Poison of Love Arsenio
A Paper Slice

The morning begins. Despite the weight, Binar forced himself to open his eyes. Hot activities he had been through with Arsenio for almost overnight, so he only had time to sleep not for two hours.

Binar then turned to the side, where the husband was still sleeping while hugging him. Arsenio used Binar's body as a bolster. Slowly, the young woman removed the husband's hand from her stomach, and got out of bed. Immediately, he cleaned himself in the bathroom, and changed his clothes. As he had promised Vishnu and Praya, Binar would always prepare school supplies for his two younger siblings while in Bali.

After being tidy, Binar sent a message to Arsenio to immediately follow her to Widya's house, shortly after she left the inn. The distance of the inn with her stepmother's house is not too far away. Simply by walking for fifteen minutes, Binar has arrived in front of the terrace.

In one knock, the door was opened. However, it is not the face of Vishnu or Praya that appears like yesterday, but Widya. The middle-aged woman was half shocked when she found Binar standing before her.

"Are the kids not awake yet?" ask Binar flatly.

"Yet. I have to leave in the morning. I'm going to help Dayu Biang cook. There will be a big event held at his place" Widya replied with a bow. He didn't want to see the face of Binar. The woman continued to shy away from her stepson.

"Then leave the keys to the house here" Binar said as she wore her shoes on the porch.

"I'll leave it there" Widya replied, then left without looking back.

Arsenio's wife took a slow breath as she shook her head. Not wanting to think too much about the attitude of his stepmother, Binar rushed into the house to prepare breakfast for Vishnu and Praya. He went straight to the kitchen and opened the food cabinet. Her stepmother did not have a refrigerator, so in order to store vegetables and other foodstuffs, she had to put them in a wooden cabinet.

Luckily, it looks like Widya yesterday went shopping. Binar saw the closet is full of vegetables and complementary spices. Deftly, the girl processed the food that was there. The dinar deliberately cooked a lot in order to be enough for Arsenio as well.

In less than an hour, the cooking was ripe, along with Vishnu and Praya who came out of the room. Vishnu immediately approached Binar, while Praya turned to the bathroom.

"Mbok, I'm hungry" Vishnu said, yawning long.

"Go take a shower," tell Binar.

"The first to shower, Mbok. Today it was his turn," replied Vishnu as he pulled one chair and immediately sat down on the dining table. The boy was still half sleepy.

"Yes, already. Just eat, but at least you gargle first," said Binar in the end while holding back laughter. He then took the plate and poured it on Vishnu. That was the strange habit of his two younger siblings that he would always remember.

Binar was also about to get a side dish when a slow knock was heard at the front door. "It must be Rain." He rushed to open the door, then smiled broadly when his guess was correct.

"On my first day as a wife, I had dared to leave me alone in the inn" protested Arsenio anxiously.

"You slept well, Rain. I can't wake up." Binar laughed amusedly, then went forward and kissed the husband's lips. "Come, in. We have breakfast together" he said.

Binar took Arsenio's arm and led her to the kitchen table which also served as a dining table. "You want to try my simple menu?" Doubtful, Binar offered the results of his cooking that morning to the husband.

"Whatever you cook, I will eat" replied Arsenio steadily.

"Although not delicious?" goda Binar while raising one of his eyebrows.

"Yes" answered Arsenio briefly. He was silent for a while, then laughed. "I'll try," said the beautiful man in the end, who bore a light pinch on the waist of Binar. "Basic," the beautiful girl grumbled.

While Vishnu who had finished breakfast, now has been replaced by Praya. "Good morning, Brother Mister" said the boy as he grabbed a plate and filled it with rice and side dishes.

"Feel the mbok Binar is always good" said Praya as she continued to chew.

The sparkle always blushed with a dazzling look of bright brown eyes. Though, it had been countless the moment the man touched and looked at her. But for Binar, everything feels like the first time.

"Oh, yes, Brother Mister. Will Brother Mister buy my brother and me new shoes?" ask Praya innocently.

