Why Different?
Blessings
“So, Mama suddenly gave her blessing for squirming Zahira help small children with cats in the hospital?” juan asked after he finished listening to his mother's explanation. Like the original plan, he asked the mother directly about the reason why the blessing could flow suddenly, so that later he did not find disturbing strange things.
Chyntia nodded, but then she shook her head just a split second after. Juan was confused. The boy even woke up from a sleeping position and looked at his mother full of question marks.
“Iya, or not be?” exacting.
Chyntia also woke up. “Iya, one of the reasons why Mama gave her blessing was because of the kindness of Zahira that afternoon. And no, for your statement that says that this blessing comes suddenly. Nope, Mama don't love this all of a sudden.” He explains.
Not understanding, Juan even more confused. He even turned his back, looking down at his father who was sleeping on the mattress on the floor while he and his mother were hanging out on a soft mattress. His father was seen closing his eyes, but Juan was sure the man was not actually sleeping.
“Papa understand what Mama means?” he asked, to someone they didn't think existed in the first place.
His existence was suddenly considered making Julius open his eyes. He looked at his son for a moment before the gaze stopped on his wife. For a few seconds, Julius said nothing. The man seemed to be chatting with Chyntia through the eyes, deliberately so that their chatter was not understood by their boys who suddenly cosplayed into a big baby.
Then, a sigh begins the movement of Julius rose from his sleeping position. He sat down while bending his knees, then his eyes this time stared intensely at Juan who was still waiting for an answer.
“Your mother has actually been in love with your boyfriend for a long time, only her worries make her close her eyes to that feeling.” Evidently.
Although in Juan's eyes he was just an irresponsible man who preferred to spend time at the gambling table instead of accompanying his wife at home, Julius still has a good side as a husband that only he shows in front of a Chyntia. Every time he did not come home, he would confine himself to the room, just to listen to all the grievances that his wife was alone while she pursued her own pleasure outside. And of the many complaints he heard from Chyntia, the name Zahira has come up more frequently in recent months. It even happened in the months before Juan decided to leave home.
As for Juan, this was new information that he had not expected at all. Her mother likes Zahira, but her joy is covered by everything that accumulates in her head. About where did his mother get the habit of overthinking? From his perfectionist grandfather? Or just from his late grandmother who looks quiet like a calm river water?
“Is it real?” Juan turned to his mother.
Already had no way out to dodge, Chyntia exhaled a sigh of resignation. Her gang was still as big as Mount Fuji before, but thanks to the positive affirmations her gambling husband always gave her, she finally tried to accept that her feelings for Zahira were valid. It was precisely the excessive worry that he nurtured that was only an illusion.
“Oh my God, I love you so much, Mama.” Again, Juan said it in an exaggerated style, so instead of feeling overwhelmed, Chyntia sneered.
“You said that because Mama gave you blessing, right? Try it if not, you must say ‘I hate you, Mama, to the moon and back!’ yes, right?” chyntia said, mimicking how much better her son was talking.
“But the om-om also love aaaa very same Mama. Your love is also still lost.” Chyntia defended her husband. In another person's point of view, Julius Antonio Saputra may be an ignorant man who is indifferent to his son and wife. But in Chyntia's point of view, Julius is a man who loves her as much as the world. His love never waned, though he had to be extra patient waiting until the man returned from his adventure seeking worldly gratification at the gambling table.
“Cih!” Juan sneering. He glanced fiercely at his father who was smiling to himself because he had just been defended by his wife. But then, Juan was stunned. He began to see his father as himself. Where everyone thinks he's a bastard, useless, unlovable. But by his side, there was a devoted woman accompanying no matter what people said.
That night, for the first time Juan realized that he had many facets similar to his father. A realization that finally made him understand, why his mother still stands waiting for the return of his father who is sometimes uncertain.
His family is not as warm as Zahira's or even people out there who even nicknamed ‘Cemara's family'. However, in this family, of these two imperfect humans, Juan learns that imperfections never make a person anything, as long as he meets the right person.
...🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁...
In the moments leading up to the turn of the day, Zahira wakes up. He sat down in front of his window, looking at the deep sky above which seemed lonely because the moon and stars were covered in cloudy clouds.
Just counting the minutes, his age would increase by one year. And in the history of his life, this may be the most memorable birthday after all this time. He looked back at the jeweled ring embedded in the ring finger of his left hand, replacing his and Juan's couple ring which he now moved to the middle finger. She doesn't really like wearing jewelry, but it's too much of a pity if she has to get rid of one of them—because both are valuable.
In addition to proposing to be a ghost, Juan's mother also came to bring advice that more or less the contents may be the same as what Abi and Umi told Juan before. The graceful woman blatantly tells him that Juan is not perfect, that Juan is just an ordinary human being who has a great many defects and less who also wants to be accepted.
On that advice, Zahira said the same thing. He humbly said that just like Juan, he was not perfect. Many annoying sides that he has, which sometimes even makes Umi and Abi give up face. People may think Juan is lucky to have him, but for Zahira himself, he is lucky to have Juan in his life.
Many of Zahira's acquaintances were the children of rich people. However, of them all, only Juan was the only one who looked different in Zahira's eyes. The man never used the connections his parents had to make a profit for himself. Juan never declared himself to everyone that he was the son of a rich man and they should not mess around. He was even more fond of being known as part of Pain Killer, instead of the son of one of the higher-ups on campus.
We are precious in the eyes of the right people. Perhaps, that is the most fitting sentence to describe how Juan was in Zahira's eyes, and vice versa. Others may think they are nothing, no matter as long as they still have each other.
The clock continued to move closer to the number 12, and when he finally arrived and continued on to another number, Zahira closed her eyes for a moment to pray. Just on her birthday, she prayed that everything would be smooth until the day she and Juan were truly united in a marriage bond.
“Amin.” Zahira rubbed her face, then fell silent for a while before returning to the bed. He will go to sleep, with good feelings and hope for better days ahead. He would not wait for Juan's birthday greeting, for the man would not do so early. Juan was never someone who said ‘happy birthday the earliest’, but the man was always someone who accompanied him through his birthday with an endless feeling of gratitude. Of course, in his own way, a way that only a Juananda Saputra can do, there is nothing else.
Seriate
