BEING THE WIFE OF HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW
CHAPTER 19. REMEMBERING THE PAST
The atmosphere of silence enveloped the night. Inside the room that was not too large but comfortable, there appeared a middle-aged man sitting on a mattress. His eyes were focused on the rows of photos inside the album that some seemed to be scattered there. For a moment the man wiped his wet tears.
His fingers, which had begun to appear signs of wrinkles, continued to wipe the photos of two young twin girls. They looked very cute with the same clothes and a cheerful smile.
A moment later, a middle-aged woman entered the room. He kept a glass and a teapot of water on the nightstand and climbed onto the bed. Sit next to my husband.
"For what, Dad?" ask Araya's mother. She leaned her head on the husband's shoulder and wrapped her hands around the man's arm. The husband turned to his wife and kissed her on the top of the head.
"Dad was looking at a picture of our two girls. It doesn't feel like it, time goes by so fast" Lukman's father replied as he continued to swipe photos of Kian and the young Lian.
"Dad misses them?" ask Araya's mother. He lifted his head and looked at his husband.
"Dad longed for their childhood" replied Lukman's father.
"Hmm" murmured the wife.
"Daddy remember the first time the doctor said that if you were pregnant with twins, it felt like I wanted to fly so happy. Especially when they are born. Their faces are so cute, so pretty, and so similar that they make you say nothing more" Lukman's father said with a smile remembering his past.
"Yes. And we never miss their development, do we? Although the father works but the father never reduces the attention and affection of the father to them. Dad always gave them whatever they wanted. Father even willing to stay up all night to accompany them to play even though at that time the condition of the father was very tired after working all day," explained the wife.
"Yes Mom. How else. Every morning until the afternoon I was always in the office. And when night falls, they're already asleep. So when they suddenly just can't sleep, it's a chance for dad to make time for them" explained Lukman's father.
Lukman's father closed the photo album in his hand. Tidy up all the albums scattered on the mattress and clean the bed slowly. He didn't want any dust from the album stuck there. When he finished, Lukman's father returned to the bed and laid his body. Followed by the wife who immediately hugged him. So that now the head of Araya's mother is in the chest of Lukman's father. And the woman's hand was coiled over the husband's stomach.
"Now it's all over. Everything has changed" Lukman's father said. Araya's mother fell silent without commenting.
"Both of our little children, have now turned into adults. They can no longer be arranged because they already have their own desires that are not infrequently contrary to our desires. Now they can make their own decisions even though they often make the wrong decisions. And we as his parents still have an obligation to guide them, don't we?" ask Lukman's father. Araya's mother looked up at her husband.
"Dad was talking about Lian?" ask Araya's mother.
"Yes of course. Even until now father still could not think, how could he be tempted to that son of a delinquent? Lian's been in a relationship for over a year and we both don't know that" Lukman's father said.
"They were in puberty, Dad. Where they prefer to attach importance to the ego rather than a clear mind. I'm also disappointed why Lian did something like that. He always defies us if we give him understanding. But neither did the mother blame the child. Because after all the time Kian and Lian now is a time where they always rebel if what they want is not given or not understood by their parents," explained Araya's mother.
"But Kian is not," said Lukman's father comparing his two children.
"Isn't it from childhood that Kian's nature is different from her brother, Lian? From childhood, we always see that Kian always succumbed to Lian. A relationship where usually the brother who always succumbed to the sister but it was not experienced by them. Kian as a sister actually more succumb to Lian," explained Ibu Araya again. Lukman's father nodded.
"Yes. Lucky we married Lian to Rama. Otherwise, I don't know what Lian's gonna do with that delinquent."
Araya's mother lifted her body and sat down next to her husband and turned her face to him.
"Why indeed?"
"Lian accepted this marriage was due to coercion and threats from father. She does not love her husband. Even his heart still belonged to others. Will their marriage be happy, especially for our children?" ask Araya's mother.
"Of course this is the right decision. Rama is the grandson of Mr. Bimo, a wealthy businessman in this country."
"I mean dad? So you deliberately married Lian to Rama because of their rich family?" ask Araya's mother. The husband chuckled.
Lukman's father woke up from his sleep and now they sit facing each other on the bed. Lukman's father's hand rubbed his wife's head.
"It's not so dear. You know for yourself if Rama is the grandson of Mr. Bimo. While Mr. Bimo himself is a friend of Dul's father. If Dul's father only agreed to have us in a relationship with their family, then why should I hesitate. At least Lian's gonna get some affection in that house. Now it's just how Lian has to determine the attitude."
Lukman's father twisted his body and took the phone from the top of the nightstand. He immediately used the phone and then saved it back on the nightstand.
"What did you do?" ask the confused wife.
"Dad just remembered that father has not transferred money for Kian's provisions there. So I transferred just now" explained Lukman's father.
"Dad still sent Kian the money? But isn't he there working too huh? Then why do you still send him money?" asked Araya's mother not understand.
"Mom, although Kian has worked, but he does not have a partner who is ready to take responsibility for taking care of his birth and mind. Father was not worried about Lian because now she was the responsibility of her husband Rama. While Kian, as long as he is not married then all the responsibilities about his life are still the responsibility of Dad, right?" Obviously Lukman's father.
"Yes too." The wife nodded her head.
"It's okay. Dad always believed in Kian anyway. He couldn't possibly abuse all the facilities that father gave him. Let alone doing something to ruin the family's good name."
"Because it's different with Lian, huh?"
"Well, I understand." said Lukman's father, chuckling.
"It's already night. We should go to bed soon" said Lukman's father, positioning his wife to lie down again.
"Or do you want us to make a sister for Lian and Kian? Who knows if we could have twins again?" lukman's father said while flirting with his wife.
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