Marry The Heir
Mother, Mother,

If asked what is most feared by a Shafira Gita Hardjoyo, then he will answer the rejection. The desire for his presence to be accepted by others is the simplest desire but feels difficult to get. During this time he was used to getting recognition from many people. But when his family problems arise then he realized that he was never really accepted by his environment including maybe by his own family. He wanted to stay in his room all day, like a weak snail and relying on his shell to hide himself so as not to get hurt.

But then he realized, why should he hide? Those who receive it will still welcome it with open arms and those who cannot accept it will still try to hurt it even if it hides in any part of the world. So what is he afraid of? Wouldn't he be able to see who the people who really care about and who just pretend to care about?

Dressed in a black dress made by Disa, long hair that was left unraveled and sunglasses perched on his nose, Shafira decided to venture into the school gate. He had hesitated but then he convinced himself that everything would be fine because there were his friends waiting for his arrival.

Stepping on the street that had been dressed with a variety of bouquets, Shafira stepped confidently. He ignored the students whispering to each other as Shafira breezed confidently before them. He did not want to waste energy thinking about what they were talking about him.

The hall is filled mostly by invited guests, the parents of students and of course the donors. Unfortunately, none of his family was present and never existed. Looking at the parents who were waiting for the appearance of their child, there was envy tucked in his heart. When will he feel happy because he saw his parents sitting in one of the chairs made beautiful with a few flowers behind his backrest.

It might just be a hope that will never come true.

“Fira?” a member of the padus shouted doubtfully upon seeing Shafira's arrival at the door of the preparation room.

The other members turned their heads. “Firaaa..” They ran up to Shafira and hugged her.

Shafira smiled faintly and received a warm welcome from her friends. It felt like Shafira's decision to come to school was the right choice.

“Firaa, I'm so happy you came, huhuhu.” Diana still did not let go of her embrace from Shafira. He felt so happy and moved because finally Shafira wanted to come to perform.

Andini who was dressing some of the children padus also approached. He looked at Shafira with relief because finally this strong girl dared to face her fears and chose to come.

“Mother is glad you came fir. I'm very confident, we can give a stunning look to all the guests present.” A pat full of pride was given Andini to Shafira. The worry of appearance did not go smoothly was gone already.

“Iya ma'am, I want to sing with my friends and make my mother and the school feel proud to have us. Is it gais?” Shafira took off her sunglasses which her friends cheered.

“Iya dong! Add more spirit to perform.” Called one student.

“Good. Mom was horrified.in 15 minutes we performed. Who has not dressed up, please get ready first. Let's have a chat later. I promise I'll invite you to dinner at a fun place.” Andini cried cheering.

“Ashiiikkk thanks mom..” Diana with her loud voice full of enthusiasm and welcome the laughter of her friends.

“Eit, don't shout. Save his voice make it later.” Andini flicked her finger in front of Diana.

“Heheheh ready bu!” with the movement of locking Diana's mouth tightly clenched her start. It was only a moment until they finally came back noisy, excitedly preparing for their appearance.

At the end there is Malvin who is still tidying up his clothes while looking at Shafira who is fun talking with his friends. Tidy up their performances and occasionally sound practicing to relieve tension. He is very grateful that Shafira has made it through one of the most difficult phases on her journey to maturity.

“Waaw... Apparently the child artist padus tetep dateng also yaa.." The cynical sentence came out of Nara's mouth yaang sauntered into the preparation room. Shafira and her friends compactly turned their heads with their faces crooked.

"I'm sorry, I'll be embarrassed to stand on stage with a lot of gossip scattered.” he laughed to complete his finishing on Shafira.

The choir boys immediately gathered and looked at Nara and Ira and Fia with dislike. They are very afraid that Shafira is hooked and all else fails.

Andini advanced first, blocking the approaching Nara. “Nara, please don't disturb your friends. They'll be performing soon. Please give them support. Yes..” Andini with her face pleads with Nara.

Only a cynical smile showed Nara then turned her eyes to Shafira who was still silent.

“Please mom, I won't bother you. I was too lazy to watch it. I wanted to watch it but I saw it, that's it. So males.” Nara pointed at Shafira with the corner of her eyes while her hands remained in front of her chest haughtily.

“Lo what the hell ra?!” Diana who ignited her emotions first, she was still upset when she remembered her action with Nara. His narrowed eyes had already barked with tightly clenched hands. Shafira quickly held Diana back.

“Do not load ladenin on. Affairs in the same me.” Shafira whispers, trying to calm down.

“But,” Diana is still not commonly accepted. Jubilant Nara's hand in her hair still feels sore and this time this girl came back to provoke her emotions.

Shafira tightens her grip on Diana to convince her best friend. There was no benefit in Nara. Although upset, Diana finally according.

Shafira casually approached Nara.  She tidied her hair curly by her friend. Nara smiled her sarcastic smile when she saw Shafira approaching. Very brave, he thought.

“What do you want?” his cynicism with his eyes snarled sharply.

Shafira sniffed her shoulders, trying indifferently. He stood in front of Nara at a very close distance, as if not afraid that Nara might attack him.

“Nara,” Shafira rubbed Nara's shoulder then looked at her sharply.

“Gue don't know, what unfinished business between me lo.”

“But this time I ask, you don't have to bother us-we.”

“Lo can hate me, before me, gossip me as you like or do other crazy things. TER SE RAH! But,”

Shafira drew closer with a face that turned cold making Nara stunned and then retreated her steps. Like he was dealing with the figure of Shafira who had never seen him.

“This event, charity for disaster victims, mothers who have difficulty buying milk for their children and small children who are waiting for our help. Hold yourself for a moment, not for me but for them.” Shafira's sentence sounds full of emphasis.

