Chapter 21
I have to be prepared for the consequences of the decisions I make. As a child, I was guilty of refusing my parents' requests.
I should have just continued the marriage with Mas Azzam. However, I also want to be happy. I'm sorry, Mom!
Suddenly Mama stroked my hair gently. His mouth trembled as if he wanted to say something to me.
"Mom what are you talking about?" I asked.
Mama gestured for me to come closer to her, I brought my ear to Mama's lips.
"I-I'm sorry Mama. S-already made it difficult for you. Y-you may choose... to separate from Azzam," Mama said falteringly.
Mama looks very tired to open her mouth.
"Mama's not wrong, nothing's wrong. This is the path that Clara was destined for, Ma. What's important now is that Mama must be excited to get well soon," I said.
Mom nodded, trying to smile.
"Now, Mama rest. Don't think like that, Mama must get better first!" I continued.
Mom nodded again, then closed her eyes. I stroked his arm which looked weak and started to wrinkle.
Even though Mama's age is not too old, maybe because she is sick, her skin reacts too.
Soon, a soft snoring sound came from Mama's mouth. He was already asleep, I went out of the room so Mama could rest.
Arriving outside the room, Papa approached me. He said he wanted to go home first to get Mama's clothes.
While waiting for Papa to come, I chose to sit in the small garden next to the emergency room. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the late afternoon with a troubled mind.
Suddenly my cell phone rang, there was an incoming call from Mas Azzam. I immediately answered the call, apparently he had heard the news that Mama was in the hospital again.
It must have been Papa who told him, he also apologized for not being able to visit Mama and couldn't get permission anymore in his office.
"It's okay, Mas. Don't worry, Mama is awake too, really. In a few days it will be fine," I said on the phone.
"Thank God, if that's the case. Please convey your apologies, Mas, to your Papa. Later when you can leave again, Mas will come home soon," said Mas Azzam on the other end.
"Yes, Mas. It's been a while, yes! I want to see how Mama is," I lied.
Mas Azzam also ended the call after saying hello. I stared at the phone screen for a long time, which had turned black.
"If only you hadn't lied, maybe we're still together now, Mas," I complained to myself.
For a long time I sat in the garden stunned, until a voice called out to me. The voice of someone in the past that I don't want to see again.
"Rara, what are you doing here?" asked Doctor Umam alias Umami.
"Waiting for the bus," I answered without looking up.
There was a typical laugh from Umami, as usual she could laugh out loud just because of my joke.
"You haven't changed, Rara. Still as crazy as before," he said.
I glanced at the figure I had longed for in the past. He sat beside me. I shifted slightly to the left so that there was some distance between us.
"I'm not a Black Steel Warrior who can change, oh, yes, one more thing. Don't call me Rara! My name is Clara!" I protest.
Umami, uh, Doctor Umam laughed again.
"Today very happy to see you back, Rara!" he said after he stopped laughing.
"Oh yeah? I didn't, really. You better keep your distance from me, don't get too close. My husband will be angry!"
Umami looked surprised, her eyes widened and looked at me in disbelief.
"You have a husband? Where is he now?"
That's a question out of curiosity or mockery, right?
Meeting Umami--the favorite name I gave her--made me reminisce about memories from the past.
At that time, Umami and I were studying at the same campus, but in different majors. Umami studied at the Faculty of Medicine while I was in finance.
We have been in love for about three years. However, Jinan's love that was nurtured since he was in the second level had to end in vain.
Umami's mother doesn't like me, who is only the son of an employee in a private company. For her mother, who is of aristocratic descent in Jogjakarta, the seeds, bebet, and my lips do not meet the criteria.
"Imam is my only child, he is my support and hope for me and my husband. I also have a candidate for Imam, he is prettier and has aristocratic descent like Imam. I hope you understand what I mean!"
The words spoken by Umami's mother seemed to stab into my heart. It hurts but doesn't bleed, that's how I felt at that time. At the end of the meeting, Umami's mother begged me to leave her.
I obeyed Umami's mother's request, slowly I began to feel distant from her. Though my love and affection for Umami is very big.
Umami who didn't know anything finally could only give up when I asked for a break up. Forced in the name of respect for my parents, I chose to separate so that Umami would not be labeled as a disobedient child.
Our relationship finally foundered and made us strangers until the end of the semester. After graduating and busy with work, I slowly forgot about Umami.
"Rara, my question hasn't been answered yet?" asked Umami to wake me from the nostalgia of the past.
Turns out he was still sitting next to me. His eyes stared straight into mine.
"What kind of question is that?" I asked stupidly.
Umami smiled and ruffled my hair, her habit when she felt irritated with me first.
"Watch your attitude, Umam! I am a married woman!" I remember before he got over the line.
"Husband, your husband's mother? That's what I asked you earlier," said Umami with a laugh.
His laughter seemed to be insulting my pride.
"My husband is working in Medan, he...."
"He already has a pregnant wife, and you two are going to get a divorce soon. Isn't that right?" cut Umami.
Continued