President Cilok
118 Basic beliefs of a strong relationship

“Assalamualaikum..” exclaimed a woman from outside the main gate into the courtyard of the house with the concept of modern Joglo.

A gatekeeper looked in front of the gate. “Wa'alaikumussalam, who?”

“Pak is right this family residence Bagaskara Wijaya?” he asked the housekeeper.

The housekeeper nodded, “True, who is it?”

“I'd like to see Damar, Sir,”.

“Den Damar is no longer at home Ma'am!” answer the housekeeper.

The sound from the terrace of the house echoed, calling the house guards. “Who Mang Soni?!”

Mang Soni turned to look at the daughter-in-law of the Wijaya family who was standing on the terrace of the house 10 meters from the main gate. Mang Soni walked over to Holy Mother. “Ndon't know Mom, inquired no answer,”

Holy Maiden frowned, looked at Mang Soni and turned to stare at the gate, “What are you looking for?”

“Den Damar, Bu.” replied Mang Soni.

Holy Ma'am was more surprised, “Search Damar, se' ta see first.” then walked closer to the gate, netraya surprised to see the girl who had been in love with her son.

“Ratna!” exclaims Holy Ma'am.

Ratna nodded thinly and smiled amiably. “Holy Bu,”

Holy Mother blinked her eyes, looking at Ratna. In the mind of Holy Mother, I don't know what brought Ratna here. Also ahu from where Ratna lived the Bagaskara Family. However, Holy Mother is still being friendly . “You need what Ratna?”

“Holy Mother, I want to meet Damar, Mom,” Ratna said still in front of the gate.

“For what did you come looking for Damar?!” reply Holy Mother, refusing to respond to Ratna. “Better you just go home Ratna.” continued the Holy Mother said coldly, then turned her back to Ratna. Holy Mother was still very upset with Ratna who had the heart to throw away her eldest son's feelings.

Seeing the Holy Mother leaving, Ratna called the middle-aged woman who was dressed in batik abaya and black hijab. “Bu! Holy Ma'am! I beg Mom, just for a moment I would like to meet Damar! I still love Damar, Holy Ma'am!”

The Holy Mother stopped her steps, who had only walked three steps away from the gate. He looked up to align his chin with his shoulders, looking at Ratna from the tail of his eyes. “Just go home Ratna, and Damar isn't home. Not good for you too, come to married men.”

Degh's..... Ratna was speechless hearing Holy Mother's statement. “Si-who is married Holy Ma'am? No way Damar, right, Holy Ma'am!?”

Holy Mother turned her body, facing Ratna with a distance of three meters. “Well, you didn't hear Ratna wrong. Damar was married four days ago.”

Any more.... Ratna wanted to deal with the words of Holy Mother. He shook his head slowly, suddenly his head seemed to be hit by a big wave. Ratna lost consciousness and fell in front of the gate.

Holy Mother was surprised to see Ratna who fell, as soon as he called Mang Soni to open the gate. “Mang Soni, quickly open the gate!”

Mang Soni who was watering the plants was gasped to hear the cry of Holy Mother, she left a water hose that was still burning. “Injeh (Father) Mom, what's up?”

The Holy Mother pointed at Ratna, saying in a panicked voice. “Quick Mang, open the gate. Ratna, Mang, Ratna!”

The housekeeper who happened to pass by also helped Mang Soni, to bring Ratna into the house.

••

Four days had passed for Damar and Wulan to become a husband and wife.

“I'm still curious,” said Wulan, while moving the fried presto milkfish to the plate. “What is Angelina and Roni made up of?”

“Can be!” answer the Damar. He then diverted the conversation. “I did not expect, if your cooking is very good. As delicious as restaurant cuisine,” said Damar, while evaporating tauco kangkung dishes cooked by Wulan, along with a menu of tempe bacem and milkfish with strong warm rice. Although it is very simple, Damar really enjoyed it.

“Why am I new, if you can cook, before you have never shown your ability?” he continued saying, chewing.

Wulan poured warm tea into a cup, and then he gave it to Damar. Then pull up a chair and sit opposite her husband who was so greedy eating the dishes he cooked, “Indeed, looks like I don't deserve to cook yah?”

Damar put his tablespoon on the plate. “Hemm... What kind of looks do you mean?”

“You're eating Kang Cimar again, it's not good to talk about eating. Later can be choking,” said Wulan commemorating Damar.

And sure enough Wulan's words just now, Damar coughed. Uhuk.... Uhuk.... Damar's face instantly turned red, as well as tears that were unfeelably coming out of his eyelids.

“Astaghfirullah, Kang Cimar!” Wulan was aghast, he got up from his seat immediately took warm water, and gave it to Damar. “Drink, next time be careful, do not talk if you eat again,” he said, while rubbing Damar's back.

Glek... Damar drank the warm tea given by Wulan, his throat was fairly subsided, but his chest was still painful. Damar rubbed his chest, “Who was talking about me?!” he murmured softly, still with a mild cough. “Uhuk... Ehem...hem...”.

With his left hand, Wulan rubbed Damar's chest, while his right hand rubbed his back. “Indeed yes? If again eating continues to cough or bitten again someone talks about us without us knowing?”

Damar nodded thinly. “Ehem...” dehemnya light to relieve throat. “Can be so,”

“Iya?” suhut Wulan, feeling sorry to see the face of Damar reddened and wet eyes, such as enduring pain. “What does it feel like to be so sick?” yummy, panic.

