“With whom?” Abra placed the bowls of hot porridge on the table. The sweet aroma of the peanut mixture combined with coconut milk tantalized the senses.“Here, Pa. Angga.” Maureen pulled out one of the chairs from under the table for Angga to sit on, but he fell to the floor because he was too nervous.Maureen had to cover her mouth with both hands, holding back the laughter that might be heard until Angga actually sat in the chair. Where was Angga's optimistic attitude in front of the house?“Angga? Who is him, Maureen?” asked Aya, who took off her apron after making sure the tray containing the arrangement of layer cake pieces was safe on the table.“Mama, I see. I just met you and I'm already being interrogated.” Maureen sounded pretentious, but she was relieved to find that her mother's anger was no longer audible. It was as if nothing big had happened before.“Have you eaten?” Aya moved one of Abra's bowls in front of Angga.“It's still afternoon, Aunty.” Almost refusing, Angga a
Darren loosened the tie that was strangling his neck. After Maureen left, his frustration grew. His emotions seemed to need to be vented. However, he was pressured by a lot of work and meetings waiting for him after work hours.“Why would I degrade myself in front of a woman like Ririn?” Darren scolded. “What a tease!”He was caught up in the warmth that kept claiming every time he saw Maureen move. Even her sleep could make Darren's deepest desires heat up instantly. Darren would give anything to have Maureen back.The pounding inside his head was getting worse. His hands were hard to control as he tossed the various distractions on the table. He needed a distraction.“Bi? What's this?” Iqlima walked into Darren's glass-walled room as she pointed at her phone screen and showed him a series of messages from her work group questioning the veracity of the article.“Where did you get that rumor?” Darren took a quick glance, then picked up the folders that had been dropped. He knew exactl
"Is it too soon?" Angga walked backwards to face Maureen who kept waving a smile for him along the pedestrian area after they finished dinner at one of the fringe stalls near Maureen's house.Maureen wouldn't have known about the fried rice cart vendor that stopped by the roadside if Angga hadn't told her. The queue was great, as was the taste they got when they ate together amidst the noise of passing vehicles.Angga did not promise luxury, but rather the togetherness they could live together."You said that you wanted to give me a normal dating style." Maureen chewed on the crackers she took from the plastic bag Angga had bought for them separately from their fried rice. "They even asked for an engagement as soon as possible to cover up the issue."She just didn't expect the avoided relationship concept to come sooner through a man she had just met. For Maureen, Angga is an unpredictable variable in statistical data, a possibility that appears without knowing whether it brings benef
"Congrats, Bro!" An unexpected reaction from Ben. His calmness was sometimes frightening and unpredictable, but this time Angga's best friend just finished his drink and looked at the drab crowd.Angga, who had put on a serious face, chuckled at the direction of Ben's gaze. "I thought you would be jealous."Somehow they always got stuck liking the same woman even though they thought she wasn't on their bucket list at all."Not yet." Ben looked down, eyeing the full glass that the bartender had just slid in front of him. He took a sip of soda and lime-flavored syrup in between conversations. "I can't help it, I have no feelings for her other than sympathy. It's like seeing Dera, but she's not Dera.""I can understand. Dera was quite aggressive back then too." Angga's glass was empty, but the empty space inside seemed to highlight old memories. Hearts that were never spoken to.He had known Dera longer, being her shield whenever she was unable to face the bullies in junior high school.
