THE FORMER SHADOW
56. Decisions

Badrina came out of the building where Akmal was active in office, her face looked fresher. In their talk earlier, if in a week Poppy did not come out of the house relics of Wriatmaja, then Akmal will report to the authorities to help.

I don't know how many messages came in from Poppy. Aunt Badrina still continued to beg him to be willing to accommodate or at least give a small house for Poppy shelter.

Badrina's heart was sealed shut. He no longer cared about Poppy's messages.

To block Poppy's phone number Badrina did not do because she still needed to send a warning to Poppy.

Badrina is waiting for a taxi in the office lobby, she is going to visit a place. A long time later, his phone rang an incoming call sign.

The name Monera as a caller, Badrina did not talk to her cousin for a long time. Badrina smiled wryly as she remembered that she was not a child of the Wriatmaja so Monera had no interest in establishing close contact since they were children.

Badrina knew very little about Monera who had married a foreign man and lived in Switzerland, the rest of them like distant people.

With a less interested face, Badrina kept picking up Monera's phone.

"Hello," said Badrina coldly.

"Hello, Badrina. It's me Monera."

"Yes, I know. What's the need to contact me?" badrina asked directly to the subject.

Monera was silent for a moment hearing Badrina's poignant and irritated tone. But he understood why this happened.

Badrina has known all their family secrets. Without much further ado, Monera replied, "I hope you can think back about mama." Monera's plea sounded like Badrina's reign.

Badrina chuckled as if Monera was throwing a joke. "You're her son, you think of your mother" Badrina's lips showed a nonchalant attitude.

Monera was inflamed hearing Badrina's arrogant pitched speech. The last time they talked was about five years ago, when Cantara was born. Badrina turns out to be changing, not as Monera used to know.

"You also took good care of your mother from childhood, there was no attitude of return," Monera said.

Badrina responded coldly. "Yes, it was treated to be made insane and the maximum suicide," Badrina said, holding her mouth tainted by screams and claps against Monera.

Monera was silent, at least he knew what his mother did to get the legacy of the late Wriatmaja, Monera's birth om.

"Why silence? You're part of your mom's scenario, too?" accuse Badrina without hesitation.

As Monera was about to rebut, Badrina immediately continued saying, "I warn you, Monera, don't come into my business. If you want to take care of your mama, it's your responsibility. Don't get involved and teach me about return!" bursts Badrina with rumbling feelings mixed in her heart.

Monera was unable to speak, she did not have any strength to urge Badrina.

Soon their conversation was severed unilaterally by Badrina. The taxi Badrina ordered arrived, Badrina boarded it and called the destination address to the taxi driver.

Badrina's stomach was rumbling, this morning she just ate a piece of bread at home. During the day, he did not have appetite because of the problems that are being faced now.

After arriving at the destination, Badrina decided to pull over to a restaurant, where she fulfilled her desire to eat foods that satiate her stomach.

Badrina must be strong in dealing with many problems of people who live happily above her suffering.

As Badrina was eating the dishes, she saw someone she knew passing by on the street across from the restaurant. Badrina is not interested in greeting the person at this time, her stomach is more in need of nutritional intake than greeting acquaintances.

In the apartment room, Maulidya and Ameera have been waiting for Arshaka's arrival. Ameera who was still feverish and limp this morning, this afternoon looks fitter. Her feelings improved after hearing the good news from her mother.

The apartment bell rang, Ameera immediately to the door, climbing up the chair to open the doorknob.

"Papa..," he said cheerfully as soon as he saw Arshaka's figure coming. "Meera kangen is equally papa," he said as hugged by Arshaka.

"Papa also misses Meera. He said you were sick?" asked Arshaka while holding Ameera inside.

"Yes, Pa. But, it has healed because I met papa," he replied innocently.

"Hi, Mas," Maulidya greeted with a mood that was no less happy. It was a long time not to meet Arshaka.

Arshaka smiled, he took Ameera down from his carrier.

"Mas, I've been cooking for dinner. Mas, want to have dinner together?" tawar Maulidya girang's. He has prepared his best menu for tonight's meeting.

