The Honorary Owner
104

The atmosphere of Hiko's house was gripping that night after the departure of Ruby and her parents. Genta and Nara have returned home leaving Handoko and maria in the living room of Hiko's house.

Hiko was still hugging Maria's legs, desperately begging for forgiveness at the feet of the woman who had given birth to her because it had disappointed her.

Maria was still as he pleased, and rubbed her son's back. Sad, disappointed, angry, pity piled on his mind. So unfortunate was the fate of his son. Is that as bad as his son to have to suffer such a fate?

"When did you touch her? Is it true that it's your son in the womb?" handoko asked breaking the silence.

Hiko puts on her body, "Hiko fucked her once a few months ago, Pa. At that time Hiko was still hesitant about Hiko's feelings for Ruby. That's Hiko forced to, Pa."

Handoko takes a vase of flowers on the table and wants to throw it at Hiko, but she immediately holds it back.

"So you did it after you married Ruby!?" tanyanya.

Hiko nodded.

"Astaqfirullahaladzim, Ko!! Why don't you ever stop making trouble!! This time you hurt a kyai's son, Ko!! Your Papa Teacher!!" Shouted Handoko.

"Pa! Already, Pa! Remember Papa's health." Maria warned.

"Mom how to deal with kyai Abdullah, Ma? Even when we hurt him, he can still break our hearts in the face of this. O God, help your sinful servant." Handoko leaned her body on the back of the sofa.

The atmosphere returned to Silence, the sound of crickets and vehicles passing in front of Hiko's house which became a breaker of silence.

"Marry Nara!"

"Mom disagree, Pa!" Sergei Maria.

"Hiko doesn't want to marry her!" Added Hiko.

"You've already impregnated people's children and still don't want to take responsibility!?" Sentak Handoko's.

"If Hiko marries Nara, it means Hiko has to divorce Ruby, Pa! And Hiko won't divorce Ruby!" Sahut Hiko is no less hard.

"You think kyai Abdullah and nyai Hannah still want to make you his son-in-law!?" Jerking Handoko again, this time Hiko could not answer.

"We're home, Ma! Papa can hang here long." Take Handoko to Maria.

Maria immediately stood up and Hiko stood up as well. Maria hugged her son to encourage her so that her only son did not despair.

"Take it easy, son. Don't do anything wrong, bring yourself close to God." Message Mary before leaving.

Hiko nodded, "I'm sorry Hiko, Ma." Hiko then let go of her Mama's embrace.

Maria nodded, rubbed Hiko's cheek and followed her husband who had come out first.

Hiko stared at the departure of the two black sedans from his yard. He returned home, laying down on the living room couch.

Alone and deserted, the house was like a loss of life. The most important thing in it had disappeared. Hiko pressed both of her eyes with her arms to hold back her jostling regretful cry of wanting to come out.

She must be crying right now, guess Hiko. I'm sorry, Ruby. Ii'm sorry.

**********

The chanting of the holy verse of the Qur'an sounds vaguely from the pesantren son of Darul Hikmah which happens to be closer than the house of Kyai Nur. Moon children are still reluctant to leave even though dawn begins to attract from. This morning Jakarta was colder than it had been a few days before. Azizah was busy sweeping inside the house, while Ruby swept in the front yard of her paklek house.

Her eyes were puffy, her former tears last night made her sweep with a bow, unwilling to make people who saw her prejudiced many things to her.

He deliberately chose to sweep outside the house, because in the kitchen there Nyai Zubaidah who helped Ummi and his Bulek cook. While in the house there is Kyai Marzuki who talks with Abi and his Paklek.

"Assalamu'alaikum."

Ruby raised her face, looking at the owner of the voice that once shook her heart.

"Wa'alaikumsalam, Mas Iqbal." Answer Ruby. He immediately lowered his face.

"You stayed here last night, By?" ask Iqbal

"Yes, Mum."

"I did not see your husband praying in the mosque. Didn't he stay here?" ask Iqbal again.

"I'm staying here alone, Mom." Answer Ruby.

Iqbal fell silent, guessing something. "Does he make you sad, By?"

Ruby shakes.

"I hope you're okay. But what if I know you're not okay, By?"

Ruby looked at Iqbal, "You can think of him as never knowing, Mas."

Highlight the eyes of the two of them clashed against each other, and it didn't take long for Ruby to bow her head.

"I have to continue my work, Mom." Ruby shakes Iqbal out finely.

Iqbal was still reluctant to move on, but he could not continue to be there either. "I go in first, By." said.

"Yes, Mum."

Iqbal steps inside the house and Ruby continues her work.

At the end of the gate there was a pair of eyes that held back jealousy. Hiko, I don't know when she was there watching secretly the woman she loved.

The sky grew increasingly blue, carrying the sun slowly shining down on the Earth. Hiko could see Ruby more clearly. Looking from afar like that, until when? He hopes it's only temporary and they can get back together.

trrrt trrrt trrrt

The vibration of the phone in her pants pocket did not make Hiko take her eyes off Ruby. His hand was busy picking up his phone and then wiping the origin of the green button on the phone screen.

"What, Ta?" hiko asked after putting her phone on her right ear.

"It's Nara, Ko!"

Hiko was surprised and looked at the screen of her phone. Right, Nara's name appears there. He wanted to end his phone call, but he dropped it off. Hiko decided to get in the car and continue the conversation there.

