"You smoke?"
Karenina turned to her cousin and nodded slowly, Karenina lit the cigarette stuck in her mouth, a second later white smoke billowed from her mouth.
"Your husband didn't tell you to smoke?"
"Basically he doesn't like it when I smoke, but he doesn't force me to quit either. He's not a smoker himself either." Karenina replied nonchalantly.
"Why do you like smoking?"
Karenina exhaled white smoke from her mouth and then, threw the ashes at the end of her cigarette. "Since mother died, and the drink on the shelf is also mine, Alfredo is not a very good drinker, he drinks only sparingly, unlike me who can run out of bottles when my heart and mind are confused."
"Your husband also let you?"
"Since I married him and before I married him I rarely drank, only once in a while, just to name my friend who wants to drink, it also doesn't get drunk."
"Your husband must be a very extraordinary person."
"Why is that?"
"As a man who incidentally is not a smoker and he also doesn't like to drink, accepting a woman like you who likes smoking and drinking is amazing, he has reasons why he doesn't do those two things, but he puts everything aside for the sake of women. whom He loves, isn't that a wonderful thing?"
Karenina seemed to think, then took another sip of her cigarette, and then nodded her head in agreement.
"I think your husband loves you too much, not too much but very much, I'm happy because there are still people who want to be with my brother whose mood can change beyond sudden changes in the weather." Said Nando who immediately got a glare from Karenina.
Nando laughed out loud, "I thought you had changed, but you still look the same… just as fierce."
BUGH
One sofa cushion successfully landed on Nando's shoulder, which actually laughed even wider, indeed among the big family only Nando and Karenina were always close. Unlike the other cousins. Among the whole family, it was Karenina's parents who were not employees. While in the village, working as a civil servant is a prestigious job because his life is guaranteed with an adequate salary.
Karenina's parents are only laborers and her mother is a former maid in Alfredo's family, of course her small family has always been the object of ridicule by other families, only Bude sumi and Pakde narto's family are always there for Karenina's family. Narto is the father of Nando, who is the older brother of Mrs. Karenina. Meanwhile, Karenina's father is originally from Bandung.
In the past, Karenina often returned to Jogja when there was a big family gathering, and usually she would stay at Nando's house, sometimes she chose to stay at a hotel so she wouldn't bother her siblings.
"Nando, how is Bude Sumi's health? I heard that she has often been sickly."
Nando took a deep breath, "Yes, Bude is often sick, actually I feel sorry for him, his two children don't want to care. Mas Aryo works at the Semarang tax office, he rarely comes home, as well as Ms. Susi, who is a bank employee in Banjarmasin. Both are rare. came to visit Bude once, even though Pakde was already dead." Nando's story while occasionally glancing at Karenina.
"I'm so sorry, bud… I haven't seen Mas Aryo and Mbak Susi in a very long time, even though in the past they seemed to be the most obedient and most attentive to their parents."
"Yes, maybe, because now they are both busy, so they don't have time to visit their parents."
"No matter how busy they are, they should also think about their parents, what's more, how far is it Mas aryo Semarang-Jogja? They haven't felt what it's like not to have a mother. I'm afraid they will regret it if they don't have time to make their parents happy." Karenina replied sadly and then put out the cigarette butt into the ashtray.
"Yes, I am grateful that Ms. Heni lives close to mother and father, even though Ms. Heni is only an honorary teacher, but Ms. Heni always pays attention to mother and father, that's why I ventured to migrate to Jakarta. I want to learn to live independently and the results can be happy. they."
"Amen, I hope you get the job you want soon, sorry I can't help with work, I only know the owner of the cafe and also the owner of a bar or night club."
"You've helped me enough by providing a place to stay and also eat 3x a day hahahaha..." Nando said with a big laugh.
Karenina shook her head with a smile, her brother's behavior had not changed from the beginning, always inviting laughter.
Alfredo's office was leading an internal office meeting beside Rudi when his father suddenly entered the meeting room.
A man who still looks dashing and charismatic even though he is in his 60s. Prawira jaya kusuma. The man's name. Enter with an arrogant style to stop the ongoing meeting activity.
"Good afternoon, Sir." Said all employees who attended the meeting, including Rudi who also stood up and bowed slightly respectfully.
"Hmm." Mr Prawira replied.
"Just carry on with the meeting, it looks like you two are discussing something important." Said the Soldier.
"Our meeting continues tomorrow morning, now you may continue your respective work." Alfredo said.
"Okay sir." Said all the employees who were attending the meeting, then one by one they left the meeting room, and now only Alfredo, Rudi, Prawira and Saka were Prawira's guards.
"Seems like there's something important that dad came here for." Alfred said.
"Sorry sir, I'm allowed to return to my room." Rudi said to Alfredo, which Alfredo answered with a nod.
Rudi left the meeting room, leaving Saka who was sitting some distance from Alfredo and Prawira.
"Al, I heard from your mother that if you don't come home often lately, do you have a problem with Zarim?" Prawira asked while sitting on Alfredo's chair. While Alfredo stood and leaned against the large window in the meeting room.
"Father himself already knows what's going on between me and Zarima, right?" Alfredo said, making Prawira take a deep breath.
"You know the consequences Al, if you separate from Zarima. I hope you are more patient, unless Zarima asks for a divorce from you."
"I know, father. But sorry Al can't force Al to always be able to meet Zarima, I tried hard to accept him, accept his situation at that time, but he easily destroyed the trust and affection that I worked so hard to build. "
"I'm sorry father, Al. All of this is because of your inability to maintain your grandfather's company. Until our company is indebted to the Zarima family company."
Alfredo smiled wryly, "It's okay dad, this is Al's destiny."
"I heard you're dating a girl, is that true?"
Alfredo was stunned from where his father could find out if he was in a relationship with a woman, did his father also know who that woman was?