Damar flicked his hand, interspersed with a slow shake. “Udah mendingan.”

Wulan scrunched her forehead. “Including must now? Can be another time,”

“Moreover what needs to be delayed, after all Father and Mamah have also returned to Jakarta. I want as soon as the house that has been empty for a long time back in residence,” concluded Damar, staring at Wulan who was cleaning up dirty dishes. He stopped the hand of Wulan who was taking the plate in front of him. “Let me,” bargain.

Wulan looked at the back of Damar's hand resting on the back of his hand. Then diverted his attention, sat down with the husband, who was pale-faced after choking. “Your face is pale, how can I let you help me wash the dishes,”

Damar reviews the smile. “And you've been cooking cape, yes you also have to cape dishwashing,”

Wulan rubbed the back of Damar's hand resting on his left hand. “It's my duty as a wife,” Wulan diverted her hand, now she rubbed Damar's cheek with a gentle swab. “Never feel shy about this, if you feel shy or feel uncomfortable, then how can we build a harmonious household, hm.”

Damar was stunned to hear his wife's reply. “Your wife, as if I were drinking kukubima,”

Wulan tilted her head. “Why with kukubima?”

“Because you made me re-energized. Roso!” exclaim Damar. He coughed back. “Uhuk... uhuk... hemm.

“Kan, right, so again..” exclaimed Wulan, then took a glass filled with warm water. “Halah-huh, you can-can you seduce!”

Damar shook his hand. “Quiet-quiet. I'm ora opo-opo! (i'm not pa-pa!)”

Wulan sighed, shaking her head to see how good Damar was.

Damar remembered something, he found a white pendant necklace that read Farhan which he found under the pillow this morning when he woke up. He then reached into the pocket of his long jeans and showed Wulan, “I found this,”

Wulan stared at the white pendant necklace Damar was holding. His gaze turned into a sorrowful gaze, he fell silent and then lowered his head.

Looking at Wulan's expression, Damar suspected that there was something very special behind the white pendant necklace he was holding. “What is special about this necklace? From your attitude, show that this is not an ordinary pendant necklace.”

Wulan again raised her face to face with Damar, she sighed. “Will I tell you another time.” proposed Wulan, he felt he still needed time to return to remember his dark past.

Damar was a little disappointed to hear Wulan's answer, he felt as a husband was not trusted to understand his wife's past story.... He severed eye contact unilaterally, then looked at the watch on his left wrist.

“It's half-time eight in the morning. Before going to Amanah food, I will go home first to see Mother.” he said, then get up from his seat and leave a white pendant necklace that reads Farhan on the table.

Heard Damar's cold voice. Wulan felt guilty, she saw the back of Damar who was walking towards the living room. “Will I tell you, once I'm really ready.”

For a moment Damar stopped his steps, but he did not turn to Wulan, even to give Wulan an answer, only he was reluctant.

••

After arriving at Grandpa Bagaskara's courtyard...

Damar and Wulan took off their seat belts. Not much talk happened during the twenty-five-minute journey the two went through.

Wulan held the back of Damar's hand. Made the owner look at him for a moment. “Are you disappointed?”

Staring with Wulan, making his heart as if it were melted. “By being honest?”

Wulan nodded thinly

“Yes, I'm disappointed. Because you don't trust me. Not in any relationship. Trust is the most important thing? and the key is mutual openness! Then why do you hesitate for me to know your story? Who am I to you, am I not your husband? Do you have any doubts?” cecar Damar, with a voice filled with emphasis. She felt Wulan was a difficult woman to share her stories with, despite her status as a husband.

Wulan was moved to hear all the scatters from her husband. He answered her in a soft voice, hoping that Damar would understand. “But not all stories have to be told, Kang Cimar. Please understand for this. I'll tell you, but once I find it,”

Damar's forehead shriveled, he was increasingly surprised by Wulan's attitude that seemed to cover the story. “Find? Found who? Your ex, Iyah!?”

Wulan shook her head loudly. “Don't be suspicious of Damar, it's really just you.” Wulan said floating, while Damar interrupted him first.

“If you don't want me to be suspicious, then why are you in doubt, Wulan?!” damar said, asking in an emotionally restraining voice.... Don't know why? Damar feels his fear of betrayal looms over him, even now it is like a creepy phobia.

Wulan felt disappointed by all of Damar's stifled anger, as if she was a woman who deserved all the suspicions and prejudices from Damar. Wulan replied in a soft voice, yet still sounded resolute. “Stop Damar, I'm not your ex. I'm Nawang Wulan, why something this small should be a debate between us. If you don't believe me, why did you marry me!?”

Damar remained silent

“The basis of a strong relationship, isn't trust? Like you said just now. Then why do you not believe me, Damar.” continued Wulan with a soft voice.

Damar shrugged his head. stared at Wulan with a raging feeling. No, not because he doubted Wulan. It's just his fear, making it as though it's dark-eyed and jealous blind. But when he will be back to sound. The knock outside the glass door of his car blew away the tension between him and Wulan. Geck... Geck...

Damar turned his gaze, and looked at Mang Soni. He opened the car door. When Damar got out of the car, he asked. “What's Mang?”

“Aden is waiting for someone inside.” said Mang Soni.

Damar looked directly at the terrace of the Joglo house...

•••

Seriate...