RUSTING BOAT
CHAPTERS. 99

" Look Jubair, come here and sit here." said the Father. The man of my past complied with the invitation of the Father and chose a seat near the Father. The look in his eyes looked at me. I threw away my sight, though,

nervously.

" How's your wife, Meli? Is he still mad at you? " ask the man.

The man's eyes turned to the Father. He shook his head and said "No, I've taken Meli home. The point of my arrival here again is that I want to ask your permission to invite Niah to the house of Ambo first.( Ambo is a call to the Father, to the Bugis). Ambo is sick now, and he wants to see you, Niah."

He looked wisely at me. Apparently this time you don't want to interfere in my business. Even though he knew that Jubair and I were divorced, he didn't want to forbid me from going to my ex-laws' house. But he also did not want to force me to comply with Jubair's request because after all we were no longer husband and wife.

While I was stared at just dumbly. I don't know what to do. Whether I should obey Jubair's request to come to my ex-in-law's house or refuse.

Really, I don't want to hurt Mas Haris, either. Although the man still does not know if Jubair is my ex-husband, but by going there, it is the same as I still expect Jubair. And it indirectly must have hurt her heart.

Besides, I don't want to open up the opportunity for that man of my past to re-enter my life. I don't know how my wound is at this point. But one thing I do know is that I never expected to come back and knit the thread of love with that man.

But the other side of my humanity disturbs my conscience. Showing a side of compassion in my heart to the man who used to be so persistent in defending and loving me, my former in-laws. I can't be selfish. My chest was cramped by the crush of pity and also my selfishness. Bathinku fucked up at war.

" Niah.... What's your answer? " ask the Father again.

..." Deck, Brother please, please meet my father this time. Big brother promised not to ask for anything strange." beg Jubair....

Huh..? I looked at him in wonder. What does Jubair mean by saying not to ask for something strange - strange. Is he thinking about asking me something weird?

" I'm going there with Mas Haris later in the afternoon, brother. "my break up finally.

Jubair's water immediately changed. There was shock there when I heard my decision to come to see my former in-law along with Mas Haris.

" Hem, how about Nak Jubair. Ananda has heard for himself the words of my son Niah who wants to go see your father with Nak Haris."

"Yes, Sir. But why did Niah have to go with Haris. I can take Niah there. Anyway if he won't go with me, he can go on his own motorcycle." protested the man.

He sighed before answering Jubair's question.

" Because Nak Haris is now Niah's future husband... "

Back, there was shock on Jubair's face. Maybe he didn't think that my father knew about our divorce.

" Su.. already know that Niah and I are divorced? "

This time it was not Jubair who changed his face but Mas Haris. The clean and shady looking handsome man was probably in shock over the reality he had just met. Jubair, the person he thought my brother was is my ex-husband.

"Dec, is it true Mas Jubair was an ex-husband, huh?" the man asked to convince himself that what he heard was not wrong.

" Yes, Mas. Forgive me for not telling the truth to Mas, if Jubair's brother was a good ex-husband once. "my words are full of guilt.

I heard the man breathing a long breath. Nothing else was said from his thin lips after hearing my words.

" Deck, come on. Haris must be tired and busy. Let your brother pick you up later in the afternoon or just use your bike in the garage. " urged Jubair. The man was insistent that I undo my intention to come to visit Ambo together with Mas Haris.

" It's okay, Mom. Let Prime Rose go with me, later in the afternoon." Mas Haris chirped suddenly. I stared in disbelief at the man. Is it true that Mas Haris is willing to take me to Jubair's parents' house?

" Prime rose..? " jubair's forehead is wrinkled.

" Oh, sorry. That's my special call to Saniah." Mas Haris said quickly.

Jubair was annoyed to hear Mas Haris' words. The man's jaw hardened with the look of the eye that is now very real showing his dislike of Mas Haris.

I became astonished to see Jubair's attitude. What the hell happened to him? Why did the ancient man behave like that?

" Alright, later in the afternoon brother wait for your arrival to the house of Ambo, deck. Assalamu'alaikum "he said then as he passed away with a disheveled face.

Apparently, the man was upset that I was not willing to be picked up by him, and instead chose to go with another man.

After the death of Jubair, Mr and mamak resumed our delayed conversation earlier.

" Niah, how did you decide about Nak Haris' proposal? Are you willing to accept it..?

I shut up for a moment and took a deep breath. Bismillah.

Although this is not the first time I have been proposed to by a man, it is the first time I have felt a very different feeling. Like a girl who just got cheered by her lover.

Mas Haris face was shining brightly. Both of his hands accidentally blocked my wrists firmly

" right, deck? actually, did you accept the proposal, Mas? " tanya Mas Haris with a face like disbelief.

I just nodded in agreement. While the father and mother also felt moved to see the joy that was painted on our faces.

" Well, now there's one more problem" said the father later.

" What problem, sir? " i asked out of curiosity about my father's words.

