"FA, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?"
Dea had seen Zulfa's very suspicious movements. The girl looked worried and sad at the same time, making her worry that something was being hidden from her. After all, she served the woman's friend status. And she also has the right to know Zulfa's feelings right? If she was clueless, then she could be a very incompetent friend.
Hearing Dea's question immediately made Zulfa gasp, then rubbed her chest reciting the sentence 'astagfirullah', a sign that she was surprised. After all, she was lost in thought, suddenly a shrill scream escaped her best friend's mouth.
"What's wrong, Dee?" She asked with raised eyebrows. This is Dea, very relaxed as if she did nothing wrong. However, what Dea did was annoying. She was now looking at the girl with a look in her eyes as if to say 'can't you scream?'.
With a small smile, Dea pursed her lips in annoyance because instead of Zulfa answering her question, she asked again. Isn't that annoying? "I'm asking you, Fa. Since then, you haven't answered at all. I feel like I'm talking to a rock, you know that?" She said with a sigh. I don't know, she had called Zulfa's name several times but the woman never looked back. It was her turn to scream like before, then Zulfa reacted in annoyance.
"I don't know, Dea," Zulfa answered while shaking her head, she shrugged as if not knowing what she was feeling right now. After all, he had promised not to burden anyone when she felt something painful like this.
Dea bends her smile, again and again. She was annoyed with Zulfa's character who kept all her problems to herself. She was sure something was wrong, but she didn't know what the cause and the problem was. "Where's Farel, Fa? I want to know him, you know. If he's handsome, I'll like him, okay? Hehe." She said trying to change the subject. Even though she wanted to force Zulfa to tell the truth and not hide anything, she still didn't want to do it.
Everyone has privacy that is impossible to always tell others, right? Having feelings to express how they feel is a human right. If you don't want to, at least don't force it.
In addition to forcing Zulfa to treat herself who seems to be injured, Dea likes clean and handsome men. Whereas according to Zulfa, Dea is a typical ordinary girl. But her dream of having a handsome man is very tall.
Ah, she remembered about herself, she was like that too. A simple girl and neither beautiful nor sexy, she was just lucky to marry Farel. Lucky? Are those words still appropriate to describe her current feelings? Luck that hides in wishful thinking and hope.
Even if Zulfa wanted to feel lucky, she had to think twice. Because fate is still not on his side to get happiness.
"Just eat my cooking, De," Zulfa said with a smile, she was still wearing an invisible mask. Painful, but not fragile. She was resigned to waiting for Farel's return who might not even think about her feelings at this time. After all, there was no point in cooking, but the man didn't touch it at all. Better than being thrown away, just eat it with Dea.
Dea raised an eyebrow, feeling strange with Zulfa's order to eat her food. "Why? Farel hasn't come home yet? It's already three in the afternoon, Fa." She said, glancing at the clock on the wall to make sure it was the right one.
Again Zulfa only smiled to cover the sadness that was buried deep in her heart, but the desire to grieve was in vain because, in reality, she was the one who had too much hope. And from it all, she must accept all the consequences. She didn't know what to say at this point. Ah, Farel is very good at making her good at lying. "He said he was back at his business partner's house," she said with a forced smile.
Lie. That was the only reason she had in mind. I hope she doesn't ask again. She immediately sat on the dining chair opposite Dea. Zulfa started taking the rice and side dishes onto her plate with a bitter smile. Her chest tightened again remembering his conversation with Rani earlier.
'It's lying in my arms again,'
Suddenly what Rani had said on the phone crossed her mind. And yes, it answered all the questions that were on her mind. If the reality is now confirmed that Farel is still near the beautiful girl.
'But just now Farel said you are a nobody. The proof is he still prioritizes me,'
Again and again, the sentence that managed to inflame her heart stuck in her mind for the second time.
Zulfa sighed, even Farel had never been that close to her. To sleep only in one bed, the man always kept their distance by using a bolster that was placed in the middle of Farel's body and her. Did Farel dislike her?
