"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
"Who is this, huh?"Maureen barely recognized the beautiful figure that greeted her. Unlike the photo Angga showed her, Resti's curly hair looked straight and smooth. Without her glasses, Angga's sister could have charmed any man."Angga?" asked Maureen. She regretted that she hadn't had time to groom herself or brush her hair. However, it seemed like Angga's sister didn't really care."Maybe he'll be home soon." Resti glanced at the analog watch on her left hand. The woman's stature did not suggest any resemblance to Angga who looked tall and large. Probably she as tall as Iqlima."Oh, I see." Maureen thought, when Angga's shift was over, she could immediately meet the man. It turned out that she had to swallow bitterness for a while. There were too many loose ends that needed to be clarified."Wanna wait inside?" asked Resti as she moved the door, making room to walk through.It's true, Maureen needs to take a break. After shopping and meeting Darren, she hadn't had a chance to 'bre
"Are you sure you really want to fight?" Lying side by side, Maureen tilted her body to face Angga. She played with each strand that fell on the side of his face as she observed every detail that God had sculpted."What's not to like?" Angga took the fingers that moved along the lines of her face. "So that he doesn't keep telling people to follow you around."Maureen's smile, which was originally curved wide, suddenly faded. She said, "He's not the only one who tells people to follow--""Anyone else obsessed with you?" worried Angga. It wasn't just in this relationship that he faced people looking for trouble with his girlfriend, even with Isma in the past Angga couldn't calm down.The difference was that Isma's pursuers were debt collectors and lovers of her body. This was in stark contrast to Maureen's background, which turned out to be the inheritance of a holding company that controlled food distribution and hospitality in Southeast Asia."That's not it, Angga! Listen to me first!
Being face-to-face in a ring like a confined iron cage reduces a fighter's chances of getting away let alone escaping. Maureen had been in it once, feeling the strain of facing a woman far more muscular than herself. This time, however, she could only be a spectator on the periphery of the stage, observing two men who exuded hostility to the surroundings.The shouts of the bettors amplified the deafening echo in the room. However, the referee's signal at the center of the ring signaled that the fight could begin.The two remaining men inside widened the gap after alternating punches missed. Darren's kick to Angga's head was met with a duck and a spin of Angga's leg that almost hooked Darren's lower leg.Darren's leap evaded the attack. In an instant, they created distance again, roaming the perimeter of the ring with their breath catching."Finally we meet again. Should I call you Uncle, too?" Angga teased first. The smile he carved was dismissive, exposing his rows of teeth. His fist
"What do you mean by saying that?" Maureen approached Angga at the waiting room bench near the emergency room of the hospital closest to the old rink where the two men were competing.She still vividly remembered Angga's ambiguous sentence about Darren's victory due to Maureen's choice, and then her lover had chosen to remain mute throughout the ambulance ride to the hospital other than for the examination.Seeing Angga still shirtless in the cold night without any clothes or identification, Maureen offered a hug from the man's side. Just to keep warm, waiting for Ben to catch up and bring Angga's things."You still have feelings for him," Angga said without looking at Maureen. The man's line of sight was fixed straight on the glass wall that served as the hospital's wall and occasionally the path in front of it was traversed by emergency gurneys."Oh my, Angga ...." Maureen let out a long breath, a warm gust of air hitting the shoulder she was leaning on.Angga raised both hands, pal
A large, night-colored SUV pulled up in front of a spacious ironwood house, dropping off a pair of people who seemed perfectly matched in both appearance and body language. The sturdy old building in front of them was surrounded by a heavy guard, reinforcing the notion that an important event was taking place inside."Do we have to come like this?" asked the woman, adjusting the skirt of her evening blue satin dress to cover her ankles. A headpiece of similar material was pinned with a simple silver hoop, adding to the expensive feel of the overall look.She regretted the impression of a family that had to look perfect at all events despite the fact that they were going through a long war of contention that had yet to be resolved. From legal settlements regarding the division of joint property during marriage, to custody matters and the accompanying financing.Iqlima could use the alibi of Darren's infidelity if he still insisted on taking their three children from her side. Not only
"M.J. Abraham...," said the man who made Angga turn to the clapping hands nearby, "this is Angga's surprise, isn't it?"A couple of humans Angga knew greeted him in turn, then Resti joined their small circle. Maureen reflexively followed Angga even though she felt she had never seen the two people before, she was a bit surprised by the title the man had given them as if they had known each other before."Wow, Uncle Erlan and Aunt Iren came too!" Resti offered two glasses of drinks on trays carried by the waiters and was immediately greeted with a look of friendliness.Perhaps confused, or rather observant, Maureen had to take a quick look at each face near her in turn. There was no falseness that came to her from Angga's life, including the family that came. They were even newly reunited."No word on the candidate, here." The woman called Aunt Iren chimed in. Although the knee-length dress she wore was formal with long sleeves and no special accents, she had her own charisma behind th
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