Only Raised Children
15. Cheap Gossip

The still-connected call requires that Alina interact more with Santi along the way home with Irfan. While the middle-aged man was only a listener and focused on his wheel.

"Al, why don't you just ask Rico to go to the bookstore? The danger of boarding public transportation this afternoon," said Santi across there.

"Alina's online motorcycle taxi was exhausted, Bibi, so he had to find public transportation. Rico's still working anyway and Alina's used to going alone."

"Forgive Alina, if so next time you have to be careful, honey. Aunty was very afraid of public transportation, because Auntie used to ride public transportation and often once teased the same men in there."

Instead of being afraid, Alina just chuckled at hearing that.

"That's because Auntie's too pretty, so often teased."

"Oh, you can. You're no less beautiful than Auntie, so be careful, Alina."

"Yes, Bi. Aunty take it easy, Alina rarely take public transportation if not forced to."

"It's good if that's it. Oh yeah, when are you gonna play here again, Al?" ask Santi.

"Em, Alina will find the right time first yes, Bi. You're still busy with the thesis and also the work."

The chatter simply flowed regardless of the loyal Irfan in silence. Until Irfan arrived in front of Alina's rented house, at that time Santi decided his call because his cellphone battery was also run out.

"Thank you very much, Uncle. Alina said goodbye first, once again sorry to have been troublesome," Alina said before she got out of the car.

Irfan smiled with a smile.

"Oh yeah Alina, what's that stall selling spicy candy?" asked Irfan while pointing towards the stall which was two houses away from Alina's house.

"She, Uncle. Uncle wants Alina to buy candy there?"

"No need. Let Uncle buy it himself. Thank you, you enter the house, this is Maghrib. Not good girls shower maghrib-maghrib or night."

Alina agreed and immediately got out of the car. After Alina was seen entering the house, then Irfan drove his car a little forward, stopping right in front of a stall that he had asked Alina. Irfan got down from the car and his presence was immediately greeted with questioning gazes by some of the mothers who were there.

"Excuse me, is there spicy candy here?" ask Irfan to the mothers there.

"There, Sir. What kind of candy do you want?" ask one of the mothers there while mentioning the brand name of the candy she sells.

Irfan pointed to one of the candies displayed inside the jar. After that he immediately paid her with one hundred thousand bills.

"Wait a minute, sir."

Irfan nodded and waited leisurely as he opened the one piece of candy he had just bought.

"Sorry, Sir. If you may know, I was the one who drove Alina home?" ask one of the mothers there.

Irfan looked towards the questioner. "Em, right, Mom."

"Who's father Alina?"

Not yet answered the question of long-haired women, a woman with short hair resembling a man had already given him a very surprising question.

"Is it true that this father is Alina's mistress?"

"Heh, the nanyanya is easy first dong. Don't go straight to the point bego," said one of his other friends.

"Yes, we are also curious, but that's not so much."

The whispers of the other mothers because of his friend's circus questions made Irfan immediately uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, sir. We are just curious, because Alina is often very ngajak men to her house. Where the guy is rich again," said the long-haired woman.

Irfan still does not comment on questions or other words people there. His mind suddenly became unsettled after hearing the words of the mothers there about Alina. Is it true that Alina often takes rich men to her house?

But because they do not want to be bad about his son's girlfriend, let alone they have met twice, especially, Irfan preferred not to respond to the cheap gossip and left the stall without intending to wait for the change to be given. Along the way home, Irfan was very upset because the words of the mothers in the stall was really disturbing him.

Arriving home, Irfan searches for her son's whereabouts to ask what he has just heard from Alina's neighbor. That cheap gossip bothered him so much that he couldn't focus on anything else. Because Rico had not returned home from the office, Irfan finally held back his curiosity until nightfall.

After finishing dinner, Irfan asks Rico to meet him in his study. He was already impatient to finish his curiosity about the words of the neighbors Alina when in the stall this afternoon.

"What's up, Pa?" rico asked after he sat his body in Irfan's front seat.

"Papa met Alina on the street this afternoon. He's waiting for public transport from the bookstore."

"Then?"

"Papa was still calling your mom. Mama asked Papa to take Alina home. When Papa was buying candy at a stall near his house, some of his neighbors said something bad about Alina."

Rico frowned at the words of his father that made him suspicious. Don't tell me if what she heard when she picked up Alina yesterday was also heard by her papa?

"They said Alina used to take rich men to her rented house. They even thought that Papa was the rich man of his mistress."

Rico widened his eyes hearing what his father said. What seriously, Alina's neighbors said that to her father? Rico was so shocked he didn't know what to respond to his father's words. He did not expect that the mouths of the mothers there were very creepy.

"Co, you've been to Alina's contract a lot, haven't you?" ask Irfan.

"I–iya, Pa."

"You went into his house?" ask Irfan again.

"No, Pa. Rico picked up Alina and waited for her to the door. How dare Rico enter his house with such environmental conditions," said Rico.

He dares to enter the house of a woman who only lives alone without special interests, especially with such an environment. He couldn't bear to ruin his family's good name just by doing a little carelessness.

"You know that there's another man coming in and out of Alina's house?" ask Irfan again.

"Which Rico knew, Alina's brother often visited her house, Pa. Maybe what Papa means is his brother visiting" said Rico.

"He's got a brother?"

"The Rico knows it like that. Andi also said that Alina does have a brother, Pa."

"Have you really confirmed it?"

Rico was silent for a moment. He had indeed not confirmed it because of the busyness that made it difficult to meet Alina if it was not forced to vacate a little of their time.

