A Handful of Love for You
19. Still about the soul mate

Alena POV's

“Aa..!” yelled Teh Iyah calling my brother.

I'm sure Teh Iyah will scold A Endra for not being told about me having a future husband. Let alone having a prospective husband, a man who approaches just does not exist. I wanted to laugh at my sister-in-law's panic.

“Aa....”.

Iyah Tea again shouted to my brother.

“Teteh. I don't know yet.”

“What are you doing, Len? There are prospective husbands who do not say the same to us.”

“Lena will say that the prospective husband must exist but Lena has not continued Lena's words. God's soul mate is certainly prepared for Lena but until now Lena has not been met with Lena's soul mate. Lena also does not know when Lena will meet Lena,”, I explained.

“Ih, Lena.” Iyah tea pinched my cheek a little hard.

“You made a hanging drop anyway.”

“Ah Teteh mah lebay. Time until the hang of everything.”

“Yes is worried that Teteh's plan fails.”

“What plan, Tea?”

“Nyomblangin you are the same sister Teteh,” replied Teh Iyah steady.

No, I'm sure that Teh Iyah will match me with Aras and Aris' favorite mamaang.

“Basic fruit does not fall far from the tree.”

“Indeed the fruit did not fall far from Len's tree. Everyone knows.” too

“Ish... same mother same child aja,” hisisku.

“Why? Aras and Aris also want to recognize you as their mamang?”

I'm nodding.

“You want to not?”

“Know not,”I'm annoyed.

“And later Teteh introduce. He still hasn't graduated from college but if it's an income problem, he's already very established.”

Tea Iyah started promoting ‘tradingnya’.

“What?… Not yet graduated from college? Ish, Teteh mah bega jadolin Lena sama brondong. Lena doesn't want to have a husband that's much younger than Lena.”

“If you guys are the same age. You're 28, right? Atep is also about 27 or 28 years old. Even if he is younger, but not far away is the same age you.”

Uh, just now Teh Iyah said that her adopted sister's name was Atep. Aras and Aris also said that their mother's name was Atep. Why the hell does that name continue to disturb the peace of my life?

On campus I was messed around by a student named Atep, uh. at home too I was upset by Aras and Aris mamang named Atep as well. Dear God, can you keep those people called Atep out of my life?

“If age is not a problem, Len. You guys are all the time,” explained Teh Iyah.

“Kok can the age of that has not graduated college?” manya curious.

“Itep was late for college but not because he was stupid or lazy. He's been working part-time since High School. After graduating high school, do not go straight to college. He collected his own money for tuition because he did not want to ask for money with his mother even though Mak Isah was very able to send him to the best private university though.”

“Kok can he be his adopted sister Teteh?”

“Dad and Atep's mother have long worked for the Iyah Tea family. Atep's father worked as a secretary and assistant to Teteh's father, but his father died in a plane crash that also took the lives of his parents Teteh.”

“Nothing, Len. It's been going on for a long time. They died when Teteh was a teenager.”

I can feel the sadness of Teh Iyah left by both parents when they were teenagers. I can't imagine my mom and dad leaving me when I was a teenager.

“Nah, Atep's mother also works for our family. Atep's mother helps Teteh's mother and Teteh's sister. So Atep's mother was like Teteh's mother, too. When Teteh left Aa too, accompanied by his mother Atep.”

“Oh..”

I still haven't been able to respond to the story of Teh Iyah.

“Itep it's already like Teteh's own sister. Teteh's affection is the same as Atep's taste is almost the same as Teteh's regret as Teteh's biological sister. Same with Atep's mother. Teteh loved him like his own biological mother. So if anyone hurts Atep, Teteh will not stay silent.”

I'm still listening to Tea. I still haven't got clear direction from the story of Tea Iyah where to go.

“Definition of a story like this is so that you know more about the figure of Atep. Please don't assume her status is lower than yours.”

I gasped at the words of Teh Iyah. I was educated by my mother and brother not to look at someone by their social status. Abah and her mother always told us her two children to look at a person from her piety and morality.

“Bah and mother never taught Aa and also Lena to look at someone of her social status,”.

“Teteh know that you are a very good person. Teteh also believes that the teachings of abah and mother must be good. Teteh also believes that you will never look at someone from their social status. However, Teteh believes that looking for a soul mate must be sekufu.”

“Lena understands, Tea.”

I nodded the sign that I agree with Teh Iyah's opinion.

“Maybe you've heard the story of the Prophet's friend who got divorced because it wasn't as intimate. Zainab Bint Jahsy who was from among the nobility married Zaid Bin Harithah, a former slave and adopted son of the Prophet. At first Zainab refused the proposal from Zaid, but because there was no reason to’i to reject Zaid, then Zainab then received the proposal Zaid until finally they married. However, their differences in social status turned out to be one of the reasons they did not fit in and eventually divorced.

I listened to the explanation of Teh Iyah solemnly.

“Indeed the Apostle was also a man of ordinary wealth when he married the wealthy Khadijah. But Khadijah gave up all his wealth to be managed by His Majesty so that the difference in social status between them was not a problem. Unlike the case with the story of Zainab and Zaid, because it is not as intimate and also indeed fate until they finally divorced.”

Iyah tea rubbed my shoulders gently.

“I mean, Teteh wants to convince himself whether Teteh can continue the plan to try to match you with Teteh's sister or not. Now Teteh wants to ask Lena. Will Lena's attitude be like Khadijah or Zainab?”

“Hah…?" I was stunned to hear the question from Teh Iyah.

“Teteh does not want to blame Zainab's attitude because it is not also wrong and cannot be forced. We all know the level of Zainab's piety is not arbitrary. It's just... You understand what Teteh means? The difference between Zainab and Zaid is obvious. Zainab was the daughter of a noble while Zaid was a former slave. That social class difference became a problem in their marriage.”

Tea looks at me.

“Definitely mean, your differences with Atep are not too far away as Zainab and Zaid are. Atep is highly educated even though he has not yet graduated from college. The Atep family is also a good family although when compared to the Lena family it is not comparable.”

“Teh, By Allah, Lena does not view a person from his social status. Lena chose Lena's candidates for the priesthood based on her religion, not because of her looks, education, wealth or social status. If her religion is good then Lena will sincerely accept her as her priest Lena.”

“Alhamdulillah.. If you have such a principle, Teteh is very grateful. Teteh dares to guarantee, God willing, Atep is a man who holds firmly the teachings of religion. Tetah saw him everyday from when he was a child. During Teteh's stay with Atep, Teteh saw he was never absent for the congregation's early morning prayers to the mosque.”

“But Lena has never met her foster sister Teh Iyah.”

“Later to discover.”

“And if after we got acquainted and felt that we were not suitable, can it be if Lena refused to continue?” tanyaku be careful because I do not want to offend Teh Iyah.

“Lena dear, Teteh is not a petty person. Teteh just wants to make an effort to introduce you both. Who knows you guys are indeed a match.”

“Alright, Lena wants to meet him. Just to get acquainted, yes, Teh.”

“It. Kan if you do not know then taaruf,” kekeh Iyah Tea.

************

to be continued....