"Still not done yet?" Maureen continued to complain about Angga's activities, who still felt comfortable moving from one equipment to another in the gym they visited. She herself just stuck to the treadmill, ran a little on the track, and then followed Angga's choices with a limp.Taking too long off from physical exercise had an effect on her breath and belly. Maureen felt insecure next to Angga who seemed to be deliberately wearing a sleeveless T-shirt, especially when pulling down the handle of one of the tools, the man's shoulders formed impressive bulges."Just a light workout."Light? Maureen snorted in annoyance. She could see how the amount of weight Angga used exceeded Maureen's body weight."Tired, you know." Maureen sat on the back support for sit-ups while resting her hands on her chin, watching every bead of sweat forming on the man's temples.Angga looked so wet and focused, just as he reached the end of the struggle and spilled the entire warmth on Maureen's deepest poi
"Where?" Maureen looked in various directions, then Angga laughed.Angga did see the man who seemed to be interested in Maureen a few times, but it was impossible to bring two people together who were not supposed to be together. Maureen had promised to try to be with him and Angga would not waste the opportunity."Miss him?" Angga wiped the sweat from his forehead, pretending to go to the men's locker room.Obviously Maureen couldn't possibly catch up with him in the crowd. She could only try to keep calling Angga's name despite the embarrassment of being heard by many people who might be in there."I can't possibly think of another guy, Angga!" Maureen became annoyed with herself, wondering why she would embarrass herself by explaining. The problem was, time could not be turned back. "Please, don't be such a jealousy girl!"Usually, it was men who would plead with her. Normally, Maureen would choose to leave rather than beg, but why with Angga was she doing the unnecessary?"What th
"I'll be right there!" said Serena as Maureen waited for the bag she had requested from the shop assistant to be prepared.Maureen nodded quickly and then opened the screen of the phone in her hand to update her social media accounts. She occasionally took photos and even did live broadcasts to promote the brands of the stores she visited.As the camera panned to someone in the background, Maureen immediately ended the live broadcast and observed the figure she recognized as the wife of Darren Pratama. At first Maureen smiled sarcastically at the elegant style that she thought was too haughty for a woman smaller than her."Hi, Aunty!" Maureen greeted first when Iqlima turned her head. Disguising her cynicism, Maureen smiled kindly as she realized she was in a public place.Iqlima smiled briefly without answering. Her haughty behavior was apparent as she passed Maureen and grabbed a silver chrome-plated gray handbag from the display case while calling out to another shop assistant."I
"What's this about?" asked Maureen after braving the security guards using the excuse of still being related to Darren and not needing an appointment. Besides, she doubted the man was that busy at the end of the day.Even a meeting that is usually arranged based on priorities can still be punctuated by the fulfillment of desires like when the man locked her up, let alone just a momentary meeting. That's why Maureen gets so angry when Darren breaks his promise and seems happy with a family he doesn't have.She is shown Matthew's notification that sends a snippet of Darren's message along with all kinds of expletives written there without bothering to delete it. Darren must know that his decision to pursue Maureen is too late.Darren eased his back against the back of the bench, resting his forefinger on his chin as he laughed lightly. "I'm taking the challenge from your future fiancé.""Uncle!" To Maureen, Darren's decision was the craziest thing she had ever heard. "Do you realize who
An impromptu visit that I didn't expect, it turns out Angga told me our wedding date so Matthew and Ben came, of course with their spouses. Maybe they're on vacation?Then the arrival of Darren who followed alone with a line of food service workers was enough to confirm that they intended to hold a small party without the host's permission.I only saw him after changing into a looser floral overalls that allowed me to breathe. The dress was too tight although it still didn't cover my pregnancy at all."You weren't invited, but you came." The satire I said wasn't funny at all, but they still laughed when I returned to the center of the conversation with a bottle of champagne ready to open."Ow! How cruel, Sister." Matthew snatched the fun out of my hands and quipped back, "Alcohol is not for pregnant women.""Damn it!" I cursed in annoyance, only to be met with an instantly infectious laugh.Angga had just followed me to where I was standing. He handed me a glass of avocado juice and a
"Maureen!" I faintly heard Angga calling my name, then it was replaced by the echo of air bubbles in my ears.I thought I could die here or wake up somewhere else. In fact, when I gave up, a stream of water replaced the blast of air on my face.I was still very much conscious, just afraid to open my eyes and face reality. The chill of the early spring air washed over my already wet skin along with the pressure behind my shoulders and behind my knees. It was warm on the right side, but instinct demanded that I find a grip.Angga, who I first saw, was also wet. His slender neck becomes the target of my trembling grip. This time, I'm afraid of being dropped.From this vantage point, his parted lips along with the angular movement of his firm jaw create a charisma of their own. Could Angga possibly hide the cruelest side of a warrior like him?Fool. I should have remembered that everyone has a dark side, a poison from their own life experiences. They only need to choose; oppress or be opp