He smiled at me and then turned to look at Mas Haris.

" When are you going to have your wedding? " ask Dad later. Mas Haris immediately smiled to understand the meaning of the Father.

" If I depend only on Niah, sir. The sooner the better." he said honestly.

" You heard that, Niah. Your husband-to-be has given up entirely on when you will have your wedding. I hope the sooner the better. To avoid slander and also things that are not desirable" said Mr.

" What do you mean by that?"

" Daughter, you know very clearly what you mean. "

" Then, Niah goes along how good it is, sir. As long as Mas Haris agrees."

" How about, Haris? "

" I want to get married to Dek Sani as soon as possible, sir. If possible in this week - this week. My mother is still in this place. So when I came back, I was able to bring my wife to my house. " replied Mas Haris confidently.

" Well, what if you set your wedding to be held on this Sunday. So I asked Nak Haris' family to come here. Does Nak Haris object to all of your requests? " ask Dad.

" I don't mind any of that, sir. I will prepare all. Right now I'm gonna call my family and ask them to come here as soon as possible."

" In that case, you wait for news from Nak Haris as soon as possible. "

" good, Sir. Soon I'll call my family."

Finished saying so, Father and mother chose to go into the room. They chose to leave and let me and Mas Haris share the happiness of that morning in the living room.

...----...

In the afternoon, as I promised Jubair, I went to my ex-in-law's house, delivered by Mas Haris in the man's car.

I was just about to step down from Mas Haris' car, when the sound of another car coming to a halt was right behind us.

Me and Mas Haris simultaneously turned their heads together. It turns out that who came was Jubair and Meli with their children. Seen the expression of the unhappy face of Meli and Jubair when he saw my presence with someone.

" Deck, you're finally coming. Let's go inside the house." take Jubair to me. The man spoke without even bothering to look at Mas Haris.

Meli's sour face became more red as Jubair tried to grab my hand. I hurriedly brushed it off immediately. Ogah, it's good that he tried to find - look for opportunities in narrowness.

I've found it to Mas Haris. With a gesture of an eye, my handsome man said that he was kind - it was fine to have Jubair's treatment of his less friendly self.

Mamak Sanah, Jubair's mother came out of the house and ran to meet Saniah's arrival. The old woman with white skin hugged Saniah tightly while her hands had succeeded in bringing my tiny body into her arms. We both hugged and cried together.

After a while of sharing tears, the atmosphere was calm. The woman invited me and Mas Haris to enter the house.

As for Meli and Jubair, the woman did not budge. This makes me feel a little surprised.

Mamak Sanah invited me into the room to meet Ambo who was lying helplessly. The old man's body was only a bone clad in skin. That's very sad.

I felt unbearable to see the state of the old man made me cry sobbing - Isak. The man was crying too. He poured out all the longing and guilt that permeated his heart.

If he hadn't forced the girl to marry his son, it probably wouldn't have been the end of it. His son turned out to have betrayed and hurt women should Saniah to make the woman was forced to leave without leaving a trace. It left sadness for the whole family and also regret in his heart.

" Niah. Oh my God, where have you been, son? You know you were disappointed and hurt on Jubair and on all of us.But why did you have to decide to walk away from us all?" his sobs. While Meli and Jubair, both of them were just silently glued to their respective minds.

Hearing Ambo's words, Saniah could only cry without being able to answer all of the man's questions.

" I'm sorry, ...I'm sorry, sir.." That's finally the only word that can be said from my lips. I couldn't bring back the wound. The pain is still the same as before. Oh my God, and not for my Father-in-law, where I would set foot here again.

" Niah, my patient and sholelhah father-in-law, don't go again, son. Do not leave this Father and Mamak Sanahmu. Stay here with us. We love you so much, "please ask the old man with pleading eyes.

Sontak Meli became annoyed at the words of her in-laws. Her father-in-law begged her husband's ex-wife to stay with them. While she was clearly Jubair's wife, even though her parents-in-law asked her to stay in their house. In fact, after two years, Meli's status was revealed as Jubair's second wife, both of whom never once set foot into Meli's house.

How shiny. Although according to Jubair, her husband never loved the woman named Saniah, but in fact, Saniah's position in the heart of the in-laws and also the heart of her husband was irreplaceable.

Especially for her in-laws, her daughter-in-law is just a Niah. Although the woman apparently went and disappeared from Jubair's life, they still never hated Saniah.

Instead, they blame Jubair for Niah's departure. They blamed the unjust Jubair and the zholim for Saniah. And regret the attitude of Jubair who has duplicated and played tricks on the nature of a marriage.

" Niah, who's that guy who's been standing next to you since, son? " tanya Ambo arrived - arrived.

Jeez, because I got carried away I forgot about Mas Haris.

" He was, uh.. he was, me and Sir. "I stammered incapable of saying - words anymore. There was a mist of disappointment in his eyes...