"Pray! It can't be so, "reproved Binar. She doesn't like it when her sister is impressed.

"It's okay, honey. After all, I promised them" Arsenio said. "Later after school, we'll take another walk, yeah. We're going to borrow Rudolf's car" the man explained after turning his attention to Praya.

The sixth-grader did not immediately answer. He lifted the plate and put the rice quickly into his mouth, as if it was not chewed. He did that until the plate was clean.

Praya then put down the empty plate, drank a glass of water and wiped her lips using the back of her hand. After that he moved to nearby Arsenio. Unexpectedly, Praya immediately hugged Arsenio who was also enjoying her breakfast. "Thank you, Brother Mister," he said softly from behind the sister-in-law's back.

Arsenio smiled calmly. For a moment, he thought of Fabien. Although they have been arguing more often is not important, but Fabien is his favorite sister. "Yes, equally. Never mind, I'm eating. So, don't make me cry because touched," said Arsenio half-jokingly, in order to reduce the feeling that raged in his chest.

"Today Mbok and brother mister will be here, because Mbok wants to clean up old things," said Binar made Arsenio immediately turn to him. "I won't force you to help me." Binar turned her face away, as if understanding the body language of the man who had now become her husband.

"You know me better than I do." Arsenio laughed crisply. A moment later, the man turned his attention to Vishnu who had just come out of the bathroom. "Morning, Nu," she said.

"August, Brother. Just continue with the breakfast. I'm gonna wear the uniform first. Today there is a picket schedule, so you have to leave early" said Widya's eldest son.

"Keep me how?" ask Praya.

"How's what? Yes, your hunt is in uniform. You just attach the belt for half an hour," said Vishnu as it passed and soon followed by the younger brother.

Now, there is only Binar and Arsenio who still enjoy the rest of the breakfast. "Then with you, I became diligent to eat," said the man of Dutch blood. The plate before him had been empty for quite a short time.

"That's great. Auntie Ang... um. I know you've had a hard time eating since childhood. That's why, I'll force even scold you if need be." The light smiled softly. He approached, then kissed the husband. "You have to eat a lot, to be healthy and strong in the face of reality" he joked that made Arsenio smile widely.

Time keeps creeping. Vishnu and Praya had said goodbye to go to school. While Arsenio accompanied Binar. The young lady was checking the items that most of her left behind first. Binar has opened the first dus, now he switched to the second dus. While Arsenio fell asleep on a long rattan chair. In that house there was no sofa or other furniture. Widya carried nothing but clothes and important items.

In the second box it contains books belonging to Binar. Seeing this object, Binar's desire to continue his education was present. Although she knows that the destiny of a woman will still return to the kitchen, but she wants to have a qualified education, so that later she can educate her children well and make them a quality intelligent generation.

All the books in the box he got from his savings. However, there is one book that was bought specifically by the late father. A book of philosophy he forgot to read. Binar remembered very well that his father bought the book a few months before falling ill, so that Binar had not had time to read because of the absence of time. He had to take care of his father and his two very young siblings, while Widya worked.

Taken, then the surface of the book was torn. A swish of pain suddenly burst forth in the deepest reaches of the heart. Binar tried to hold back his tears from dripping. He turned the book thick enough.

For a moment, Binar turned to Arsenio who was so sound and peaceful. The young lady smiled too. He went back to checking the other book. Binar will not bring his books, because all of them will certainly be useful for Vishnu and Praya in the future. He just brought the philosophy book earlier and separated the object with other items that he wanted to carry. However, again Binar did not immediately open the book. He returned to tidying up all the boxes containing his other items, which he would keep.

Without feeling it, the day came. Praya was used to waiting for her brother to disband from school. That way, they can go home together.

As per the agreed plan, Arsenio immediately took her two sisters-in-law away after they changed clothes. Binar was alone waiting for them to return.

"Lock the door and don't let anyone in" Arsenio said before leaving.

Binar nodded with a sweet smile. After that, he closed the door. I sat down and started opening the book. Sheet by sheet he read it, until he found a piece of paper between the pages of the book.