"It's crazy how delicious your cooking is, Fa. Surely Farel likes living with you because he always cooks delicious food like this," said Dea with a mouth full of rice and side dishes mixed into one, forming a pleasure that can't be denied anymore.
'You guessed wrong, De.' Zulfa thought with a bitter smile that was impossible for her best friend to see, who was late enjoying every inch of her food in her mouth.
"Farel also said that when he first tasted my cooking," said Zulfa while feeding a spoonful of rice into her mouth. Even now, her throat was choking on the tightness in her chest, to the point that the mouthful could no longer be digested unless forced.
Dea just nodded and felt grateful if their relationship turned out to be very sweet. She is still busy enjoying Zulfa's cooking. According to her, this simple dish is not inferior to the taste of a five-star restaurant. It's a bit of an exaggeration, but Dea never lies about food.
Zulfa smiled seeing Dea's reaction when she ate her food. At least Dea's confession made her much better. "Want to take it home for Aunt Yuli?"
"Why are you cooking at home, Fa? What if you finally offered it to me?" Said Dea who is now busy separating the chicken meat from the bones. Life being Zulfa turned out to be so much fun, she thought. There is no need to worry about doing housework because there are already several household assistants who are paid by Farel to take care of her house. Ah, what a heaven on earth.
"Just wrap it up, De. Make you eat again at home. Unfortunately, no one eats here." Zulfa said while looking at Dea with shady eyes. She managed to get rid of the sadness she had been feeling. Because sadness is not the reason for everything that can destroy her happiness. It hurts, but you can wake up. Do not be too down because it is not at all good for the performance of the mind and brain.
"Oh, Farel? Not eating anymore?" Dea asked confused by Zulfa's order which told her to wrap all the plates. After all, if he brought them all, what would Farel want to eat? Wind?
Someone told Dea that Zulfa was okay. Between being insensitive and choosing silence, this girl does not want to reveal what is really on her mind about Zulfa's condition, which sometimes suddenly daydreams and fails to focus.
"He must be eating with his co-workers, because later when he makes dinner, he's afraid the taste will change and it won't taste good," Zulfa answered while stroking her arm to relieve the feeling of nervousness from being stared at at at by Dea so intensely.
Dee squealed happily. Se's just talking nonsense. Yuli hasn't cooked anything today because apart from lack of money for shopping, her mother has to sell chicken pecel in front of her house. After all, luck really can't be denied, right? Accepted with grace, it is a trait that deserves to be imitated. Indeed this one girl is too to the point and shameless, fortunately, Zulfa has a sense of patience.
//For your information; Pecel ayam (Javanese is a traditional chicken dish of the Kemiren Banyuwangi Osing tribe of East Java, Indonesia.// (source: wikipedia)
"You know the Fa best that I like eating, especially free food," said Dea while showing a very silly grin.
Well, that's a friend of a Zulfa who has a wise and graceful nature. Indeed, if a friend does not have the same nature, she must have the opposite nature like heaven and earth. It's very far.
"From the way you eat, which looks like someone who hasn't eaten for two months, it can be seen that you are greedy," Zulfa said with a small laugh. She is always grateful if other people enjoy this simple dish with satisfied comments, it means that she has succeeded in mastering simple Indonesian cuisine. It's just a matter of mastering what Farel likes so that the man wants to touch her cooking.
No, don't feel what Zulfa feels, okay? It's best not to get carried away because you have been warned from the start to prepare your heart. After all, this woman is fine. Is not it?
"Greedy is a sign of hunger, Fa," said Dea with a smile confirming Zulfa's words. After all, greed is a harsh language, if soft language is the most hungry.
"No, it's not like that, Dea," said Zulfa, shaking her head, feeling like she couldn't understand the performance of her best friend's brain.
Dea raised an eyebrow, "Am I wrong again?" She asked, having managed to swallow a mouthful of rice and side dishes, down her throat into the next digestive tract.
"No, Dea is always right," Zulfa replied she would rather relent because this ridiculous conversation could last longer.
"Alright, later please pack up everything, kind hostess."
Well, it's said that Dea has no shame.
...
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