When Love Finds You
Alvin approached Erri who sat drooping on the edge of the bed. Alvin lined up and returned the book to Erri.
"It's what you're looking for?" Asked Alvin who was more like a thunderclap in Erri's ear.
"I ... Sorry ..." Erri confused what to say next to that sentence.
Alvin was silent. Erri was silent. For a moment, silence floated in the room. Erri tries to look at Alvin's bowed face with a blank stare at the floor. There was no sign of anger or emotion that exploded there. There is only a face full of disappointment that natural bias. Erri knows, he has made one big mistake. And the tears decay again. Suddenly Erri did not want to be in the atmosphere. He also moved when Alvin's voice held him.
"How have you kept this thing secret for over twenty years?"
Erri turned and fell on Alvin's knee with an increasingly heavy tears. Alvin grabbed his shoulder. Guiding Erri sits down on it. Erri covered her face with two cold palms.
"I'm sorry ... I'm sorry ..." Erri's voice was husky.
Alvin stared at the woman he had married twenty-three years ago with a blank stare.
"You do not need to apologize ... it's not a mistake. That's normal. It can happen to anyone. I'm just wondering ... How our marriage can go twenty-three years without us equally loving each other, how can we not know that we are not loving each other for twenty-three years ... why do you have to pretend to love me? How long as it is, we share the same secret ... "
Erri was surprised. Without we both love each other? both keep the same secret? ... that sentence seems to be underlined.
"You mean?"
"I do not think you have any clarity ..."
"You mean ... you ...?"
Alvin did not answer. He just handed Lenovo A390 silvernya and immediately headed for the balcony.
Erri stared at the series of numbers lined up in her message inbox. Open it one by one.
How are you getting ready tomorrow?
Yes, 99 percent already ...
Then, have you talked to your wife?
About?
About our wedding plans.
Later, if my son's marriage is settled
But you are serious with your offer?
Yes, I'm serious. I've always been serious. You just wrote me.
Yes, yes, sorry yes dear ... I'm mistaken. And I promise, it will not happen twice.
Now you know how much I love you.
Yes, dear. Especially if you want to divorce your wife. I'm more confident.
Yes, that we see later aja. If he's ready to be combined, I do not think it's a problem. But if it's not ready, it's ... finished the problem.
Erri's tears grew heavier. Is it true, Alvin will divorce her ?. who is this woman ?, can he face this?
There is a tenderness to scratch his feelings. He could not bear to read the other messages. This is enough to make him worthy of a mental hospital patient.
Erri could no longer translate the turmoil in her heart. He probably did not love Alvin, but he never imagined going away with Alvin. What if, Alvin really ...
Erri is weak. It turned out to be useless. It's useless to try to love someone who never tries to love her, even to leave her.
"Nuriza invertil. The man who used to get him out of me, just behind him because of invertil. How can I see the woman I love squandered like that ... when I really want to spend the rest of my life with that woman. "
Alvin's sentence was just like a sword that was able to kill Erri with a single slash. Somehow, his heart regrets having loved Dimas. And what he regrets more is that he has to deal with the fact that he has been living with men who do not want him. Twenty-three years is not a short time.
How can I see the woman I love squandered like that? ... and I really want to spend the rest of my life with that woman.
The sentence echoed in Erri's ear. The sentence that made him want to jump from the eighteen-story building. The sentence that makes him think that a knife in his stomach is enough to relieve this pain.
And at that moment, it felt like Erri embraced a man who had married her for twenty-three years, then said that "I love you dear ... I really am in love with you now and forever ...".
But it's useless. After all, he will only get a divorce lawsuit.
"Tomorrow Nindy married ... I do not want him to know anything about his parents who do not love each other ... We'll discuss this later" Erri's last sentence before finally leaving the room.
Alvin still stood on the balcony. Gazed at the late night. He still loves Nuriza for decades. Just as Erri feels for Dimas.
Alvin's gaze swept through the now empty space. There were only sobs of Erri still stuck in his ears. The real cry she wanted to relinquish. The crying that made him curse, whoever, for what ...
Downstairs, Erri knocks on Nindy's room. He found his son lying idly among the two fat ladies who smeared the scrub all over his body.
"Mother? ... Mother why do you cry?"
"It's alright dear ... Mother touched."
"Terharu ?, Because tomorrow Nindy is married?"
Erri nodded.
The two fat ladies said goodbye.
"Oh yes, mbak ... Mbak Atikah had been told his room?"
"Already, ma'am"
Erri approached Nindy who was still wearing a kemben. Then hugged him and sobbed there.
"Mother ... thank you for taking care of Nindy. Nindy owes much to Dad and Mother ... "
Erri's tears grew heavier. Nindy tightened her hug.
"Mother do not have to be sad ... even though Nindy already married, Nindy still mother of Mother with father. Nindy also wants to enjoy her old age with Axcell, as Mother spends time with Daddy "
Erri hugged Nindy tighter. As if to whisper ... "After you're married, Mother has no one anymore, honey ... you have to love your husband sincerely. May you be happy, son, with the man you love ... your happiness is the happiness of Mother, so is your happiness is the happiness of Mother. Although Mother must lose you at the same time ... "
Erri knows, soon he will lose everything in almost the same time. He had lost the man he loved. And now he will experience it again. Even heavier. If it takes decades
That morning arrived ...