"Rico hasn't seen his brother, Pa. But Rico's sure if it's Alina's brother, Pa."

Irfan breathed for a moment.

"Co, Papa doesn't want to interfere in your love affairs. But Papa does not want if you choose the wrong woman just because of false feelings. Papa doesn't care how the family status of the woman you like, as long as she's a good woman, that's enough."

He was really afraid that his papa would be influenced by the words of Alina's neighbors which were not necessarily true. She trusted Alina very much and did not want her parents to be influenced by the cheap gossip.

Although Rico also had time to think about the cheap gossip, but he kept trying to keep trusting Alina. There was no reason for him to suspect Alina even though that suspicion had been seethed in his heart.

"You know Papa best, Co. Papa wouldn't just believe such cheap gossip. But since Alina is your boyfriend and your mom also seems to have liked her a lot, Papa is just afraid that the rumors are true."

"Papa take it easy. Rico makes sure that it's all gossip. Alina's a good woman, Pa. Although Rico only analyzed it for a few months, but Rico can feel if Alina is a good woman. He couldn't possibly have lied to Rico or let Rico down" Rico said with confidence.

Before ascertaining the truth, he must first make his father believe that Alina is not what her neighbors gossip. Rico doesn't want his papa to think about things he shouldn't have to think about and makes him suspicious of Alina. After all, he was very sure that Alina was not like the one whose soldiers were gossiping about.

After feeling quite talkative and reassuring her papa, Rico goes inside her room and immediately contacts her boyfriend. He who tries to believe but still has to straighten out what is going on so that there is no more suspicion between them.

"Hello, Co?" alina said first after the call was connected.

"Honey, where are you?" ask Rico.

"At resto. I'm at work, Co. Why?" ask Alina back.

"Em, are you busy?"

Alina who was struggling with her laptop then left it and leaned her body on the back of the chair.

"No. What's up, honey?" ask Alina again.

"No papa, I just miss you."

Alina chuckled for a moment. "Now we met this afternoon. Very cute." anyway."

"Kangen kok said lebay. Don't you miss that's the same as me?"

"You said kangen, but it was a lie. Say no, you will be angry. So say what?" alina said as if thinking. Making Rico at the end there smile amusedly.

It was heartless to ask something that would change their current good mood. But if not asked, he will not be satisfied until making his parents sure to Alina. It's best that he doesn't discuss the matter here, it's better that he invite Alina to just meet so that things can be clearer if discussed in person.

"Oh yes, dear. You have no time tomorrow? I want to invite you to meet."

"Tomorrow I'll be on campus until the afternoon, the night should be work. How about a weekend?"

"That's it," said Rifo. Then he fell silent, making Alina suspicious of him.

"What's up, honey? Is there anything important until we meet tomorrow?"

"There's something I want to ask you, but if you're busy, you don't know. We'll see you later this weekend" Rico said.

"Why not just ask now?" alina asked who was starting to wonder.

"No papa, we'll talk later and let's be good."

Even so curious about what Rico wanted to ask him, but Alina just agreed. Two days, no problem for him. He would wait even though he was very curious because it seemed like Rico was about to ask something serious enough to not want to talk on the phone.

"Oh yes, Co. Last afternoon papa you sent me home."

"Yes, papa just told me the same story. Next time, if you can't ride an online motorcycle, just call me, baby. Don't take public transport."

"No papa, honey. I'm used to taking public transport."

"But I'm still worried, let alone mama. What if you're doing?"

Alina smiled faintly. "Yes-yes, honey. Yaudah I want to continue working first."

"Alright, sorry to interrupt your busy time" Rico said.

"Its okay. Say thank you to your parents for bothering to take me home."

"Yes, Honey. Yasudah, work. See you in two days."

Alina chuckles a little after that she disconnects her call. He thought for a moment about what Rico was going to ask him, but a second later he flicked his shoulder and refocused on his laptop to continue his work.

*

Two days later…

Alina walked into a restaurant to meet Rico who had been waiting for her there since. They were forced to meet there and go alone because Alina asked, even though Rico had insisted on picking her up at home, but because Alina who just woke up makes it unpleasant if you have to ask Rico to wait for her at home.

"Hey. You've been here since?" alina asked while sitting her body in the front seat of Rico.

"Not half an hour, just relax. You want to eat first?" ask Rico anyway.

Alina glanced at the clock on her wrist. It was almost five o'clock, but he had not had lunch because he was too sound to sleep from 11 noon to three in the afternoon.

"Yes, I'm a really good laper."

Rico called the waiter of the restaurant and Alina immediately mentioned her order to be recorded by the attendant there. They chatted casually while waiting for orders to come and until Alina's food order came, the chatter still sounded relaxed because Rico did not want to disturb Alina's late lunch with her questions.

"You're going to the cafe tonight?" ask Rico.

"Yes. It's my last night to fill out live music there."

"last? Why?" asked Rico in surprise.

"I have to focus on my script, Co. My job at the restaurant was enough to waste my time. I also need to rest so that my mind can be clearer to be used to do all campus activities. I want to graduate to my target."

Hearing Alina's words, for some reason Rico suddenly became sad. It was so hard on the life Alina lived. He had to work in two places at a time he should have used to rest.

"I'm sorry, honey. All this time I have not been aware of your activities. You must be very tired of living the day with so much weight," said Rico in a low voice. It made Alina wonder to hear it.

"Why is this melow?" ask her a little amusedly.

***

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