Ode To Latitude
Latitude and Regata

Regata stared at the awkward latitude. Since his arrival an hour ago, the man refused to look at Regata. Lintang greets everyone in the house, except Regata. Even at lunch time Lintang ignored Regata. Now the man takes Mia around the village on his eye's ontel bike.

Arimbi the mother certainly could not interfere further. However, they are no longer lovebirds who are drunk romance but parents.

His meeting with Lintang in Jakarta was certainly inevitable. Her daughter-in-law had permission from Danuh her husband, which Arimbi could not deny. After all, right now his family is in an unstable condition blocking Lintang certainly only adds to the long list of problems in the family.

"There followed them" Arimbi told Regata. 

The two sat in a hut that led to the rice fields area. Lintang and Mia holding hands around the rice fields.

The more Regata noticed them, the more similarity felt. Although physically, Mia's face like a betel is halved with Regata can not deny the nature, behavior, Mia's style of speech always reminds her of Lintang.

Highlight Lintang's disappointed eyes momentarily discouraged Regata's confidence. The latitude silenced him and Regata did not know where to start. Not because her pride was so high but because Regata was afraid of Lintang and Mia hated him.

"Let's go home, have a night out" Arimbi's voice startled Regata. 

Lintang and Mia walked towards him. The understanding Arimbi immediately grabbed Mia's hand to walk faster. Regata tries to speed up his pace, chasing after Arimbi. 

"You'll see when you hide" Lintang's hoarse voice sounded desperate.

Regata swallowed with great difficulty. The voice of Lintang felt piercing his ears.

"The letter is really you who wrote," asked Lintang again. 

Regata did not have time to answer, Lintang exhaled in frustration.

"Yes," said Lintang weakly, shuffling her hair.

The man pursues Arimbi and Mia's steps, leaving Regata momentarily pensive.

Regata cursed his stupidity. Why his brain was slow to respond to the Latitude question.

*****

Regata takes care of the rest of the dinner. After doing his routine, Regata intends to enter the room and sleep.

"Can we talk for a minute?" asked Lintang. 

The Regata follows the Latitude step, away from the house. Coincidentally the courtyard of the house was quite spacious, there was grass 

Regata shakes.

"If you are afraid, let me say," said Lintang firmly.

"We both have sacrificed a lot of things, time, work, and the future. If only you could explain earlier, it probably wouldn't be this big of a deal," Cerocos Latang.

Regata was silent, letting Lintang take out her grunts.

"This whole time your family's been hiding your whereabouts. At least before you get married, explain it to Mia. One thing you must remember, I am also obliged to carry out my responsibilities as a father. Mia will stay with me" said Lintang. 

Regata is troubled by the word married, which comes out of the mouth of the Latitude. The word seemed to accuse Regata of looking for a replacement after a long wait for the right time to meet Lintang.

While Lintang, not without reason the accusation came out of his mouth. During this time his arrival was never welcomed in the Regata family, no one had any intention of providing any information about Regata.

While he was at the peak of his career, Regata appeared along with allegations of immoral. His career was destroyed just like that, sponsors canceled cooperation, suspension from national plates, ad contract compensation, temporary bans and a series of other problems. Lintang tried to be sincere with the problem, maybe it was karma that had to be borne. His atonement on Mia and Regata.

Everything was taken from her, but not with her only daughter. Mia is the only one who can cure Lintang. 

"Tomorrow we return to Jakarta, your time is only left tomorrow. After that, Mia will stay with me" Lintang said.

"Why?" Regata finally opens her voice.

Latitude doesn't understand Regata's intentions.

"Why do you think I'm going to get married and leave Mia? all my life, it's been haunted by the fear that Mia hates me" Regata said.

"Fear hated? then you think blocking Mia from being an athlete makes it okay? have you ever asked Mia what she wants? everything is not about Mia but you, who are too cowardly," Lintang explained.

Regata's tears are unstoppable. The flashbacks of Mia's childhood reoccur in her mind. The latitude deliberately did not silence Regata, until Regata himself stopped sobbing.

"The decision is in your hands. My phone number is still the same, call me anytime," Lintang said.

His outstretched hand helped Regata stand up. Both return home. The star laid its body on a tiny cot in the television room. He tightened his jacket, letting Regata cover his body with a thin sheath. Tonight, the first time Lintang slept quietly. 

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