MAHMUD, I Love U
The Two Men's Meeting

"What's up, Yank?"

Azka asked his wife when the two were in the car to go home. That afternoon, for the first time again Azka saw her woman crying, she did not know what the cause was. Mayra was silent. He leaned his head against the car seat, his eyes staring blankly at the window reflecting off his image.

"Yank?" Azka held Mayra's arm, her one hand still driving. The man had to divide the focus between the road in front of him and the wife beside him.

"I'm sorry, Yank." Mayra finally spoke after a long silence, her face not turning away.

Hearing his wife's apology, Azka who became silent. He understood that the woman did not want to talk much. He remembered the man who had met him in front of Griya earlier. His wife was crying alone to coincide with the man's passing. Azka felt that something was wrong with the two of them.

"You want to eat first?" Azka switched the conversation. Mayra was silent.

But Azka had already initiated to stop by the chicken shop at the front. Azka did not want her wife to bring her angry face home. There is Anggun. His son had no right to find his mother's grim face after a long day of abandoning him. Bi Marni must understand. He will not return until one of his masters is at home. His son is safe with bi Marni.

Before long, Azka stopped her car in front of the chicken shop.

"Come, Yank!" Azka gave instructions while removing her seatbelt. Mayra manut's.

Arriving inside, Mayra immediately looked for a seat. Azka ordered two servings of chrispy chicken complete with rice and two glasses of lemon tea.

Shortly the order arrived. Mayra drank the tea lemon until immediately left half a glass. Azka laughed, "haus, Yank?"

Azka immediately ate her chicken rice. He was hungry from now on.

"Hungry, Yank?" Mayra replied to Azka.

Her husband ate very well. Hearing the words of her beloved woman, Azka smiled with her teeth closed. Worried that the chicken he was chewing was gushing out. In his heart he was happy because his wife had started to return to being his Mayra.

"Yank, later in Griya the plan will be a new employee. Cousin friend. He said he was good at decorating too. It's good to help me" Mayra stirred up her drink.

"Huum. Can Yank. Oh yes, about the officer, who did I cross paths with? I think I just saw." Azka deliberately investigated but with language that would not make his wife suspicious.

"Oh that. He's the new photographer, Yank. It's been a few months in Griya."

Azka nodded in understanding. His wife's answer was enough for him.

***

📞 "Hello Lin, this is my Azka."

Azka had actually kept Lina's number for a long time. But only that night he first contacted his wife's coworker. Azka kept Lina's number just in case, maybe there was something going on with his wife, he could contact her directly.

📞 "Oh, yes Azka. What's up, Zka?"

Azka and Lina already knew each other. But they only met when Azka drove and picked up Mayra in Griya alone. Just that extent.

📞 "Lin, can I ask for help?"

📞 "Please what, Zka?"

📞 "Mmmm, I want to ask the photographer's phone number in your Griya, can you?"

📞 "Oh the Rendra. Can Zka. I'll send it later."

Lina did not ask why Azka asked for Rendra's number. Because she knew Mayra might not have kept the man's number. Lina had already memorized that her friend was lazy to keep a boyfriend's number, even her coworkers. Azka asks him for a phone number.

Before long, the phone number that Azka asked to enter her phone. Azka looked at that number. He was sure that something had happened between his wife and the owner of the newly acquired number. Azka has known Mayra for years. And indeed he felt that there was something hidden by his wife. Azka suddenly remembered the white rose. Finally, he decided to call the number that Lina had sent.

📞 "Hello?" The voice across was heard directly picking up the phone.

📞 "Hello. Is this Rendra's number?" Azka started her conversation.

📞 "Can we meet tonight?"

Rendra across the street kept the phone away from her ear. He was surprised because the person whose number was not on his phone asked him to meet. What was?

📞 "Sorry who is this?"

📞 "Azka."

Rendra knew, it was the name of the woman's husband she was appraising. Rendra had been secretly investigating a lot about Mayra ever since she found out that she was married, when she took two days off.

***

"Yank, I'm out for a second. Want to buy fried noodles," said Azka lying.

"Loh, there's fried noodles, Yank. I cooked ya?"

Mayra, who was watching TV in the living room with Anggun who had not slept, asked her husband in surprise. Because it is stock instant fried noodles are still a lot in the kitchen cabinet. Mayra looked at the wall clock in front of her.

"It's gonna be 10 o'clock, Yank?"

"I want fried noodles at the crossroads, Yank. Yea? Just sec. You bring Anggun sleep first huh. We'll eat together, okay?" Azka kissed his wife's forehead and was also graceful, then immediately left.

***

Azka and Rendra sat opposite in the front seat of a minimarket. Two cups of warm coffee billowed in front of each of them.

"Thank you for coming" Azka said, "if possible, I'd like to ask you a few things."

"Please." Rendra answered briefly.

"Last morning when I picked up Mayra, she was crying."

Rendra was shocked to hear the confession of the man in front of her. Mayra's crying? He did not know that the woman was crying.

"When?" The intonation of Rendra's voice was obvious once he was worried. Because when she was with him, Mayra was fine. She did not cry as her husband said.

"Persis when I entered Griya, she was already crying."

Rendra silence. There was a feeling of guilt in his heart. She felt that maybe her words to Mayra were too blunt to hurt her heart.

"Last afternoon, I happened to cross paths with you. And incidentally again, there is no one else in Griya except you and my wife. So I thought, maybe you know why Mayra was crying?"

Rendra remained silent. He was confused as to what to answer. But for sure, he's not a coward. Azka came to him because she wanted to know something. And he'll give her that.

"I didn't actually know that Mayra was crying. It's just, maybe this afternoon there was a word I accidentally hurt her heart." Rendra answered for sure.

"Well, words that hurt her heart? Meanin?"

"He was wrong. She thought I sent her a rose. I don't know what rose he meant. But it's definitely not me."

Azka silence. He digested the words of the man in front of him.

"So Mayra thought you were the one who sent the roses?"

"Yes, that's it."

"Why does Mayra think you sent it?"

Rendra did not answer. Their eyes clashed. And that was enough for Azka to know the answer.