A Handful of Love for You
47. Be familiar

Atep POV

At seven o'clock in the morning, I was at the house of Teh Iyah to pick up Alena, Aras and Aris.

Last night after finishing the show at the cafe, I went back to my contract in the middle of the night. Yes, I am still contracted because I have not been able to buy a house. I just had a piece of land on the outskirts of Bandung.

My savings were used up to build a cafe on my father's estate. To build a cafe, I still have a debt to Teh Iyah that I still have a mortgage every month. Iyah tea said that I did not have to return the money given but I feel bad if I have to accept money for free.

Usually if there is an event at the cafe until late at night, I always stay at the cafe. There is a special room that I have prepared as a place if I am lazy to go home. However, especially for last night, I decided to go home because I needed to prepare myself for our meeting today.

My house is very small and minimalist. There is only one bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and space to receive guests with a makeshift yard enough for motorbike parking.

I actually feel inferior to Alena. Alena is a beautiful woman with a brilliant career. He comes from a family with a lot of money. Since her childhood certainly Alena never felt a lack of both affection and material.

I was also worried that if he made a fool of me, would he be able to accept me? Will he be able to accept a simple life together with me?.

Is my decision to accept and continue this matchmaking initiated by Teh Iyah right?

Come to think of it, I am a self-informed human being. Already aware of the quality of the potluck but still forced themselves to get Alena.

Aargh. I am sure that Allah will provide sustenance for every one of His servants. So my concern about material matters can be put aside.

Now all I have to fight for is how Alena can accept and love me. This seems to be the hardest part. I feel there's still a sense of hatred in Alena for me.

It was my fault from the beginning that the drums of war were waging between us. My attitude at the beginning was not very good in front of Alena. My attitude that is too cold and indifferent is one of my weaknesses. I'm not used to being sweet to people I just met.

Ah, let alone people who are new to know, to people who have known for a long time I often act cold and indifferent. With the exception of Mother, sister, Teh Iyah, Aras and Aris. I'll be sweet only to them.

Now the more people I will give more attention to and I treat with sweetness too. That person is Alena. Considering today will be the second day I can walk together with him to make my heart beat. Although there are Aras and Aris that will be a mosquito repellent burn later, but with them I can imagine the picture of a happy family with two children.

Iyah tea was sunbathing in the front yard while exercising lightly when I reached her house.

“Assalamu’alaikum, Tea,” my sap when entering the gate of the house.

“Wa’alaikumsalam. Can't wait to hang out with Lena, huh?” Iyah Tea Goda.

“Teteh can aja. Kan Teteh who asked Atep to get to know Lena better,”, I replied casually.

“Eh, how can you be immediately familiar so. It looks like Lena's crestfallen with you. It seems you have been wrong with him. You guys know him before?” search Teh Iyah.

I scratched my nape to relieve the nervousness.

“Eeeh..it..actually we already know each other anyway.”.

“Know where?” Teh Iyah pulled my hand to follow her sitting on the garden chair.

“That, Lena was his guidance counselor Atep,” I replied slowly.

“Haaaa..” Shouted Tea Iyah.

“Don't scream, Tea.” I was embarrassed because Iyah Tea finally found out that Alena was my guidance counselor.

“Aa... here!” Teh Iyah called her husband who had just returned from his morning running activities.

“What's up?” Kagendra, Teh Iyah's husband, sat in the garden chair.

“Aa know? This is Breaking News, A. Hot News!” yang Terah Tea

“Know what? How can you know if you don't say.” asked Kagendra scrunched his forehead.

“Iiiih si Aa mah.. hence Dengerin Iyah well.”

I saw Kagendra sighing harshly. I know he was a little upset by his wife's fussiness but he tried not to show his frustration. I saw that he smiled sweetly at Teh Iyah.

I am grateful that Teh Iyah has earned her happiness with the man she loves. Now I have completely released Teh Iyah from my heart. I'm happy to see the happiness of Teh Iyah.

“Sok or story.”

“Iiih si Aa mah gakpatan. Wait atuh, Iyah want to take a breath first,” gerutu Teh Iyah.

I chuckled at the patient expression Kagendra showed.

Iyah's tea pinched her husband's arm in annoyance.

“Why play pinch everything?” a Endra Protest.

“Eat him don't talk much. Dengerin well who want Iyah cincin.”

I giggled to see a husband who was scolded by his wife.

“Aa know? Our guess is very precise.100% precise and accurate. Lena was the supervisor of Atep,” said Teh Iyah.

“Terus?”

“Aeh aeh.. si Aa mah no expression so,” grumbled Teh Iyah.

“Oh...”.

“Iiih... kok just oh hell?”.

“Ya keep Aa have to say what? Or Aa has to jump around or roll around on that land?”

I couldn't bear to laugh, I laughed out loud at A Endra's reply.

“Iiiiih not exciting ah. Aa mah that. Bummer! Baby in Mom's belly. Later if it's grown, don't be like your father. You guys have to look like Mom. Don't look like your father.” Iyah tea rubbed his stomach that looks protruding.

A Endra was again seen sighing at the words from Teh Iyah.

Then Teh Iyah went into the house leaving us.

“Tep, you noticed your sulking Tete. Later if you marry Lena, her attitude will not be much different from yours. So you have to be patient in facing your wife especially if later the Lena is pregnant, you have to be extra patient.” A Endra gave me a message that only I could respond with a nod.

“Teh Iyah not experiencing morning sickness?” ask me to divert the conversation that has begun to lead.

“Not every day. From the first pregnancy until the second pregnancy this time, I experienced morning sickness,”

“Enjoy the cravings of Tea Iyah. Maybe now Teteh will be very spoiled because when pregnant Aras and Aris, Teteh resisted all the cravings.” I told you about when Teh Iyah got pregnant.

“Hm..”

“Teh Iyah the independent and strong woman. When Teh Iyah was pregnant first, she also craved and had many desires but Teh Iyah did not want to trouble me and my mother so she suppressed all her desires. Often I used to buy food that about pregnant people like but Iyah Tea always said that he did not crave and did not want strange foods.”

“Sorry if you used to be so hard,” said A Endra makes me teak is not happy.

I'm shaking.

“I consider Teh Iyah like a sibling. My mother and I loved Tea very much. Never consider Iyah Tea to be troublesome for us.”

“Hm..”

“I just hope that Teh Iyah is always happy. Now I see with my own eyes that Iyah Tea is indeed really happy to gather again with the man he always loved. A Endra's the first love of Teh Iyah. That's why it was completely destroyed when I had to leave A Endra,”.

“I used to be the dickest guy. I also do not think how I used to be a jerk and wasted a godly woman like Iyah. I realized too late that I already loved her and when that realization came, it was too late. I'm grateful God gave me a second chance to be back with my wife and kids.”

“Thank you for wanting to fight for Tea Iyah.”

“No... It is not you who should thank but me who should thank you and your mother. Because if there weren't any of you, I can't imagine how Iyah would survive.”

“Don't thank me either. It is the duty of a younger brother to protect his older sister.”

“Ya... that's also what I'll ask you for now.”

“Means?” many wonder.

Don't-don't...

*******

to be continued...