
"Will you accompany Stella, Jo?" Papa Stella's question made Jonathan pay more attention to the white-haired man sitting in front of him.
"Of course I want to, Om. Stella's my best friend." Jonathan confirmed the word friend in his sentence. Papa Stella took a breath and exhaled slowly.
"Jo, do you know what Om means to help fund the project downstream?" Jonathan shook his head, but he felt a bad feeling, "Hope Om, the future when Om and Aunt are gone, you and Stella can together continue and develop the business that Om has built so far. Including your new project."
Jonathan narrowed his eyes. He had understood the direction of Papa Stella's conversation, but he chose to survive to look stupid first in front of the big coal mining businessman.
"Om don't worry, my friends and I will definitely help Stella" Jonathan said diplomatically. Papa Stella chuckled softly.
"Om know, you get the point." Papa Stella looked at Jonathan inside, "Stella likes you, Jo. You know that, right?" Jonathan smiled faintly, indeed talking to people who are experienced in life is difficult to play.
"I know, Om. Stella also never covered it, we opened up to each other."
"What else do you have to wait for?"
"If by Om I mean and Stella being lovers, I apologize I can't." Jonathan cupped his palms in front of his chest.
"Reason?"
"I consider Stella as a friend, besides that I already have my own candidate, Om." Papa Stella looked at him more deeply, then took a deep breath and exhaled him back while bowing his head.
"It's so sad, princess Om. Likes a man from school, willing to have no girlfriend to be close to you. Until adulthood, his love still claps one hand. His fate after adulthood was not so good, became a victim of sexual abuse to almost raped because left alone by the man of his tribe." Papa Stella's monologuing as if there's no Jonathan in front of her.
Jonathan lowered his head. Papa Stella's words actually pierced her heart as well as cornered her.
"I'm sorry, Om, but I haven't been able to grant Om's request."
"Om still has high hopes for you, Jo. You are from a distinguished family, should also have a matching partner, huh? Moreover, the two of you have known each other from school, it is not difficult for you to build a relationship."
"Nr ...." Jonathan's already getting caught off guard by tonight's talk.
"There's still time, Jo. Om really hopes for you, with whom else would Om trust his only daughter Om if not you?"
Jonathan shook his head. He chose silence first, rather than provoking a long but empty debate. Freely refused for the time being due to his unfavorable position.
"Go home, Jo. You must be tired." Papa Stella stood up from her seat and walked into the room after patting Jonathan on the back. As soon as Papa Stella was nowhere to be seen again, Jonathan went straight out the main door before Stella called him back.
Jonathan went home and entered his house in complete darkness. He glanced at the clock on his wrist, time already showing past midnight. Jonathan scooped his face rough, almost a month this he came home late at night and left in the morning blind. During that time he hardly met his family members.
The mistake he made turned out to be very expensive. He almost lost all his time, even his freedom was almost taken away. His relationship with Jamilah is now at stake.
Jonathan dragged his heavy feet towards the kitchen. He needed something fresh to cool his brain. His lips smiled as he looked at the bottle containing a yellow liquid with a label that read 'Chunny Acid Neng Hanum'. Without a second thought, he opened the bottle and drank it.
"That's a people's order, Jo." Jonathan turned his seat. Her sister-in-law was already standing in the kitchen doorway with both hands folded on her chest. His long, disheveled hair, with a large negligee wrapped around his increasingly distended stomach looked even more comical.
"I paid," said Jonathan resigned.
"Go ahead, I'll ask your brother. I know your salary is cut a lot because of frequent permits and truancy," Hanum said as he poured water into the pot.
"What do you want to do?"
"Sstttt!" Hanum placed his index finger in front of his lips.
"Sister Alex, isn't it forbidden to eat instant noodles during pregnancy?"
"A little bit, again cold. Watch out you don't tell your sister, you know" Hanum threatened.
"Eyeh, ja--"
Kkrrrrr .. kkrrrrr The scramble for the instant noodle wrap was stopped by the sound of Jonathan's stomach. Hanum threw a mocking smile.
"Wear the same mustard?" asked Hanum half-literate.
"Cabe cut too" Jonathan grimaced.
As long as his sister-in-law cooked instant noodles for the two of them, Jonathan's thoughts returned again to the conversation with Papa Stella.
"Jo, eat. What the hell are you thinking?" It turned out that his instant noodles had been in front of him since, but his floating mind made him not see the existence of the bowl in front of his nose.
"Ga is," Jonathan said briefly. Not Hanum if you don't want to know other people's business. During the meal, his eyes continued to stare at his sister-in-law, as if he could read what Jonathan had in mind.
Jonathan who was careless felt stared at continuously finally gave up. He felt he also had to share it with others to feel lighter.
"Okay, I'm ready to listen." Hanum put away his empty bowl as soon as Jonathan was about to make a sound.
Jonathan begins to tell from the beginning he was friends with Stella until he met Jamilah who changed everything. Then until the tragedy that befell Stella because of her, and her peak now she felt in chains by guilt.
"Are you sure you're not in love with Stella?"
"Related. I love Stella, just a friend no more."
"Jamilah Same?"
"Clearly in love" Jonathan said firmly.
"If your love is the same Jamilah, yes do not be released or released. To atone for your guilt, doesn't mean you're giving up your life in one piece."
"But the direction of his Papa's talk is in that direction, I've already declined but ...."
"You have the right to refuse, Jo. It is even more guilty if you force yourself into the life of Stella and leave Jamilah. Your guilt's doubled, can you?" Jonathan shook his head in fear.
"So how am I supposed to be?"
"There is one way that you can be responsible while still maintaining your relationship with Jamilah."
"What??"
"here." Hanum called Jonathan closer.
"Ngapain whispers no one is horrified as well" protested Jonathan.
"Ah, yes." Hanum grimaced, "Gini, every time you come to Stella's house, take Jamilah with you so affirm who Jamilah is to you, and Jamilah also feels not abandoned," Hanum said with a proud smile.
"It can be tried." Jonathan nodded his head, "But don't tell the others about this."
"Yeah beresss, secrets are guaranteed. You also remember, don't let your brother know about our dinner tonight."
...❤️🤍...
I brought baguuuss' story again