"Why?" ask Hiko.

"We need to talk." Pinta Nara's.

"Other times." Answer Hiko.

"Are you going to throw me away and throw away your son? Do you also doubt that this is your son?" ask Nara.

Hiko didn't give an answer, she ended the phone call just like that. Throwing his phone over the dashboard.

Brags!

He violently struck the car door, venting his anger.

"Geez!!"

trrt trrrt trrrt.

Hiko's phone shook again. Irritatedly Hiko took it. It wasn't Nara's name that showed up there, it was Genta.

"What, Ta?"

"Mu ..."

"What's!? Cepatan back, we have a morning shooting, nih!"

"How should you do it, Ta? I love Ruby, Ta! I love him, Ta!" Hiko put down her phone, buried her face at the wheel of the car again regretting her actions.

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A knock on the window of her car makes Hiko lift her face, she is surprised to find Ruby outside her car. Hiko got out of the car.

"Ruby!"

Hiko was about to hug Ruby, but Ruby quickly avoided her.

"Why are you still forcing yourself like this, Mom?" ask Ruby. "Don't I tell you not to look for me? But why have you been here since dawn?"

Hiko fell silent, not knowing that Ruby was aware of her existence.

"Go home, Mas. Don't ever come to me before I ask." Ruby Pinta.

"But, By--"

"Well, Gus Iqbal will be Kyai Abdullah's successor?"

"It fits!"

"Actually Gus Iqbal does match Ning Ruby. Nonsense, Geulis."

The conversation of some students behind the boarding school wall sounded faintly in Hiko and Ruby's ears.

"By! What do they mean by conversation, By?" Hiko looked panicked but Ruby just looked at her without saying anything.

"By! You're still my wife, By!" Hiko half-shouted and shook both of Ruby's shoulders.

He shook his head, clasping Ruby's hand tightly. "No, By! You can't make Iqbal my replacement, By! You can choose Abriz, because I still have more confidence to take you back! But Iqbal, By? I'm nothing compared to him! He's too perfect to be my rival. No, By. Don't do that to me! Please ..."

Ruby shed her tears again looking at the begging Hiko, throwing away her arrogance with tears that were already nurturing and ready to drip with a single blink. Ruby let go of Hiko's hand, gave no answer and just left Hiko.

"Bi ..."

Hiko's voice was stifled due to the tightness that was piling up on her chest. Hiko's tears spilled watching Ruby's departure slowly disappear behind the high gate of Darul Hikmah boarding school.

"HAARRGHHH!!!!!"

Hiko's shout became evidence of his deep regret. He repeatedly kicked the wheel of his car tire, hit the hood of the car to kick the rearview mirror until broken to vent his anger on himself.

*********

I don't know how many times Genta paced in front of Hiko's house waiting for the presence of Hiko's white sedan to come. His feelings had been mixed considering Hiko's last sentence on the phone that sounded very desperate. Repeatedly he contacted Hiko still did not find an answer.

Genta immediately breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Hiko's car seen at the end of the block and creeping towards him. He is surprised by Hiko's broken rearview car and still hangs just like that.

"Why, Ko?" ask Genta when Hiko is out of the car.

The man remained silent and did not answer and continued to step in. Genta held Hiko's shoulder with his hand, looking seriously at Hiko's face.

"Lo want to take a day off today?" ask Genta.

Hiko nodded then continued her steps into the house.

Genta let out a long sigh and rode his motorbike leaving Hiko's house. The goal, not the shooting location. He took his motorbike through the density of the capital's asphalt road to enter the typical residential paving streets.

Nara's house, became her destination that morning.

He stopped his motorbike at Nara's carport and immediately approached Nara's living room door. A few knocks on the door is enough to make the homeowner open the door of the living room.

"I'm glad Genta's coming here." Greet Nara

Unasked, Genta walked in and sat on Nara's living room couch.

"Lo's not pretending to be pregnant, is she, Ra?" ask Genta.

"At first I had such intentions, but it turned out to be true, sister." replied Nara.

"Lo's sure it's Hiko's son?"

"I can prove it when this child is born."

"Hiko says she's had a hard time doing it with other women since she was with Ruby."

"I forced him that day. I was angry with him and wanted him to prove his great love for me. And I haven't taken a pill I've taken every day to prevent pregnancy when I'm in contact with her." Nara clearly.

Genta let out a long sigh, he really hoped that Nara would pretend.

"I'm grateful there's a fetus in my womb. This way I can get to Hiko without any effort." Nara continued with a twinkle of happiness on her face.

Genta smiled wryly, "Lo would willingly hurt your own best friend just for the sake of a man?"

"I'm just seizing what's supposed to be mine, brother! Ruby hurt me, here I hurt, I'm the victim of her greed!" Jerky Nara.

"Stop acting like a victim, Ra. God knows better who buried the many wounds."

"What does brother mean?" ask Nara.

"Ruby also suffered a lot because of you and Hiko. Just for your happiness, he's willing to marry the man who raped him."

"Sister mean?"

"Hiko! He was the one who had already taken Ruby's honor!"

The deg!

Genta's words made Nara fall limp on the floor.

"You lied, brother!" Nara lirih.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IF IT WAS HIKO WHO TOOK THE HONOUR OF RUBY!!??"

"Sir Handoko!!"

Genta stood surprised to see Handoko's presence on the door of Nara's living room.

"EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEAN!!"

- Connected

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