Manfred entered the room. He just finished taking a shower. He saw the cellphone on the table vibrating. Bobby's name came up. Manfred saw the chat from his friend.
Bobby
- Hi Fred.
I've been married. I'm a husband now. You know what I think. I am in a scary dream.
Lisa and I got married at the hospital. Imagine, I think I'm going crazy. I'm a husband, Fred.
And Lisa. I've only known her a few days, she's a very poor girl. Her mother is sick, with acute stage liver cancer. Her father is depressed because his wife is seriously ill.
Lisa cries a lot. Sometimes she makes me remember Yuana. I miss him so much.
Maybe we could be called unmarried. We slept in each other's room. I feel like staying in a boarding house at Lisa's house. May be our marriage is the saddest marriage ever.
How's Yuan? Is she okay now?
**
Reading Bobby's chat broke Manfred's heart. "You are so poor, Bob. Here, you fight for Yuana. There, you have to help Lisa. The girl is suffering too. But you are strong, you are really tuff," whispered Manfred.
Manfred texted Bobby back.
Manfred
- Hi, Bob.
Sorry for the long response. I was still in the shower.
I have to say wow!!! You're an amazing man. Yuana let me take care of it. She is still angry, but she can still be normal, lol.
Bobby
- thank you, Fred. I have to go to the hospital now.
Manfred
- take care
Manfred was ready to go to college. A week later class would start. Out of the room, there was Marvin in the front room. He seemed busy with the laptop in front of him.
"Wanna go?" Marvin asked.
"Yes. Aren't you going to campus?" Bobby zipped up his backpack.
"Still off, right?" Marvin said. "How is Bobby?"
"Same, he is in college preparation." Bobby pulled his jacket closer.
"So, he stays away from you now. Even though you both are really soulmates, from junior high school," said Bobby.
"Yeah, finally, we have to be separated." Manfred smiled broadly. "I'm leaving."
"Okay." Marvin looked at his younger brother, his Caucasian brother. Manfred was just getting cooler.
Manfred left. That day was only preparation for orientation week. So, he would not be too long on campus. After he finished the campus business, Manfred was ready to go home. He met Yuana who also wanted to leave campus.
"Yuan! Let's get back together!" said Manfred.
"Hi!" Yuan smiled. "Come on ..."
"I got news from Bobby, Yuan. He just chatted with me." Manfred looked at Yuana.
"I don't care. He turns out to be a coward. He should have come and explained to me. How long is he going to avoid me? I don't wanna think about him." Yuana's voice turned harsh. But the girl's heart ached for a moment. She missed Bobby so much.
"You know Bobby isn't that kind of person, Yu. He's still waiting for the right time. His life right now is very difficult. He has no choice but to live it." Manfred softens Yuana's heart, giving a little clue about Bobby.
"What are you saying all that for? I don't know anything about him, do I?" Yuana spoke sharper. "Does he think I cry every night remember him, miss him? Without knowing what's really going on."
"Bobby must miss you just as much. Only he can't come back." Manfred's tone was low, sad. It was as if he was in Bobby's situation.
Yuana was silent. She didn't want to speculate what had happened. It was clear that she was confused by everything that was happening. She felt rejected and abandoned for no reason.
"Yu ..." Manfred stopped and sat on a lounger near the campus garden.
Yuan sat down. She looked at Manfred.
Manfred was encouraging. Seeing Yuana continue to be upset, Manfred dared to open himself. "I want you to know, I love you."
"I know that, Fred." Yuana looked straight at Manfred. All this time it was clear that Manfred loved him. He was very, very good to Yuana. Even with one or two sides, Manfred knew Yuana better than Bobby. Or he knew what Yuana had experienced before Bobby. There was a part where Yuana felt more comfortable talking to Manfred.
"But not as friends." Manfred looked more seriously at Yuana's two beautiful clear beads.
"What do you mean?" Yuana also looked deeper into Manfred's blue eyes.
It was the time. Time for Manfred had better express his feelings for Yuana.
"Since we were in junior high school, I fell in love with you. But I didn't dare to say what I felt. And once, I found out Bobby liked you too, then I felt you like him too, I harbored feelings in my heart. I'm happy to see you two together. I want to continue that way. Who knew everything was different now," Manfred felt a thumping grow in his heart talking about it.
Yuana straightened her back. "You ..."
"Yes ... and my heart is still the same, until now." Manfred's blue eyes were still glued to Yuana's eyes.
"Why are you telling me now? After I got sick because of Bobby? If only I had known, maybe I would have accepted you and I didn't have to be disappointed and then heartbroken so bad," said Yuana with a sore name and a little angry.
Yuana was very surprised to know the truth. Manfred was also in love with her, for real? So, the two friends she had, had the same heart for her? How couldn't she realize Manfred's love?
"If I told you that time, you wouldn't necessarily accept me. Because your heart was for Bobby. In fact, it could be that our friendship was not as good as what we've been through, because you were confused between Bobby and me. You loved Bobby but you didn't want me to get hurt." It was what Manfred thought, it was what he did when he was between Yuana and Bobby.
Yuana was silent. Manfred was right.
"After all, Bobby was very good to me. From him, I also learned a lot to be strong in living my life." It was heartbreaking when Yuana said those words.
"Until now that was Bobby." Manfred fixed his eyes on their campus yard.
"Tell him to come and see me, then I will think whether I forgive him or not," said Yuana in a firm tone.
"Hmm ..." Manfred muttered. He nodded. He was going to tell Bobby about it.
*****
Bobby had started college. Lisa couldn't possibly go to college. She had to take care of her mother and father. Their daily life was supported by Bobby's father. Hospital expensed from Amara's savings and Widyo's pension. Due to his unstable condition, Widyo's company gave him an early retirement. He could barely work.
"Lisa, we're just going through everything easily. God must have a purpose, that's why we're allowed to be together even though it's not our will at all," said Bobby.
That day since he woke up Bobby saw Lisa so sad and upset. There had been no development whatsoever in Amara's condition and her father was still not good.
"Are you really, really willing to accept me, Bob?" Lisa asked. Often appearing in Lisa's thoughts, Bobby did not refuse their forced marriage. He was also kind to Lisa. But in his heart, is he relieved by all this?
"Of course," Bobby replied quickly. "I admit, it was very difficult at first to accept this. But I open my heart and I see you can't be alone in all this."
There was a cold feeling flowing in Lisa's heart when she heard Bobby's words.
"Thanks, Bob," said Lisa. She wanted to cry because she was so grateful that Bobby understood her situation.
They started breakfast together. Just the two of them, Widyo was in his room.
"How is daddy?" Bobby asked his father-in-law.