At 13:00 GMT +7, Gilang and Nadine arrived in Jakarta. The Mercedes car headed for a posh home in North Jakarta. Gilang's face appeared a little worn out from driving alone, and Nadine sat next to him and appeared perplexed. "Honey, how do you know my house?" she subsequently inquired.
When Gilang was asked, he actually displayed a confused expression; his eyes twinkled as he glanced at Nadine's face and scratched his head, though it didn't itch. Gilang's actions further perplexed Nadine, who responded, "I understand; you have been covertly looking into me; it turns out that you have loved me for a very long time." Nadine held Gilang's shoulder and spoke confidently.
"Haha…" When Gilang heard Nadine's words, which were beyond his comprehension, he laughed aloud.
Gilang's arm was immediately pinched by Nadine, who was delighted to witness Gilang's behavior, as she whimpered spoiled, "Don't laugh." Gilang stopped laughing, but it was clear that he was suppressing it, which caused Nadine to flush. Nadine sulked in shame and twisted her face to the left.
Gilang remained silent, keeping his attention on the road, but Nadine's rage did not abate. She turned to face Gilang and pointed at a lavish white three-story house before saying briefly, "My house is in the corner!"
When he came across the opulent home that Nadine had mentioned, Gilang's jaw dropped in shock. "My own neighbor, Nadine, why haven't I ever met her?" Gilang considered his options but decided to continue driving past the house.
"Honey! Why are you so unhappy? They've gotten past my house!" Gilang's attitude, which purposefully made fun of him, infuriated Nadine, who yelled while patting Gilang's arm.
Gilang came to a stop in front of the gate of a lavish home. To welcome a house guard, he rolled down the car window. The house guard quickly opened the gate after recognizing Gilang as the car's driver. The mansion and Gilang's face caught Nadine's attention alternately. When Gilang saw himself driving the car into the gated courtyard of the opulent home, he was extremely perplexed.
Gilang came to a halt in the yard of the house, his face turned to the side. He noticed Nadine's angry and perplexed expression. "This is my house; we happen to be neighbors." Gilang stated that Nadine's mouth was wide open, as were her eyes. It turned out that Nadine's and Gilang's houses were in the same row, with Nadine's in the front corner and Gilang's in the back.
While she squinted, Nadine's brows furrowed. "I remember now; you are the prankster I hate the most at school," she said as she stared intently into Gilang's face. Gilang's forehead furrowed and his jaw muscles clenched as he heard Nadine say, "Oh, it turns out you're a strange girl with two braids," in a tense voice. Said Gilang.
They were silent, secretly looking into each other's eyes. "Haha…" They laughed together to ease the tension.
"Come down; let me introduce you to my parents." Gilang said this while opening the car door.
"I already know your parents, Aunt Ratna and Uncle Yongki." Nadine answered as she got out of the car, and they held hands towards Gilang's doorstep: People say the world is narrow.
Inside the house…
Nadine was sitting alone in the living room when Gilang entered the house. Nadine looked around the familiar living room and said, "The house where my dad left me, Aunt Ratna, who took care of me since I was a baby, is like my own mother, very kind and friendly, just like Gilang at this time." Nadine thought about recalling her childhood memories.
"Nadine!" shrieked Ratna, who walked out with Yongki while Gilang was not seen with them.
"Aunt Ratna, Uncle Yongki." Nadine replied with a smile on her face when she saw Gilang's parents, and she immediately went to shake hands with Gilang's parents.
Ratna hugged Nadine tightly with great affection, guiding Nadine to sit beside her. After sitting together, Ratna's eyes saw a striking difference in Nadine. "You are very beautiful, Nadine; thank God, you are wearing the hijab." Ratna said, looking at Nadine from head to toe.
Nadine's eyes went around Ratna's house, and Ratna smiled. "Are you looking for Gilang? He's in the bathroom." Ratna said, answering Nadine's eyeballs, who were looking for something in her house.
"He-he… yes, Auntie." Nadine replied, blushing.
"My sympathies, Nadine." Yongki observed that Nadine's face didn't appear dejected.