“Again, you like things that smell free?"

"So, you enjoy our performance while it's free. Because who knows the next 1 or 2 years, you have to pay a lot just to pay a ticket for a show one of us.” A sarcastic grin managed to silence Nara's mouth.

Shafira who was smiling while Nara who was snarling was annoyed. His hands were clenched but he did not dare to lift. Can be seen the anger that barked in both eyes and try to hold Nara.

“Lo dare ya ngehina me. Lo see, you will see later you will be lazy because you dare to demean me. I'm bales lo fira!” Nara shouted in front of Shafira, but Shafira casually stuffed her ear with her index finger. He smiled sinisterly without showing the slightest fear of his face. Suddenly silent, the children prepared to approach and fight back if Nara did anything that could harm Shafira.

To be honest, Shafira never intended to demean Nara but her overly arrogant and troublemaking attitude, making Shafira have to be cold and annoying as well as indisputable in front of Nara. Maybe like this, for a while Nara won't bother him.

“Aaarrgghh!!” Shouted Nara.

Shafira only smiled faintly and a moment later, Nara left with her long steps leaving Shafira.

“Sorry ra, sorry if I offend lo.” Shafira muttered after Nara passed from before her.

In fact, replying to the words of others more rudely, does not necessarily make his heart more calm. Everything feels bad and wrong.

****

The show that is later started. After the official speeches of several important people at this school, the appearance of Shafira and her friends again bewitched the invitations present.

Hero's song echoed in the room followed by several other songs. Donation event is starting. Some of them make donations directly in the form of goods, some are in the form of money. The headmaster smiled widely as it seemed like the event this time was running successfully.

Shafira tried to smile, ignoring every cynical look as this was her last performance with a solo song. He tried to show something spectacular as usual even though his mood was not too good. His heart was pounding at the gazes of those he did not know. Only a few teachers and principals smiled at him and looked impatiently waiting for Shafira's appearance.

He also saw Andini who smiled at him and tried to encourage him. There was no figure he knew and it seemed like Diana's words the other day would never happen.

“If you look at your appearance, they must be very proud of fir.”

Yes, that sentence will only be a hope for Shafira who has been feeling alone for too long.

Shafira sighed deeply, trying to calm herself down. One verse of poetry should he read before singing the song owned by Melly goeslaw that he had memorized out of his head. After closing her eyes and saying do’a, Shafira began her appearance.

“For women, mothers we call wingless angels, this song is special for you.” Shafira's sentence sounded steady as an opening. After being ready with himself, he began his poem.

“I've ever imagined,

What it was like when we were in your stomach.

Be in the safest and most comfortable place

Where your heartbeat is the most beautiful melody we hear.

I've imagined, once,

What it's like to be in the same blood stream

Tied to one tight emotion

Where, there is never fear and solitude

And now I'm starting to imagine,

What kind of day we have to go through when we grow up

What kind of time should you spend missing you that is far from eye sight

Like what the second we passed when we were no longer together

Mother, Mother,

We're growing up but that doesn't mean we're capable

There were times when we missed your embrace to strengthen us

If there's anything I can ask for, please never let go of my hand

I'm not used to it yet. I'm not that strong yet.

Being around you, the most beautiful thing in my life."

Shafira ends her poem with teary eyes. The emotions that he had initially been so difficult to gather even began to drown him. It was like talking to Liana but she could never speak directly.

Back he let out a long sigh as the clanking sound of Malvin's piano asked him to prepare. He turned his face away for a moment to throb, expelling a large chunk that felt entrenched in his throat. Behind him is a documentary video that is played and displays many faces of women with various jobs. Some of them showed their affection with their children.

“I open blue album.

Full of dust and obsolescence,”

Shafira's voice sounded slightly trembling. The first two sentences have succeeded in removing the feathers of my own. People seem to listen to the song that Shafira sang with great novelty.

Temple by temple he sang with feeling. Occasionally there is sounding stuffing and rough breathing between the tones he takes that add to the emotional side of the song. His eyes were red and wet. As the chorus approached, his tears trickled down.

The atmosphere was completely silent. Only Shafira's voice was heard in the clang of Malvin's piano.

“Beautiful tones

Slalu unraveled from him

Bad cries from my lips won't be his pain.

Fine and holy hands, lift up this body

Body soul and whole life, willingly he give.”

Shafira sobbed, she began to look down and looked at her own trembling hand. The connoisseurs of Shafira's appearance are also dissolved in the emotions that Shafira builds. Some of them also shed tears and let them drip without needing to be in the ca.

The atmosphere of the room changed at once. Perhaps each of them is reminiscing about his time with his mother, but not for Shafira. He never felt that closeness. He had never felt Liana's warm embrace, until now. But once he wanted to feel what was in the song. And this is what makes him more immersed in the song he sings.

“Kata.. They myself are spoiled.

Kata.. they. myself slalu in timang...”.

Shafira was really crying. He cannot control his own emotions. Some of the audience seemed tense and tried to encourage Shafira.

With the rest of his strength, Shafira raised her face and spread her gaze to every corner of the room. Silly faces and red and wet spies.

Until accidentally, his eyes caught an unexpected figure present watching his appearance. He tried to smile even though his tears were getting louder. He has to finish the song. With a choked breath he changed the tone of his height to soft voice, lucky Malvin can compensate.

“O Ooo mother is there and your absence will always be in my heart..”.

Luckily, Shafira finished the song. The audience stood up and clapped at the end of Shafira's performance. He bowed languidly. His shoulders shook violently because of his broken cry. Some of his choir friends ran up to Shafira and hugged her tightly.

They embrace. Come to feel the haru because finally Shafira can complete her task. For a moment they were drowning in the same feeling. Missing the woman they used to call mom.

*****