The smile on Maulidya's face faded. He feels there is something important that Arshaka will convey with his serious face, hopefully not a surprising bad thing, inner Maulidya.

"I'm sorry, I can't linger" Arshaka said, taking a seat on the sofa. Maulidya was still standing on the spot, he became impatient to hear Arshaka.

"I'm sorry" said Arshaka, starting the conversation between them.

"I want you and Ameera to leave this apartment."

Like a thunderclap, Arshaka's words surprised Maulidya greatly. Maulidya froze at Arshaka's words which suddenly brought bad news.

"Ke... Why, Mas?"

"My job of looking after you and Ameera is done. Your late husband, Zafer, when he was alive asked for my help to protect you from his family's pursuit until you're safe" Arshaka recalled an old memory.

"For so long no one has terrorized and pursued you and Ameera. You're safe," he continued.

Maulidya recalled a long time ago when he was found under heavy rain by Arshaka. It was a message from Zafer, her late husband, to seek Arshaka for safe protection.

Initially Arshaka is heavy helping, considering Maulidya is her former lover who is married by Zafer. Unfortunately, Zafer and Maulidya's love affair is not sanctioned by the Zafer family.

All kinds of intimidation are done to separate the two, always ends in failure. Intimidation does not stop, eventually Zafer himself asks Maulidya to look for Arshaka with the safety considerations of Maulidya and their future baby.

Maulidya's face was soaked by tears imagining parting from Arshaka who had been this good.

"But, Mas. I've been comfortable with you for five years now" said Maulidya, wiping her tears.

Arshaka clucking. "It's something we've talked about, Lidya. I can't accept you back, memories of the past dwell memories, we have our own way of life" replied Arshaka firmly.

"In addition, I will return to Badrina. We'll go and get married" Arshaka said confidently.

Maulidya chuckled wryly. "It turns out all because of Badrina. That woman," Maulidya's murmur looked annoyed.

"What's my lack, Mas? I regret ever hurting your feelings. I always tried to get back to you, Mas" isak Maulidya, he took a seat next to Arshaka.

The man shook his head. "Hurtful love cannot be forced back, Lidya. I never hated you. These five years I've done everything based on my friendship with Zafer" Arshaka told me the truth.

Maulidya sobbed, she covered her mouth with one hand so as not to be heard into Ameera's room.

"Because the Zafer family does not accept you, you want to separate from it. He told you to look for me not so that we would return as a couple, but so that you and your baby would be safe at that time. I'm sure you didn't forget it" Arshaka recalled the story of their past encounters, after each one was married to someone else.

"All your living expenses are covered by Zafer, until recently. I just loaned this apartment as our residence and Ameera, ", Arshaka said, opening up the secrets of the past.

"You always refuse Zafer's gifts. He complained to me, so we made a deal for the next five years, lasting until now" Arshaka added.

Maulidya shook her head, as if not accepting Arshaka's shocking words.

Arshaka stood up, intending to get out of the apartment. "This is all I want to say. I hope you can leave soon and continue living with Ameera without me" Arshaka said.

The man was between heart and pity for Maulidya, he saw Maulidya sobbing on the seat.

"Zafer's savings for you and Ameera are still there, I'll transfer them completely to your account, after you vacate this apartment" Arshaka said. He took a deep breath, there was no word from Maulidya.

"Buck...."

Along with Maulidya's call to her, Arshaka steps towards the door. Calls to him are increasingly tight accompanied by the cries and screams of women who for five years are guarded by him at the request of his best friend.

Maulidya chased after Arshaka, while Ameera came out of the room hearing her mother's voice. As Arshaka grabs the doorknob and opens it, Maulidya hugs Arshaka's arm tightly. The woman seemed to express her objection to parting from Arshaka.

Along with the opening of the door, Arshaka's gaze collided with Badrina.

The scarred look was clearly implied as Badrina observed her ex-husband's arms being hugged tightly signifying possession and familiarity.

All three were frozen by the circumstances.