Forced Marriage Alea
PPA 119# Regret

Alex slowly steps into a large room on the first floor of the Dinata family home. Nervously he knocked on the shiny light brown wood door. Since living in his grandfather's house, he had already passed through this door several times. Unfortunately, it always ends badly. If he gets summoned to this room, it means he has made a mistake that made his Grandpa rise in blood. Making a trauma of its own, looming in the head of a young man who even turned thirty-two, this year.

Alex knocks at the door hesitating, thinking of what reason he would throw at his Grandfather for being caught back in his bad habit, drunkenness at the club until the early hours of the morning. Before long he landed his fist on the door, an inside command ordered Alex to enter the room immediately.

"Good day, Mother" said Alex as her grandfather watched her carefully from behind his desk at the end of the room.

The middle-aged man then put a book on the table, got up from his big chair and walked to the Chesterfield sofa not far from his desk.

"Come here" Bayu ordered with a typical hoarse voice the parents answered Alex's greeting.

The old man seemed to smile kindly. There are no angry or disappointed streaks on the face of a man whose entire face has been covered with wrinkles, because it is eaten by age. Making Alex flinch at the face of the man who contributed the genes in the blood that flowed in Alex's body.

"Good Cake." Alex nods his head in response to Bayu's orders to get close to him, before he sinks into his own thoughts.

Exploring what his grandfather would say. Bayu's face looked calm and there was not the slightest trace of emotion looming over him. It was different when he was younger than he is now. That face will instantly show a flash of anger since Alex opened the door of Bayu's study.

"Sit down" Bayu ordered shortly after the old man landed his body on a long sofa while patting the cushion of a nearby sofa. He did it as a sign that Alex chose to sit near him.

Alex sits on the couch patted by Grandpa. Their gazes blurted out before Alex again lowered his gaze.

"Not to be tense. Grandpa called you here just to talk."

Alex didn't understand his grandfather's words. He was still struggling with his own thoughts, the reason why Grandpa suddenly asked Alex to see him.

"Lex, you're old enough." Gail started the conversation. "It's time for you to seriously think about your future" Bayu continued to make Alex almost publish his smile.

"It looks like Ravka's lecture ability was obtained from Grandpa," Inner Alex recalled Ravka's words earlier today. Not just the same word. The timing is very close too.

"Grandfather's life may not be long. Grandfather hoped to leave this world quietly, when he saw that Grandpa's grandchildren could live their lives well."

Bayu's words made Alex flinch. Although he did not like his Grandfather so much because he felt that Grandpa was favoritism, but he still loved this old man in front of him. Alex raised his head to look at Grandfather's shady face. No fear loomed over his eyes as he spoke of death, as if he was ready to face it. But Alex can catch the worry in an eye bead that starts to look silvery due to Bayu's vision getting worse with age.

"Grandfather don't talk like that. I'm sure Grandpa can get past the age of a hundred" Alex said with a wistful eye.

Bayu chuckled at Alex's words. Maybe he still hopes to witness the birth of his great-grandchildren at the age of twilight. However, the complications that struck his body said as if he would only trouble his children and grandchildren in his old age. Why in his prayer, God immediately took his life before he lay on the bed unable to do anything, even to his own body. He will not be a burden to anyone.

"Parkinson who Grandpa suffered has entered stage three. This disease can never be cured. Can only be slowed. But now Grandpa's age is no longer supportive of undergoing a series of therapies."

"I see Grandpa is still strong. Grandpa don't think too far."

"Grandfather has eaten more salt acid than you. To lie to yourself is a futile job. Just like you're doing now."

"I don't understand what Grandpa means."

"Are you aware? You are lying to yourself by avoiding problems. That's a problem to face, Lex. Not to be avoided," continued Bayu said with a tone full of softness.

Alex knitted his eyebrows together digesting Grandpa Bayu's words which seemed to corner him. All this time he was just like a grandson who had no sense of responsibility on his shoulders.

"You act as if nothing happened and hold it alone, it is the same as storing a time bomb that is ready to explode at any time" said Grandpa Bayu again.

"After all, you are now a husband. Good for your wife, it's your responsibility. Grandpa just hopes you give yourself and your wife a chance to fix what happened. Solve the problems between you as best you can. Whatever your decision is for your marriage, Grandpa will certainly support you fully. Most importantly you've thought about both the good and the bad."

