Chapter 2 - Conditions

July hardly has free time for lunch, because she is too busy and focused on work. The woman is indeed famous for a brilliant career and perfect work, workaholic people around label her. But now how could her aunt make a promise without  consent, wasting her precious time on something that July hated the most if she could be honest.

"But how can Aunty just tell me now after choosing my partner and setting a date?" July protests in a video call connection with her aunt who is quite far apart oversea.

"I doesn't want to hear protests, defenses, or whatever that's your excuse anymore, dear."

There are several reasons and one of them is that makes July deliberately decides to live far away alone. Escape from all the demands of her extended family. Even though it was the sake of kindness and form of love and care for her, July was sick and tired of all that. 

"You have to come and meet him, I doesn't want to wait any longer for you to get married!"

True, the biggest and most pressing issue is the demand for marriage. July has entered the age of 31 years. In the eyes of her big family, she looks as if has no intention of getting married, never introduced a lover since her status as a college student 9 years ago. Or doesn't show interest in romantic relationships, which makes her relatives more and more anxious.

"I understand. I will come as Aunty wants." Reluctantly, without feeling, July agreed to the request. It's useless to refuse and insists because Aunty will not stop doing the same thing until she witnesses July marry someone.

"Really! You won't disappoint Aunty, will you, dear? You will do well and try to give your best. Promise?" Demanded the woman who was quite old on the July cellphone screen with the camera frame highlighting the face very close.

"I promise." 

July looked at the camera on the cellphone screen so that Mary could see her face clearly when said that. That way Mary felt satisfied and calm. 

There was a knock on her office door. 

"Aunty I have to go back to work now."

"I know honey, don't worry Aunty will arrange everything for you. Understand?"

"Yes, Aunty." 

Then the call was cut off. July took a deep breath in her work chair, feeling the thoughts running through her head after the phone call. 

"Come in." She asked a person who waiting for permission in front of the door.

"July, you missed lunch today too?" Argus complains about seeing the leftover wrapper of fast food. "Not anymore... You fill your stomach with just fast food! It's not good for your health, sweetheart."

"Argus, you came to me just to talk about that? This is the office and company where I work. Can you tell the difference and be more professional?" 

As soon as she saw who came to her and heard those words, July's emotions were ignited. Maybe there was still an effect from the video call earlier so made her took it out on Argus.

"July?" Hearing his love rising emotional tone, grew questions on Argus's mind. 

He came because worried about her and wanted to see July's condition even if only for a moment, so he stopped by July's office before leaving. Argus works in a well-known lawyer's office and July's company works as one of his clients.

Argus's face turned full of question marks looking at her made July regret and realized that she had made a mistake. 

"Argus I…" July was at a loss for words to defend herself. If think again those words were quite sharp earlier. Heavy breath sounds, "I think we need some time―"

"Wait! Wait!" Argus cut July's words. "My love, calm yourself first." walked closer, approaching her. "Let's talk slowly, tell me what's wrong?" 

Argus brought July up from her work chair and shifted to the sofa to talk alone. 

"Should I order tea or coffee for you?" He intended to take her out to lunch together, but instead, July's mood didn't look good.

"Argus I..." The attention he showing now doesn't make July feel better, on the perverse, the more he tries, the more makes her sick of this relationship.

"Tell me, sweetie. I'll listen."

"This weekend I'm going on a date to meet a man that Aunty introduce." She said without looking at Argus's face, July didn't care anymore. She had decided, "This time if all goes well I will marry him." That decision that she took just a moment ago.

Argus's face instantly stiffened, surprised by July's confession he had just heard. "B-but baby..." 

Argus panicked, unable to think straight. Because when July has decided something, she is always serious about it. This is not just a threat or a passing wind. He knows very well and memorizes the nature of his lover's character and personality. For more than ten years they knew each other and eventually re-established a special relationship.

"You know that well enough, I won't ask you to understand." July stood up and left her room. Leave Argus, who was still unsure of the situation.

