon all the sweet, poisonous inducements.

Actually Mama Maria had arrived in City B the day before. His intention to enjoy lunch at one of the restaurants actually made him accidentally hear gossip while around the toilet.

Women who are believed to be restaurant employees are seen whispering, gossiping about the restaurant owner who is suspected of having an unnatural relationship with a friend even though he is married. I don't know why Mama Maria was driven to eavesdrop, as if she could feel sadness if she became the wife of the restaurant owner. What else looks from his story as a victim of infidelity until a household built dozens of years was destroyed.

But the big surprise was that the owner of the restaurant coincidentally turned out to be Keven, his own son-in-law. The accidental meeting between the in-laws and the son-in-law was not in a situation that was fine. Mama Maria's anger peaked, railing at Keven with questions. The old woman was really disappointed, not only at Keven, but also herself.

While Keven tried to be honest about what happened to his household. He does not cover up why Yuki is angry, although not everything is told, including the main purpose of marrying Yuki. Keven wasn't that stupid to further reinforce Mama Maria's dislike of him.

It is certain that Keven's meeting with Mama Maria put a lot of pressure on Keven. The man who could not sleep all night because of the thought of the divorce trial was also afraid that Mama Maria would encourage Yuki to be steadfastly separated from her.

“Where did Mama know I was here?” ask Yuki who is trying to divert the conversation. Yuki needs time to calm down, sort out and trust something that is considered honesty even though it is all said from her own lips.

Mom Maria gasped at Yuki's question. He glimpsed a look of embarrassment before returning to his relaxed attitude and replied, "Mom find out from your friends."

Yuki knows Mama Maria is lying, but she is reluctant to question her again. From whoever Mama knows it doesn't really matter. What's more is clear during this Yuki college friend that Mama Maria knows only Ara and Dimas. While the two humans who stood slightly away did not show any anxiety when they looked at Yuki's eyes.

...----------------...

It does not feel like time just rolls around, remaining 20 minutes he will enter a room. If only there had been no delay, Yuki would have already sat in one of the trial chairs as the plaintiff.

Unfortunately Yuki has to be patient for a moment while trying to ignore Keven who is constantly looking for an opportunity to get close. Lucky for Yuki to ask Ara and Dimas to participate. Both of his best friends are like a shield that thickens Keven.

"I'm only with Yuki!" keven when dealing with Dimas.

"Curtain! You see for yourself, don't you want Yuki? So just sit in your place!!" ketus Dimas while pushing back Keven who only moved slightly in surprise. Dimas suddenly jerked Keven's left shoulder.

"Don't feel like winning and have a chance. We're not getting divorced!"

"Yes-yes, yeah ... Continues to? Proud to fail a divorce? Proud not to ask Yuki for a divorce?" Grinning Dimas cross-section, looking down on Keven who is ready to menotos Dimas right now.

Stepping closer, Dimas exhaled heavily accompanied by a firm grip on Keven's shoulder. The behavior of Dimas was immediately dismissed by Keven. But soon Dimas was without fear to pat one of Keven's shoulders gently and said, "good, soon to be a widower."

Quickly and strongly Keven caught Dimas' wrist. Squeezed in a clutches full of anger. Keven hardened his jaw with an intimidating highlight, he was completely out of patience in the face of Dimas.

While Dimas returned Keven's gaze was no less fierce while grimacing and chuckling at the sensation of heat and pain that spread.

'Argh! Damn it hurts!! The bulls are really raging ... Tempt again, ' Inner Dimas with various ideas that pass. The young man was apparently not kapok as well even though his wrist felt crumpled.

To be honest the interaction of the two men of different ages was worrying Yuki and Ara. The girls certainly understand how spicy Dimas lips can trigger a commotion. Clearly Yuki and Ara were afraid that Dimas could have been slammed by Keven. What else in terms of posture is clearly Dimas losing compared to Keven.

Unlike the young people who were fighting in public, Papa Leigh and Mama Agni went out with Mama Maria, talking about something as fellow parents.

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In the future there will be crying haru, sorrow or both (or not at all because of the less greget nulis), look forward to ya😄 hopefully still make curious😁

Thank you for always supporting my writing, from novels to short stories approaching all😍