Alex let out a long sigh hearing the words that Grandpa had said. His mouth was looking for the right word to express the heart. He is not used to talking from heart to heart with his family. However, he realized that he liked it, inevitably, he had to face a strange problem that ensnared his life.

"Whatever's the reason you married Sherly, that's part of the risk you have to bear when you decide to marry her. Grandpa never forced you to marry Sherly. You consciously chose to marry her, Lex."

"But I never thought that this marriage was just a means for Sherly's family to destroy our family, Cake," sambar Alex does not accept when his Grandfather blames his actions on taking over the responsibility of marrying Sherly.

"They could never have destroyed our family if not for the permission of the Almighty. Trust all your life in Alex's God, not just in your abilities."

"I really don't accept what Sherly's done, Cake" Alex said.

"Grandfather realizes Sherly is not the perfect woman to be a wife. But Grandpa also has to admit, you're no better than Sherly. Whether your soul mate is still long or just a corn, Grandpa can only hope that you learn the lessons of all the events that have happened to you. Grandfather also hopes, this can all make you a better person for the future," concluded Bayu ended his advice.

"I get it, Cake" said Alex without passion.

Honestly, it feels like he is lazy to have to meet a woman who has caused deep disappointment in the heart. However, ucqpqn Kakelnya and Ravka are right. He can't be in trouble. He has to solve all the problems between him and Sherly.

"I'll figure out a way to get to Sherly and solve all the problems between us."

Bayu grabbed Alex's hand, then patted the back of the hand slowly, as if channeling a tightness to Alex through the clap.

"Grandfather believes you can solve this problem well. Do not involve revenge in solving all the problems that occur. Revenge will only bring destruction. Remember that well," said Grandpa Bayu.

"Good Grandpa. I will remember all Grandpa's advice" Alex replied with a wide grin on his Grandpa's old face.

This time he was able to speak well with Grandpa. He realized that his grandfather was not as thick as he had thought. Before this, he had always opposed everything spoken by his Grandfather to make Bayu ride apoplexy. It all just ended in anger that gripped both of them. It is time he changed his childish attitude as often conveyed by Ravka. Although he was older than Ravka, but he realized that his thinking was not as mature as Ravka.

"One more thing, Lex," Bayu said, taking a deep breath before beginning what he was about to say to Alex. "Before Grandpa really leaves you for good, Grandpa wants to apologize to you. Grandpa has misrepresented your mischief as a teenager. Grandfather's anger even more encourage you to behave badly to become a habit that is ingrained. Grandpa really, pray you can set foot on the right path after Grandpa's passing."

"Don't talk like that Grandpa. It's not Grandpa's fault, it's all purely my fault. I'm too stubborn to be advised. I also had bad thoughts about Grandpa so the misunderstanding continued to drag on. I am aware of my mistake. So Grandpa don't blame yourself anymore."

"However, what happens to his children because of parents who cannot educate well. All this time Grandpa just gave your upbringing to your mother. Though you also need the figure of a father after Dika. Grandpa was too focused on work in his youth. Grandfather also contributed to let you mired in disobedience. For that Grandpa apologizes."

"Bd .... " It's not over Alex spoke, his grandfather had already cut off the young man's words by shaking his head.

"We don't have to talk about the past. Grandpa just inhin you forgive all of Grandpa's mistakes," Bayu added.

"Grandfather," Alex ambushes an old body in front of him. Hugged tightly the frail body of his Grandfather who had started to get sickly.

Guilt whack Alex instantly. He who has repeatedly smeared the family name with all his bad behavior as a teenager. However, now it was his grandfather who apologized for his behavior. He really felt like a man did not know himself. He realized all the bad things happened to him, none other than because of the bad attitude that turned on himself. Grandpa was right, he was no better than Sherly, so he felt entitled to blaspheme his wife.

There was no feeling of clear hair dripping from the two teary eyes when carrying his Grandfather into his arms. A moment of regret hit Alex's heart to realize his mistake all along.

"I'm sorry Alex is Grandpa. Sorry for all my bad behavior all this time. I promise from now on, I'll keep more attitude. More responsible to the family and the company" said Alex vibrating in his Grandpa's arms.

Bayu just nodded as he patted the back of his eldest grandson. Sebersit smile on Bayu's face heard the sincerity of the promise uttered by Alex.