The morning where happiness bursts within the hearts of two beings ready to become one in a great nan bond.
Erri's eyes were slightly swollen, cried all night. Erri sits side by side with Alvin. But neither one tried to break the ice. They dissolve in silence and their own thoughts.
"Erri ... your eyes are swollen. Why? "Asked Priscill, his younger brother Erri.
"That's Tante, Mother is crying in Nindy's room." Nindy said quietly. But quite clearly heard by Erri also Alvin.
"Napa Ndy?"
"Mother sad she said. Terindu Nindy is already big. Beautiful again. Rich Mother ... "Nindy replied jokingly.
"Yeee doing sad. It's good for Nindy to be married, so can be alone together ... Ahaydah "Priscill led as he nudged Erri's arm.
"Iiii Tante Priscill ..."
Erri smiles. But in the corner of his eye, the water fell again. Erri quickly backward before anyone knows. He went to the room. Her tears fall inexorably. Make up her fade. He does not care about his messy brukat.
It's nice Nindy married, so can be alone together ... ahaydah.
The Priscill sentence echoed in his ears with Alvin's sentence
How can I see the woman I love wasted? ... and I really want to spend the rest of my life with that woman.
Nindy also wants to enjoy her old days with Axcell, as Mother spent time with Daddy ...
All the sentences were repeating in Erri's mind. He put his hand on his face. Hope this is just a dream and ends when he opens his eyes. There was a fine hand that touched his fingers, then clasped it firmly. Either an illusion or not, but Erri is too scared to confirm it. He worries that this is only an illusion that will be lost when he opens his eyes. But deep in his heart, his hope was so great that this was a reality he wished.
He opened his eyes slowly, there was a face he loved very much there. The face that might be lost from the day is coming. He could not bear to look at her. The look that might be the last look she'd ever seen.
But the fingers touched her cheek gently. The fingers forced Erri to lift his face and bring Erri's eyes to look into the eyes. For a second they stared. The next second, Erri cried in his hug. Alvin greets Erri's body. In the woman's hug is tight. Very closely.
"You do not need to cry like this, honey ... we will continue together. I'm sorry for my pretense throughout our marriage age, but right now, I love you. I'm going to make you love me ... I'll do anything to make you love me ... I'm sorry for my pretense throughout our marriage age, but right now, I love you. I'm in love with you, right now Erri. Even a thousand times more powerful than our wedding night. I want us to fix this, dear ... and we'll see our grandchildren grow together ... I'm sorry dear .. "said Alvin repeatedly showering Erri with words of love. He knows, he can never see the woman he loves to be wasted by anyone. And that woman is Erri.
Erri looked at Alvin deeply. Something warm flooded his soul when their eyes met.
"You've made me fall in love, honey ..."
"Oh yes ?, when?"
"Last night." Erri replied with a smile. Alvin sucked at the smile. Feels so sweet. Erri dissolves in an atmosphere of love that suddenly burst.
Tok, tok ...
"Excuse me sir, ma'am ... the penghulu is here" said someone behind the door.
Alvin pulled his lips from Erri's lips. Their smile widened.
Erri smoothed her faded makeup. Then he took Alvin's arm.
"Are we getting married again?" Erri whispered spoiled.
"No need. But we'll be honeymoon again ... "
"I married Nindy Ramdhani binti Felix Zairil Alvin with Axcell Dinaity Nangoy bin Dazich Dinaity Nangoy with a dowry set of tools of prayer and gold weighing 25.7
Somehow he came that day.
"What's the matter?" Nuriza asked coolly.
"No need anything. I just want to ask you, so we'll marry again. "
Nuriza surprised. But he did not need any explanation for that. The presence of Fahmy in his presence at this time was enough to explain that the man would not repeat his mistake again by leaving Nuriza. And his request was a clarity that he was ready with all the shortcomings of Nuriza. He immediately melt into tears in the hug. Fahmy welcomes Nuriza's body with emotion. He did not know what to be thankful for the willingness Nuriza forgave him after ten years Fahmy left him.
For Nuriza, there is nothing wrong. They just need time to understand that they need each other. It's all a matter of time.
"Twenty-three years we build a house without love ... how many thousands of years is enough for us to build a household with love ..." Alvin grabbed Erri's hand and kissed him.
That's ... age is just a number if love finds you ...
Cerpen Authors: Khansa Rizque
Facebook: Khansa_putry [-at-] yahoo.com
Khansa Rizque is the pen name of Azyza Khansa Putry. The author is a beautiful, kind and not arrogant, accommodating, slang, cool, kece, smart, tall, Umm .... cross the unnecessary ones. (But do not diet everything yaaa .... pliiisss !!!).
okay, I started writing short stories since childhood. and alhamdulillah all my short stories are always loaded in flash my abi that never opened. I was born in Depok, March 18, 1993. And on 1 Nov 2013, I finally married my husband. and we live happily ever after, ...
graduated.
