An Inner Lent to My Wife's Cousin
The Bird from the Neighbor

Yani POVs

"Where was sir sleeping last night?" ask my husband who just came home this morning.

"In Muhlis' house."

I just nodded and continued sweeping the floor. The kids have been going to school since. It was customary that Bang Herman had just returned home after spending the night at his friend's house. I don't know what Bang Herman did there, but I think it's just male habits that I don't think are any good. Whether playing cards, chatting while drinking coffee, or even drunk.

Bang Hendra took off the shirt he was wearing and his trousers, then picked up the towel that lay after Arham wore it. He went out to take a shower under the house.

I took her clothes and grinned confusedly when I saw her. I know that Bang Herman didn't wear this shirt last night? Why did her clothes change this morning?

The shirt I was holding was an orange T-shirt with the words 'My Life Style' in front of the shirt. But I remember Bang Herman last night wearing a plain black shirt? Where's the black shirt? I'm no stranger to orange clothes anyway. But I forgot where I had seen it.

Ah, I'd better ask him where the black shirt is. Maybe Bang Herman's clothes were wet with water or something that made Bang Herman borrow clothes from his friends.

After the sweeping business was over, I went back to the kitchen to cook the rice. At 10 or 9 in the morning, then I will cook side dishes for children's lunch.

After putting a pot of rice on the stove, I just remembered that the refined salt in the kitchen had run out last night. I intend to buy it at the front stall of the house.

After taking the money in the room, Bang Herman appeared wearing a towel alone on his waist revealing his distended stomach and stocky body.

"Bang, please take care of the rice for a while. I want to go to the stall first to buy salt," I said passing by him.

"Oh yeah, where was my black shirt last night? That feeling last night of wearing that shirt? Then why are you wearing this shirt now?" I asked as I lifted up the shirt of him lying on the bed.

I saw Bang Herman swallow his saliva and turned to look at me. "Oh, last night his black shirt spilled coffee with my friend. So I was offered to borrow Herman's shirt" my husband replied.

"Oh, where do the clothes go? why not take it home?"

"Lost there, Mom. Forgot to take it."

I just churned and passed from before him. After arriving at the stall, I immediately bought refined salt that had run out in the kitchen without the need to chat with Rani, because it remembered rice at home.

"Yan, here for a second." Rani, the owner of the stall who is also my neighbor, called me before I could turn around.

"What's up, Ran?"

"Just want to tell if there is a wedding in the city xxx. Mr. Rahman's second son is getting married next week."

"Oh, whose son was that cop?" my many.

"Yes, the candidate is from xxx."

"Oh ok, keep whose car will drive?"

"I asked my husband and he said he was in his car. You invited Nini too to add rame there." Nini is part of my family too and her house is a few meters from here.

"Well, I'll tell him later" I said, and then I turned around.

"Eh, wait a minute, Yan!" Rani's preventing me from leaving again.

"I want nanya, lately I like to see your husband sometimes always come or out of the house of Nana. You know what not?" ask Rani.

I grinned confused by what Rani said. Bang Herman always comes to Nana's house? But do what? Does Bang Herman have any business with Nana?

"No, why, Ran?"

"I'm sorry, Yan, I didn't mean to make you think nothing of your husband and Nana, but Bang Yadi–– my husband once saw Herman come out of Nana's house at 2am when he forgot to close the stall due to watching television. Then I just saw him coming out of Nana's house."

I was surprised enough to make my body shake a little. Didn't he say he spent the night at Muhlis' house? Then why did Rani say that Bang Herman just got out of Nana's house?

But what made me a little shocked when I heard that Bang Herman came out of Nana's house at 2am. If indeed what Rani said was true, what business did Bang Herman have in Nana's house until it was finished at 2 am?

"Bang Yadi called your husband when he saw that he wanted to enter Nana's house. But since the person called did not turn around or respond, Bang Yadi thought it was not Herman. So Bang Yadi ignored him and thought it was his sister Nana."

"I'm saying this doesn't mean to make you think or prejudge your husband and Nana. But try asking your husband the real story. Who knows, Bang Yadi and I misunderstood what we've seen all along."

That's right what Rani said. I have to ask Bang Herman the truth first. I have to be positive about Nana and my husband if they don't do anything behind my back. Moreover, I know both of them well all this time.

"Thank you, Ran. I'll try asking Bang Herman" I replied.

"Don't put forward any emotions, Yan." Rani warned.

"Yes." Yeah."