Maureen demanded an explanation, before we had even had a chance to change?She and I had just arrived in our room, barely stripped to the surface of the fabric that covered the entire bed. Dusty, full of sawdust and mustiness. We should have taken down all the protective covering before attempting to use the room.Yes, almost.Just being alone with her could heat up the temperature around us. It felt like breaking free from all the coverings and letting instinct take over.Then, Maureen's question threw everything off. "So..., did you make a deal with Grandpa?"I was still in front of her, on top of her body while supporting myself using the elbows perched on either side of Maureen, avoiding the pressure on her stomach. Our lower waists were already attached as our legs slipped over each other.Argh! She messed up the appetizer.The look of rejection forced me to roll over to Maureen's left side, following her to gaze at the room's ceiling covered with sheets of bright albasia wood. T
Deciding to get married was not on my life list at all, especially under the age of thirty. What's happening now?Just a few months ago I turned twenty-five and within minutes had signed the marriage certificate. Everything I've been through has been beyond expectations, pregnant and married?Still in my simple wedding dress-just a white lace-covered overalls that didn't hide the size of my belly at all, I noticed Angga's figure when dressed officially like now. A clean-cut face and freshly cut hair refresh Angga's look with a black suit overlaying the white suit inside.Even though it was only a few days ago that I saw his face full of bruises, the main reason I made the choice and said yes, so that he wouldn't have to do such menial work anymore.What was I thinking at the time?"Not like this again!" I shifted the conversation from Angga's request to the cause of the bruises on his face, again he said about marriage.Des he really want to tie me up in a commitment? So what, I can't
I was almost desperate as I repeatedly checked my phone screen, waiting to hear from Maureen's friends about her whereabouts in the last two days. Maureen was unreachable, her phone dead.I don't know how many cans of beer I've consumed since returning home from last night's brutal game. I could have killed someone out of disappointment with myself. I felt like a failure.The phone screen lit up, but it wasn't someone I wanted to call. Maureen's sugardaddy was listed there. I deliberately gave him a name like that, so he'd think twice when he needed help. I still couldn't make peace with the past between them.Just glancing at the message display outside, without opening the messaging app, it was clear that each word indicated the address. No pleasantries or greetings.That's funny. He asked me to come there?A few minutes after putting the empty cans into the trash bag, an incoming call echoing the voice of a prominent rapper distracted me. Darren seemed genuinely intent on asking me
"Aren't you in college or doing something?" Uncle Darren was already babbling this early. Even the sky outside the window when he drew the curtains wasn't fully lit yet even though the alarm clock on the nightstand read seven o'clock. "Really, Rin, I'm confused to see you just lying in your room these days."A few days? I've only had a mattress this soft for two days. The sheets were soft and didn't rub against my skin. This time I can somewhat agree with Angga's previous insinuation about our ... well, lifestyle.The only choice is for me to give in and try to lower my standards, or for him to raise his income. Fix, yeah, I don't want to get married yet.In the last month of living together, I can't keep giving in to the future that Angga offers even though everything can be distracted with sex or Netflix and ignore everything.But, how to talk about it? Our fights would only continue to end with unification. I hated that."Why did you wake me up, Uncle?" I squirmed and kicked off th
"Uncle ...." I moan, feeling the ludicrous touch that traverses the skin. It descends from the arrangement of bones that make up my shoulders, collarbone, and then cupping the wedge of the neck divider of the body-wrapping overalls.From where he stood, Uncle Darren must have clearly seen the puffs that were getting denser as a result of his actions. I reflexively tilted my head to the right side, letting his warm breath caress the recesses of my neck without being covered by hair."You're always delicious, Rin." Uncle Darren's whisper sounds lulling behind my earlobe. The mint-scented exhale and woody-herb traces were replaced by the wetness of a taste bud that was beginning to venture out.Some seconds were fun to savor, but the next, what I was doing was more like an escape to get recognized. It felt like being a traitor.The corners of my lips twitched, realizing Uncle Darren wasn't doing anything more than that. Even though I liked the way he treated me, I still couldn't deny tha
"Move on, Is." Angga was seen patting the woman's cheek. What is her name? Isma? I could hear Angga talking casually through the barrier like that. "Anyway, stop following me."I was close enough to hear their conversation. It was just a stack of boxes at the turn of the foyer facing the exit of the supermarket.At first I thought Angga was still asleep because all my voice messages and calls had gone unanswered. Well, I should have sent a short message about going shopping before going home and asked Angga to ignore my request.Turns out he was in this place and met a 'flower snake' like that Isma. She really used to be a campus slut, right?Angga just told me about his habit of fighting in the arena just to buy time with Isma in the past. No wonder Angga didn't complain about getting a woman like her to support him.Well, I guess any man in Indonesia would always think of ways to get a virgin, but he chose the hardest way by capitalizing on feelings. Including me.Are there still peo
"Raka!" Isma waved from where she was pushing the shopping trolley towards me.Even though this monthly shopping business is usually the part of Maureen who understands best, but this morning when I woke up, there was already a note stuck to the refrigerator door. Correction, noon. I even got home early in the morning after last night's battle."Please, you do the shopping," accompanied by a heartfelt emot, a very long shopping list with special notes, and her black card. Including an incoming message on my phone explaining why Maureen was in such a hurry. Company research."Shopping too?" asked Isma after aligning the trolley she was pushing with mine. She even took the note I was holding and nodded, as if she understood.Why did we have to meet here, anyway? I'm even more uncomfortable with Isma around."Feeling better?" She still asked after returning the shopping list along with a few things taken from the shelves in the left row to my cart."When was the fight?" I arranged each i