A Little Hope For Ashma
13. Promise to fight

It has been five days since the departure of Adam who drove his grandmother and uncle to Palestine, but until now the man has not returned home.

Ashma also had time to contact Adam thanks to the help of aunt Marianee who had given him the phone number Adam. Ashma called several times but the man's phone was not active.

Had Adam always been like this, there was no news and just disappeared. At least now he should be aware that he has a wife and Ashma is very worried about the man.

Aunt Marianne always calms Ashma down, she also says that Adam was always like this. Even the bad possibility that he could not go home for weeks, Ashma was very astonished to hear the words of Aunt Marianee.

In bed Ashma could not fall asleep at all, she rolled several times changing her position here and there because her mind was always filled with anxiety about Adam.

"Did I miss him so much?" Monologue Ashma, but he immediately dismissed his thoughts.

Ashma tried to close her eyes again hoping that she would fall asleep soon, but again he had to wake up because he heard someone open the door of the room and Ashma was sure that it was Adam considering that the man had the spare key of their room.

"Ashma..." Call Adam vaguely.

Ashma rose from her sleep and she came to Adam, and the man looked very tired from his tired face.

"Thank God Adam, you're home." Adam finds Ashma worried about him.

"Hm..." Adam just cleared his throat, he was too busy watching Ashma's face that these few days had teased his head.

Ashma immediately kissed Adam's palm so solemn, Adam smiled thinly behind his tired face.

"Ashma.can you prepare warm water for me to soak." Ashma certainly nodded at her husband's request.

"Wait a minute, Adam, I'll get you some warm water." Ashma immediately rushed to prepare warm water for Adam.

Adam occupied himself on the sofa, he let out a long sigh as his affairs were done. Moreover Adam did not expect Ashma's anxious face to make his heart calm.

Ashma had finished preparing warm water for Adam, in the bathtub he also added the aroma of therapy to make Adam's body feel fresher.

Ashma found Adam kneeling his forehead. "Adam, I've prepared the warm water." Adam nodded weakly, looking very tired. He got up from the sofa and followed Ashma to the bathroom. Ashma helps Adam get into the bathtub, making sure he is comfortable before leaving him for a moment.

While Adam was soaking, Ashma sat on the edge of the bed. She was relieved to see her husband come home and be by her side. However, Ashma's anxiety still hasn't gone away completely given where her husband went for nearly a week with no news at all.

After a while, Adam came out of the bathtub with a body that felt fresher. He dried himself and put on his nightgown before returning to the bedroom.

Ashma found her husband who had finished cleaning his body even the man had been wearing the sleeping clothes that Ashma had prepared. Ashma approached Adam while carrying a bottle of aromatherapy oil.

"Adam, if I may, will you..I massage your achy body?" Ashma's great-grandson who volunteered to massage the man stammering, he was too embarrassed to look at Adam's face.

Adam was silent for a moment to hear an offer from Ashma, but soon Adam smiled faintly with a nod, a sign that Adam gave Ashma permission to massage his achy body parts.

Adam sat on the bed followed by Ashma. "Which part does Adam want to massage?"

"My back." Ashma nodded in understanding but she was a little confused when she thought about having to take off the clothes worn by her husband. He better ask her permission.

"May I take your clothes off Adam?" Ask Ashma in a small voice. Adam wondered why his wife asked permission again when Adam had given her permission earlier.

"Continue on." Adam said, Ashma undressed Adam and he was a little saddened to see the broad shoulders of her husband who was very sturdy. Gently, Ashma began massaging Adam's shoulders. The touch of her hands was soft and slow, trying to relieve the aching feeling in her husband's body.

Adam felt so calm and comfortable with the Ashma massage. Her soft hands and attentiveness made her feel taken care of, but on the other hand Adam held back his desire to touch Ashma. Adam could not, because he had promised himself not to touch the woman, only that Adam did not know if he could because every time he saw Ashma he always could not bear to pounce on her.

Fending off his dangerous wish, Adam decides to close his eyes and let Ashma continue her massage.

While massaging, Ashma felt anxious still haunting his mind. He felt the need to find out why Adam disappeared for so long without giving any news. Ashma thinks this is a good time to ask that.

"Adam, are you okay? I was so worried when you suddenly disappeared for so long without any news, were you in Palestine that long?" whispered Ashma slowly.

Adam opened his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ashma. But you don't have to bother thinking about or knowing my business." Adam's words made Ashma's heart ache, but he also smiled steadfastly. Ashma is aware that their marriage is only based on responsibility so they don't have to tell their respective affairs right? But Ashma did not want such a thing to happen in her marriage.