After that I returned home with a sense of uncertainty. I don't know why my mind says if the two have a relationship. But if it's true that Bang Herman has anything to do with Nana, what should I do?

"The rice is ripe, sir?" I asked after I got home and saw Bang Herman breakfast fried rice that I had made while watching television.

"A little more, I just stirred the rice," he replied.

I put the salt in the kitchen first and checked the rice. After I turned down the stove, I went back to the front intending to talk about the thing that stuck in my heart after the conversation with Rani.

"Sir, I'm asking." Bang Herman looked at me waiting for me to speak.

"Rani and Bang Yadi have seen that you often go in and out of Nana's house. But what makes them suspicious is that you ever get out of Nana's house at 2 am. Is that true?" Seeing Bang Herman's silent reaction, I said back to what Rani had just said.

Bang Herman sighed then put down the plate he had held and drank the water first.

"You don't get me wrong about me with Nana?" he said after the silence.

"Have you heard that Nana wants to build a second floor in her house?" tanyakanya.

"Yes, I told you that Nana would build a second floor for her children's room."

"Yes, it was you who recommended me to Nana to help her. Nana asked me for help finding cheap materials in town because she was afraid that her husband's money wouldn't buy enough of them."

"And about me coming to his house often, I just want to report to him about the material search I got in town."

"But you can get on your cell phone if you want to report like that."

"Are you jealous?" goda.

"What hell! I just don't want you to be the neighbor's gossip here," I said in a dark voice, although I honestly felt jealous too.

"Hahaha, you just calm down, Mom, I'm the same Nana doesn't do anything. You know your husband well, anyway. There's no way I have anything to do with Nana who's obviously your own cousin. Nana already has a husband, I also already have you, there is no way we are two behind our family. It can get angry if Nana and I are involved in a forbidden relationship," he said with a ignorant smile engraved on his lips.

His explanation made me the feeling that lingered in my heart slowly disappear. What Bang Herman said has a point. However, there is still a little feeling there is another question that makes me not calm.

"Then about you getting out of Nana's house at 2 p.m?" askaku.

"That's me accidentally falling asleep in front of Nana's television house. Nana and I had a discussion about the materials to be purchased at that time, but because Nana wanted to go to her parents' house first, I thought about lying down for a while because my body felt tired after the trip. Uh, even accidentally fell asleep until 2 am," he explained. "You can't believe it, you can ask Nana's children about what happened when I fell asleep in her house."

Bang Herman's explanation makes me feel at ease now. I'm grateful that my husband and Nana have nothing to do but work to help Nana. I cursed my stupidity that felt trusted with negative thoughts. I should have believed my husband. You can't mess with Bang Herman because I believe he's never been around all this time.

"Mr almost every day to the city just to look for materials?"

"No, only 2 times to the city. You also can not be free anywhere because you have to supervise the road project in the village xxx."

I nodded at once feeling relieved now. "I'm sorry, Bang. I thought you were the same Nana had another relationship," I regret.

"Ah, how are you. Nana and I had a relationship like that. There's-there's you," he replied with a head bobble but a smile could not be separated from his lips. "It's okay, I understand if my wife is jealous."

"Here you go, I'd better check the state of the rice first." I'd rather go than hear her joke and embarrass me. But, my feelings had already begun to calm down now after hearing the explanation.

Hermann POV.

After Yani returned to the kitchen, I picked up the phone and typed something.

^^^[Na, it seems we have to reduce the intensity of our meeting at night.]^^^

Nana

[Well, Why?]

^^^[Yani suspected me earlier after hearing the words of Rani and Yadi who had seen me come to your house. But fortunately I was able to give her a logical reason to make Yani believe me again.]^^^

Nana

[Oh that.]

^^^[You take it easy, I still give you my inner living even though I can't always. But we have to find the right time so your people and your children don't suspect us.]^^^

Nana

[Yes, Bang, I'm just coming with you.]

^^^[My black clothes have you found?]^^^

Nana

[Here, I'm taking it to the washing machine.]

^^^[Do not! You better give it to me. I'll go to your house and get my clothes.]^^^

Nana

[That would be safe, Bang?]

^^^[Look, I just came there for a little while, not making anyone suspicious.]^^^

Nana

[Ok, Bang.]

I let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness I was good at lying and deceiving Yani with my excuses. Fortunately Nana had asked me for help about finding materials. And that's why I told Yani to make her believe me. Although it's not just what I did to Nana behind her back.