MARRY MY LOVER'S BEST FRIEND
CHAPTER 17

"Dalem, pakde," Rayi said as she answered her father's phone.

"How are you, nduk? She worked?" ask the father in a slightly hoarse voice.

"Work pakde, but permission to go home because you're not feeling well, maybe tired of traveling long distances," Rayi replied as she continued to look at me.

I could only listen and hold my breath a little. My tears fell upon my father's voice that showed sorrow. Rayi thrust her phone at me but I refused with a gesture of a hand. I admit I am selfish and stubborn. I don't know why I keep trying to sell expensive to my father even though it is deep in my heart, want me to hug and apologize to him. Greatest man of my first love.

"Pakde titip Kasih ya nduk. Never leave him alone, take care of this Love for your Pakdemu, nduk" said the father stammeredly speaking withholding tears.

"Excuse me, sir" Rayi replied and the call ended.

The atmosphere was momentarily silent and my heart grew emptier. I will fight for my happiness over your sorrow. Will I be happy in the end when my relationship with my father is like this? I return Rayi's question to myself, how long will I avoid my parents? How long will I pretend to be happy when the tears in my heart can't? Want to get to when?

"This all just happened, Kas. You need time to reflect on everything and slowly make the right decision. Pity you too, sir" said Rayi, inserting a cell phone into his pocket.

I just lowered my head trying to unravel the problem I was facing. Do I have to start over again? Ask for time for you to get to know the clouds better? Or do I have to leave the Clouds just to comply with my parents' wishes?

"My head is dizzy Ra thinks about all this," I said as I stood up.

"The solution is just one, you go back to the village, sit down again with your parents and talk all right," suggested Rayi who actually makes sense.

I rejected Rayi's suggestion because emotions still filled my head and I couldn't think clearly. I know how much my dad is worried about me right now. However, as long as I have not found a way out I will not return.

...****************...

A few weeks went by and I tried to forget about marriage. I went to work as usual and tried to do my best. I must not be weak because my life is now supported by my own two feet. The show must go on. There are KPR installments that I have to complete and there are other life needs that I have to meet.

I also continued to meet Awan and make out with him. And I keep living my days with Rayi who never end telling me about Mas Arya long time ago make me saturated.

"Kas, there is news that you should know," Kasih said one Saturday afternoon while running in a hurry.

He must have told me about Ma Aryanya. They have today met to discuss the issue of uniform orders. Rejeki for Rayi, in addition to getting a bonus because of the extraordinary sales turnover he also got the bonus of getting acquainted with the handsome rich who made his world more embarrassed.

"What?" ask me with a lazy tone while playing games from my phone.

"So I met Mr. Marto, he told your father to go to town" Rayi's words made me stop my game.

"What told?" ask me in a hasty tone.

"Parepart nails for paddy plow tractors," Rayi replied as she sat beside me and I continued my game.

"Said Pakde Marto, your future husband is no less handsome than Awan. The person is kind, friendly even though he is rich," said Rayi who made the next surprise.

"Prospective husband? let's find another replacement word, call it 'the man'," I said, rejecting Rayi's statement. "But how did Mrde Marto know him?" I was a little surprised and became interested in the conversation this time.

"Pakde Marto will often go to the city to buy fertilizer, buy seeds, buy this buy it," said Rayi trying to explain something that I already know very well.

"I mean, Mrde Marto could tell he was the man, meaning the man also lived in this city as well?" I try to draw conclusions from this conversation.

"That's it, Kas. You don't want to investigate about that guy?" rayi's advice that I had to reject completely.

Right now I'm not looking to deal with marriage issues either with the Clouds or with any man. Yes, right now I am running from the problem I should be facing and I am solving. All this I do for the sake of maintaining the sanity of my intellect and soul. I worked hard to build up mentally to get to the current state, although in this case I can liken my position is still squat and I still need a lot of strength to stand up.

"Try it first," Rayi continued to force her idea.

"I was just in the stage of not wanting to know, after I made peace with myself and found out that actually from the beginning I was not ready to marry anyone," I said boldly while patting the chest.

My phone rings and it's from that dark caller call again. Rayi and I looked at each other. I decided to answer the phone.

"You know Mrde Marto?" ask me when picking up the phone without a stale base first.

"If so, why?" he even asked back.

"I know you?" I asked and with a pounding heart waited for an answer. 

"Know only you don't know my whereabouts," he replied casually

"Who are you?" ask me for the umpteenth time.

"If you want, I could be your future" he said confidently.

Immediately I end the call, I scramble my hair and shake Rayi's body. Rayi rebelled in pain and tried to ask for an explanation.

"He's the guy" I said to Rayi while showing him my phone.

Rayi's mouth was gaping and immediately she closed it with both hands. He then urged me again to investigate about him. According to Rayi's grandiose theory, even though the man got my number from my father, but he knew me very well, evident from the first time he called, he could find out if I wasn't the one answering his phone. And it's possible that he spies on my activities because every time you call him, he always seems to know what's going on with me even if he calls me for just a minute.

I wonder who he really is.