***

The meeting took place in a luxury hotel with services providing an atmosphere of privacy for customers. To eat at the place, previous customers have to make a reservation in advance. That's probably why Argus found out and followed July there. In the next scene that occurs, he attempts to disrupt July's date event by dramatically appearing like a superhero genre movie scene that comes at crucial moments. Very predictable, the meeting gets offended July's matchmaking failed miserably.

"July! Wait! Listen to me first." Argus chased after July's angry steps, giving him no chance to defend and ignoring totally. "Let's get married! Marry me, July…" 

He gripped the wrist of the woman who he loved so much. There was no other woman that Argus loved more than July Foster in his entire life.

July never thought Argus would propose in this situation and this place—basement. She stared at his face for a long time and didn't respond, making the man stand in front of her nervously and anxiously waiting for an answer. 

"Argus, if you say that out of short impulse gets carried away, there's no need to do that."

"No July, not because of that at all! Don't go, can we talk about this together now?" asked him desperately.

"Argus, you have destroyed my appointment date arranged by Aunty with all your ridiculous act!! And now I have to take care of it―" Before July finished speaking, her cell phone received an incoming roaming call.

Without speaking to explain the situation, showed him the screen of her cellphone so Argus could understand what kind situation he create now. July must immediately accept the call, otherwise, the problem will get bigger and longer.

Continued her footsteps towards the car, still followed by Argus behind. They enter the car.

"Hello―" As soon as the call was connected, what could be heard from the other line were angry words in July's ears. Indeed, it was her fault for telling Argus about the date than made the meeting fail miserably like this. July should have kept it a secret as she had done before. 

Back to the phone call. "What happened? What does it mean by showing up with another man! What are you doing July? Didn't you promise me!!"

It wasn't too difficult to guess, that Mary already knew what happened from a report of the man who was her partner today at date.

"You're really going to disappoint aunty with this kind of attitude, July?"

 

July could hear the sound of sobs across the phone. 

"What can Aunty say later when it's time for me to meet your parents, July..."

July interrupted, starting to feel tired. The same words always come out like a broken radio tape every time the same situation is repeated. Clenched hands into fists, holding back her emotions that almost spilled over with all the chaos that had occurred, July strained to calm down. Even though she tried to keep her promise and wanted everything to go smoothly. 

While Argus kept his mouth shut, he sat quietly listening to July's phone conversation in the passenger seat.

"Ooh, July..." The wails continued to sound while calling the same name. "July..."

And the burdened feeling that lingers in July's heart got her more frustration.

"That's how much you don't want to get married and even destroy your matchmaking date? Sob-sob! Ooh, July..."

It felt like her heart was sinking deeper and deeper into a puddle of mud. Because that July decided. "Aunty, I am getting married. I will marry a man of my own choice." She said it quite calmly. 

Argus jolted in his seat, his eyes wide as he waited for July to continue the words.

The lament on the other end of the line stopped. 

"Really! What did you just say? Aunty didn't wrong hear you, right?"

"Yeah, I'm getting married."

"Oh!! Is that true? How long have you had a lover? So that guy who showed up on your date today, is he the one? Who's he?" Mary can't stop asking. "Why did you keep it a secret from Aunty all this time? When would you meet him with me? When did you two will get married?"

"Aunty... Aunt! Calm down, listen to me first." It was very difficult for July's unfinished words to be heard. "I have a condition."

"Condition? What do you mean by conditions?"

"It's a condition. I want Aunty and the whole family not to interfere in my wedding preparations. No complaints, no intakes, no questions and wondering who my future partner will be until the wedding day." July explained at length.

"What kind of condition is that, July!" 

Where there is such a requirement, it sounds ridiculous, but July has a reason for everything.

"Aunty can't accept my condition? Then just we forget about it, pretend I didn't say anything."

"W-wait!" Hold on Mary. "Let me and the others discuss this first. Aunty can't make up my own, you know how our family is, dear..." She proffered with a classic excuse. "We'll talk about this again when the other family members have gathered, dear, not for long. Auntie will call you back soon, okay?" The phone call ended.

One obstacle problem managed to reduce. And another obstacle is ready to ambush July right in the seat beside her.