"Malina, are you going to wear Sis Gie's wedding dress?
That was the first question Siti asked of me when I told her of my father plan and my agreement to follow it through.
"No, I don't want to. I don't want to steal more than that what I'm doing now. I feel bad enough already marrying his fiancee, so I don't want to wear the wedding dress or even use her bridal room tonight. And the dress won't fit. Have you forgotten Sis Gie's size of her breast?"
Siti and I look down at each other chest and sigh forlornly.
"Malina, this is not the way I imagine to give you, your birthday present. But anyway, Happy Birthday. I think this is the best time for you to wear it. I put your present in your closet."
Wear? Pick with curiosity I opened my closet and saw a new addition of clothes. I'm sure it wasn't there this morning.
It's a new dress. A high neck white cream long silk dress with long sleeves. On the chest area, it was covered by rhinestones with a unique floral motif.
I like it because this design not only elegantly simple but it will cover up my skin. That was my earlier thought before I wear it in my body.
And now I notice there is a small slit 5 inch from shoulder to below from both sides revealing some of my skin. But not much. I cannot help from twirling myself in front of the mirror.
"Siti, it's beautiful! Wearing it makes me like a million dollar girl!!"
"I'm glad you like it"
Siti continues the rest of the sentence in her heart. 'But sorry the price is only one-third of what you feel like. Next year I definitely will buy one that pars with what you feel now.'
Suddenly Malina stops twirling like a Cinderella got a magic dress from grandmother and look absently at her. Thus, it makes Siti feels uncomfortable a bit.
"Why are you staring at me?"
"It's rare to see you smile. Siti, you should smile more. It's a waste for hiding such a bright smile from others."
Siti just shrugged her shoulders and try to distract Malina from provoking it further.
"Malina, sit down now and let me do your hair."
"Okay. Thanks.'
From the mirror in front of her, Malina silently watching Siti, she so intensely focuses combing and braiding her hair.
"Siti, will you be my maid of honor?"
"Gladly. You don't need to ask. I'll do whatever you want."
"Even if I ask you to kill someone?" I laugh on my own silly joke.
"Sure, tell me who is the guy and when you want me to do it."
"Gosh, Siti, no need to take that seriously, I'm just joking."
I don't know Siti has this kind of "stiff" humor on her side. Her expression really surprised me a bit, especially when she grabs her phone and watch me seriously from the mirror with her reply.
Like waiting for instruction from me to place the order for assassination. If I don't know her since I was in the fifth grade, I might think she was serious with her words.
But Siti is Putri Siti Sabrina Malek, my best pen-pal friend from Borneo. Uncle Malek and Aunt Indah, Siti parents, also look normal when they visiting me with Siti a few times from past couple year. Huh, my imagination running wild again.
.....20 minutes later.....
"It's done."
"Wow, Siti, you have such a talented hand! I look like a bride!"
"But you are a bride. "
Siti's nonchalantly "dropped ice bucket" on my head with her words. Her response practically wakes me up of my harsh reality. Today, I am a bride, not a bridesmaid as we planned a week ago.
"I know today is very hard on you. But you already decided to follow it through. Trust your gut. No matter what happens, you have me and Ben, to support you."
Ah, Ben. How could I forget about him? At the precise moment, the Larva ringtones were ringing. Of course, the caller ID will be Ben. Siti and Ben really like Larva Animation from Korea. So I set up both of their numbers with Larva theme song.
Malina rises up and walk away from the dressing table and toward the bedside table. She turns off the switch of the mobile phone charger before pick-up up the phone. After disconnecting the wire from the device, she let out a heavy sigh before connecting the call.
"Hi, Ben. What's up?"
"Malina, are you getting married?!!!!"
Pulling the phone a bit away from her ears. Malina can still hear Ben shouted hysterically at the end.
Why now? Why so sudden? Are you pregnant? Whose the bast*rd who impregnate you?
"Ben, you better calm down now or I will hang up!"
Ben knows Malina will do what she threatened if he does not do what she asked. So Ben remain silent.
"Cool now?"
"Yeah."
"How do you know?"
"Sh*t, you are pregnant!"
"What??!! Hey, shut up!! Listen, I'm not pregnant, you fool!"
"You 're not? Seriously?"
"Of course not."
"Ben, how did you know about me getting married today?"
I just decided it less than half an hour? How come he knows so soon?
"Siti told me just now!"
I look at Siti, and with tacit understand, Siti just showed her phone. She did tell him by the message. Looking at the text contents, I shake my head a few times. No wonder Ben misunderstand the whole situation.
"Where are you now Ben?"
"Seoul."
Ah, our schedule trip with three of us. I forgot that he booking his ticket flight earlier three days from us.
I quickly calculate the distance. By air flight, it already took 5 hours. Even he depart at this moment, he still won't make it on time to attend the wedding.
Taking a deep breath, with a heavy heart, I said my parting with words to Ben before shutting down my phone.
"Sorry, Ben. Thing is pretty hectic at this moment, talk to you later."