"Yes, Uncle Yongki, Daddy has been brought back to the Netherlands to be reunited with his family there." Nadine said with tears in her eyes, "I'm lucky to meet Gilang again; he's the one who cheered me up this week." Nadine continued while looking at the faces of Gilang's parents.
Yongki and Ratna's faces contorted at the same time. "Wait, does Gilang work as your driver?" asked Yongki to confirm his assumption. Nadine looked embarrassed to answer Yongki's question: Yes, uncle, there was a slight misunderstanding."
"Okay, but it's been resolved with Gilang, right?" asked Ratna, "Thank God, already, Auntie." Answer Nadine immediately.
Gilang came out of his room with new clothes, and his face was radiant after washing himself. He smiled and sat next to Nadine, saying, "Dad, Mom, Nadine is my girlfriend; have any suggestions for us?" Gilang asked, and Nadine's face turned red.
"Um, there is." Ratna answered while rolling her eyes and looking back at Gilang's face, "When are you getting married?" Ratna asked with a big smile; her face lit up when she heard that Nadine was Gilang's choice.
Yongki, who had been silent, became enthusiastic; he said, "That's right, Dad doesn't agree with you dating; it's better to just get married." And Ratna gave a thumbs up. "Your father's words are true; don't touch your skin if you are not a halal couple," said Ratna. She was also urging Gilang to marry Nadine immediately.
Nadine smiled broadly at the insistence of Gilang's parents: "Thank God, Gilang's parents are pushing for marriage." Nadine was in a happy mood.
Gilang sighed. "Okay, how about another six months?" asked Gilang to his parents. Ratna smiled while looking at Yongki's face, and their eyebrows played with each other to give a code to the look in their eyes.
"Next week is the solemnization of a marriage; the celebration may be postponed at any time." Firmly, Yongki answered.
"Yes!" When Gilang's parents' eyes turned to Nadine's face after she yelled joyfully on impulse, she quickly covered her face. While happy, she felt embarrassed.
Gilang gave his head a gentle scratch—his head didn't even itch—and a stunning smile while keeping his eyes on Nadine's features. "We'll postpone the celebration for three months after the marriage is solemnized because we're getting married next week." Incapable of resisting his parents' demands, Gilang said.
Nadine raised her face with a happy smile and said, "I want." Nadine answered briefly with eyes sparkling with happiness, and Gilang's parents were happy to hear Gilang's decision to marry Nadine immediately.
Ratna hugged Nadine tightly; her tears suddenly welled up, and the happiness that had been pent-up for years finally overflowed. Finally, you have really become my daughter, Nadine. Call mom; don't call aunt again." Ratna said.
Ratna's inner relationship with Nadine is very close; she is the one who took care of Nadine when her mother left her when she was still pure.
Yongki's face looked straight as he sat forward, then he asked his wife, "Are you sure you never gave a drop of breast milk to Nadine?"
Ratna shook her head and said, No, father, I understand religion." Ratna replied firmly.
"I'm relieved now." Yongki looks relaxed now, but Gilang and Nadine's faces seem to contort at the same time; they are surprised by Yongki's question to Ratna.
"Why Dad? There is a problem?" Gilang asked enthusiastically.
"No problem, you can get married. I'm just making sure your mom doesn't make a mistake; a man can't marry a girl who has the same source of milk." Yongki said she was calming Gilang and Nadine.
Ratna replied to her husband's explanation while embracing Nadine, "You were born and treated at the same hospital, but Nadine drank formula milk because her mother didn't breastfeed." Nadine's face looked disappointed and sad; tears fell when she found out that her mother really hated her.
Ratna stroked Nadine's head, which was wrapped in a hijab, then kissed Nadine's forehead lovingly like a mother to her child. "I am your mother; don't be sad anymore," whispered Ratna.
Nadine hugged Ratna tightly and buried her face in Ratna's chest. Her heart touched hearing Ratna's whisper that shook her heart: "Thank you, ma'am." Nadine replied while sobbing.
Susana became emotional, and suddenly Yongki stood up and grabbed Gilang's hand, saying, "Help dad clean the bird cage." Yongki asks Gilang for help so that Nadine and Ratna can let go of their homesickness after Nadine has been going to the Netherlands for four years, and Ratna smiles, seeing her husband's attitude so wise.
*****