Gentleman Dignity
Chapters 2.8

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Ordinary Love (Rio Anggara)

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Rio woke up from hearing a voice quite disturbing him. He opened his eyes and looked around the room where he was staying at the hospital. He finds Joana sitting on the sofa while massaging her forehead. And a few nurses surrounded him.

"Change the shift first Mr. Rio. Sorry to interrupt her downtime" said one of the nurses.

Rio smiled weakly in response to it. He only heard the nurse read out her condition to the other nurses. After they left, Joana approached Rio and sat down next to him.

"Where? Still feeling sick?" ask Joana gently.

"Banget," Rio whispered without a sound.

Joana already opened her mouth to nag. But he closed back when he saw Rio's glazed expression.

"Yang, please dong. Don't do this anymore" said Joana rather whining. His face will cry again.

Rio grimaced to see it. He wanted to say many things but his face still felt stiff and sore. It's been confirmed he's battered.

"Well eat?" rio whispered finally.

Joana nodded in response.

"Eat first that," Rio said at last even though his voice sounded raucous.

"Yes ... Later, if you've eaten," replied Joana.

Rio clasped Joana's cold hand. He stroked the hand with his thumb. Joana's face looks tired. Tears were also clearly visible on that face.

"You thirsty?" ask Joana gently.

Rio nodded slowly, Joana took off their grasp to grab some drinking water. And Rio suddenly felt regret as that hand slipped from his hand. Why did he nod. He could have held his thirst for a moment.

The morning passed very quickly while Rio was just lying down. Joana feeds him breakfast, the nurse cleans up and changes his clothes.

Doctors had a hard time visiting twice today. And Rio also always fell asleep every time he had tired eyes. As of now, he had woken up after falling asleep because he could not help his sleepiness.

The moment he woke up, the first thing he heard vaguely was the ominous tone spoken by the voice he believed was his mother.

"You still here?" his mother said ketus.

Rio did not hear Joana answer anything. Rio was trying to sit down to prevent his mother from saying other unnecessary things. Before he could do so he heard his mother's words again.

"This is auntie's son, baby. He is now a teacher, but he must eventually become his father's heir. His name is Rio" said his mother to whom.

"That's it Mom. If hm ... Who is this lady?" asked someone with a female voice that Rio was unfamiliar with.

"Oh ... Ria is a nobody," Rio's mother replied.

Joana gulped her bitter saliva, she still looked down at the floor. Compared to anger he felt even more miserable. What her lover's mother said was like a knife tearing through her chest. Joana held back her tears she didn't want to cry.

On the other side Rio who heard the conversation gnashed his teeth hard. Everyone looked at him who was trying to get up. Joana was already about to approach, but Mother Rio pulled her back.

"My son ... Wh why? you thirsty?" mother Rio asked pretending not to understand the circumstances she created.

"Mil, please get me a drink," said Rio's mother again.

"Good aunt," answered the woman who was called Mil.

The woman nimbly brought a glass of water towards Rio and gave it to Mother. Rio looked at his mother sharply. Let the hand of the woman who gave birth hang in the air. Rio did not seem to intend to take the glass that his mother thrust.

Seeing that, Joana walked slowly towards them. She looked at Rio and told him to receive the glass from his mother with an eye gaze. Rio let out a short sigh and finally received the glass and drank a mouthful of water.

Rio's mother smiled, she stroked Rio's arm slowly.

"Rio, this is Mila, the son of the district magistrate here. She was still young just graduating from college," Mother Rio introduced the smiling Mila.

Neither Rio nor Joana, do not deny that Mila is a beautiful girl. The young girl's skin was yellow and glowing. His eyes also looked shady and innocent.

Joana swallowed her saliva again. Hold Joana Resistant. He murmured in his heart.

"Yang ..." call Rio weak. Making Joana quickly look up at him. And the smile disappeared from the face of Mother Rio or Mila.

Joana is still silent not struggling. She's confused. What's he supposed to do? Should he approach Rio? Stiffly, Joana approached Rio's bed.

"Yes?" ask Joana slowly.

"Have you had lunch?" asked Rio attention. His voice sounded still hoarse. He forced himself to talk.

Amidst the pain, Rio felt he had to protect Joana from her mother. Joana smiled but tears were already piling up in her eyes. He couldn't possibly answer that question now.

He should not make this distance between mother and child any further apart. He should not make the woman who gave birth to the one he loved curse him at all times.

Joana sighed and smiled again. Trying to hold back her tears again.

"Hm. I've been eating" said Joana Dnegan calmly.

Rio's mother, glared at the child and his child's lover. I don't like the situation that is happening right now. Not what he planned or expected. Far from both.

"Rio said so doesn't mean he hopes you answer yet. To get you out of this room?" Rio's mother smiled after saying that with a faint tone.

"I don't make music ...."

"You are insensitive Joana ... All this time you've been pretending not to know." Rio's mother photographed her son's speech.

Rio looked at his mother in disbelief, what would this woman say next.

"You and the background ...."

"I don't mean that !" Rio finally shouted loudly cutting off his mother's speech. His chest rose and fell with his heavy breathing.

"I. No. gabe. Want to. Joanna. Go." Rio pressed down on every word he said.

His eyes were staring at his mother. Mila slightly retreated from feeling scared and surprised.

"You ... You dare yell at mom?" Rio's mother glared back at her son.

"For her ... You .... " Mother Rio's shaking. He felt hurt of course. How could the child he was born with oppose him like that.

"Rio ..." call Joana exclaim. Joana shakes a little. He hopes to calm his girlfriend. And it was true what Mother Rio said. He should have been more sensitive and gone from there. That's better than stirring up this suffocating quarrel.

Rio's mother would have spoken again had the door of the room not been opened. Chris looked at everyone there. He smiled handsomely before greeting and entered calmly.

"Mom was it a long time ago?" chris asked, kissing both cheeks of his best friend's mother.

"Just ..." replied Mother Rio suddenly sounding friendly.

"Who?" ask Chris.

"It's Mila ... Beautiful, isn't it Chris?" Rio's mother held Mila forward. To near Chris.

"Pretty dong handsome time," teased Chris with a small smile.

"You can do it." Rio mother shook her head while laughing.

"Oh yes Mom. There is a new Japanese restaurant. It's time to eat. Wanna there? Chris is buying." Chris still maintained his smile.

"Diedain Rio?" ask her mother again.

"Let's go, there's a bell. Later he can pull himself if there is anything. There's a nurse, same doctor. Don'worry. Chris hasn't seen mom in a long time. Want huh?" persuade Chris.

Rio's mother seemed to be worried between going with Chris or not. Then Chris approached her and whispered softly.

"Kasian Ma'am with Mila" whispered Chris.

Mother Rio looked at Mila who was smiling awkwardly. Then nod.

"OKAY. Mila, let's go eat aunty first. We'll be here again after dinner" said Rio's mother.

Chris walked towards the door and opened the door for Mom Rio and Mila. Smiling as she saw Rio muttering thank you without a sound.

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