"It's none of my business?" He muttered very disappointed.

Ashma chuckled lightly with a heart that was throbbing pain. Adam knew that Ashma was disappointed by his heart-pounding answer.

"Hm..." Adam only replied with a slow mutter.

After Ashma did not ask again, they did not open their voices until about fifteen minutes Ashma finished massaging Adam's back.

Ashma turned around and looked at Adam, "Can I go and sleep with Ashma?" Hearing her husband's wish, Ashma smiled faintly with a nod.

Adam and Ashma lay on the bed, and a quiet atmosphere enveloped the room. They are struggling with their own thoughts.

Adam changed his position to the left to look at Ashma when Ashma changed his position, now they faced each other and looked at each other. Adam decided to tell Ashma because he was disturbed to see Ashma's disappointed face earlier.

"Surely you always think and wonder what my job is all this time, right Ashma?" Ashma nodded, the gazes of the two not at all loose.

"I'm not a criminal, a mobster or anything you've always imagined Ashma to be. But I can't deny the moment I have to fight for self-protection, I have to kill them."

Ashma was astonished, yet she did not want to jump to conclusions.

"Because of this work I have bound you, if only at that time our suitcases hadn't been swapped, maybe you'd never have stuck with me even in a marriage bond we never wanted." Adam said in Ashma's self-inflicted turmoil that no longer blames fate for bringing them together in this way.

Ashma listened to Adam with mixed feelings. On the other hand his heart was relieved because Adam wanted to be open about his work now.

"Adam, I know that your work may be dangerous and difficult to share with others. But as a wife, I want to know about you and what's going on in your life" Ashma said sincerely.

Adam turned to look at the ceiling of his room thinking for a moment about what he was going to tell Ashma.

"I work as a secret agent in America." Adam told his work, then said Adam closed his eyes ready to hear a response from his wife.

While Ashma was surprised to find the truth, he also felt very guilty because previously Ashma had prejudiced Adam.

"Is that really dangerous?"

Adam opened his eyes again and sighed heavily as if he was carrying a lot of weight. "Very.and therefore I must guarantee your safety. After our suitcases were switched last time, you've been targeted by Daxter as well as the bastard Edward, the cold-blooded mafia."

"Edward, he's the most feared. That son of a bitch took Lily on our wedding day." Adam continues his words, Ashma is increasingly curious about the figure of Lily the woman who is loved by Adam, but Ashma feels the time is not right to ask about Lily now.

Ashma also felt strange, why she could be the target of their target. "That doesn't make sense. Why is the mob targeting me so far in danger?" Ashma asked because she was very curious.

"Whoever is involved with me, he will definitely be the target especially at that time you ever hold a suitcase containing the cars, right,"

"Hmm, uh,"

"But is it just because of cars?" ask again because it feels impossible just because of children's toys alone.

"No. The problem is more crucial than that."

"then?"

"There's a state secret in it, they wanted it and they managed to get it, but I managed to take it back!"

Ashma was still not satisfied with Adam's answer. "But it still doesn't make sense. Why are they suddenly targeting me?" Adam turned his head to the left, staring at Ashma's brown bead which looked at him seriously.

"Because they thought you were part of us, working as a secret agent." As if Ashma could not say anything more, his mouth seemed to be confused to hear Adam's explanation.

Adam still did not look at Ashma, either. Ashma felt that the man's secret was so much that Ashma did not dare to guess especially before she had thought badly about Adam's work.

Ashma wanted to ask about her enemy, Edward. Because she believes Adam's enemy has a personal vendetta against her, she captures Adam's previous explanation that Edward once took Lily on their wedding day.

Ashma asked Adam. "Did Edward have a personal grudge against you?"

Adam did not give an answer after hearing Ashma's question that made him feel a little offended, because he had to recall the events of eighteen years ago exactly when the two parents of Adam were killed right in front of his eyes.

The man's face turned cold, as quickly as he got out of bed and went to the bathroom. Ashma was confused whether her question offended her, the man was very difficult to guess.

"I was very confused Adam on your attitude, which is sometimes cold.sometimes it is also warm," Ashma said slowly amid the wind that hit the curtains. Ashma stared at the bathroom door that had been closed by Adam.

"I promise I will always wait patiently for an explanation of our relationship Adam. I am also determined to keep our marriage. If you live it out of responsibility, but not with me Adam. I will fight and endure until later, perhaps to the point where I start to get tired and give up."

Ashma monologues with herself alone in redam. Like there is a vacuum that hit his frail feelings wander in the confusion of his marriage with Adam.

"I accept this marriage service and your destiny, Lord. And I beg you to fall, love me to him, and vice versa."

#TBC